Marinating chicken and peppers and onions in a highly flavored marinade and then grilling gives it all the flavor without fat. A spiced creamy yogurt sauce and avocado sauce wrapped in a corn tortilla with fresh cilantro keeps the fajitas healthy and fresh tasting.
Ingredients
1 cup packed cilantro leaves, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded if desired
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt
1 1/2-pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
2 orange and/or yellow bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed
1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup fat-free Greek Yogurt
12 corn tortillas
1. Put the cilantro, lime juice, broth, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, honey, and salt in a blender, puree until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons; do not wash out the blender.
Put chicken breasts in a medium bowl and the peppers and onions in another. Divide the remaining cilantro puree evenly between the chicken and the peppers and onions. Toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables and let stand, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
2. Add the avocado, 1/2 cup water, and the reserved 2 tablespoons cilantro sauce to the blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a small skillet set over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin and coriander and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the spices over the yogurt and set aside for the flavors to blend. Stir before serving.
4. Preheat a grill for medium-high/direct heat cooking. Oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken and vegetables, turning, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 5 to 8 minutes for the vegetables and 12 to 15 minutes for the chicken. Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Place the tortillas on the grill until just warmed through, about 30 seconds.
5. To assemble the fajitas: slice the onions and peppers into thin strips and then slice the chicken. Place some peppers, onions, chicken and cilantro in a tortilla topped with the spiced yogurt and the avocado sauce.
Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Combine beans and tomato sauce. Toast the bread on one side, spread untoasted side with mayonnaise or margarine. Top with the bean mixture. Spread beans close to the crust to completely cover the slices.
Place the open-faced sandwiches on the broiler about three inches from the burner. Broil for from 3 to 4 minutes or until piping hot. SOURCE
Philadelphia Phillies (92-70) - The best rotation in baseball had better be as good as advertised. Chase Utley might need microfracture surgery and miss the season. Raul Ibanez is drasticly slowing down. Closer Brad Lidge is unhealthy and unreliable. Jayson Werth will be missed more than people suspect. I think this Phillies team could really struggle to score runs.
Atlanta Braves (88-74) - You have to be excited about the young phenoms in the Braves lineup. Last season's OF sensation Jayson Heyward could hit 30 HR's in his sophomore season and 1B Freddie Freeman is considered one of the top 5 prospects in baseball. Dan Uggla is a bit overrated, but will hit 25 HR's. Atlanta has several good arms in their Bullpen but none as good as the retired Billy Wagner. Fredi Gonzalez replaces the legendary Bobby Cox.
Florida Marlins (84-78) - Still one year away from opening their long awaited new ball park, the Marlins will continue to play hard for the 50 fans that attend their games. Rookies Mike Stanton and Gaby Sanchez are both threats to hit 25+HR's. I think Javier Vazquez can help at the back end of the rotation. The Marlins have a ton of prospects that our class to big league ready. If they invest a bit in some starting pitching in 2012 they could contend in their 1st year at the new yard.
Washington Nationals (76-84) - Jayson Werth was a major upgrade both offensively and defensively in RF. The Nats can really hit the ball. LF Mike Morse had a monster Spring and could be poised for a breakout season. The starting staff is awful, though Jordan Zimmerman shows promise. The Nats wait for 2012 when both Stephen Strausburg and Bryce Harper could be ready for a return to the big leagues.
NY Mets (73-89) - A dark cloud hangs over the entire Mets organization. The Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme has forced the Mets deep into red ink with the Wilpon family's indirect involvement. The team is carrying over $400 million in debt, and that number could increase 2 fold as the law suits against the family intensify. On the field, ace Johan Santana may not be ready to pitch until the All Star Break. Carlos Beltran is hurt again, and will probably never be a competent CF again. I don't think the Mets were expecting 6 home runs from a guy they are paying $9 million a year (Jason Bay).
NL Central
Cincinatti Reds (86-76) - I love the versatility of the Reds offense. Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs, and Jay Bruce can all hit for power or swipe a bag when needed. The rotation is solid but unspectacular if they all stay healthy. The Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman is ready to dominate out of the bullpen. The Reds have enough young talent and payroll flexibility to go out and buy an ace (Felix Hernandez?)
Milwaukee Brewers (84-78) - If Zack Grienke stays healthy, a Grienke, Yovani Gallardo, Shawn Marcum combo is the best 1-2-3 rotation in the division. The lineup is good 1-5 (Weeks, McGehee, Braun, Fielder, Hart) but brutal beyond that. Can Milwaukee contend long enough to hold onto Prince Fielder? If the team gets off to a slow start, will they trade Prince who will be a free agent in 2012.
St. Louis Cardinals (83-79) - Losing Adam Wainwright was a huge blow. Is LHP Jaime Garcia the real deal in his 2nd season? Does Lance Berkman have anything left in the tank? Can he play OF? Will Albert Pujols remain in a Cardinal uniform the remainder of the season? Is Tony Larussa going to get wasted by mid-season? The Cards will be very dramatic if not entertaining to follow.
Chicago Cubs (79-83) - I don't know what to think of the Cubs. If Soriano, Pena, Ramirez, and Zambrano played up to their talents, they could win the division in a runaway. Unfortunately it's more likely that Soriano continues to suck in the field, Pena strikes out 200 times, Ramirez is on the DL, and Zambrano punches a water cooler. Matt Garza was a good pickup for the rotation.
Houston Astros (74-88) - This lineup looks worse than last season when it was 15th in the NL. The middle infield is a joke until Jeff Keppinger returns from injury. Carlos Lee looks like a corpse at the plate. Bud Norris remains maddeningly inconsistent. I am hopeful that Brett Wallace and Jordan Lyles show themselves to be building blocks for the next great Astros team. If Drayton McClane's sale of the team becomes official, they should consider cutting Carlos Lee.
Pittsburgh Pirates (74-88) - One of the nicest ball parks in the Majors has yet to field a winning product. This year that trend does not figure to change. The Pirates have some nice young players in 2B Neil Walker, 3B Pedro Alvarez, and CF Andrew McCutcheon, but their pitching is unwatchable. If any of these guys finish with a winning record, they deserve a medal.
NL West
San Francisco Giants (88-74) - The Giants are poised to own this division if their players stay healthy. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Brian Wilson anchor a great pitching staff. Buster Posey is a superstar in the making who will likely be moved to 1B at some point. Brandon Belt is another major league ready hitter who will impact the ball club soon.
Colorado Rockies (84-78) - Was Ubaldo Jimenez a 1 year wonder? Will Carlos Gonzalez be equally productive hitting 3rd as he was as a leadoff hitter? There is much to like about the Rockies bullpen provided Huston Street can stay off the DL. For my $$$ this is one of the most exciting teams to watch in the National League.
Los Angeles Dodgers (81-81) - The rotation looks good (Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda, Lily). The lineup needs comeback years from Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal. Jonathan Broxton also fell apart last season. Oh and there's that small detail about a divorce that could completely breakup the ball club. Other than that, new manage Don Mattingly should enjoy his 1st season replacing Joe Torre as manager.
San Diego Padres (74-88) - Can the Padres really get away with no offense for a 2nd consecutive season? Their only long ball weapon, Adrian Gonzalez, is now a Boston Red Sox player. Surely the team will trade closer Heath Bell by the deadline. I lost a ton of $$ doubting the Padres last season, but I am going to make them prove it to me again.
Spread 4 bread slices with 1 tablespoon cream cheese each; spread the other 4 slices with 1 teaspoon marmalade each. Combine to make 4 sandwiches.
Whisk the whole eggs, egg whites, orange zest and juice, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Place the bran flakes in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or your hands. Pour the crumbs onto a plate. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture, then in the crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs onto the bread.
Heat 1 tablespoon each oil and butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the sandwiches in batches and cook until the outsides are golden and the insides are melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Add more oil and butter, if needed.)
Slice the French toast sandwiches into triangles. Let cool before serving to little ones, as the cream cheese can get quite hot. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and the kids won't even ask for syrup!
Boston Red Sox (95-67) - How can you not love what this team did in the off season? They added a potent left handed power hitter in Adrian Gonzalez who might hit 40+ HR's playing half his games at Fenway Park. They added a 5 tool RF in Carl Crawford that will give them incredible speed at the top of the lineup. John Lester and Clay Bucholz are primed to dominate the competition at the top of the rotation. Can Josh Beckett and John Lackey stay healthy enough/pitch well enough to get them over the top in October? That's probably the most difficult question to answer. Don't be surprised if closer Jonathan Papelbon is traded mid-season with young Daniel Bard and veteran Bobby Jenks available to fill the role for the free agent to be. If the team has better luck with injuries in 2011 they are clearly the class of this division.
Tampa Bay Rays (87-75) - They can't replace Carl Crawford in their lineup, but I do like the one year gambles on Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. Both guys should be high OBP and will be looking for bounce back years. The rotation should be among the best in baseball with Ace David Price, backed up by James Shields and young guns, Jeff Niemann and Jeremy Hellickson. Hellickson in particular seems ready to dominate. I don't think this team will miss Carlos Pena's bat as much as some might think given the number of outs he seemed to make. I'll call for the Rays to edge out the Yankees for the Wild Card.
NY Yankees (86-76) - I don't think the lineup is good enough to make up for what should be a garbage rotation. Even if AJ Burnett lives up to 80% of his potential, the Yankees are still throwing out question marks at the 4th and 5th spot of their rotation. The bullpen looks great with the addition of Rafael Soriano to bridge the gap between starters and Mariano Rivera. But come on, does nyone really think Andruw Jones or Russel Martin should be full time players any more? Are A-Rod and Derek Jeter mere mortals going forward?
Toronto Blue Jays (82-80) - This Blue Jays team could win many other divisions in baseball. The starting rotation averages about 24 years of age and they could all be good very soon. Woodlands product Kyle Drabek will begin the year as the #2 starter behind Ricky Romero. The lineup has a ton of potential if Adam Lind and Aaron Hill can live up to their potential behind HR king Jose Bautista.
Baltimore Orioles (76-86) - There's alot to like about the O's "O" if Derek Lee and Vladimir Guererro can stay healthy. New 3B addition Mark Reynolds will probably hit 30+ HR's while he strikes out almost 200 times. Not very many lineups have the potential for 8 different 20HR hitters. The rotation is shaky, though I think Brian Matusz is a future ace.
AL Central
Minnesota Twins (84-78) - This team's season is certainly in peril due to health concerns. Will Justin Morneau every full recover from his concussion he suffered last season? Will closer Joe Nathan make it all the way back from Tommy John surgery? Can Francisco Liriano stay healthy all season? The lineup could be the American League's best, but if Carl Pavano is still your game 1 starter come post season, your ceiling is rather low.
Chicago White Sox (82-80) - I like the Adam Dunn addition. He probably hits 40 bombs in the band box. If Jake Peavy can't ever stay healthy it doesn't seem like this pitching staff has what it takes to be a big time contender. I'd like to see 2B Gordon Beckham take the next step from prospect to above average MLB starter. This team overall is older than dirt so they will prone to the injury bug.
Detroit Tigers (81-81) - This team has a top heavy lineup lead by MVP drunk Miguel Cabrera. Do either Magglio Ordonez or Victor Martinez have an All Star Caliber year left in them? The bullpen looks outstanding anchored by "Papa Grande" Jose Valverde and the sneaky good Joaquin Benoit. After Justin Verlander, there seems to be some uncertainty in the rotation.
Kansas City Royals (73-89) - Quick name a Kansas City Royal. Nope, Zack Grienke is a Brewer. Everyone around baseball says the Royals have the best prospects in MLB right now, but that probably does not manifest itself this season. The Royals really need former Rockies' ace Jeff Francis to get healthy quickly, because they can't be taken seriously when Luke Hochevar is their #1 starter. They will lead the league in best nickname as Royals All Star Closer, Joakim Soria has asked to change his name from "The Mexicutioner" to "His Mexillency".
Cleveland Indians (72-90) Poor Cleveland. They are the only city worse off than Houston right now. Their lineup is really dreadful outside of Shin-Soo Choo and their young catcher Carlos Santana. Fausto Carmona should be a quality starting pitcher that could get traded by the deadline. Former Astro Adam Everett made their roster if you're interested.
AL West
Texas Rangers (86-74) - There's alot to like about this organization top to bottom. With the exception of the loss of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia this team is loaded with talent. I think letting Vlad Guererro go in exchange for signing 3B Adrian Beltre was a gamble worth taking. Michael Young is a pro who will not let his unhappiness upset the team. I'm still not sure why the Angels traded Mike Napoli, but he could hit 25 HR's for Texas. Their rotation doesn't really have a dominator, but they won't give up many runs with the gold glovers behind them. The best is yet to come from this Rangers squad who has massive amounts of pipeline talent and payroll flexibility in its future.
Oakland A's (82-80) - Top to bottom, this could be the best pitching staff in the majors, however, Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson do come with some health concerns. I'm not sure that adding Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui to your lineup will truly bridge the power gap this team faced last season. Still, with a 3.59 ERA last season (tops in the AL) and the best pitchers park in the big leagues, the A's will play a ton of close games which could have it contend in this weak division.
LA Angels (77-85) - Ugh...I do not like the rotation after Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. Scott Kazmir should not be taking regular turns on an independent league club. The Angels are much more confident in Vernon Wells than I am. Tori Hunter isn't quite what he once was as a hitter, but he and Michael Bourn are by far the most exciting defensive players in the game.
Seattle Mariners (64-98) Hey we have Ichiro and King Felix! But we're also starting Jack Cust as our clean-up hitter. This lineup is terrible, like Astros bad. The Mariners had better hope Justin Smoak can hit since he was the top prize in the Cliff Lee Trade. I wonder if the Mariners might consider moving Hernandez for a monster package of prospects at midseason (Yankees? Rangers? Marlins?)
The Butler Bulldogs are back. America's favorite Cinderella program seemingly did the impossible winning their 4 games by a combined 13 points. Their defense remains the tournaments best and they make just enough shots to win the games.
How they got here: Butler defeated #9Old Dominion 60-58 on a Matt Howard buzzer beater, #1 Pittsburgh 71-70 on Matt Howard FT's at the buzzer, #4 Wisconsin 61-54 in a game the Bulldogs dominated, and finally Butler closed on a 20-9 run in regulation to force overtime where Shelvin Mack hit a crucial 3 to give Butler a 74-71 win over #2 Florida.
Chance to win it all: The Bulldogs are in the midst of an NCAA long 14 game winning streak. They have more championship experience than anyone else remaining. Their coach Brad Stevens seems to always push the right buttons. They won't be intimidated by being the underdog. The Bulldogs are 11-1 against the spread in their last 12 tourney games. In 11 of those games they have been the underdog. Other teams will underestimate Butler at their own peril
How they got to Houston: UConn followed up an amazing 5 game run through the Big East championship with 4 wins in a very difficult west regional. UConn defeated #14 Bucknell 81-53, #6 Cincinnati 69-58, #2 San Diego State 74-67, and #5 Arizona 65-63.
Chance to Win it all: The Huskies have the best player remaining in the tournament in Kemba Walker. They also might have more motivation to win as rumors swirl that their head coach Jim Calhoun might announce his retirement after the tournament.
Virginia Commonwealth shocked the college basketball world smoking the Kansas Jayhawks 71-61. I think it is still fair to question whether VCU had earned the right to play in the NCAA tourney, but in the tourney itself, no one has been more impressive. The Rams beat 4 of their opponents by double digits and made the Jayhawks look silly on the offensive end.
How they got to Houston: VCU had to win a "play-in" game, smoking USC 59-46, Georgetown 74-56, Purdue 94-76, FSU 71-70 in OT, and Kansas 71-61.
Chance to win: The Rams are playing better than anyone left in the field. They have shot an insane 44% from 3pt land. They lack Butler's big-close game experience, but I don't think they will be intimidated by the venue.
The Kentucky Wildcats to me are a surprise to make it to Houston. They are not as talented as the Wildcats team that lost in the Elite 8 last year, but they probably played their 2 best games of the season this week. The played the perfect game defensively to beat Ohio State and their young PG Brandon Knight was unstoppable against North Carolina.
I bet you can't tell that this guy watching the game is from Kentucky.
How they got to Houston: Kentucky got by Princeton 59-57, West Virginia 71-63, Ohio State 62-60, and UNC 76-69.
Chance to win it all: Vegas might make the Wildcats the favorite and they are playing fantastic ball. If they get buy UConn they will be a heavy favorite in the championship game.
Team USA played Argentina (arguably playing the best soccer in the world right now) in a "Friendly" Saturday night at Giants Stadium. The great Lionel Messi could not manage a goal, but 18 year old Juan Agedelo continued his meteoric rise to US stardom with an incredible goal. Agedelo has 2 appearenced for the USMNT and a goal in each appearence.
Heat the millet in a small dry saucepan, with a tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat, cook, shaking occasionally, until the millet begins to "pop". Continue toasting the millet until the popping subsides, about 2 minutes, until it smells like freshly popped popcorn. Set aside to cool slightly.
Add the water and the 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Wrap the pan's lid tightly with a small kitchen towel and cover the saucepan. (Make sure the towel's edges are folded up well away from the heat.) Lower the heat to low and simmer covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat (don't uncover) and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff the millet with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Using a box grater, grate the carrot and radish into the bowl of millet. Add the ginger, garlic, lime juice, mirin, and chili paste and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the edamame, cover, and return to a boil; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately add to the bowl of millet mixture (to lightly warm the vegetables). Stir to combine and set aside to cool.
When cool, season the edamame mixture with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Transfer to a food processor and puree into a paste. Return the edamame to the bowl and stir in the panko and egg whites until incorporated.
Using your hands, form the edamame mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until set.
Place a rack about 4 inches from the broiler element and preheat. Place the patties on a foil-lined baking sheet or broiler pan. Brush both sides of the patties lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil until the tops are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the patties with a spatula. Broil until lightly browned and hot, about 3 minutes more. Serve on grilled naan bread with sprouts, pickled ginger, and wasabi. (The burgers can also be grilled or Sauteed.)
I regret that camera phones and mini-cams were not en-vogue in 1994 to capture the Richmond strip celebration of the Rockets winning their 1st NBA title. Incidentally, if anyone has any old footage of the Richmond strip celebration in 1994, please email me. mattandadam@sports790.com Here are some videos of other sports related celebrations.
In 2004 the Red Sox end an 80+ year curse...madness ensues.
Landon Donovan's Game Winning Goal versus Algeria was something I was happy to be celebrating. If you didn't party during the World Cup this time around, you should really get into it in 2014.
Here are a bunch of angry Molson swilling Canadians after they beat us for the gold in hockey at the Winter Olympics.
I've now seen a rare parrot rape a British photographer....THANK YOU YOUTUBE!
I can't believe I've seen two reporters have the same medical breakdown within a 2 month period. From the people that brought you the Oscar night blackout...
This always happens at my house when the wife forgets to buy fabric softener.
This sweet mugshot belongs to Tiger Woods "alleged" new girlfriend. Alyse Lahti Johnston is the stepdaughter of Alistair JOhnston, a high-ranking exec at Cleveland-based IMG. Her biological dad, according to the London Daily Mail, is former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jeff Lahti. So in other words, bet Tiger to win The Masters.
