Lemon Rosemary Chicken

My goal is to attempt to include some heathier recipes on this blog. I'm hoping that this will be made a lot easier by the herb garden I recently planted.

I was recently trying to come up with some freezable meals for my husband's grandma. She was recovering from heart surgery and on a strict low sodium, low fat, low sugar diet. I was worried at first about what I would be able to come up with, but actually found quite a few combinations with lean meats and fresh herbs. I decided to continue the pattern by grilling some chicken for my husband and I.

One of my favorite healthy meals is lemon rosemary chicken. Not only is it easy to make, but it has a ton of flavor. I tend to get tired of chicken because it starts to seem very bland to me, but this recipe is one exception.

To make the marinade, I combine a tsp of extra virgin olive oil (just enough to get everything to stick), juice squeezed from 1/2 a lemon, a clove of minced garlic and a couple sprigs of rosemary in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken and let marinate for about 30 minutes before grilling.

I decided to try a new side with this. Lately I'd been seeing a lot of recipes for mayo-less potato salad, including this recipe on Gourmantine's blog for a potato and vegetable salad coated with a dijon vinaigrette. (Ok, so my side dish might not be quite as healthy as the chicken.) I decided to use steamed green beans in my version since my husband would prefer those over the asparagus the recipe called for. I had to alter the recipe yet again when I got home only to find out I didn't have the roasted red bell pepper strips I thought I did. Luckily the vinaigrette combined so well with the potatoes and green beans that it was hard to tell anything was missing. The only addition I made to the vinaigrette was a tsp of honey.

For the vinaigrette, I used a salad dressing mixer I'd been given as a gift last Christmas. It's really a handy little gadget to have around. I'd recommend it to anybody who makes their own dressings or vinagrette.

I know one of my helpers was pretty excited about the chicken. Sadly for her, she only got to smell and not taste.