Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce

I know this sounds like a diet spoiler but let me start off by telling you that this is under 5 grams of fat per serving and 250 calories. Honey and beer, people! This recipe comes from the latest issue of Cooking Light's Brilliant Budget Eats. Cheap and healthy are my favorite words in cooking! This recipe costs $2.36 per serving and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare! Who doesn't love that? It was actually even cheaper for me because chicken was buy one get one free this week. By slicing the chicken into two thinner breasts you can really stretch your budget. This is sure to become one of your staple weekday meals!

Ingredients (2 servings)
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into 2 thin halves
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. diced shallot
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of beer (use whatever you have in the refrigerator, I had some leftover Stella Artois)
1 tbsp. lower sodium soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to coat bottom of pan. Prep ingredients and slice chicken breasts into portions. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Add chicken to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Chop shallots and garlic while the chicken sautes. When chicken is done, remove from pan and add garlic and shallots to the pan. Lower heat to medium low. Don't worry about the dark pan, it will create flavor with the sauce.

Cook the garlic and onions for about 1 minute or until translucent. In a bowl combine beer, soy sauce, mustard, and honey together for sauce.

Yay BEER!!! The rest for the chef of course.

Add the sauce to the pan with the garlic and shallots. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the pan to get the dark bits of flavor off the bottom.  

Cook 3 minutes or until the sauce reduces.

Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve it up with your favorite fresh side. I plated mine with 2 pieces of chicken for presentation but one piece and a healthy side will make the perfect size meal. Enjoy!

Grilled Mahimahi with Hot Sauce Buerre Blanc

This sounds super fancy but it's really just grilled mahi with grown up hot sauce, but once you taste it...WOAH it's so much more than that! Classic, simple, southern summer dish. I got this recipe from Hugh Acheson's A New Turn in the South cookbook which I happened to run across during my weekly trip to the library (I love that place, can't help it!). Mahimahi was on sale this week and all the other ingredients are pantry and fridge staples. Win! Mahi is a great grilling fish and picks up whatever flavor you put on it. When I was little my dad tricked me into eating mahi by telling me it was chicken. I totally fell for it and even told him it was the best chicken I ever had (I was like 8, I didn't exactly have a refined palate). Try it out with your kids...or any picky eater in your house. The original recipe serves the fish up over a fresh cucumber salad but I'm not in love with cucumbers so I chose a fresh, peppery arugala base with a squeeze of lemon. I have been on such a fish kick lately and with delicious, healthy meals like this I don't see it ending! Get out there and grill...summer ain't over yet!

Ingredients
2 mahimahi filets
1/2 shallot, minced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 stick cold, unsalted butter
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. hot sauce (Frank's or Texas Pete work best)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the grill over high heat. Season the mahimahi with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

While the grill is heating start the sauce. Mince the shallot and add to a small saucepan with the cider vinegar and lemon juice.

Place over medium heat and allow the sauce to reduce. In the meantime, start grilling! Grill fish over high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Start skin side down.

Flip baby flip. 3 more minutes.

When the fish is done put to the side to rest. Finish up your sauce by adding the hot sauce over low heat and slowly whisk in cold butter.

When the sauce comes together season with a pinch of salt. Look at that color! 

Make sure to keep the sauce warm or the butter will harden the sauce.

Arrange the fish over top a handful of fresh arugala squeezed with lemon. Top the fish with the buerre blanc and serve!

Grilled Summer Vegetable Skewers

I believe that putting anything on a skewer makes it instantly summery and fabulous! Right now I have more tomatoes in my garden than I even know what to do with. I ate a caprese salad as a late night snack last night, for reals. Anyway, this is a method recipe so use what you like or have. I adore zucchini so I put it in just about everything. And grilling is my favorite way to eat vegetables as someone who would have rather starved than eat any in my past. I served these skewers with my Grilled Tuna and Basil Chimichurri but it's the perfect side for any cook out you might be having this summer. If you don't have a grill you can also do this under the broiler or on the grill pan. Try topping with some cheese for an extra decadent dish! Fire up the grill!

Ingredients:
1 zucchini
2 fresh tomatoes
1/4 white or red onion
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt, Pepper & Garlic powder to taste
Drizzle of olive oil
3-4 fresh basil leaves, minced
Metal or wooden skewers (if using wood be sure to soak for atleast 30 minutes)

Heres my yummy veggies waiting for me. I cannot get over how sweet and juicy the tomatoes from my garden are. There really is such a difference in fresh, local produce.

Chop veggies into similar sized pieces. I quartered the tomatoes and onion, and chopped the zucchini in 1/2 inch rounds. Look at those colors!

Skewer your veggies however you like. I did a zucchini, tomato, onion pattern. Don't overload them or they will fall off on the grill. 

Top with fresh minced basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Grill for 10 minutes over medium to high heat, turning every few minutes. Basically keep an eye on them the whole time to make sure they aren't burning or escaping from the skewer. As they cook they will soften and make it more difficult to turn. 

Side note: Here is the crazy storm I was working with while I was grilling. Thank god for a covered patio!! Did I mention I love storms? And palm trees?

Remove from the grill and serve however you like! I served under my grilled tuna recipe but there are no limits to what this would work with. Sprinkle with parmesan, feta, or mozzarella for even more flavor! The chimichurri from the tuna is such an awesome condiment to spoon over the warm veggies if you love garlic. And who doesn't love garlic?

Grilled Tuna with Basil Chimichurri

My garden runneth over and I need to use it or lose it! Basil is the herb that just keeps livin' (Matthew McConaughey style). I'm not complaining but I have to start getting creative! This dish is so fresh and easy, especially for those of us trying to watch our weight. Tuna is my favorite fish ever and this chimichurri adds so much flavor. It would be great on anything! Steak, chicken, veggies...oh the options! I served this over delicious grilled, garden fresh summer veggies (recipe is on deck!). Can you think of a better no carb dinner? And since it's all on the grill you can keep your house nice and cool. Feel free to use whatever veggies you have in your garden or on sale in your grocery store this week. The chimichurri would be great on almost any meaty fish (mahi mahi sounds amazing)! Let's get cookin'!

Ingredients:
1 yellowfin tuna steak
Salt, Pepper & Garlic powder to taste

Basil Chimichurri
1/2 cup loosely fresh packed basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vingear
1 clove of garlic
1/8 tsp. red pepper flake
Salt & pepper to taste

Chop basil, parsley and garlic to a small mince.

In a bowl, combine minced basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and red pepper flake.

Lightly toss together.

For a finer mince, toss in the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mulch. 

On to the tuna! Since the chimichurri has so much flavor there isn't much you need to do to the tuna. Lightly season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub about 1 tbsp. of chimichurri to coat both sides of the tuna.

Preheat the grill over high heat. Grill the tuna for 2-3 minutes per side depending on how rare you like it. I like it rare! (I forgot to take a picture on the grill. My mom called and I didn't have a free hand...blame her!)

Remove the tuna from the grill and let it rest for a minute. Top with the rest of the chimichurri and serve over grilled veggies. Or whatever you are enjoying that night :)

Restaurant style if I do say so myself! It's too easy!