Grilled Chicken with Edamame Skordalia

This is a fantastic, fresh-tasting recipe I found in Bon Appetit. It isn't marked 'low carb' (surprisingly few recipes are, despite the fact that they are, nutritionally, great for this lifestyle), but the nutritional analysis on the site says it's 15.15 g of carbohydrates a serving and 6.21 of that is fiber. If you use net carbs, that comes to 8.94 g of carbs in a delicious, fresh-tasting, and relatively easy to prepare meal. I was so thrilled that I discovered that the gas grills in our soon-to-be-x-apartment-complex do indeed work.

I was out of olive oil when I made this recipe, so I subbed peanut oil. I'm sure it would be as tasty or tastier with the original ingredient. I also used boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, because I'm on a budget and I think they taste better! This cuts down a little on grill time.

Grilled Chicken with Edamame Skordalia
Bon Appetit August 2008
Serves 4

1 16-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame (soybeans)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Cook frozen edamame in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid for skordalia.

Meanwhile, combine basil, 1/3 cup oil, and garlic in processor; blend until basil and garlic are finely chopped. Transfer 2 tablespoons basil oil to small bowl and reserve.

Add edamame, 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan, and lemon juice to remaining basil oil in processor; puree until mixture is almost smooth, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set skordalia aside.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with reserved basil oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Slice chicken breasts crosswise.

Spoon warm or room-temperature skordalia onto 4 plates. Top with chicken.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories (kcal) 651.33; %Calories from Fat 44.7; Fat (g) 32.32; Saturated Fat (g) 5.84; Cholesterol (mg) 152.08; Carbohydrates (g) 15.15; Dietary Fiber (g) 6.21; Total Sugars (g) 0.22; Net Carbs (g) 8.94; Protein (g) 69.70 (nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appètit)