Colors of Fall - Gluten Free
This high protein, gluten free, low fat dinner has all the colors of Fall and tastes so good. The presentation of grilled chicken sitting on a bed of green pea puree and lentils with apples, butternut squash and pomegranate seeds, has all the vibrant colors of Autumn. Sounds fancy doesn't it? I made the entire meal in less then 45 minutes.
It is said that the more colors the meal has, the better it is for you. Pomegranates are antioxidants and may decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease. Lentils are the perfect legume that boost so many healthy reasons to eat them. They're high in protein, stabilize your blood sugar, lower your cholesterol, are high in fiber, increases energy, will help with weight loss and tastes delicious.
This super food has a rich history that can be traced to Greece 13,00 to 9,500 years ago and from the Middle East 8,000 B.C. The Greeks also made lentils into bread. It is recommended that the lentil is best served with a little vinegar and coriander. Not in my kitchen, nothing is boring and done in the normal fashion. Normal is a dryer setting in my house and has no place in my kitchen.
Since this is week is dedicated to healthy meals, let's look at the nutritional breakdown of this meal:
6 oz grilled chicken 284 calories 52 grams of protein
1/2 cup of lentils 115 calories 9 grams of protein
1/2 medium pomegranate 36 calories .75 grams of protein
1/2 Granny Smith Apple 31 calories .4 grams of protein
1/2 cup green peas 59 calories 4 grams of protein
2 tbsp fat free yogurt vanilla 16 calories 1 gram of protein
1/4 cup butternut squash 15 calories .35 grams of protein
Total for this meal is less than 560 calories - 67.5 grams of protein - that's a figure friendly meal.
Let's get cooking, you'll need:
6 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 medium pomegranate
1/2 frozen green peas
2 tbsp of water
2 tbsp fat free yogurt
1/4 cup butternut squash
1/2 Granny Smith Apple - small cubes
1/4 tsp poultry seasonings
pinch ground black pepper
pinch dry mint leaves
pinch salt (optional)
pinch pumpkin pie spice
Equipment:
Indoor grill pan
Blender
Heat the indoor grill pan. I have an Emeril Lagasse non-stick grill pan that I purchased years ago. It was an investment but if you take care of your equipment it will last a long time. I'm a believer that you need to invest in quality when it comes to kitchen equipment. Brown the chicken breast on one side and before flipping it, add your seasoning. Flip the chicken and cook until done.
In a sauce pot, boil water and add the pumpkin pie spice and butternut squash. Boil until squash is tender, approximately 12 minutes. Note on the butternut squash, I bought it already cleaned and cut into cubes. If you feel adventurous, by all means peal the squash (carefully) and cut into cubes. I have cut my fingers so many times attempting to cut the squash, that I now buy it done already. This to me is money well spent. When done, drain and put aside.
In the same pot, bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt. After you have a rapid boil, add the lentils and cook for 20 minutes. The lentils should be tender and not al dente. (hard). Rinse the lentils when they are cooked and put into a large bowl. Add the diced apples, squash and salt (optional) and pepper. Stir gently and set aside.
Now the fun begins, we get to beat up a pomegranate so it releases it's precious seeds. Cut the pomegranate in half and turn upside down. Take a wooden spoon and start to bang on the skin of the pomegranate - OVER A LARGE BOWL. The seeds will fly out of the pomegranate as you bang on it. If it's being stubborn and won't release the seeds, take your finger and run it between the seeds and skin. They will just pop out. Add 1/2 of the pomegranate to the lentils and stir gently. Your lentils are complete. Cover them with plastic wrap and leave them at room temperature.
Rinse your pot and boil water for the frozen peas (same pot, I don't have a sous chef to clean up after me so I use the same pot) Cook the peas according to the directions. When done, add to a blender with 2 tbsp of fat free yogurt, 2 tbsp of water and a pinch of dry mint leaves. This will make a smooth green pea puree. I smear a spoonful on the plate and place the grilled chicken on top. The lentils are carefully placed next to the chicken. I cut the rest of the Granny Smith Apple and a few cubes of the butternut squash to garnish the plate so your guests will know they can find these ingredients in the dish.
You may think you don't like lentils but I'm asking you to try them like this. The pea puree has a hint of mint that compliment the sweet lentils. The apples and pomegranate make the lentils naturally sweet. Get creative with your words and see if you can get your kids to eat them. When my daughter was little, I use to call peas "magic balls" and she ate every one of them.
This is a win - win recipe for us. Gluten Free, low fat/low calorie, high protein and doesn't lack taste or texture.
Enjoy!