Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

You are invited to Marysville's first annual Healthy Communities Challenge Day! Lots of activities and events are planned for the whole family, aimed at getting fit this summer, growing your own vegetables, and eating healthy.

In collaboration with the Snohomish County Get Movin' program, the event is being held at Allen Creek Elementary School and the Marysville YMCA on Saturday, June 6, from 1 to 7 p.m. Visit www.marysvillewa.gov for more information about the day.

A Community Healthy BBQ Dinner gets underway at 5 p.m. Let's Dish! is coordinating the dinner, which features Grilled BBQ Chicken on a Whole Grain Bun, Sweet Potato Fries (which are baked), Organic Mixed Greens with Honey-Lime Dressing, and Due's Strawberries with Almond Cake. All of the ingredients are being donated by local businesses, listed below. Tickets for the dinner are $5 each and can be purchased that day between 1 and 5 p.m. at the Let's Dish! tent. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Marysville Food Bank.

You can easily duplicate this entire dinner at home. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be purchased from Silvana Meats (1229 State Route 530, Silvana). Make your own healthy BBQ sauce using the recipe below. Sweet potato "fries" are actually baked and can be found in the freezer section of many local grocers. The organic salad greens are grown right here in Arlington and can be purchased at Garden Treasures (located in the Big Red Barn on State Route 530, 1/2 mile east of I-5). The recipe for Honey-Lime Dressing was published in my April 24 North County Outlook column. You can find that recipe on-line by going to www.northcountyoutlook.com and clicking on "Columnists". Due's Strawberries will be available in June at their farm (4604-152nd St. NE, Marysville) and at stands scattered around town. Stop by Let's Dish! (11605 State Ave, Marysville) and pick up a recipe for the Almond Cake.


Grilled BBQ Chicken


BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup diced onion

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup lime juice

3/4 cup catsup

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce


To make the sauce, sauté the onion in melted butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes per side. Spread the BBQ sauce over the chicken during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve remaining BBQ sauce at the table, if desired.

Victoria Mattson is owner of Let's Dish!, a "make and take meal kitchen" located at 11605 State Ave. in Marysville. Phone 360-658-9903 or visit www.letsdish.com.