ArcaMax

I’m planning on this being a two-part series. I want to give you the skinny on the newest science related to sugar. I want to dispel some serious myths and set the record straight.

This information was shared in a publication called Cut the Sugar by Better Homes & Gardens. I could call it a book, but it was more like a thick magazine.

I found much of this simply laid out and informative. You’ll be surprised in some instances with what I am going to share.

I’ll lay this out by topic.

First topic up is HEART. I think this one is one of the most important ones to get straight. Many doctors are not aware of this and continue to dispense old information.

HEART

While saturated fat has long been thought of as the cause of heart disease, newer research points to a link between added sugar and poor heart health...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Quick Grilled Chicken and Veggies

This is a quick, easy meal on the grill. Use a recipe like this one for a quick weeknight meal, or a friends and family gathering on the weekend.

Servings: Serves 4. Can be doubled easily.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast portions

Italian Marinade
½ cup of olive oil
2 Tbl of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tsp of Dijon mustard
½ tsp of minced garlic or a sprinkle of dry garlic will work, too
½ tsp of Italian seasoning blend
¼ tsp of grated sea salt or to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Veggie Options:
zucchini
summer squash
eggplant (I use baby eggplant or Chinese because they have fewer seeds)
onions
scallions
button mushrooms
bell peppers
cherry tomatoes (put these on your grill at the end of cooking)

Dressing Options
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Any Italian dressing
Caesar dressing

Instructions:

The first thing to do is to pound down the chicken breasts. By making them thinner they cook faster on the grill. People worry about getting chicken done on the grill and not drying it out or burning it. This works great.

Take a large ziplock baggie. Put each piece of chicken in, one at a time. Pound with your meat mallet until the chicken is ½” thick or less. The thinner the breast is, the faster it will cook but ½” is enough.

Then you are going to put your chicken in your marinade. For richer flavor you can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 4 hours. But if you are in a hurry, even 15 minutes will give you a tasty chicken. I know. Mine never gets to stay in the marinade long.

In a small bowl, mix your marinade.

Put the chicken in a container (a 9-by-13-inch pan works great). Pour the marinade over and toss the chicken around so it gets fully covered. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld. If you are going to let it sit in there long, cover it so your whole refrigerator doesn’t end up smelling like marinade.

While the chicken is marinating you can cut your veggies. You’ll want them in big, bite-sized chunks. Spray them with olive oil spray to prep them for the grill.

Heat your grill to medium-high. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place it on the grill rack. Cook approximately four to five minutes per side depending on how hot your grill is. Don’t be tempted to mess with them too much. If you leave them alone you get those coveted grill marks. Cut into the thickest part of a piece of chicken to make sure no pink remains, but they should still be juicy on the inside.

While the chicken is cooking you can also grill your veggies. You’ll want a grill basket or grill tray so the veggies don’t fall through the grill gaps. Season your veggies with grated sea salt and pepper. Grill right along the chicken. These you can stir often to get them evenly cooked. Depending on your grill, they should get done about the same time.

Remove the chicken from the grill. Set on a clean platter.

Remove the veggies from the grill and put them in bowl. You’ll add your dressing and stir them around so the veggies get lightly coated. You can always add more dressing if you want.

If you are cooking for a crowd and not everything will fit on the grill at the same time, keep in mind this dish is really good served room temperature, too.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola