On the outside, I try to project an image of having it all together. But underneath that, I'm kind of a disaster. Hence... the name of the site: GlossyVeneer. It was a night of maple in our household. I was pretty certain Kevin would enjoy the chicken, but I was attempting to train him to like different vegetables as well. I served him maple acorn squash, and both new items were a success! We also had a spinach salad with freshly grated Parmesan, dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette. Very tasty and light meal.
Mapled-Glazed Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces), trimmed
1. Whisk syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and pepper in a small, shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning once.
2. Coat an indoor grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Liberally baste the chicken with the reduced sauce and serve.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 186 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 343 mg sodium; 361 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value).
Mashed Maple Squash
1 acorn squash (1 1/4 pounds), halved and seeded
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place squash halves cut-side down in the prepared pan. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Scrape the soft squash flesh into a medium bowl. Stir in syrup, butter, cinnamon and salt with a fork, mashing the squash until somewhat smooth.
Note: Kevin thought the flavor of this was really good, but the texture was kind of questionable to him. I think next time we might try using a little milk and use the immersion blender, try making them really smooth.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 156 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 299 mg sodium; 790 mg potassium.
Both recipes serve 2, both from Eating Well.
11/11/07 Edit: I replaced the butter in the squash with a tablespoon of fat-free half and half and used the immersion blender to blend everything. It worked really well. You could still put some butter on top of individual servings if you missed the flavor.
