Here’s an easy-peasy one for all you time-starved-back-to-school-prepping mamas. Throw this little combo over some brown rice or whole grain pasta and you have yourself a meal. Really pinched for time? Skip the pounding and the flour and just sauté the chicken “au natural” in the olive oil before you add the broth. Don’t skip the lemon and parsley though – you’d miss ’em.

Lemon Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken cutlets (or whole breasts cut in half horizontally) , pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1/4 cup flour

2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

juice from 1 lemon

zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge in the flour and shake off any excess.

2. In a large heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the cutlets for a couple of minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Add some additional oil and work in batches if necessary. Transfer chicken to a plate.

3. Add the broth to the pan and deglaze, scraping all the brown bits from the pan. Allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chicken and tomatoes to the pan. Simmer until the tomatoes release their juices and the sauce has reduced, about 20 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Adjust seasoning and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

What? You’ve never heard of jicama?! I’m shocked! Just shocked, I tell you! The next thing I know you’ll be telling me you’ve never heard of hearts of palm either. Sheesh!

Jicama (pronounced hee-kuh-muh  – like THAT’s not fun to say!) is a sweet root vegetable that sort of resembles a turnip (I may not be helping you much yet). It has a very mild flavor and a great raw-apple-like crunch. It takes on the flavor of whatever it is near, so it’s great in a fruit salad with a marinade like this one. When you’re buying one it will look like an overgrown potato. You want to peel off that coarse skin with a vegetable peeler or knife (the same way you’d peel a potato) to reveal the white flesh inside. C’mon…stay with me here. It’s fun to try new things.

After months of melon and grape salads, this one will be a nice change of pace. Pair it with grilled fish or chicken for a fresh side dish on a warm night and toast to your expanding palate!

Jicama Fruit Salad

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon poppy seed

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 cup peeled jicama, cut into thin strips

1 seedless orange, peeled and sectioned (or use mandarin oranges, drained as a “cheat”)

1 medium apple, thinly sliced

1/2 pound fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks

butter, green or red leaf, or other mild flavored lettuce, washed

Directions:

1. Combine lime juice, honey, water, poppy seeds, and grated orange peel in a small jar. Shake well and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine jicama strips, orange slices, apple, and pineapple. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.

3. Line salad plates with lettuce and top with fruit salad to serve.