Main Dishes

Chicken and Peaches Platter

Rotisserie chicken is a great gift to a busy cook (or non-cook). It is flavorful, fall-off-the-bone tender, and a versatile protein source. The best part? It is very economical: at my neighborhood grocery store, a chicken goes for $7.50 during the week and just $5 on Sundays. Roasting thr chicken yourself isn’t pricey, but I don’t think I can beat that deal.

Whether from-scratch or rotisserie, I love having a chicken on Sundays and portioning out several lunches that won’t leave me bored or headed for takeout. I picked up a few fresh local peaches and put together a killer salad.

Rotisserie meet can sometimes feel a little greasy to me (compared to a chicken I’ve roasted myself). I discard the skin and am a little more vigilant on trimming excess fat and skimp a little more on the dressing; the meat is so moist you won’t miss it.

Chicken and Peaches Platter
Serves 6

2-3 heads romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips (you want at least 12 cups)
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2-2 1/2 lbs), skin discarded, meat removed from bones and chopped in large pieces
3 peaches, sliced (peeled if desired)
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or try sherry, champagne, raspberry or your favorite vinegar)
1/4 cup (or less) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Arrange the lettuce, chicken, peaches, cheese, and almonds on a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the salad when ready to serve.

Fish Tacos

Growing up, tacos were a school lunch food, and something we sometimes ate at friends’ houses, but not a regular feature at our table. We just didn’t eat much Mexican or Tex-Mex in our family, in restaurants or at home.

These days, I’m making up for lost time. I love Mexican and Mexican-inspired food (authentic or not). I would probably eat tacos once a week if I could. Ground beef, steak, fish, chicken, pork, vegetarian… do many options, I never get bored.

I like tilapia for fish tacos because they’re inexpensive, always available and have good flavor and texture. I often use the individually packaged 4 oz. frozen fillets (2 fillets for a single serving works well). Most fish is best served immediately, not as leftovers. I only cook what I need, but I often make it two days in a row since I already have the ingredients.

Fish tacos are typically made with corn tortillas rather than flour. They aren’t as sturdy, and they break easily, especially if there’s a lot of liquid. Some people use a double layer of tortillas. I just eat quickly, and finish off anything that falls out with a fork. :) To make it paleo, replace tortillas with butter or romaine lettuce leaves.

I love fish tacos with my canned summer corn salsa. So good! Make your tacos hotter with a spicy salsa, jalapenos, or a dash of siracha, or include a shake (or three) of red pepper when seasoning the fillets.

~Red

Fish Tacos

For every 2 people:
12-16 oz. firm white fish fillets, such as tilapia or mahi mahi
Cumin, salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, divided
Olive oil
Cilantro
4-6 corn tortillas
Shredded cabbage, diced avocado, salsa, sour cream/creme fraiche, or your favorite toppings

Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Place fish in a shallow glass dish and season both sides with cumin, salt and pepper. Finally chop a couple tablespoons of cilantro leaves. Pat into fish. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish. Drizzle with olive oil. Flip the fillets a couple times to coat. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

If desired, whisk together a lime sour cream sauce with about 2-3 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Brush a grill pan with olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Grill tortillas until lightly brown. Wrap in paper towels and store in the microwave to keep warm.

Increase heat to medium-high. Shake excess marinade from fish. Grill fish until the center is opaque and the fish flakes with a fork.

Assemble tacos: load tortillas with pieces of fish, cabbage, lime sour cream sauce, avocado, salsa, extra cilantro, or other favorite toppings.

Serve immediately with lime wedges. And possibly a margarita on the rocks.

Dirty Quinoa

Looking for a quick, weeknight one-dish meal? I first saw a version of this recipe in a Gold’s Gym recipe contest a couple years ago and have adapted it to my own taste preferences. With lean ground beef and quinoa, this dish is high-protein and gluten-free, and makes for great leftovers.

Dirty Quinoa

Serves 4-6

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use 93% lean)
3 bell peppers, cored and chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quinoa
2 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth

Combine meat and vegetables in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is done and vegetables are tender. Add additional ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat, cover and simmer until quinoa has sprouted, about 10-15 minutes.