My doctor has requested I eat more whole grains, something I has eschewed for a decode or more. I told him that was NOT going to do anything for my low-carb diet efforts, but he said in the long run, it would make me healthier. Told him I would try to have them 2-3 times a week in some form or another. I immediately went about ordering on-line the following favorites: Einkorn wheat kernels, triticale, steel-cut oats, buckwheat groats, hard red wheat berries, and some whole barley (not the processed, instant stuff my grocery store carries). I found most items at Bluebird GrainFarms.com. For those wondering about the sesame seeds visible in the photo above, Za'atar herb blend contains sesame seeds.
I also ordered a product called Einka and French Lentils from them. What a wonderful discovery. The mixture of Einkorn hard red wheat kernels and black lentils went into a new dish I made tonight. The chicken bake I created tonight is a variation on a recipe on their website for this product. I changed the dried apricots to dried, unsweetened cranberries (I make myself). I added Swiss Chard to the dish. I omitted the cilantro garnish. I like cilantro, but didn't think it would be particularly compliment the Za'atar and thyme.
Because whole grains are high in carbs, even with the fiber 'knock-off', clearly this recipe is not suitable until you reach weight-loss maintenance on your plan, and should only be indulged in on the rare occasion. This recipe is not suitable for Paleo/Primal folks who avoid both grains and legumes.
INGREDIENTS:
2 T. light olive oil
½ c. red onion, chopped
1/3 c. dried cranberries, no added sugar
1 c. Einka and Lentils from BluebirdGrainFarms (no other ingredients in this product)
2 c. homemade chicken stock (no salt added)
1tsp. (total) Za'atar herb blend
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 T. fresh thyme, chopped)
¼ tsp. coarse black pepper
1/8 tsp. sea salt
¼ c. sliced almonds (or walnuts)
4 leaves Swiss Chard, stems removed
2 leg quarters, skin on (mine totaled 12 oz)
1/2 large chicken breast (7-8 oz.), cut in half
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. On your stovetop, sauté the red onion in 2T. olive oil until tender. Add the cranberries, salt, black pepper, thyme and half of the Za'atar herbs. Sauté 1 more minute. Add the Einka/Lentil mixture & chicken stock to the skillet. Stir to mix well, simmering for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat. Cover pan with tight lid or foil and pop in 350º oven, baking the grain pilaf initially for 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and set temperature now to 425º. Remove lid & without disturbing the pilaf too much, check to see there is still little stock (about ¼") in the bottom center of the pan (add 1/8c.-1/4 c. water to pan if totally dry). Now place the chicken pieces on top of the pilaf. Baste each piece of chicken with melted butter and sprinkle on a dash each salt, pepper and the remaining Za'atar spice. Place skillet back in the 425º oven and bake another 20-30 minutes (time depends on size of chicken pieces). Cook until meat is done. Nearly all liquid will be absorbed at this point. Serve with a green salad or your favorite green vegetable. I chose roasted asparagus to have with ours.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes six 3/4 cup servings (1 pc. chicken). Each serving contains:
450 cals., 21g fat, 34g carbs, 8g fiber, 26g NET CARBS, 25g protein, 204 mg sodium
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