Healthy, summertime grub: Sweet-and-sour chicken & salmon kabobs!

You know what sabotages my entire week’s worth of sweat and tears in the gym is my tendency to reach for the greasy, trans-fat laden foods come Sunday night. Many diet experts recommend making Sunday your “cheat” day. What they really mean is “have a cheat meal, but don’t go balls to the wall.” Well, I’ve always run with their advice & have made it an all-day affair . And then starting Monday morning, I’m on a guilt trip until Wednesday because of it. So, I’m turning over a new leaf. I’ve enlisted my friend, who cures his tendency by making Sunday night’s his “cooking night,” to help me. This past weekend was week #1 of the “new” me!

On the menu: Sweet-and-sour chicken (and salmon – we tweaked to add some nutritious omega fats!) skewers from the July issue of Women’s Health Mag. Check out the recipe and our final product. I definitely satisfied my Sunday unhealthy craving with this scrumptious, summertime meal.

You’ll Need…
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut into large chunks
2 cups large pineapple chunks, drained1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 medium red onions, cut into large chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
8 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
Salt and black pepper
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (low-sodium preferably!)
1 Tbsp vinegar (rice wine or cider)
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
*Recommendation: DOUBLE the sauce – we wouldn’t have had enough if we didn’t!

How to make them:
1 Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Thread chicken, veggies, and fruit onto skewers, alternating chicken, zucchini, pineapple, onion, and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

2 In a mixing bowl, stir together maple syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and sriracha. Set aside half the glaze in a separate container; brush the rest onto the skewered food.

3 Grill until lightly charred and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Then use a clean brush to coat with extra sauce. Top with cilantro, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
NUTRITION FACTS: Per serving: 315 cal, 5 g fat, 30 g carbs, 415 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 39 g protein