Comfort Food Make-Over Recipes From Jared Koch (Access Hollywood Live)

Nutritional consultant and author of “Clean Plates” Jared Koch takes our comfort food make over challenge. Jared shows how to make a classic summer BBQ chicken dinner healthier and cut major calories. More information on Jared Koch visit his website, cleanplates.com.

Here are the recipes featured on today’s show…

Moroccan-Marinated Chicken Breasts with Wilted Onions

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• .75 teaspoon ground nutmeg teaspoon ground allspice
• .25 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Fine sea salt
• 4 medium-size boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, halved and cut into .25 inch slices

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, coriander, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Arrange the chicken on a plate or platter and spread both sides with the spice paste. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450 F and let the chicken come to room temperature.

In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sear the chicken without moving on one side until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven (careful—the handle of the skillet will be very hot), transfer the chicken to a plate, and let it rest, covered loosely with foil.

Meanwhile, place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits in the skillet, until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook until tender and wilted, about 7 minutes. Add salt taste.

Arrange the chicken on plates or a platter and top with the onion. Serve hot, drizzled with any accumulated juices or pan drippings.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Serves 4

• 2 medium-size ripe avocados, quartered, peeled, and pitted
• .75 cup/70g unsweetened raw cacao powder
• .75 cup/120mL unsweetened nut milk, or more as needed
• 6 tablespoons/90mL raw agave nectar
• .25 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Fine sea salt to taste

In a bowl of a food processor or the jar of a blender, combine the avocados, cacao powder, nut milk, agave, and vanilla and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl or jar as necessary. Add more nut milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

Transfer the pudding to serving bowls and serve immediately or chill before serving.

Sweet Potato Salad with Scallions and Seaweed

Serves 6 to 8

• 1.5 pounds/ 680g yellow- or orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, or a
• combination, cut into 1-inch/2.5cm dice
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons (for about .25 cup/60mL of juice)
• 3 tablespoons organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium-size scallions, sliced thinly
• .25 cup/8g wakame
• Fine sea salt to taste, plus more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or small stockpot of cold, well-salted water (1.25 teaspoons of fine sea salt per quart/950mL) and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest, juice, and oil.

Drain the potatoes and add them to the bowl, stirring to thoroughly combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Add the scallions, wakame, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Serves 4 to 6

• 3 limes, divided
• 1 pound/455g tomatoes, cut into rough 1-inch/2.5cm dice
• .25 jalapeno pepper, seeded
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 4.5 pounds/2kg seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into rough
• 1-inch/2.5cm dice
• Fine sea salt to taste

Zest two of the limes. Juice the zested limes to yield 2 tablespoons of juice. In the bowl of a food processor or the jar of a blender, combine the lime juice, lime zest, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cayenne and process to a puree, scraping down the bowl or jar as necessary. Add the watermelon and process to make a chunky puree, scraping down the bowl or jar as necessary (you may have to do this in batches). Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour.

Add salt and more cayenne to taste. Slice the remaining lime. Serve the soup garnished with the lime.