RECIPE: Spicy chicken with clementines is big on flavor, nutrition
Editor’s Note: Good and Good for You is a new biweekly column devoted to healthy cooking, written by Virginia Willis, chef and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author. Read it every other Wednesday at AJC.com and in the Food & Dining section of the printed Sunday edition.
Welcome to the Good and Good for You column: a real-life approach to health and wellness that arose out of my personal journey with losing weight. In the process, I realized that the most important concept is health gain, not weight loss.
We are often under the misassumption that if food tastes good, it’s bad for us, and if food is good for us, then it tastes bad. This cycle can lead to a life of deprivation if you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I am a firm believer that this does not have to be true.
I’ve lost 65 pounds and kept it off for more than three years. We can enjoy food that tastes good, awakens the senses, is emotionally satisfying and supplies our bodies with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need to thrive. Good and Good for You recipes are built on ingredients that taste good and are good for our bodies, too.
This Spicy Chicken with Clementines is a great example. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a protein low in saturated fat, the kind of fat that is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Protein keeps us feeling full longer, which means you don’t feel the urge to eat as often. Small but powerful, clementines pack a punch with their bright taste and impressive health benefits, including vitamin C and antioxidants. In this recipe, the thin tender peel cooks as part of the dish, increasing fiber along with flavor.
The dish is punctuated with vegetables, including zesty red onions, buttery green olives and spicy chile peppers, plus a touch of honey for a sweet balance.
Join me every other week for Good and Good for You, real-life recipes that are big on flavor and health benefits, too.
Spicy Chicken with Clementines
Thighs sometimes come in a package of 4 to 6 and you don’t know how many thighs there are until you open it. Simply add any extra thighs to the recipe without any additional adjustments.
- 4 (1 1/4 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 whole clementines, peel on, cut into eighths
- 1 red onion, peeled, cut into eighths
- 1/4 cup pitted green or black olives
- 2 tablespoons harissa, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Place the chicken thighs, clementines, onion, olives, harissa and honey in a sealable container. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, making sure the thighs are coated evenly with the harissa and honey. Refrigerate to marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. (I suggest tossing it together in the morning and letting it marinate all day.)
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the chicken along with all the marinade ingredients to a shallow ungreased broiler-proof baking dish. Set aside for about 10 minutes to take the chill off.
- Bake until the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife and the internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil and cook until the thighs are slightly charred and blistered, about 5 minutes depending on the strength of your broiler, and their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 277 calories (percent of calories from fat, 27), 30 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 8 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 134 milligrams cholesterol, 287 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
