Kale Slaw, Jalapeno Sweet Potato, Cajun Chicken

Chef and trainer Jesa Henneberry invests a lot of energy into making healthy food taste better than its reputation. Read Jesa’s story here.

Dinner at Chef Jesa Henneberry’s house includes Cajun chicken paillard, honey lime kale slaw and jalapeno roasted sweet potatoes. Photo: Amanda Burrill.

Honey Lime Kale Slaw

3 servings

1/2 medium cabbage, sliced into thin strips
1 bunch Lacinato kale, slicked into thin strips
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 small lime
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Half an avocado, sliced, for garnish
9 cherry tomatoes sliced in half, for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat. Salt and pepper to taste and then set aside at room temperature to soak up the flavors. At service, divide the avocado slices and tomatoes and place on top and around the slaw for garnish.

Jalapeno Roasted Sweet Potato

3 servings

2 1/2 large sweet potatoes, medium dice
Olive oil to coat
Pinch sea salt
1 whole jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes, olive oil and salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for around 30 minutes, until the edges brown.

Remove from heat and toss with jalapeno and cilantro.

Cajun Chicken Paillard

3 servings

3 organic chicken breasts, pounded into paillards, about ¼ inch thick

For the rub:

1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coffee or instant espresso
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle evenly on each side of the three chicken paillards. Rub the spices into the chicken.

Place a grill pan, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat bottom.

Depending on size of pan cook paillards one at a time or all together in a single layer, about 2 minutes per side. Each side should have some charred grill marks.

Allow paillards to sit 3-5 minutes after cooking.

Nutritional information:

The entire meal provided 776 calories – 330 calories per serving for the slaw, 216  calories for the sweet potato, and 231 calories for the chicken.

Cost:

The meal cost $9.88 per serving — $2.42 for the honey lime kale slaw, $1.44 for the jalapeno roasted sweet potato, and $6.02 for the chicken paillard.

[These are not cookbook recipes. Some home cooks work from written recipes, but many know their favorite dishes by heart, or improvise on the spot, or define a home-cooked meal as take-out put on a plate. We offer these as  a closer look at what our 12 New Yorkers had for dinner, whether it was a set of traditional recipes, or take-out, or even a sandwich consumed first thing in the morning.]

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