Happy New Year Everyone!!

I personally have consumed HUGE HUGE amounts of cookies, desserts & of course 7alawet El Mouled in the past few weeks :( Because simply who on earth could resist all these food occasions attacking us all at once??

But my body & pants are suffering BIG TIME so I decided to slow down a bit & go back to basics:

– Start “not dieting” but eating less fatty food

– Cut down on desserts

– Work out

– Fill my cravings & hunger with nutrient food

– Stop my “new acquired” habit of binge eating

This Rosemary Grilled Chicken Breast Fillet with Orange Infused Balsamic Reduction will definitely be on my list of healthier eating.

The combination of rosemary in the chicken & orange in the balsamic reduction is perfect; they compliment each other in a beautiful way.

It’s a quick, easy & delicious dish yet “weight friendly”, is there anything else one can wish for?

Besides, this Balsamic reduction is one of those “must have” sauces because you can simply add it on anything & it will give the perfect finishing touch; sandwiches, salads, beef … you name it! Sometimes, I even add it on strawberries.

The balsamic reduction can be prepared in advance as it stays for a long while in the fridge & the meat can be marinated the night before! All you have to do is grill & dip.

Enjoy while your conscious is at ease :)

 

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 4 thick chicken breast fillet
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp rosemary powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

For the Balsamic Reduction:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp orange zest (optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl, place the chicken & all the marinade ingredients.
2. Toss to coat well, cover & place in the fridge for a minimum of 2  hours up to overnight.
3. Take your chicken out of the fridge 1 hour before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature for even cooking.
4. Heat the stove top grill at high temperature until hot. Brush the grill with olive oil & place the chicken.
5. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it gets nice grill marks & has a nice golden color.
6. Reduce heat, cover the grill & cook the chicken until done.
7. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom pot, mix the balsamic vinegar with the brown sugar & orange zest.
8. Place over medium high heat until reduced to half & the mixture is syrupy.
9. Move the balsamic reduction to a glass bowl & allow to cool down. Note that it will thicken as it cools down (this is required).
10. Once cooled a bit & thickened, drizzle over the chicken.
11. Serve immediately with a mixed baby leaf salad.