The healthiest dinner

‍The science of eating well: exotic, healthy, quick and delicious recipes.

All the recipes I put in TR are super healthy, but this one packs a large nutritional punch. Tribe member Chris passed this one on to me, for which I thank you. I have made a few changes to reduce the calories and up the nutrition. It tastes superb.

It is essentially a European dish with Asian touches—the rice wine, the fish sauce and the soy sauce. The taste is different and a bit exotic—no matter where you come from. Just the thing to have when you can’t (or if you’re sensible won’t) travel.

What’s good for you in this?

• Rice wine vinegar. This has quite a bundle of vitamins, especially iron. Some research says that rice wine vinegar is good for the immune system, skin and digestive health and lowering cholesterol levels.
• Raw honey. Raw honey has health benefits. Processed honey has virtually none. Researchers have found that raw honey is a good source of antioxidants, it can kill unwanted bacteria, and has anticancer benefits.
• Pineapple is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. It can reduce the risk of some cancers. It may boost the immune system and act as inflammation suppressant. May help with arthritis.
• Garlic—as I mentioned last week is a superfood.
• Onions. Health benefits similar to garlic.
• Chicken breast. The breast is the healthiest part of the chicken. It is an excellent source of lean protein. Chicken is also a good source of vitamin B, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, and trace amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C.
• Brown basmati rice. Brown basmati rice is one of the two most nutritious forms of rice. The other is black rice. While both white and brown versions of basmati rice provide vital nutrients, brown basmati rice contains more fiber, phosphorus, zinc, and B vitamins. Brown basmati rice is also lower on the glycemic index.

‍Ingredients

• 3 tsp low-cal sweetener
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (good for lowering blood sugar and lowering cholesterol levels)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ to ½ tsp ground cayenne
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup finely diced fresh (or tinned) pineapple
• 1 finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh pineapple, including accumulated juices
• 500 gms (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
• Cooked basmati brown rice, for serving

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‍Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the honey, sweetener, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, two tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. This is the marinade mix.
2. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this marinade mixture to a separate medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. Voila! The salsa. Mix well and set aside.
3. Add the grated pineapple and its juices (or about half the juice from a tin of canned pineapple) to the marinade mixture. Now add the chicken and mix well to coat the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate at room temperature for only about 15 minutes.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (about 2 tbsp).
5. Add the marinated chicken pieces, include a couple of tbsps of the marinade. Cook until the bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they’re browned on all sides and no longer pink on the inside, about 8-10 minutes.    
6. Serve the chicken over rice and top with the reserved pineapple salsa.

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‍Serves: 4

‍Energy: 1260 kJs (315 calories)