Tag Archives: grilling

Healthy Grilling | Mojo Chicken Breast with Citrus Recipe

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grilled chicken breasts and oranges

I rolled into the house a 6pm tonight after being away on a most delicious food experience at Travaasa Spa in Austin (more about that next week). Even though the kids are learning to hold their own in the kitchen and can make a few meals (mac & cheese, quesadillas, frozen pizzas) when I’m away, I did promise to make it back in time to get a more “mom-approved” meal (read, one with fruits and vegetables) on the table. Since I hadn’t been to the store in a while, there was no telling what would be left in my fridge after the four “bachelors” were left to fend for themselves.

This is where creativity in the kitchen comes in; no need to head to a drive thru when you can slice up the fruits and veggies found your fridge, whip up a quick sauce and serve with a lean grilled protein. Tonight I found a couple margarita-leftover limes and unloved oranges in the produce bin, along with some starting-to-wrinkle grape tomatoes that needed to be used ASAP.  Knew I had some chicken breast in the freezer, and that’s about it. Came up with this fresh and vibrant dish inspired by the Mojo Beef Kebobs I’ve made time and time again – the garlic citrus sauce pairs insanely well with beef, but also works wonders with chicken, pork and fish! Since I was too tired to chunk up the meat and fire up the patio grill, I just threw these pounded chicken breasts in an indoor grill pan. I even skipped the marinating step that I am recommending if you have time.  The family gobbled this healthy dinner recipe up and loved the fact that I added oranges to the mix (made the onions more tolerable said one son).

grilling chicken and fruit

This recipe works equally well in an indoor grill pan as on the outdoor grill.

Mojo Chicken Breast with Grilled Citrus Recipe

  • 2 large chicken breasts (approx. 1 lb)
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 large lime, cut into wedges
  • 2 small oranges, slices crosswise
  • 1 small onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 (10 ounce) container cherry tomatoes

For Sauce:

  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1.  Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Butterfly chicken breasts and pound down to even 1/3” thickness.
  3. Pour half of the Mojo sauce as a marinade over the chicken in a medium bowl or food storage bag; cover or seal.
  4. Cover the remaining sauce; refrigerate both at least 2 hours.
  5. Heat outdoor grill to 400 F degrees or indoor grill pan to medium-high.
  6. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Season chicken with the pepper.
  7. Grill chicken for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in center.
  8. Remove chicken from pan and add limes, oranges and onions, grill for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and grill for another 1 -2 minutes until soften, but not popped.
  9. Serve drizzled with the reserved sauce.

Serves 4.

Fast and Easy Paleo Recipes

Sunday Dinners | New Tradition with Salads & Skewers

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Do you have any recollections of traditional Sunday dinners with grandparents, parents, siblings and other relatives all gathered around the table? When Foodie.com asked me to share a post on the topic, I knew it would be easy because I have lots of great memories.

When I was a young working adult and newly-married wife, my grandmother and aunt would host a Sunday dinner in the middle of the afternoon complete with huge roast, ham or turkey and smorgasbord of sides – plus there was always a super yummy dessert. This spread was cooked with so much care and attention, the frequent non-family guests would always think we were celebrating some sort of special occasion – and we were! The special occasion was the company of each other and reminiscing about our collective past and sharing dreams for the future – in addition, there were always plenty of funny jokes and good-natured ribbing to go around. An extra perk for me was to see the making of secret family recipes firsthand and to learn great food tips from these two fabulous home chefs in the family.

Classic #throwback scene from a Sunday dinner at grandparent's house.

Classic #throwback scene from a Sunday dinner at grandparent’s house.

My grandmother is long gone and I live in a different city from my aunt today. But, I am blessed to have parents now living nearby and three children of my own; that’s why we try to get together as often as possible to share meals – and happy news, hopeful plans and lots of hugs.  Often these meals don’t happen on Sunday and they are usually not as elaborate as the traditional meals prepared by the earlier mentioned matriarchs – but we are still together breaking bread and making memories. Sometimes we do pizza as a treat for the kids, but often I try to keep it healthy by putting quick and nutritious salads and grilled kebabs on the menu

In addition to making kebabs outdoors on the grill, whipping up a big entrée salad is one of my favorite Sunday dinner ideas – especially on those busy weekends that are packed full of sports, church and volunteer activities. A big salad, like my recipe for Speedy Salad Nicoise, come together in just a few minutes, especially if you have already pre-grilled or roasted your lean protein. That’s one of my favorite tips for a busy week – I’ll crockpot a big chuck roast or grill a huge tray of chicken breasts or salmon to eat throughout the week.  Add a rustic loaf of bread, some flavorful compound butter . . . . and uncork a bottle of wine (plus apple cider for the kids) and you have all the makings for a special meal that brings together those who are near and dear. Salad with olives tuna tomatoes green beans

Speedy Salad Nicoise Recipe
Serves:  4

  • 3/4 lb. trimmed green beans
  • 4 small red potatoes
  • 1 head of Bibb, Boston or artisanal Romaine lettuce
  • ½ pint halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup drained Nicoise olives
  • 2 (4-oz) pouches drained premium albacore tuna steaks
  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives
  • 4 oz. Red Wine Olive Oil Vinaigrette
  1.  Add eggs to large pot of water and bring to a boil; allow to gently boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Drain, remove shells and let eggs cool. Slice or quarter eggs lengthwise; set aside.
  2. Add the green beans to pot of water and par-boil for 2 minutes. Lift out with tongs and rinse in colander with cold water.
  3. Return the water in pot to a boil, adding more water if needed. Add the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes or tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool. Peel potatoes and quarter or cut in large chunks.
  4. On a large platter, arrange the lettuce, sliced eggs, green beans, potatoes, halved tomatoes, and olives. Drain tuna steaks from their packing liquid and place in center of salad; sprinkle with capers. Dust entire salad with parsley and chives. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serves 4.
Tuna jar salad

Bottle up your leftovers in a jar for Monday lunch!

And, if you have leftovers you can bottle them up for lunch on Monday. Just pile everything in a Mason jar with the sturdiest ingredients on the bottom (including the dressing) and the most delicate on top. When hunger strikes, turn the jar upside down, give a few shakes and pour on a plate (or eat straight from the jar)!

I’d love to hear your favorite Sunday dinner memory or recipe, please share in the comments!

This post was sponsored by Foodie.com.

Paleo Countdown Spice Rub & 4-3-2-1 Workout

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Editor’s Note: Updated 10/2/2019

There is something satisfying (and easy to remember) about rattling off numbers backward in a countdown. In fact, this ritual is even so important in some professions that it’s become part of popular culture – just think of NASA and their huge countdown clock.  As a kid, I counted down the days until Halloween, Christmas and the end of the school year.

As an adult, I count down the number of weeks until my next marathon and, admittedly, have even used a countdowns to threaten motivate my kids to accomplish tasks. Today I have a 4-3-2-1 Countdown Spice Rub recipe that is so simple, you don’t even have to write it down. Read on to get the paleo recipe: Continue reading →

Camping Kaboom | Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Onion Bombs

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Forget about roasting hotdogs and warming up beans from a can on your next outdoor adventure; that is just so  . . .  uh, terribly untasty. I created a simple recipe that creates a complex, crazy explosion of flavor that will appeal to even the most discriminating of culinary-centric campers.  Check out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Onion Bombs at Living Litehouse, the blog of a fabulously fresh food company that has been supporting my love for creating tasty, healthy dishes for a variety of occasions – today, camping!

jennifer fisher camp onion dinner single

These “bombs” are made from lean ground chicken breast that has been stuffed with blue cheese, kicked up with hot pepper sauce and then “wrapped” inside two cross-sectioned onion halves. You could call them stuffed meatballs in onions or even inside out mini-meatloaves – but they are totally the BOMB because they are dangerously delicious and wrapped up in foil like little grenades.  Toss these bad boys on the grill or nestle in an open campfire to cook up quick as a short-fused firework. For you that don’t like to leave the comforts of your kitchen, I’m not going to stop you from just baking them in the oven.  From mess kit to mouth, your every sense is going to be blowing up! Just as you would Buffalo Chicken Wings, balance these spicy bombs with the tangy coolness of blue cheese dressing. Oh, and don’t forget the celery!

jennifer fisher litehouse camp stuffing blue cheese

Check out the whole recipe and see lots of other yummy pictures at Living Litehouse.

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Grilled Fig, Blue Cheese & Prosciutto Pizza – Now That’s Umami!

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jennifer fisher grilled fig blue cheese prosciutto pizza - title

My mouth is still salivating over this grilled pizza recipe I created for Litehouse Foods. Gourmet enough to serve guests as a prelude to dinner yet simple enough to make for a quick weeknight meal, theses pizzas are seriously scrumptious. The aged artisan blue cheese crumbles, salty proscuitto and sweet fig jam mingle together for a massive explosion of umami flavor. Head over to the Living Litehouse Blog to find out out how salty, sweet, tart and bitter aren’t the only categories of taste — there is also a fifth taste receptor called umami! Translated from Japanese, umami means “delicious essence” and I couldn’t agree more!

jennfer fisher fig blue cheese prosciutto pizza grill on board

Also, if you’re a fig fan like myself, check out my recipe for Fresh Figs with Balsamic Fig Jam — this is a beautiful and simple dish for dessert. Remember, to view the full recipe for the grilled pizzas along with lots of other drool-worthy ideas for healthy living, visit the Living Litehouse Blog. 

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