Dine In: Grilled Greek Chicken

It's getting chilly outside! Lots of us southerners grill year round, but when it's rainy and windy, even the best of us decide against grilling out.

But here's an idea: do you have a grill pan? I don't mean an electric grilling machine (the George Forman style)—I'm talking about a grill pan. It looks like a skillet but it has ridges in the bottom that do a really good job of simulating your outdoor grill.

Food sits on the ridges in the pan, and juices and fat drain away. The ridges provide some charring and caramelization, so that gives food that yummy grilled taste. You can use your pan for just about anything—meats, poultry, fish and even vegetables.

Grill pans make grilling easy, especially when it it's cold outside. Here's a great recipe for Greek chicken that uses a grill pan. And if you're outside at the big grill, it works great, there, too.

Grilled Greek Chicken
Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus chilling; Cook time: 10 minutes

3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs sherry or red wine vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed red pepper.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ tsp salt

Whisk all the ingredients except chicken and salt in a small bowl. Place chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least an hour, or up to 10 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from the plastic bag and discard the marinade. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt. Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side until no longer pink.

Nutritional Information
Calories Per Serving: 160,   Fat: 4 g (1 g Saturated Fat), Cholesterol:  75 mg, Sodium: 215 mg, Carbohydrates: 5 g, Fiber:  0 g, Protein: 27 g.

© 2009, Brookshire Grocery Co.  Nutrient counts are rounded to the nearest whole number.  All dietary and lifestyle changes should be supervised by a physician.

Family Matters: Carrots, Carrots, Carrots!

Carrots are a family-favorite vegetable. Stores recognize this, and Brookshire's is no exception. If you cruise the produce section you'll find full-sized carrots, baby carrots, petite baby carrots, shredded carrots and raw carrot chips.

Kids and carrots go together well. But have you ever wondered what to do with carrots other than eat them straight from the bag?  How about roasted carrots? Toss them lightly in olive oil, season with salt, pepper and cumin and cook in a 350 oven until tender and caramelized. Heat brings out the natural sweetness of carrots! You can also make glazed carrots by cutting up carrots and simmering with butter, sugar, salt and just a bit of water. When carrots are tender, uncover the pan and let the liquid reduce to a syrup.

But if your children only like raw carrots, there's nothing wrong with that! Carrots are full of antioxidants and raw carrots maintain the vitamin A and other healthy goodness. Here are a couple of ideas that use uncooked carrots:

• Julienned: mix up a vibrant, spicy salad of julienned (shredded) carrots seasoned with an Italian vinaigrette dressing. Toss in a few sliced almonds.
• Sliced: Slice carrots into thin rounds. Serve alongside ranch or other dip, with toothpicks to make the dunking fun.
• Shredded: marinate shredded carrots and dried cranberries in orange juice with a dash of vinegar.
• Carrot-Raisin Salad: toss shredded carrots, raisins and crushed pineapple with enough mayonnaise to moisten. Chill and enjoy.

Shop The Sale: Turkey

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without turkey, would it? But sometimes, turkey is a lot of hassle. It's big, it's complicated, it takes up a lot of room in your fridge—but you know, once you get the hang of it, turkey isn't that hard.  Just think of it as a big chicken, and follow the same rules you'd use when roasting a hen. And since we're featuring turkeys on sale this week, this is the perfect time for a little Turkey 101.

If you choose a frozen turkey, allow plenty of thawing time—about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 15-pound turkey would require three days of thawing time, so make sure to clean out the fridge to have plenty of room If you're expecting 10 guests for Thanksgiving dinner, a 15-pound turkey will give you plenty of meat, plus some leftovers. 1 ½ pounds per person is a good way to estimate how large a turkey to buy.

Most nutritionists—and I'm a nutritionist—will advise you not to stuff your turkey. It increases cooking time and increases the chances of foodborne illness. It's a much safer bet to cook the stuffing in a separate baking pan. If you do stuff your turkey, however, fill the turkey cavity only 2/3 full of loosely packed stuffing, and make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.

So what do you get for your work? Turkey is full of health benefits. It's low in cholesterol and fat, and it provides nearly 50 percent of the daily allowances for folic acid. That helps protect against birth defects, some forms of cancer, and heart disease. A 3-ounce serving of turkey has about 100 calories and plenty of protein. It's good for you! It's what you put on the plate along with the turkey that leads to problems!

If you're new to all this,  you can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline for answers in English or Spanish from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (or 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day) by calling 1-888-674-6854. And, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA offers the "Ask Karen" service at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/Ask_Karen/index.asp. You can type in your food safety question and receive a list of questions and answers related to your inquiry. 

Healthy Living: A Gluten-Free Holiday

Going gluten-free can be a challenge, but you can do it! Your health (and your family's health) is worth  the extra time and energy.

One of the easiest ways to regulate the gluten your family receives is to host events yourself. Have the open house at your place—you'll have more control over what goes on the table and can point out (to your family) which foods are on the gluten-free list. Make sure there's a big tray of raw veggies, one type of chip that is gluten-free and some sliced cheese. That way, you'll know there's something to eat!

Product Talk: Disinfectant Wipes

Nobody needs to remind you that it's cold and flu season. And most definitely, nobody needs to remind you that the H1N1 virus (formerly known as swine flu) is causing a panic around the world.

Whether or not you've had a flu shot, everyone's awareness about germs has been raised this year. I keep a pump bottle of hand sanitizer on my desk, and lots of people pop in and use it. Here's another way you can keep germs at bay: disinfectant wipes. They come in pop-up containers and individually wrapped packets.

The whole point is to clear away germs in a way that hand sanitizer and spray can't. Disposable wipes have direct contact with surfaces and can give you peace of mind when you're around germ-y areas: public waiting rooms, hotels, rest rooms and all around the house.

Because they're portable, you can keep one with you at all times—because you never know when a contagious person may have been one step ahead of you.

Dine In: Chipotle Salad

Taco salad. Easy peasy. Anyone can make it and it tastes just fine. But if you're going to make taco salad the centerpiece of a homemade dinner, here's the secret to making AMAZING taco salad: it's the dressing. The dressing ties it all together and turns it into a salad experience—one you'll remember and share again and again.

So this weekend, why not try our special Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad? It's simple to toss together, even after a busy day. But the flavors will transport you…and after that, restaurant taco salad just won't be good enough. Trust me.

Chipotle Chicken Taco salad

Serves 4

Prep time: 34 minutes

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 Tbs minced chipotle, canned in adobo sauce*
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbs lime juice
1/8 tsp salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (about 2 breasts….maybe from a rotisserie chicken?)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup diced avocado
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can corn, drained

*Chipotle chile: If you've never used this product before, look in the Mexican foods aisle. It's in a small can. The sauce is what's hot and spicy.

To prepare the dressing: combine all ingredients and let stand a few minutes while you prepare the salad. This will blend flavors. Note: if you like hot foods, add some of the adobo sauce from the chilies. Go easy with the adobo: just a bit!

To prepare the salad, combine all ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.

For a more special salad, place the lettuce on a large plate and arrange the salad ingredients in separate mounts on a plate; then drizzle with the dressing.

Good for diabetic and gluten-free diets (always read product labels to be safe).

Nutritional Information
Calories Per Serving: 249,   Fat: 8 g (2 g  Saturated Fat), Cholesterol: 50 mg, Sodium: 550 mg, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Fiber: 7 g, Protein:23 g.

© 2009, Brookshire Grocery Co.  Nutrient counts are rounded to the nearest whole number.  All dietary and lifestyle changes should be supervised by a physician.

Family Matters: Kittens? What Do I Do?

You don't know how or when it happened, but somehow your cat is expecting kittens. Mark your calendar for four months from now: your cat needs to be spayed! But in the meantime, what do you do to help things go smoothly?

Here's the good news: you really don't have to do much. Cats rely on instinct and they're pretty good at just knowing what to do. Mother Nature is pretty amazing! It takes 9 weeks (rather than 9 months) from start to finish and in that last week, your cat will need extra food and water. You'll also want to provide several secluded nesting areas, complete with soft, cozy towels. At the same time, be prepared for the fact that your kitty might prefer to make your bed her home base.

The birthing process usually only lasts an hour or so, but if you see any signs of distress, call your veterinarian for help. And once those kittens are born and weaned, be vigilant! Cats can mate several times a year; don't forget to schedule that appointment with the vet!

Shop the Sale: Eggs

Do you ever wish you could buy something as all-purpose and healthy as "instant food?" The closest thing I've found to instant food is eggs—yup, Grade A large, sold by the dozen. And as fortune may have it, Brookshire's has large eggs on sale this week!

Save money, save time, save calories, save stress—all with a dozen eggs. Really! There's the obvious breakfast of scrambled eggs, but have you ever had breakfast for supper? An omelet or frittata or quiche is perfect for that, since you have a bit more time for cooking and prep work.

But how about taking those scrambled eggs and turning them into breakfast tortillas? You can make them in bulk, and save in the fridge for freezer and you'll have a super-speedy breakfast choice. It's cheaper and faster than stopping at a fast food restaurant or gas station—so that qualifies it as 'instant food,' in my book!

Other choices? Hard boil a handful of them and you'll always have an instant snack or dinner in the fridge. Take the hard-boiled eggs and make deviled eggs or egg salad.

When you can get eggs for two dollars (or so) for a dozen, that comes out to only about 16 cents per egg. Now THAT'S a bargain, no matter how you cut it!

Healthy Living: Eat Something Green

Eat green. Or red, or yellow, or orange. When you're looking for a snack, fresh vegetables are your friends. They're low in calories, almost always fat-free, and often quite low in carbohydrates. Veggies have many different antioxidants to help boost your immunities, and they taste so good! What's not to love?

Product Talk: Achoo! Facial Tissues

If there's one product to stock up on this time of year, it might be facial tissues. Cold and flu season brings runny and stuffy noses, coughs and sneezes. And the best way to fight them is with tissues.

Children can have a tough time learning the art of blowing their noses. Think about it: could you write down the steps, one at a time for successfully carrying out the mission? It's a lot more complicated than you might think.

Blowing your nose isn't the same as dabbing. When you blow, you really shouldn't blow hard out of both nostrils at once. That can actually send bacteria into nasal passages. Instead, close one nostril by pressing a finger against one side of your nose; then blow gently out the open nostril.

Tissue etiquette says you should throw tissues away after use, and follow that with a thorough hand-washing (or application of antibacterial gel). Etiquette also says you should turn away from a group of people and try not to blow your nose at the dinner table.

Next time you're shopping, pick up a few extra boxes of tissue. Chances are, if the cold or flu strikes, you won't want to hurry out and shop for supplies. Stock up now—better safe than sorry!