I try really hard to make meals the whole family will eat. Sometimes I break the rules, like on the weekend if I’m trying to have a Date Night At Home with Mr8. That’s when I’ll make something the kids really want for dinner, set them up with a movie and some popcorn and make something special for us to enjoy once they have gone to bed. I used to wonder if this was selfish, but I think the kids need to go to bed at a relatively decent hour on the weekends so they don’t wake up cactus on Monday morning. And I make sure their meal and dessert is special too, so I think I’m playing fair. Plus mums and dads need together time too so they can keep it together for the rest of the week.
But what I have found is that kids surprise you with what they actually will eat. So I generally dish up the same meal for everyone (with my Polka Face on so they can’t tell if I’m not sure they will like it) and expect everyone to at least taste it. And if they really don’t like it, or refuse to have any, then they get something really boring for dinner like a sandwich, some yoghurt and fruit. Most of the time they’ll try it. And they all tried and came back for seconds with this Savoury Italian Grilled Chicken with Marinated Vegetables. Some of the vegetables like the yellow squash and mushrooms were a bit hit and miss with the kids, but overall the meal was a success. Plus I popped some rice on the side of the plate to keep The Vegemite Kid Happy.
And did I mention that it’s classed as Diabetic Friendly? Which actually just means that it’s a healthy, well balanced meal. Nothing out of the ordinary, just healthy, fresh food, the kind we all should be eating on a regular basis.
Savoury Italian Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Rosemary
1 Tbl Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
Directions:
Trim Chicken Breasts and sprinkle both sides lightly with pepper.
To make the marinade, blend the basil, olive oil, butter, garlic and parmesan cheese together until smooth.
Coat both sides of the chicken breasts generously with the marinade and place in the refrigerator while you chop the veges.
Once ready to grill, remove the chicken from the fridge and place under the grill (as I have done), or cook on the BBQ until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Serve with the marinated vegetables.
Marinated Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 Spanish Onion cut into wedges
4 Medium Carrots cuts into bit-size chunks
1/3 Cup Olive Oil (I thought this was too much, so I will probably use only 1/4 cup next time)
1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram
Pepper to taste
6 Baby Yellow Squash
1 Large Zucchini cut into bite-sized chunks
1 Green Capsicum cut into large chunks
1 Red Capsicum cut into large chunks
1 Cup of Mushrooms, quartered
1/2 Cup Snow Peas, sliced
Directions:
To make the marinade, combine the oil, rosemary, marjoram, and pepper in a bowl.
Place all of the vegetables in a large dish and pour the marinade over the top. Toss to ensure the vegetables are completely coated in the marinade. You can easily throw in any stray veges you find lurking in your refrigerator that you want to use up.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.
When ready to cook, drain the vegetables, reserving the marinade and place them on the grill or stir-fry them in a wok until tender. Alternately, you could thread them onto skewers and cook on the BBQ, basting with the reserved marinade.
These recipes are adapted from recipes found at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/