Saturday, June 25, 2011

Chicken kebabs with nectarine salsa


Since I'm generally an optimist (unless it comes to politics, although, occasionally I am surprised by good things happening), I would argue that there are lots of upsides of getting older.

For one thing, when I was younger, I never liked other people being the boss of me. While I was a fairly obedient child, I always itched to be an adult and not have to live by someone else's rules. Being an adult-- especially one who is self-employed--gives you a fair amount of freedom that you just don't enjoy as a kid.

Also, as trite as it is, in your teens and 20s you're still evolving into who you are. Yes, it's an ongoing process (I do live in San Francisco--of course I believe that life is a journey!) but in my case, my 20s were a little too drifty. My 30s have been a much more confident and happy decade in every sense. I believe my 40s will be even better, full of more professional success, time with those I love, and world travel.

However, I'm not gonna lie to you: aging pretty much sucks from a physical standpoint. The metabolism slows. I have to work harder just to stay the same size. Tiny lines appear and don't leave. I buy things with "anti-aging" in the name. I've yet to get a grey hair, but I'm sure it won't be long. And, since I hope to live a long and happy life, occasionally I have to forego my decadent nature in favor of moderation. You can't stop time but you can try and slow the clock with some good habits.

Enter chicken kebabs with nectarine salsa, courtesy of Cooking Light. I pretty much followed the recipe, which you can find here, with minor exceptions--I don't go for bottled garlic, and I used a mix of white and dark meat. But I have to say, as skeptical as I was  (I'm hard-wired to scoff at healthy recipes), this was really delicious. The marinade would also be good on shrimp or pork (here I go, tweaking the recipe away from healthy) and the salsa would be fantastic with either of those things, or on grilled fish. And since the kebabs are broiled not grilled, they were hassle-free.

The dish was also colorful beyond belief and fun to eat (skewers always seem like a party), almost making me forget about eating healthy and hurtling toward death.

16 comments:

  1. I totally hear ya on the aging/metabolism thing. I changed up part of my diet drastically and started exercising regularly for the first time in my life just over a year ago. The transition wasn't easy, but I've never felt better.

    Can't wait to try the kebabs!

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  2. They look delish! I love kebabs-bite size pieces of food make dining outside much easier and fun.

    Congrats on the new 'puppy'-she looks adorable!

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  3. Very well put Hungry Dog. I think we're the same age, and I hear very much what you're saying about the aging/ metabolism thing! Unfortunately, the grey hairs have already visited me.

    The chicken and nectarine salsa sounds awesome. Here's to healthier meals so we can still have our cake and eat it too :)

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  4. Well I wish I could be as graceful about the ageing process as you are:-)At least we can agree on something. The kebabs are fabulous!

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  5. I hear on the physical aspects of aging..I look at photos of myself from a few years ago and I see such a difference! I dont like healthy recipes either but this looks pretty good!

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  6. Connie: It does seem to be true that eating well and exercising makes one feel better. Darn it!

    tamilyn: thanks! And nice to see you back in the blog world!

    shaz: Give it a try--you & the MC's might like it!

    Wizzy: Thank you--hope you try them! (ANd I am not always graceful about it...)

    ALY: Yeah. Totally. See you Wednesday!

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  7. It gets better -- the aging thing. And it's all about attitude, so good for you for thinking the way you do now :). The kebabs sound great -- definitely try it with pork. Tenderloin is very lean and is so good with nectarines.

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  8. Just wait until you're my age. Cripes.

    Love the idea of this salsa. Cooking Light always has such super riffs on things like this. Anything to cut back on calories and maintain flavor is a plus.

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  9. kellypea: yes, definitely will try that. Thanks for stopping by!

    barbara: I know, I am starting to embrace this subscription...

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  10. I can't tell you how happy I am to see all those glorious nectarines at the farmers markets now. It truly feels like summer now.

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  11. I admit, the 5 or so grey hairs I've found over the last couple of years (I found the first one before I was even 30! Ack! Too much stress in my life, perhaps?) have been immediately pulled. I realize this is not a good long-term strategy. :)

    On the healthy eating front, though, I eat largely vegetarian at home, and most of my vegetables are organic and semi-local, thanks to my CSA. So I feel good about that. Though I do believe that dietary fat prevents wrinkles... ;)

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  12. CJ: yes--stone fruit is the sign of summer!

    camille: We should start eating more vegetarian at home. We DO eat a lot of vegetables...just with meat on the side :(

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  13. yeah. aging sucks. i've always had a problem with authority and taking orders, and that doesn't seem to be dissipating with age. :)
    these kebabs are great, especially when paired with that refreshing salsa. nice dish!

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  14. grace: I find those qualities become more entrenched as I get older...

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  15. I say embrace the gray, embrace the journey. The more decades under your belt, the stronger the woman... The stone fruits at the farmers market are at their peak right now, my favorite time of the year for wandering the markets for the wondrous aromas and free samples!

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