I think I’ve wanted to be a writer since I learned how to read. In preschool and kindergarten when we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, my classmates would shout out the usual little kid dream jobs: firefighter, teacher, doctor, and, of course, the occasional “princess.” When it was my turn, I would matter-of-factly respond, “I want to write books.”
Fast forward 17 years. Guess what? I’m writing for a living. Maybe not books, but I’m still a writer nonetheless. Not only do I get to write, I write about food and cooking, a passion I picked up around eighth grade when I, being the bratty teenager I was, decided my mother’s cooking was “boring” (sorry, Mom). I feel incredibly lucky to have a job where I can do two things I truly enjoy. I promise I’m not sucking up—I just really thought it needed to be said.
Yesterday I had my first opportunity to work from home so I could try out some fantastic recipes to share here on Healthy Way to Cook. I made five dishes that I’ll be posting throughout the week (keep an eye out!) and, after a little experimenting and tweaking to make them healthier, they turned out pretty great! This first recipe came from the September issue of Cooking Light, and I think it catapulted to the top of my list of best things to do with chicken. It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive—that was the theme of the issue after all—oh, and insanely delicious. My partners-in-crime* certainly thought so.
HONEY & BEER-GLAZED CHICKEN
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, September 2012
2 tsp. canola oil
6 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. thinly sliced shallots
½ c. beer (recommended: Blue Moon)
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
Parsley for garnish
Add oil to a large heated skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; sauté on medium-high heat for 6 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken and cover to keep warm.
Add shallots to the pan and cook 1 minute. Whisk beer, soy sauce, mustard and honey together in a small bowl, then add to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to ½ cup.
Place chicken back in the pan to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
*I need to give credit where it’s due. A gigantic thank you to my two favorite people on earth:
Danielle (you may have encountered her many beautiful faces before in this article) is the world’s greatest sister and is particularly adept at chopping, measuring, and separating eggs. Despite the decidedly unimpressed wax face, Lucy would be proud of her cooking skills.
Christie is basically the best person ever and, not even exaggerating, is talented at absolutely ALL things creative (she made that dress she’s wearing). She makes all my food look pretty and takes wonderful pictures. She also puts my whisking ability to shame and, since she’s secretly MacGyver, can fix my kitchen errors.
I love you both and I sincerely hope the food was a satisfactory form of compensation for your help.
