Roasted roots with carrot top pesto

2

Prep 10 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 6

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MASTER SKILLS

Don’t toss those tops! Carrot tops have an herbaceous, earthy flavor that tastes like a mixture of parsley and, well, carrots. Paired with lemon, Parm, and garlic, the tops make a fresh and zingy sauce that brings a pop of bright flavor to caramelized root veggies.

Cooking spray 8 oz small golden beets, peeled and cut into wedges 1 lb thin carrots with green tops 1 lb baby turnips, peeled and halved 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges ¾ tsp salt, divided ½ tsp black pepper 1 medium garlic clove 2 tbsp grated Parmesan 2 tbsp pine nuts 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp white wine vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. 2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the beets with 2 tsp water. Cover the bowl and microwave on High for 2½ minutes. Uncover and carefully drain off the water. 3. Remove and reserve the green tops from the carrots. Peel the carrots and halve or quarter lengthwise. Combine the carrots, beets, turnips, and onion on the prepared pan. Coat the vegetables with cooking spray and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and the black pepper. Roast the vegetables until tender, about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through. 4. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, pulse the garlic until finely chopped. Coarsely chop the carrot tops. Add 1 cup carrot tops, the cheese, pine nuts, and remaining ¼ tsp salt to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil, vinegar, and 1 tbsp water and pulse until well combined. Serve the vegetables with the pesto.

Per serving (1 cup vegetables and 1 tbsp pesto) 141 Cal, 7 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 410 mg Sod, 18 g Total Carb, 10 g Sugar, 5 g Fib, 3 g Prot.

poultry

.101 .

And by poultry, we really mean the ultra-versatile chicken—America’s most popular protein. Plus! A guest appearance from turkey, the other (actually) white meat.

FACTS

WW members’ top ZeroPoint™ food category (after non-starchy veggies)

Fluent in Italian, Indian, Greek, Spanish, and every language in between

Well versed in being grilled, roasted, and seared, but looking for more opportunities to be poached and braised

Freezes well and is always ready for action (with 24 to 36 hours’ notice).

FIGURES

internal temp of fully cooked chicken

165°F

3

oz serving

equals 50%

of the recommended daily value of protein (26 grams)

6

months

how long you can freeze raw chicken before its quality starts to dip

Pair it Chicken stir-fried with ginger and scallions • turkey burgers with grilled pineapple • chicken braised with olives and lemons

shop it

White meat is white meat, right? You’d think so, but aside from boneless versus bone-in breasts, you’ll find other options at the store.

“Thin-sliced” chicken is boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have just been cut into cutlets of even thickness. These work well for crispy breading or ultra-quick grilling.

Tenderloins are the extra-tender strips of white meat attached to the back of the chicken breasts. These are great for chicken fingers or marinating and grilling.

Ground chicken or turkey that’s 99% lean is made from skinless breast meat, whereas 93% lean (or when the fat isn’t specified) includes some fattier dark meat. Take note of what you’re using since their respective Points® values will be different.

prep it

No need to give your bird a bath. Rinsing raw chicken doesn’t kill the potentially harmful bacteria and can actually wind up spreading them around your kitchen. Just a quick pat with some paper towels works. To remove skin from bone-in chicken parts, use a damp paper towel to grip the skin and pull it off. Dried-out edges and an undercooked middle? No, thank you. To avoid all that, place a boneless, skinless chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness.

illo tk cook it

POACH .

ROAST .

PAN-SEAR .

GRILL .

In a large pot, add 4 (6-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts and enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Add 2 tsp salt and aromatics like bay leaves, halved lemons, parsley, thyme, or garlic cloves. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until a meat thermometer registers 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes.

Pat 1 whole chicken (3½ lb) dry. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Tuck the wings back and tie the drumsticks together. Arrange the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 450°F for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and roast until a meat thermometer registers 165°F, 35 to 40 minutes. For skin-on chicken parts, prepare in the same way, but use a sheet pan. Roast at 400°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Combine ½ tsp dried rosemary, ¼ tsp dried thyme, and ¾ tsp each salt and black pepper. Sprinkle all over 2 (6oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Coat an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to a 400°F oven. Bake until a meat thermometer registers 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Season 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs with ½ tsp each salt and black pepper. Cover and grill until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. For 2 lb of bone-in chicken parts, preheat the grill to medium-low. Cook until a meat thermometer registers 165°F, 8 to 15 minutes per side.