herbed chicken cutlet

This chicken was moist and delicious, which I attribute mostly to the salt scrub. The herb salad really kicked up the flavor. I love herbs! I doubled the herb salad and added the extra to the wild/brown rice I was cooking to serve with the chicken. Unfortunately, I over-cooked the rice and it was barely edible. But the cutlets were stellar and roasted broccoli was a nice complement (thanks to my personal trainer guru friend, Meg).

adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's Chicken Milanese with Many Herb Salad & Dried Cranberries:

serves 4 (or however many cutlets are prepared)

4 skinless, free-range, organic boneless chicken cutlets, washed and dried^

1 free-range, organic egg, whisked

2 cups plain bread crumbs mixed with 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper and 1 tsp. sea salt

coconut oil

to make your cutlets:

*dip the chicken into the egg & bread both sides

*heat coconut oil on medium high heat

*cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side

*plate and top with prepared herb salad (below)

herb salad with cranberries:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

2 Tbsp. dried cranberries

juice of 1/2 lemon

pinch of coarse salt

*combine all ingredients in small bowl

^salt scrub for poultry:

*wet poultry and scrub with a handful of kosher/rock salt.

*rinse and pat completely dry with paper towels

veggie chili

This veggie chili is so perfect; I made it twice in one week. The beautiful colors, ideal consistency, and subtle heat create the perfect dish for a rainy fall night. If you are a meat-eater, you will not miss the meat in this chili. These lentils hold their shape, provide a nice bite, and are loaded with protein.

adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter

serves 4-6

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 small-medium carrots, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¾ tsp. mild chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. chipotle in adobo

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes w/ juices (no added sodium)

½ cup de Puy lentils (small, dark, French) rinsed and drained

1 (14 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Pinch coarse salt

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

to make your chili:

*with dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil

*add the onion, carrot, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper, stirring for 10 minutes, or until softened

*add chipotle and stir to combine

*add the tomatoes and juices, crush tomatoes with spoon

*bring to boil, and then simmer for 40 minutes

*add lentils and beans

*fill 1 (14oz.) can with water and add to pot, along with salt

*bring to boil, and then simmer for 40 minutes

*stir in the tomato paste and cook for 20 more minutes

*add more salt/pepper if needed before serving

serving suggestion:

serve atop brown rice or a split sweet potato

nutrition per serving:

calories: 350

carbs: 57

fat: 6

protein: 19

iron: 21

sugar: 14

butternut squash soup

Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook and an immersion blender have been on my wish list for some time and when I received both as birthday presents, I couldn’t wait to use them. Searching her book for a soup recipe with blending in mind, this one seemed spot-on for a fall afternoon.

Garam masala provided depth of flavor to this thick, savory soup. Most likely owing to the dark vegetable stock, the russet tint was not entirely appealing. G.P. offers a vegetable stock recipe, but I opted for store-bought. Another grocery item to save time is the peeled and diced butternut squash available at Trader Joe’s.

Since everything will be blended, there's no need to toil over perfectly-sized chopped veggies. The immersion blender was quick easy to use. It has become my new favorite kitchen gadget and I’m looking forward to more applications. This recipe was sized just right for two people with leftovers for an entire other meal.

A native of Central America, Butternut Squash is easy to grow. Due to its nutty taste and orange flesh, this winter squash is considered a type of pumpkin and used as such in Australia. Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, as well as a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

adapted from ‘Butternut Squash Soup’ from My Father's Daughter

serves 4

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

½ tsp sea salt

several turns of fresh ground pepper

½ tsp Garam masala

6 cups butternut squashed, peeled, seeded, cubed

32 oz. vegetable stock

to make your soup:

*melt butter in the olive oil over medium heat

*add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

*stir in salt, pepper, Garam masala and heat for another 2 minutes

*add squash, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes

*add vegetable stock and bring to a boil

*lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes

*remove from heat for 15 minutes

*blend soup with immersion blender

*heat for another few minutes, salt to taste, and serve

serving suggestions:

*a fried green tomato salad and sweet vinaigrette would nicely complement the savory nature of this soup. also, cheesy croutons would be a most welcome addition.