Lemon chicken

One of my favorite things to eat is lemon chicken - not just any lemon chicken, though. I'm pretty picky. Our friend Dave located this wonderful mix that he orders (they don't sell it up here) in bulk through the internet and graciously shares with us. The catch: the lemon chicken is fried and then the sauce goes over the top. SOOOO good, but soooo not good for you. We eat it sparingly. So I've had my eye out for a new recipe for lemon chicken that might not kill me before I'm 40.

For Mother's Day, I asked for Jillian Michael's new cookbook, The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook. The recipes look amazing and I wanted to try one out and guess what? She has a recipe for lemon chicken!! So, yesterday I decided to give it a shot and people, it's WONDERFUL!!! Try this recipe - it is light, refreshing, healthy and just YUM!!! So, I'll pass along her recipe and then tell you what I did with it once I had it prepared. And go out and get this book! It's packed with gorgeous recipes, the science behind why you eat it, and if this first recipe is any indication of the rest, I can't wait to make the rest of them!

Jillian Michael's Recipe for Grilled Lemon Chicken

1 tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano
1 tbs honey
1 tbs Dijon Mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 (4-5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (I don't like olives so didn't use them!!)
Olive oil spray

Prepare the dressing:
Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, basil, honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add olive oil slowly. Set aside.

Pound chicken flat until they are all an even thickness. Place chicken in a pan large enough to hold it. Pour half the dressing over the chicken and turn the breasts once or twice to coat. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 8 hours or overnight.

When chicken is ready - either grill on outdoor grill or on a grill pan on your stove. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes each side. Discard used marinade.

Place cooked chicken on a platter and drizzle with remaining dressing you set aside earlier. Serve.

I'm telling you guys - it was fabulous! Here's what I did...I followed her recipe, minus adding the rest of the dressing, and then cooked up some mini whole wheat shell pasta. Into the pasta I added four ears of white corn (that I removed from the cob after having cooked it for a few minutes) and about 2 tbs. Parmesan cheese. I stirred it all up and then added two chopped tomatoes on top and then poured the remaining dressing over the top along with a little fresh parsley. It was so good and the leftovers are awesome as well.

Go get this cookbook! Later today, I'm making her hummus and garlic pita chips and fudge brownies!