Orange Grilled Chicken w/ a Sweet Balsamic Reduction

A simple, yet terribly satisfying recipe! All you need is 5 ingredients. That's right, you heard me correctly, FIVE! I'm just going to jump right in.




Ingredients:


1 chicken breast
1 small white or yellow onion
1 orange
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs honey
olive oil for brushing
salt and pepper


Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Pound the chicken breast out to about 1/2 inch thickness*. Lightly oil the breast, and add salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through and the juices run clear. Set aside.


While chicken is grilling, zest the orange (you'll only need about 1/2 tsp of zest). Whisk together the vinegar and the honey in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Let the mixture simmer until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and stir in the zest.


Slice and peel both the orange and the onion. You should have about five 1/2 inch pieces of orange, and five slightly thinner slices of onion. Grill them together until the onions have begun to soften and there are visible grill marks on both sides.


First plate the onions, then the chicken, and surround by your orange slices. Drizzle it all with your balsamic reduction, and enjoy!



Seriously, super tasty! And, as we always strive to do, was very inexpensive. Here's my breakdown...

Chicken: $1.50
Onion: $0.50
Orange: $0.70
Everything else I always have on hand, but if I had to guess I'd say I used about $2.00 worth of vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.


The total: $4.70


And it's so healthy too! Grilled Chicken? A+! Onion? A+! Orange? Sure, it's got natural sugars but you can't knock your fruits, so A! If I had to guess, I'd say this recipe sits right around 200 calories, if not fewer.


Try it out -- it's totally worth it!

Leftovers!

Let's be honest -- you can't always eat in. There will always be times that you'll be with people or will make plans to go out. It's a natural part of being young and fantastic, and you shouldn't feel bad about it!

But if we're being honest, we all know what a hit eating out takes on our bank accounts.

A little tip: Don't be afraid of leftovers.

You don't always finish everything on your plate, but how often do you let them just clear it away from you? "Oh, that won't reheat well" or "I don't think it will keep"... All common justifications for watching the remainder of your meal, that you paid good money for, go off into the great Unknown.

Well, Get Creative!

Just because it's what you ate at one meal doesn't mean it has to stay the same at the next one!

For example, a couple of nights ago some friends and I were having a lazy night in. We decided to get take-out, and I ordered the Baked Ziti.

In all honesty, it wasn't that good. And I was ready, after eating about half, to just throw it out. But thinking of how much money I had just paid made me really bitter, so I kept it just to spite itself. I was going to eat it!

Two nights later I remembered it was in my fridge. The thought of microwaving it just made my heart sad. I mean, it was barely mediocre the first time around!

So instead, I changed course and made a quick visit to my friends at the food emporium to pick up a few ingredients: garlic, chicken, and asparagus.

When I got home, I broke out my skillet, threw some olive oil in it, and got to work!

First I chopped up the chicken, and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and a little dried oregano. Then into the pan they went until browned all around and thoroughly cooked. I set the chicken aside, and into the same pan went my asparagus. I also added a small pat of butter here, just to richen it up a bit. But you can always leave that part out. When the asparagus was about halfway there (about 4 minutes in) I added my minced garlic and a small palm full of crushed red pepper flakes. I let those go a minute or two, and then dumped the leftover noodles on top. They only needed to reheat, so I gave them a few minutes, then stirred the chicken back in.

This was my result.

And can I just say -- by FAR more delicious then it was when I got it from the restaurant! And not to mention cheaper: Chicken - $1.50, Asparagus - $2.99. Can't beat that from a second round, eh?

**If you want to make this and just skip the bad take-out part of the story, just buy a small box of noodles and a can of tomato sauce. Boil the noodles, and add them with the sauce at the same point I did above! Should get you pretty much exactly what I had.**

Chicken Veggie Stew

I think that for many people, the word "stew" doesn't hold a lot of positive images. I know that when I was growing up, I dreaded coming home and hearing my mom tell my sisters to stay out of the kitchen because she was making stew. I think it was the beef and the chunky broth that really turned me off as a kid.

But what exactly is "stew"?

For me, now, it's just a way better version of soup! And don't get me wrong -- I love soup. Now that the weather is changing, it wouldn't be surprising for me to eat soup 3 or 4 nights a week. It's comforting, flavorful, and very healthy. But where a stew really picks up the slack dropped by it's sister dish is in how filling it can be. It's a beautiful thing :)

Last night, my best friend asked me to come over. "We can watch TV, cook, and hang out...." which translates roughly to "Come over and make me dinner. Maybe I'll chop something for you during commercials..." LOL

I truly don't mind -- I love to cook for other people! And it's amazingly satisfying to prepare something for someone you care about and have them really enjoy it.

My best friend asked what I thought I was going to want -- and I said soup.

His response: But... I'm hungry...

So the pressure was on -- make something hearty! So here's what I came up with...


Ingredients:

2 red potatoes
1 tbs butter
1 large yellow onion
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tbs fresh thyme
2 10 ounce cans chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup grated parmigiana-reggiano

In a small pot, bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil. Pierce the potatoes with a fork multiple times, then boil for 10 minutes. Set aside.

While those boil, chop the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the veggies and cook for three minutes. Chop the chicken breasts to about 1 inch cubes. Add to the veggies and let cook another 5 minutes. Chop the potatoes to 1/2 inch pieces and add to the pot. Add in the thyme. Let the mixture work for another 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lower heat to medium, and bring the pot back up to a rolling low boil. Cover, and let cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid. Stir in the cheese. Let sit for a few minutes, and serve! Will make about 4 servings.

If you're not feeding multiple people, let the stew cool while you eat your first bowl. Then divide the remaining stew into small plastic containers (3) and either freeze or refrigerate until you're ready to enjoy it again.

That's the great thing about being single and cooking stews. It's cheap to make a big pot like this, it will feed you multiple times throughout the week, it's very satisfying, and it's certainly not anything you need to feel guilty about having!

Enjoy!

Don't Always Eat Alone!

Hello, food-friends!

Ok, so here's the deal. This blog is all about my kitchen-adventures and the many different things that I create to maintain a healthy and affordable lifestyle. But we can't forget that the recipe for a happy life needs sometimes include other people!

I know, novel concept, right?

Last night, three of my close friends joined me for dinner and the premiere of America's Next Top Model. Obviously, Single Servings don't really work when there are four of you... but what does work is the same techniques that you'd use for cooking by yourself!

I left my office and made my way to the Amish Market. The very first thing that caught my attention was a small container of dried cranberries. It just so happened that they were sitting next to the chopped walnuts (kind of a "mix your own trail mix" type station) -- and that was enough inspiration for me to know EXACTLY what I would make...

CRANBERRY WALNUT STUFFED CHICKEN AND SALAD

(I made this last night for four people -- sorry, no pics cuz we were hungry! This isn't the exact recipe I used. I've changed it here so that you can do this on your own!)

1 handful chopped walnuts
1 handful dried cranberries
1 handful crumbled Gorgonzola
1 tbs softened cream cheese
1 6 oz chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/4 tbs butter
1 handful dark mixed greens
1 tbs balsamic vinaigrette

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Use a small pan to toast the walnuts over medium-low heat. Careful not to burn them! They'll get very fragrant and deepen in color when they're ready -- about 3 minutes

In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the half of the walnuts, half of the dried cranberries, cream cheese, and half of the Gorgonzola together. Season your chicken with a little salt & pepper, and then spread the cheese mixture on top. Start at a narrow end and roll the chicken up. Place in a greased baking dish and top with the butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

While the chicken bakes, toss together your greens and the remaining walnuts, cranberries, and Gorgonzola. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve the chicken alongside and enjoy!

So I know this isn't the healthiest of meals, but it's not like getting one of those 1400 calorie meals from some random fast food joint. If I had to guess (based on typical calorie counts for all of my ingredients) I would say this comes in between 400-450 calories.

And it's absolutely delicious! The tang of the Gorgonzola, the earthiness of the walnuts, and the sweet cranberries work together unbelievably well!

So go ahead and indulge yourself. Or a group of friends -- I promise they'll be SUPER appreciative :-)

Chinese Chicken Noodle Pouch

Stick with me on this one, okay? I know that the title sounds kinda like "What the --?" but I promise you -- Once you get this technique and realize how unbelievably cheap and easy this is, it will become a REGULAR in your single-serving repertoire!

Ok, so remember how a while back I mentioned that little voice in my head that once or twice a week talks me into ordering sushi? Well, a few weeks ago I was eating said sushi and had a thought...

I wonder what I could do with this extra ginger and wasabi....

I know neither of those are things that everyone uses. So you may immediately dismiss this recipe as just being "not your thing". Just trust me on this one -- It's pretty fierce.

So last week I saved my wasabi and pickled ginger that came alongside my spicy tuna roll. I put them in their own little plastic containers and sealed them up. The great thing about both of these ingredients is that they keep for quite a while! Ginger is pickled. It ain't going anywhere. And wasabi is just a powder that most don't recognize because it's always moistened when served. So don't worry if your reserved wasabi is a little dry or grainy when you take it back out for use -- it's natural for that moisture to want to evaporate!

I knew I had those in my refrigerator and was dead-set on using them... and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

About a month ago, I caught an old episode of "Good Eats" on FN -- Alton's theme escapes me, but he did feature this technique: Pouch Cooking.

I was immediately drawn to the simplicity and cleanliness of it, so logged it for future experimentation. Thus was born the following recipe for Chinese Chicken Noodle Pouches!


Ingredients

1 buckwheat soba ramen noodle pack***
1 tsp wasabi
1 tbs pickled ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
4 medium shitake mushrooms
1 small handful snow peas
1 small handful wax beans
1 small red bell pepper
1 6-8 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Tear 2 sheets of foil, about 14 inches long. Place on a cookie sheet, stacked so they run perpendicular to each other. Place uncooked noodles in the center. Lightly sprinkle with a very small amount of the seasoning from the packet in the ramen. Break up the wasabi into three small (pea sized) chunks and place on top of the noodles. Spread the ginger on top, followed by the red pepper flakes. Pull up the sides of the foil to create a bowl of sorts.

Mince the garlic next and add. Finely slice the mushrooms (caps only -- shitake stems are usually too tough and not that tasty) and the bell pepper. Add to the packet. Trim the wax beans and add next, along with the snow peas. Lightly season the chicken breast with the ramen seasoning packet, then chop into good sized chunks and add. Close up the foil, leaving just a small opening.

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce and stock. Pour into the pouch through the small opening you left. Don't seal the packet all the way -- a small opening will allow steam to escape. Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and open pouch. Let cool for a moment before emptying into a bowl and devouring!

Clean up -- It's not all that hard to throw foil away, right?

Cost -- about $6. The Soba Noodles were the most costly -- coming in at a whopping $1.19! Shitake mushrooms might make you a little frightened, but they are another thing that you can find loose and buy by the pound. I think they were selling at $4.99 per pound. Four shitake's cost me $1.02 - so don't be frightened! The chicken was in my freezer and my wasabi and ginger were free and on hand.

I mentioned before that this is a technique that you can use for all sorts of recipes. Vegetarian? Throw whatever veggies you want in and use vegetable broth -- vwah lah! Bored with the chicken? Use raw shrimp instead!

The point is: Don't be afraid to get creative. Surprise yourself! You'll be happy you did :-)


***Buckwheat Soba Ramen is something that I stumbled on in the Asian section of Whole Foods, right by the rice noodles and pre-made microwavable pad thai bowls (ick). It really is taking that collegiate classic to a whole new level! Look for it!***

Spinach Mushroom Chicken - a basic!

Alright ya'll.... I'm completely aware that at times these recipes seem to get a little "out there". Deconstructed Guac? Alright, not so basic. (Actually, it is. That's the whole point. But I don't want to fight anymore...)

So the other night I was overwhelmed with exhaustion, and could hear that voice in the back of my head starting in on the "just order sushi!" bit that I'm such a sucker for. Did you know a Spicy Tuna roll has like 600 Calories?! No bueno.

But what could I make? I absolutely didn't want to subject myself to Whole Foods for a prolonged period of time. I had chicken breasts.... so that was a start. Here's what I came up with!

Ingredients

1 6-8 ounce chicken breast
1 tsp butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 yellow onion
5 cremini mushrooms
1 cup frozen spinach
1 vine tomato (optional)

Heat a half tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat in a skillet. While that's heating, salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breast. Cook the chicken in the hot skillet, 6-8 minutes per side, until juices run clear and there's not more pink inside.

In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Finely chop the garlic, and add to the butter. While that begins to cook, mince the 1/2 onion. Add to the butter. Let the onion and garlic work together for a few minutes while you slice the mushrooms and thaw the spinach. Add mushrooms to the mix; cook for another two to three minutes. Add thawed spinach, and stir until heated through, about one minute.

Spoon the spinach mushroom mixture over the chicken breast and serve alongside a fresh sliced tomato (if using). Enjoy!


Seriously folks, this can't be any more simple. And the taste is pretty freaking great! Basic earthy wholesome goodness. And is it healthy? I'd say so. You're only taking in about 200 Calories on this one. Maybe 220, tops! That's right - even with the butter!

And how'd our wallet do? Well, it's about $1 for chicken. A cup of frozen spinach is around 40 cents. An onion is about 70 cents. And cremini's? Those you can find in the produce section. There's usually a box where they're loose, so you can take as many (or few!) as you want and buy by the pound! So five mushrooms cost me... about 20 cents.

So you do the math. A frakkin' cheap meal? Absolutely :-)

It's nice to be nice to your wallet AND your tastebuds, don't you think?

Italian Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Boats

Yesterday was laundry day. 

But then of course mid-day I remember that it's also dodgeball night...

Dodgeball? Or Laundry?

Guess what won?

Dodgeball. And going to Geoffrey Beene and buying a new outfit for work :)

So TONIGHT became laundry night at Casa di Spence. And what was on the menu? I had no idea... but I was totally craving zucchini... wierd, right?

Eating Well Magazine had done a stuffed zucchini a few months ago (I don't remember the exact issue...) and I remember thinking it looked appetizing. So while standing in the produce section of Whole Foods at Colombus Circle, I decided that whatever I came up with would be based on my memory of that...

...and thus was born my recipe for Italian Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Boats!

Ingredients

2 small red potatoes

1 zucchini

1 tsp EVOO, plus some for brushing

1 garlic clove, cracked

2 cremini mushrooms

1 tbs skim milk

1 4 oz chicken breast

Italian Seasoning

--Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Oregano

1 vine tomato, seeded and chopped

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes). Drain the pot, and set potatoes aside. Return the pot to the heat. Let any remaining water evaporate, about 30 seconds. 

Add 1 tsp EVOO to the pan with the cracked garlic clove. While oil is warming, roughly chop the mushrooms. Add them to the oil and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. While mushrooms are working, quarter the potatoes. Remove garlic from the mushrooms, and then add the potatoes and milk. Give it a rough mash until it's reached the consistency you want (I like it kinda lumpy) Season with a little of the Italian Seasoning and add a little parmesan cheese (if using).

Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Half the zucchini and lightly brush with EVOO. Grill, flesh side down, for about 3 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

Lightly oil the chicken breast, and season with Italian Seasonings. Grill, 4-5 minutes per side.

While chicken grills, use a spoon to hollow out the zucchini (like a canoe!) Roughly chop the removed flesh, and stir into the potato mash. Spoon the potato zucchini mixture back into the zucchini boats. Top with chopped tomato, and extra cheese (if using) Serve with chicken alongside.

My guesstimated budget for tonight? This cost me about $8.00

And here's the other thing! I was too full to eat one of my zucchini halves, so it's now in a ziploc tupperware container in my fridge. So if I eat that another night, with another grilled chicken breast... that would make each meal about $5!

Five Dollars, ya'll. 

You can barely get a Venti Non-fat Soy Latte for that.

For the record -- I would never order a Venti Non-Fat Soy Latte. I'm a Sugar-Free Vanilla Red-Eye kind of guy. But I thought the other things just sounded better :)

Lime-Garlic Grilled Shrimp and Deconstructed Mango Guac

It was definitely one of those days today... it was like one thing after another -- and it totally kicked my butt! After coming off of a fabulous weekend at a friend's beach house I was completely exhausted.

So I knew that I was going to want something tasty, to reward myself working my butt off today...

And also something easy, cuz HomeBoy is too tired to get too fancy...

There's nothing easier than grilled shrimp. And this Deconstructed Guac is also SUPER simple! Chop, Grill, and Eat -- it's that easy!

Ingredients

1 Garlic clove

1 lime

7 mid-size raw shrimp

1 tbs olive oil

1 mango, quartered and peeled

1 avocado, quartered and peeled

1/2 red onion, cut into four wedges

1 jalepeno, halved and seeded (optional)

Pre-heat Grill pan over medium-high heat.

Grate the garlic over a cutting board. Use a small grater to get a fine garlic paste. Zest the lime on top of the garlic, and mix together with your fingers.

Skewer the shrimp, and lightly brush with oil. Rub the lime-garlic mixture into the shrimp, and set aside.

Lightly brush the mango, avocado, onion, and jalepeno (if using) and grill each until there are visible grill marks. Set aside, and grill the shrimp skewers, about 2 minutes on each side. Shrimp will be opaque and pink when done (you'll recognize it, I'm sure)

Plate the grilled mango, avocado, onion, and jalepeno, and place shrimp skewers on top. Serve with a few lime wedges for squeezing on top.

To eat, cut up the grilled components into bite-size pieces, and get each part into every bite. The sweet of the mango with the smoothness in the avocado -- all of which have an amazing smokiness because we grilled them -- will leave you wanting more!

Oh, and for all my budgetors out there -- This cost me less than $9.00 :)

Adding Photos!

So now that I've got my new toy I'm going to try to photograph my dinners so you can see what the finished products look like. I had one from the Tangy Spinach Chicken recipe, so I already added that to the actual post.

Now, I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination -- so I'll do my best to make it all look pretty and styled, like what you see in a Bobby Flay book.

But I make no promises... ;)

Tangy Spinach Chicken

It seems that Tuesday's have become my designated "laundry night"... which means that it's also become "new recipe night"!

I didn't want to go to the store yesterday, so thought I would just make do with whatever I had in the apartment. I had 1/2 bell pepper and some onion left from the Blueberry Salmon, so I knew I wanted to use those.

I also had a frozen chicken breast, and some frozen spinach (which are both things that I try to just keep on-hand for nights like this -- freeze them and they keep for a very long time).

So, here's what I came up with!


Ingredients

1 6-8 ounce chicken cutlet OR chicken breast pounded to ¼ inch thickness
Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper flakes - optional, but highly recommended ;)
2 tsp Parmigiana cheese, plus ½ tsp extra
½ cup frozen spinach
¼ onion, finely chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp brown mustard
½ red bell pepper, julienne

Preheat oven to 400°F

Lay the chicken out so that it is longest from top to bottom. Season the chicken, top-side only, with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if you like a little extra heat). Evenly sprinkle 2 tsp cheese.

In a small bowl, quickly thaw the spinach for 1 minute on half power in the microwave. Add the onion, the vinegar, and mustard; mix well. Spread the Spinach mixture on top of the chicken cutlet. Add the red pepper on top so that they run horizontally. Beginning at the end closest to you, loosely roll the chicken up.

Lightly oil a small baking dish and place chicken in it, seam-side down. Drizzle with a tiny amount of olive oil, then top with the extra cheese and a few more pepper flakes.

Place in center of oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving, and enjoy!

I know there are lots of people out there who don't think that they love spinach. To you all I say TRY THIS RECIPE. The spinach takes on a great tang from the mustard and the vinegar. The onion and the pepper cook and develop an awesome sweetness to balance. And the cheese? Who doesn't like parmigiana cheese?!

On a healthy note -- don't worry about the cheese. Even with it, the dish still comes in at just short of 300 calories!

Wild Blueberry Salmon

Wait, really? Fruity salmon?!

Yes kids -- I know it sounds funky but it's so delicious! And you know what my favorite part about it is? No pans to scrub when it's all over :-)


Ingredients

1 6-oz salmon fillet
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 tbs pickled, chopped - See Shopping Tip below)
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
small handful of fresh blueberries, plus some for garnish
1/4 cup water
1 tbs honey
1/2 tbs snipped chives (optional)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Start by tearing a 2 sheets of tinfoil, about a square foot per sheet. Place salmon fillet in the center, skin-side down. Season with Salt & Pepper. Pull up the edges of the foil around the salmon, creating an open pouch for cooking.

Add the following ingredients in this order: ginger, red pepper, onion, and blueberries.

In a small dish, whisk together the honey and water. Pour over the salmon and veggies.

Close the pouch by folding together at the top, but make sure to leave a small opening at one or both ends for steam to escape! Put the pouch on a baking sheet and place in the over for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove, and be very careful opening the pouch. Plate the salmon with the cooked veggies on top, and garnish with a few extra blueberries (all the the cooked berries will have exploded...) and snipped chives, if using.


Growing up, there was always the debate over whose turn it was to do dishes. One of the few not-so-great things about being single is that there's no one to share that work load. It's all you. So enjoy the fact that there are no messy grill pans or skillets to scrub when this is done. Just throw away the tinfoil, and get on with your fabulous night!

SHOPPING TIP: Ginger is one of those ingredients that I think a lot of non-chefs (like me!) are afraid of at first. The roots just look really intimidating to work with. I can promise you that they're not, and they're very inexpensive. But if you just don't want to, the next time you order in sushi save the pickled ginger in a baggie. You use more of it, but all it takes is a simple quick chop. And it's free -- no arguing with that!

Grilled Chicken & Peaches

Welcome! I spent a long time thinking about what I wanted my first recipe to be - I knew I wanted it to be something simple and delicious so that ya'll could get a good idea of what you're going to see here.

Earlier this month I was in Italy and discovered the wonder that is Peaches with Parmigiano-Reggiano. I stayed at a little farmhouse just outside of Florence, and the Matriarch of the estate made breakfast everyday. And, just for me, she would always include fresh fruit from her orchard and chunks of wonderfully nutty Parm. It quickly became my new obsession!

So when I got home, I knew that I had to add a peach and cheese recipe to my collection. Here's what I came up with -- as anticipated, it is incredibly delicious!


Ingredients:

1 tbs honey

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic

zest from 1/2 of a lime
2 tsp EVOO, plus some for drizzling
1 6-8 oz chicken cutlet
1 fresh peach
1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a small sauce pan, whisk together honey and vinegar. Simmer over meduim-low heat until reduced by about 1/3, about 10 minutes. The mixture will be slightly syrupy at that point.

Use a small grater or zester to shred the garlic onto a cutting board. Add the zest of lime (about ½ of the total skin). Add 1 tsp EVOO and mix with your fingers, and rub mixture into one side of the chicken cutlet.

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Quarter the peach and remove the pit. Place on grill flesh-side down. Grill each flesh-side (each piece will have 2) until there are visible grill marks, about 45 seconds. Remove and set aside.

Place chicken on grill, garlic side down. Use a brush to lightly coat the other side with remaining tsp EVOO. Grill 2 minutes. Rotate 45 degrees, and grill another 2 minutes. Flip, and repeat. Chicken is done when there’s no more pink and juices run clear.

Serve chicken cutlet alongside the peaches. Top both with crumbled chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and drizzle with the Balsamic reduction.

Estimated Calories: 270
Prep/Cook Time: 15 minutes

This meal is going to pack a good amout of protein and loads of tongue-tingling flavor. I'm sure it will become a quick favorite -- it's one of mine!