Rockin’ Raisins

I don’t keep junk food in the house but that doesn’t mean I don’t binge or at least over-eat from time to time. Some days it just hard to keep the hands out of the cookie jar.  Or in my case raisin jar.  Raisins.  I love those tiny shriveled bags of fructose.  The Sun Maid was right they ARE nature’s candy.  Anyhoo I ate them all.  Yep the entire bag and I won’t be buying more until PMS passes because I know my limits and when those cravings come crashing in it’s all I can do to keep from devouring my weight in carbs.  I’m not against raisins at all.  I just don’t think you should eat an entire bag at once.  My favorite way to eat raisins is on cottage cheese.  A friend of mine in college at her cottage cheese that way and since then I’ve been hooked.  I also like to sprinkle them on chicken curry.  Yum.  And I like the following recipe.  Serve this with a green salad and brown rice and you have a yummy meal!  

Look THE Sun Maid even works out.  Yoga on the beach.  I want to show up to a yoga class wearing a bonnet.

Lemony Chicken With Raisins

8 chicken breasts (I prefer boneless skinless)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 teaspoons oregano
3 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons oregano
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 cup raisins
4 cups of chicken broth
juice of 2 lemons
low-fat feta (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Mix oil, garlic, oregano, turmeric, and salt in a bowl.  Toss chicken in the oil mixture.  Put chicken in a large deep pan.  Cover with lemon slices and raisins.  Pour broth into pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink about 25 minutes.  Take out the chicken.  Add the lemon juice to remaining liquid.  Boil until liquid is reduced and starts to thicken until your desired consistency.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour it over the chicken.  If you are a feta fan you can sprinkle a little low-fat feta over the top.

This makes 8 servings.  I know, I know, I know you probably don’t need to cook for 8 people.  I don’t either and considering my kids won’t eat anything I might as well cook for two.  I can’t tell you how many times I hear “CHICKEN AGAIN”.  Just cut the recipe in half.  I make a lot at once because I like to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  And I buy the frozen chicken from Trader Joe’s which comes with about 8 pieces of chicken and for no good reason it stresses me out if I don’t use the whole bag. I also often freeze a serving for those days when I can’t or don’t feel like cooking.  My own homemade frozen dinner.  I didn’t figure the macros yet.  I’ll try to do that later.  But serve it with rice and this takes care of your complex carb and protein.  I eat it with a salad with some low-fat Greek dressing.

xoxo
j