Lesson #51: Lemon Lime Chicken Breasts

Low Carb Cooking 101

Since we are coming to the end of the gardening season (at least for those of you up north), I thought I’d base tonight’s meal on bounty from the garden.

I went to a farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago and got several HUGE zucchini, which I intended to stuff, but I got to messing around in the kitchen and pared them into thin “noodles” with a zester. The strips came out about the size of spaghetti. I sauteed them in olive oil then added butter salt and pepper, and we really enjoyed it. Not only did it taste good, but the thin strips of zucchini added a nice textural element to the dinner plates.

I didn’t cook all the zucchini strips that night, and put the leftover ones in a Zip Lock bag in the refrigerator. About 4 the next morning I awoke to the overpowering smell of garlic. I investigated, and found my 12-year-old daughter, who is a night owl, sautéing the remaining zucchini strips just as I had for dinner, BUT….. she had added about 2 tablespoons of garlic powder to the pan. (Moderation is not one of her strong points.)

Whoooeee! For a while there I thought the house was going to be declared a toxic waste dump! I bring this up simply because you should know that you can add any spices you want to the String Bikini Zucchini recipe to spice it up to your own personal taste.

Here’s this evening’s menu:

• Lemon Lime Chicken Breasts
• String Bikini Zucchini
• Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Here’s the shopping list for the meal. You may very well already have some of these things on hand:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• butter
• 1 4-ounce tub cream cheese with chives
• 2 large zucchini
• cherry tomatoes
• small lettuce leaves like butter lettuce or bib lettuce leaves (optional)
• lime juice (bottled is fine)
• olive oil
• lemon pepper
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Here’s the game plan:

Thaw the chicken breasts if they are frozen by placing them in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve the meal.

Following the recipe instructions, begin marinating the chicken breasts.

Prepare the Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes according to the recipe instructions This can be done while the chicken breasts are marinating or up to 24 hours before you plan to serve the meal.

Preheat the broiler.

Set the table.

Slice the zucchini for the String Bikini Zucchini and set the zucchini ribbons aside.

Take the chicken breasts out of the marinade after 30 minutes and put them on the aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Broil according the to recipe instructions, turning once.

While the chicken breasts are cooking, saute the zucchini. Add the butter and season the zucchini to taste.

Place the Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes on small lettuce leaves on salad plates, or simply place them on one side of the dinner plates.

Take the chicken breasts out of the oven and sprinkle them with lemon pepper. Put the chicken breasts on the dinner plates, add the String Bikini Zucchini to the plates, and sit down to a well-deserved, relaxing meal.

And, finally, here’s the recipes:

Lemon Lime Chicken Breasts

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• lemon pepper

Thaw the chicken breasts if they are frozen. Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat them dry. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or glass baking pan. Pour the lime juice over the chicken breasts, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier.

Place the marinated chicken breasts on the broiler pan. Broil the chicken breasts 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken breasts are cooked through and the juices run clear.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with lemon pepper to taste before serving.

Serves 4.

String Bikini Zucchini
No, there’s no other reason for the name except for the alliteration.

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 or 2 tablespoons butter (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Wash and dry the zucchini. Holding the zucchini at one end, use a zester to peel the zucchini into thin strips until you reach the seedy core. (You can discard the core or do what I do and liquefy it in the blender, freeze it, and add it to soup later.)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add the zucchini strips and stir fry, tossing the zucchini frequently, until it is crisp tender. Do not let it fully cook and get soggy.

Remove the skillet or frying pan from the heat and toss the butter with the zucchini strips until it is completely melted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

***Note: Any leftover zucchini strips can be refrigerated and reheated or added to soups or omelets.

Low-Carb Gluten-Free Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes