Dyan showed easy and healthy recipes for Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches and Oven Baked Fries. For more healthy recipes or information on Dyan’s consulting services, go to www.coachdconsulting.com.
Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 cup low sugar ketchup
½ apple cider vinegar
¼ brown sugar
2 T spicy mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t each onion & garlic powder
½ t each salt and pepper
¼ to 1 t cayenne, depending on taste
2 lb chicken tenders or thighs
1 T extra virgin olive oil
½ cup light beer or water
8 whole wheat buns
Pickles
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, add first eight ingredients and whisk well. Turn the heat to medium and bring up to a simmer. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To a cool slow cooker sleeve, add ½ cup of the prepared barbecue sauce, chicken, oil, and beer/water. Move chicken around to ensure liquids are will dispersed and chicken is coated. Set slow cooker to desired cooking time. These cook quickly, so you may only need a couple of hours; however, they will not overcook with the amount of liquid used.
Once chicken is cooked, allow to cool slightly. Using two forks, pull the chicken while in the slow cooker sleeve. The juices will keep it moist. Add pulled chicken to a toasted bun and top with additional barbecue sauce and pickles.
This makes eight sandwiches. You can serve chicken immediately or refrigerate for several days. Just add pulled chicken to a glass container along with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Cover and refrigerate.
Oven Fries
Ingredients:
4 medium russet potatoes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t each salt and pepper
Directions:
Cut the potatoes lengthwise into fries – I prefer about ¼-inch thickness. To make it easier, cut a bit off the end and sides to create a “rectangle”, then slice fries. I like to leave some of the skin on the potatoes. Add cut potatoes to a large bowl of cool water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes (I will even do hours ahead and keep in refrigerator).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain potatoes well and spread out on paper towels and pat dry. Also dry the bowl very well. Potatoes need to be very dry to get crispy. Add dry potatoes back to the dry bowl and add oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat each fry with oil and salt and pepper. Lay a large piece of parchment paper over two large baking pans. Spread potatoes out onto pans – making sure they are in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees and bake for another 15-25 minutes. The final bake time depends on the thickness of your fries. Check after 15 minutes, shake pans and gently touch fries with your finger to determine if potatoes are cooked and getting crispy.
This makes eight servings. These fries are best served immediately. But you can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat on parchment at 425 degrees for about 5-8 minutes.
