New Year Resolutions?

Lemon Thyme Grilled Chicken

Lemon Thyme chicken with red peppers, onions and spinach.
Served over mashed potatoes and gravy.
Photo taken by Chad Morgan.

It’s a new year!

And we all have made those resolutions to get healthy, eat better, workout and some more stuff. This year I vowed to give up pork, and Lord knows I LOVE bacon and pork chops. However, I do find some comfort in knowing that I’ll never eat chitterlings and pig feet. Fourteen days in, and I’m still going strong. It’s the little things that bring the most joy.

With that being said, this weekend I decided to challenge myself by keeping track of everything that I ate and drank. It started off well. For breakfast, oatmeal with brown sugar and blue berries served with turkey bacon. Next, sixteen ounces of water followed by an 8 ounce fruit smoothie. But then, the cravings kicked in. When I searched my refrigerator, for items to snack on, I saw cookie dough, spinach leaves and more blue berries. It was then that I decided to go to the grocery store and buy something to cook.

However, being an impulse shopper, this was probably not the best idea especially since the checkout lines are stocked with chips and chocolate. And, I do find Funyun Rings quite irresistible. I would assume that you know what happened next. I feel no guilt that I ate the whole bag of Funyuns before making it back to my house. Neither was there any guilt in eating 3 peanut butter cookies and having a glass of wine to end my night. I share this with you, not so that you will fall into the same temptation, but so that you can overcome.

Tonight’s dinner: Mashed potatoes with gravy. Sauteed onions, red pepper and minced garlic over grilled chicken breast.

Ingredients for mashed potatoes

4   pounds potatoes such as russet, round white, or yellow, peeled and quartered

1/3  cup margarine or butter

1/2  cup heavy cream

1   teaspoon sea salt

1/4  teaspoon black peppercorn

Ingredients for lemon thyme grilled chicken

3-4 tbsp olive oil separated
2 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
3 springs of fresh thyme leaves
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt and freshly cracked peppercorn to taste 
Cup of thin sliced red pepper

Cup of thin sliced onions

Ingredients for gravy*

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups turkey or chicken stock

Salt and pepper

*Gravy is best when using the fat drippings of the meat you cooked. However 3 chicken breast will not produce much fat drippings.

·         

      Directions for mashed potatoes

1 Put potatoes into a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add water until potatoes are covered. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them.

2 Warm cream and melt butter, together, either in microwave or in a pan on the stove. Drain water from potatoes. Put hot potatoes into a bowl. Add cream and melted butter. Use potato masher to mash potatoes until well mashed. Use a strong spoon to beat further. Sea salt and peppercorn to taste.

Directions for lemon thyme grilled chicken

1 Combine half oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt and 1 tablespoon of garlic in a small bowl.

2 Place chicken in shallow baking dish and cover with mixture. Preheat grill, in my case I used my counter griddle. You can also pan cook your chicken breast. If using the latter method, I would suggest using the thinly sliced chicken breast from your grocers to make sure they cook through.

3 In a separate pan heat, a tablespoon of olive oil. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic, the red peppers and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until the red peppers are tender and onions are translucent.

3 Place chicken on grill and cook for 12-14 minutes, turning half way through cooking time. Chicken breasts should be tender and juices clear.

Directions for gravy

1 In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sprinkle with the flour. Let bubble for 30 seconds, then slowly pour in the stock until smooth.

2 Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper. Simmer mix until thickened to your preference.

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