Detox Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Asparagus & Portobello Mushroom

After a long weekend in Las Vegas filled with food court breakfasts, all-you-can-eat buffets and "frozen yard" Mai Tais, I was in major need of some fresh, light food and a heavy dose of exercise. Don't get me wrong, the frozen drinks were much needed in the 105 degree sun and we did eat some delicious food (i.e. Border Grill where I enjoyed amazing fish tacos). But after three days of indulgence, I was more than ready for a healthy detox.

Not a crazy-starve-yourself detox, but rather eating whole foods with simple and healthy ingredients. After a quick trip to Trader Joe's to restock my fridge, I decided to make this super easy dinner with just three main ingredients: portobello mushrooms, asparagus and chicken breast tenders. The marinade is so refreshing and flavorful that you don't need to add extra fat or carbs to beef up the meal. Plus, the meatiness of the mushrooms adds a deceiving richness to the dish. The recipe below makes two servings--perfect leftovers for lunch or dinner to continue the "detox" throughout the week.

So while Las Vegas was definitely a welcome escape from reality, it was about time to swap my dancin' shoes for sneakers, and endless buffet brunch for good ol' Kashi cereal. But healthy, delicious meals--like this one-can make the transition back to the real world just a little more tasteful.

Grilled Portobello, Asparagus & Chicken
Makes 2 servings


Ingredients:
4 chicken breast tenderloins
12-14 asparagus spears
2-3 portobello mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil (to drizzle the chicken)
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2-3 tbsp lemon juice, or juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk all ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.
2. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to a bowl or ziploc bag. Pour most of the marinade over the vegetables and let sit in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Reserve the rest of the marinade for later.
3. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. (If you don't have a grill pan, just saute in a regular pan).
4. Season both sides of the chicken with salt & pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place the chicken tenders on the grill, and allow to cook about 3-4 minutes each side. The chicken should have a nice golden crust. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and set aside.
5. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the grill pan. Cook until tender, flipping the mushrooms and asparagus after about 3-4 minutes.
6. Plate the chicken, mushrooms and asparagus, pouring the leftover marinade on top. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an extra salty punch.

Cooking is a Gas

Ah, the joys of cooking in a New York City kitchen. Minimal storage, little counter space, doll-sized ovens. Not to mention bad air circulation (my smoke alarm goes off as soon as I start to boil water). For someone who loves kitchen appliances and spreading out as I cook, this has been quite an adjustment. But cooking in my tiny kitchen has taught me to be nimble and flexible. Go with the flow and see what happens, even if it's not according to the recipe. Well, a recent meal mishap ended in a delicious discovery...

Soon after moving into my apartment in November, I returned home around 10 at night after a food writing class. I walked in and instantly noticed the smell of gas throughout my apartment (okay well in the closet that is my apartment). Freaking out, I called my mom. This of course didn't help at all--she's at home in Massachusetts, so what was she going to do about my oven? The smart thing to do would have been to call my super, which I eventually did. He told me the pilot light had gone out and simply relit it. Well up until a couple weeks ago, my pilot light had been going out on a recurring basis. According to my super this is "no big deal", but it got to the point where I actually woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of gas. And my mom, being an even bigger worrier than me, would frequently send me emails at 7 am with the subject line: "RESPOND ASAP - R U ALIVE??" Yes, really. So enough was enough. I finally badgered asked my super to replace the stove. Although it's about half the size of my old stove, it's much cleaner and about 40 years newer.

Believe it or not, tonight was the first time I attempted to use the broiler on my new stove. To be fair, I'm fairly new to gas stoves (if that wasn't already evident through my gas-smelling freak out)--we always had electric at home. Anyways, tonight I set out to make a frittata from one of my favorite blogs Big Girls Small Kitchen, which requires that you set the eggs under the broiler for a few minutes to finish cooking. Halfway through sautéing the veggies I realized I don't even know where the broiler is on my new stove, so I of course called my mom. This was not a good idea. Not because she didn't know either (which she didn't), but because as I was talking on the phone, the eggs had already fully cooked on the stove top that it was point of frittata. Oops.

I think the consistency of my eggs also contributed to this little mishap turned delicious. The original recipe calls for 4 eggs and 2 egg whites. I only had 4 eggs, so figured I'd wing it. I guess those 2 egg whites really do make the difference. In any case, the frittata turned into more of a an egg scramble, while not intentional, wound up being delicious. So I guess that's the beauty of my lethal gas-leaking New York City kitchen: my own original (albeit impromptu) recipes.

Gas Leak Egg Scramble
Serves 1 hungry individual, or 2 lighter portions


4 whole eggs
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the eggs to the pan. With a nonstick spatula, immediately start to pull the eggs to the center, forming curds. Just before all the egg is cooked, top with Parmesan cheese and stir throughout. Serve immediately as a dinner for one, or on top of toast for 2.

Heat of the Moment

I've been on a real improv kick in the kitchen lately. Not planning out my meals the weekend ahead like I usually do, but cooking whatever I'm in the mood for. This is very atypical for me. I'm a Type A planner to a "T"--on Sundays I'll sift through cookbooks and favorite blogs for recipe ideas, then decide what I'll make for lunch and dinner for the week and make my weekly trip to Trader Joe's to buy all the ingredients. I usually take comfort in this routine, knowing what to expect throughout the busy week.

But as in life, menus don't always go as planned--you run out of eggs, the bread has gone stale, you burn the rice. These mishaps are part of the challenge (and fun!) with cooking. The more comfortable you become, the more agile you'll be in working with unpredictability.

So I'm not quite sure what's inspired my recent change in fooditude (food + attitude, cute huh?). I think the 90 degree days in NYC definitely have to do with it--the thought of slaving away over an intensive meal in my hot, cramped kitchen is not appealing. Or maybe it's been some recent changes in my personal life that have shown me you can never get too comfortable with routine, because you never know when you'll burn the rice. Regardless of the reason, I'm enjoying the liberation of my newfound fooditude.

On a recent weeknight I came home craving a summery, Mediterranean pasta to find only asparagus in my fridge. What to do, what to do? My new footitude and I set to work looking through my pantry for inspiration...sun-dried tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, and frozen shrimp in the freezer. Perfecto! In less than 30 minutes I was able to cure my summer pasta craving.

Not only was this meal quick and easy to prepare, but all the more fun and exciting because it was my own. Sure, it's nothing fancy and has probably been done before, but not following a recipe is such a liberating and exhilarating feeling. You never know what you're gonna get; it's just you and your taste buds to guide you. Going into the world (er, kitchen) alone and unguided can be intimidating at first, but you'll always be surprised with what you can overcome--I mean cook--in the end.

Improv Shrimp Pasta
Makes 2 servings (great for lunch the next day)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne
2 tbs olive oil, divided
3 tbs onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
7-8 frozen shrimp, thawed
1 small Roma tomato, chopped (this isn't necessary, but helps to add a little moisture to the sauce)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add a couple tablespoons of salt then stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant and onion starts to become translucent.
3. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and let that cook for 3-4 minutes more.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes until they're slightly moistened, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and tomatoes. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Stir to combine and let cook for 3 minutes, so the shrimp heats through and flavors combine.
5. Toss shrimp and vegetables in a large bowl with the cooked pasta. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Spoon onto 2 plates, or reserve some for leftovers. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Rockin' Moroccan

Some people sing in the shower. I sing while I cook. When I was younger, my mom would belt it to John Denver and Carly Simon in the kitchen as she prepared dinner (actually she still does this--sorry mom!). Now I've carried on this dinnertime ritual in my own kitchen. Whilel John Denver does not frequent my playlists, Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" has made the cut a few times. Like mother, like daughter.

So while I crooned along with Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" as I prepared this Moroccan couscous, I thought this blog post would be the perfect chance to discuss my love for food and music, if not for the sole reason that I could use a rhyming title--Rockin' Moroccan ;)

My passion to perform began well before my taste buds started to develop--I used to sing and tap dance to the songs from "Annie", wearing her costume that my mom made me. My younger sister, Emma, always got stuck playing Molly--the other orphan without any solos and an ugly, raggedy dress. Seniority rules.

Someone was always singing or dancing around the house when we were growing up. Mom and her John Denver, me and Annie, Michael and the Sailor Moon soundtrack (sorry again!). So it was only natural that I wanted to be a Broadway star when I grew up.

Well college happened, reality happened, and clearly that dream has yet to come to fruition. But as I fell out of singing in college, I found food--good food. Being at NYU for a year opened my eyes (or mouth) to a whole world of tastes, smells and cultures; and my hunger to learn and try more only continues to grow now (pun intended).

Now a year out of college and still not sure what I want to do with my life, I do know that food and music will always be a part of it--whether that's singing alone in my apartment while stirring pasta, or someday having my own singing/dancing/cooking spectacular on the Food Network.

Rockin' Moroccan Couscous
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 lb cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup dried couscous
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 dried cherries
3 tbs toasted pine nuts
2-3 scallions, white and some green parts, sliced

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until slightly translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add couscous, curry, cinnamon, salt and dried cherries. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and flake with a fork to keep the couscous fluffy (do not stir--this will make the couscous stick together in lumps)
3. Add chicken, pine nuts and scallions. Stir to combine. Can be served hot or cold. Would be a great side dish for summer barbecues and parties!