Chicken and vegetables get boring—fast. But picking up a few extra ingredients, like basil, lemon, and Dijon mustard, and preparing your food in a new way (think stringing protein and veggies on a skewer) will kick your weekday dinner staples up a notch. Add that to the fact that it’s finally warm enough to cook on the grill, and you’re in for a delicious meal that you’ll want to repeat all season long. Ready to break out of a baked chicken rut? Try this summery kebab recipe from The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook by Colette Heimowitz.
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LEMON-AND-BASIL CHICKEN-VEGGIE KEBABS
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 small zucchini, split lengthwise and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 16 small cherry tomatoes
- 8 (12-inch) bamboo skewers
Directions:
- Combine oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and basil in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, bell pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
- After chicken and vegetables have been marinating for 1½ hours, soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high-heat cooking or heat a grill pan until very hot.>
- Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is nicely marked and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve right away.
Serves: 4
Nutrition (per serving): 360 calories, net carbs: 7 g, total carbs: 9 g, fiber: 2 g, protein: 41 g, fat: 17 g
From The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook by Colette Heimowitz. Copyright (c) 2011 by Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. Printed by permission of Touchstone Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
