Broiled Rosemary Chicken over Pureed Lentils and Swiss Chard - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

This is a complete meal that is highly nutritious and delicious. It is a great meal to prepare when you have company and want to make something special.

Broiled Rosemary Chicken over Puréed Lentils and Swiss Chard

Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
• 2 cups of 1 15 oz can (BPA free) lentils, drained
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 1 medium -sized onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 TBS vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 TBS + 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 TBS chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
• 2 cloves pressed garlic
• 2 TBS + 1 TBS olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler on high and place an all stainless steel skillet (be sure the handle is also stainless steel) or cast iron pan about 6 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes to get it very hot.
2. While the pan is heating, rinse and pat the chicken dry and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Leaving the skin on, place the breast skin side up on the hot pan and return it to the oven. It is not necessary to turn the breast because it is cooking on both sides at once. Depending on the size, it should be cooked in about 7 minutes. Remove the skin before serving; it is left on to keep it moist while broiling. The breast is done when it is moist, yet its liquid runs clear when pierced. The inside temperature needs to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74° Celcius).
4. While chicken is broiling, bring pot of water large enough to cook the chard to a boil.
5. Chop chard.
6. Chop onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and sage and then Healthy Sauté them in medium sauté pan over medium-low heat for just about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add lentils, walnuts and 3 TBS broth and heat through.
7. Purée mixture in blender or food processor with salt and pepper to taste. You will have to scrape sides of blender with a rubber spatula a few times.
8. When water has come to a boil, add chard and boil for 3 minutes.
9. Drain chard and toss with 2 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
10. Place 3 TBS lemon juice, pressed garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper in small sauté pan and heat on stove for a minute. Turn off heat and whisk in 1 TBS olive oil.
11. Remove skin from chicken, slice into thirds, and serve with puréed lentils and chard. Drizzle rosemary lemon broth over chicken and lentils. Serve.

Serves 4

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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Broiled Rosemary Chicken over Puréed Lentils and Swiss Chard

Healthy Food Tip

How do the healthy fats in nuts and seeds help protect against cardiovascular disease?

The type of fat found in nuts and seeds is one of the primary reasons that eating them can promote a healthy heart. The fat contained in nuts and seeds is almost exclusively unsaturated, with a good mix of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Nuts and seeds typically feature very limited amounts of saturated fat, about 5-15% or less of their total fat content. The proper balance between these types of fats is important, and many people do not get enough of certain types, especially one type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3s. Many nuts and seeds-notably walnuts, flaxseeds, hempseeds, and chia seeds-are rich sources of a type of omega-3 fat called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which belongs to the same family of omega-3 fats as the heart-healthy fats-EPA and DHA-you may have heard about in cold-water fish.

The omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts and seeds may help prevent heart disease and repeat heart attacks in several ways. Omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA, EPA, and DHA are protective fats that have been found to:

• Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels (when elevated, these are both risk factors for heart disease)
• Decrease platelet aggregation, which, when excessive, can cause "sticky" blood that may form artery-blocking blood clots
• Reduce the formation of artery-clogging atherosclerotic plaque
• Reduce inflammation of the blood vessels and therefore improve blood flow
• And, lower blood pressure.