Braised Belgian Endive & Chicken Cutlets

A few weeks ago I decided that I would be adventurous and master the art of "clean eating." Clean eating is very different than healthy eating. One becomes more conscious about the food they eat, how it is or is not processed, and so on. I found and still find this to be a very intriguing and captivating concept. I bought a magazine and decided that I would be brave and try new dishes that on a normal occasion would never grace my plate. A quick flip through the magazine brought my attention to this beautifully rich purplish-red vegetable....the endive. I was mesmerized and decided this would be the first recipe that I would try. The preparation was simple and the cooking time was swift.

Spring Break Day 2: Braised Belgian Endive & Chicken Cutlets (courtesy of Clean Eating: March issue)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 4 heads Belgian endive, cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Instructions:

One: Heat oil in a large skillet on high. Season both sides of chicken with pepper and thyme and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and reserve.

Two: In same skillet, add endive, honey, lemon juice and broth and boil until liquid is syrupy, 6 to 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet , add parsley and toss until chicken is coated with pan juices. Serve immediately.

Nutrients per serving: (3 oz chicken and 1/4 cup endive): Calories 146, Total Fat: 4.5 g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Carbs: 8 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 0.25 g, Protein: 21 g, Sodium: 67 mg, Cholesterol 49 mg.

I served this with brown rice. Charles dined on his meal as prepared. I added a small amount of salt. The recipe does not call for any but I felt it needed it. A small amount of sea salt will bring out the richness of the flavors.

Charles will have to chime in on his true feelings in regards to my experimentation into clean eating.

~e

Charles turns 42

Charles turned 42 on yesterday.....we spent the day doing the following:

• Walk Bella and Darwin
• Church
• Home, Change, Walk Bella and Darwin
• Half Price Books for mini massage (she wasn't open)
• Whole Foods (mini massage & snacks)
• Home for a mini break
• Studio Movie Grill (Battle of Los Angeles, Strawberry Lemonade, and Spinach & Artichoke dip and chips)
• Chili's (dinner)
• Home....Sleep

In Love With A House

I fell in love with this old historic Tudor-style home located deep in the heart of South Dallas. There is so much charm and character to this home. It is in need of some TLC but it is crying out for me to rescue, resurrect, and revive it.....to fill it with feeling....

Weekend Adventures

The weekend was full of adventures and fantastic fellowship. Saturday: Dani was with Amber and Charles had to work.

Saturday morning was peaceful and quiet except for the pandora sounds that were blasting from my speakers as I cleaned. Yes, I classified "cleaning" as peaceful.....it was.....I am told that I am somewhat "anal & OCDish" in regards to how I like to have things arranged. I am. It is comforting and this past Saturday morning I had the great pleasure of making my bathrooms sparkle, had the vacuum lines in my carpet just as I like, and erased the dust from my eclectic collection of objections to the sounds of Citizen Cope, Jack Johnson, The Roots, and Adele. It was BLISS. After my cleaning experience I prepared for a lunch date with my friend and mentor. We met at a quaint little Mexican restaurant in Lewisville. The cheese enchiladas were divine. The conversation was great and needed. After we said our parting goodbyes and "see-you-soons" I headed back to Dallas where Charles was waiting. We shopped and I found out that he had planned a surprise and a surprise it was.....

Sunday: A decent day at Church followed by a wonderful nap and dinner.....Oh, and Dani showed me a picture of "Luis"....her friend.....he's a cutie. Danielle and Amber had there own adventures that included dinners on restaurant row in Addison, boat houses, breakfast, ice cream and more. Those girls really do it up.....a couple of weekends ago it was helicopter rides over Dallas......

School starts Tuesday. So it will be more driving back-and-forth to Oklahoma. Charles is also the newest college student in the family...He is a proud Jaguar representing UNT-Dallas. His classes seem really interesting and I can't wait to explore his books.

What I'm looking forward to this week: Picking up supplies for the center, seeing my family, coffee with Ona, and moving one step closer to the PhD.

El Reno Road Trip

We embarked on a quick road trip to El Reno, Oklahoma to pick up Christmas toys for the children that come to the community center where I work. My Grandmother donated and collected donations for the kids. She, my Grandmother is truly a special person. She is so selfless and gives freely.

I scored a vintage Bulova out of the trip.

On the way back to Dallas, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sky appeared as the sun was setting. There were so many shades of blue, lavender, yellow, and orange. It was absolutely stunning.

We're Back!!!!

Soooo.....so much has happened since our last post.....more hospitalizations.....school at OU......and sooo much more but.....we're back

Around and About

We have been around and about doing a little of this and a little of that....Keeping up with the blog in addition to the several thousand hats we wear is a chore at times but here we are..... and we are soon to begin a new adventure......