Why did the Roman chicken cross the road?

She was afraid someone would caesar!

But take heart, boys and girls. Although this post describes the first meal in my 17-day-diet series, it’s not about a salad. It’s about that sissy Miss Chicken.

We want to make her a little bolder. A little braver. We’ll also give her the power to keep you healthy and sleek. To do all that we’ll partner her with the color orange! (Not to be confused with Agent Orange.)

Orange in this recipe comes from a juicy cara-cara orange and carrots, firm dark red ones known as Asians.

Cara Cara oranges, from California’s San Joaquin Valley, are in the stores now,  January through April.  Outside, they look like the common-rabble navel orange. But cut it open and you’re greeted with brilliant  pinkish red fruit, like the flesh of a pink grapefruit. The taste, though, is  exceptionally sweet, with a tangy cranberry-like zing at the back of your throat.

Naturally sweet, carrots are healthy additions to your diet, low in calories and fat. Indeed, these crunchy roots deliver tons of goodies like β-carotenes, vitamin A, minerals and antioxidants.   Cara Caras also give you vitamin A, plus a lot of C, fiber and lycopene. Lycopene is one of those characters from Auntie Oxidant’s family. Oranges and carrots fight cancers, arthritis, obesity, and heart disease.

Chicken is a healthy, filling food. For one thing, chicken meat without the skin is a lean source of protein. One 6-ounce serving contains 48 grams of the stuff. Chicken is also rich in potassium and calcium and has no carbohydrates. Dark meat has a few more calories than the  white but has the added benefit of lots of iron.  Grill it or bake it for the best nutrition. Avoid deep frying. If you stir fry chicken, use a light spray of oil on the pan and add a few spoonsful of water once the pan is very hot to finish the cooking with steam. If you’d like to marinate the chicken first, stay away from fatty or sugary dressings and instead try just a little bit of lemon juice… or yogurt and seasonings. Below is  one delicious way to cook up your chicken and eat it too!

Ready for the oven

Roasted orange and thyme chicken
(Two servings, suitable for Cycle 1 of Dr. Mike’s 17-day diet)

• 2 chicken breasts (10-12 ounces)
• 1 orange, sliced and quartered. Save two thin slices for garnish (I used a blood orange)
• 2 large carrots, peeled, cut into sticks, and boiled for 10 minutes
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons red chili paste
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• dill to garnish

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Toss the precooked carrots, orange slices and onions in olive oil. Place in a baking pan and preheat the oven to 375°F. Add olive oil to the chicken and put them on top of the veggies. Decorate with an orange slice or two. Add the orange juice and thyme to the baking  pan.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the chicken browns. Stir the veggies halfway through.

Many thanks to Of Pots and Pens for inspiring me to try pairing oranges and chicken – spectasty!

I posted my introduction to Dr. Mike Moreno‘s 17-day diet last week. Stay tuned for more on this topic in the next weeks.

As an aside, kids need a healthy meal plan, NOT a diet. But because Dr. Mike bases his guidelines on real foods, no pills, no purchased foods in cans, bottles or bars, no injections… the whole family can safely follow his advice. Supplement the plates of family members who have no weight issues with foods from cycles 2 and 3 while you hunker down with cycle 1. Remember, it’s only for 17 days!  Bonus: you’ll all learn the basics of healthy eating, together. This is the most flexible and balanced approach to weigh control I’ve ever tried. And I’ve tried a lot of them.

Whether or not you want to control your weight, I think you’ll enjoy these recipes using foods on Dr.Mike’s shopping list.

Related links

• The 17-day diet, starring Dr. Mike Morano – Intro to this great meal plan
• Grocery List for 17-day diet - Let’s go shopping! The foods for the three cycles are color coded. Pay attention. It’s easier if you focus only on cycle 1 foods (red) while you’re still in the 17-day accelerate phase. On day 18, take a look at cycle 2 And so on. Less confusing!
• Green tea for two – Green tea is a staple on Dr. Mike’s diet
• Hummus… Pretty in Pink! – A basic slo-carb food for cycle 2 of the 17-day diet