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Start your brown rice (or barley, quinoa or whole wheat pasta), because these take the longest to cook. When they have about 10 minutes left to cook, coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat it over medium-high until you can just start to smell it heating.
Add chopped garlic (or onions, shallots or leeks) and stir them to coat them in the hot oil. Let them cook for a minute or two until they start to soften.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine (or lemon juice or wine vinegar) and let most of the liquid boil off.
Add one palm-sized chicken breast (or fish fillet, beef or pork steak) per person. Season your portions to taste. Thyme and sage pair well with chicken; lemon pepper brightens both fish and steak and rosemary is excellent on pork.
While the protein cooks, steam or saute a green vegetable and one of another color with whatever seasonings you choose. Lemon juice goes well with all vegetables, but don`t be afraid to try something more exotic such as cumin, tarragon, turmeric or an ethnic spice blend.
Toss your brown rice with olive oil, feta cheese, pico de gallo, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes or whatever goes best with the theme of your meal.
Turn the chicken, fish or meat and let it cook to a safe temperature. Poultry should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Fish should be cooked for 5 minutes per every inch of thickness until it reaches 145 F, or until it is opaque and flakes with a fork, beef should be cooked to at least 145 F and pork must reach an internal temperature of 160 F to be safe.
Serve with a tossed green salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and a glass of wine or iced herbal tea.