Costco Connection - June 2009

make a big difference in your family’s health.”

This is a woman who knows busy. Ali’s own daily routine typically begins with a workout at the gym, followed by playtime with her infant son, Curtis Muhammad. Then her day might be filled with any of the responsibilities that come from serving as a member of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health, on the Board of Trustees with the Billie Jean King Women’s Sports Foundation, and as the official spokesperson for Feeding America. Ali recently

filmed a series of commercials for Subway and the National Heart and Lung Institute’s We Can! campaign ( wecan.org), a program that offers families free step-by-step tips on how to make smart food choices and stay physically active. The 31-year-old boxing champion has also appeared in numerous ad campaigns (Got Milk?, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter) and on television shows (American Gladiators, The Early Show, Dancing With the Stars).

Despite her love for cooking, Ali admits that making dinner is often the last thing she

Laila’s

Sautéed

Chicken Breasts with

Mustard and

Sage

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves Flour 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup white wine

6 whole fresh
sage leaves

1½ cups low-sodium
chicken broth
1½ tablespoons
whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons
light butter
Sea salt
Black pepper

Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat. Add the oil to the pan. Lay the chicken in the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook for another 6 to 9 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the white wine to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits that have collected on the pan. Over high heat, cook the wine until it thickens, about 4 minutes. Add sage leaves and chicken broth, and continue cooking until sauce is reduced. Remove from heat, whisk in mustard and butter, and sauce will thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Serves 4.

wants to do after a busy day. To ensure that her family eats nutritious meals, she cooks seven dinner entrées once per week and then refrigerates them in Tupperware containers.

“On Sundays, I make a bunch of simple, healthy meals so that my husband [retired NFL wide receiver Curtis Conway] and I don’t have to worry about what we’re having for dinner every night,” Ali says. “If we don’t plan meals in advance, it’s more tempting to order takeout or grab fast food.”

As a Costco member, Ali likes to buy items, including frozen chicken breasts, turkey sausage and ground turkey, in bulk. By having these staples on hand, she can use them to cook a variety of healthy meals.

“I add ground turkey to all kinds of recipes, such as tacos and pasta dishes,” she says. “I even like to serve it over brown rice.”

Ali introduced her son to solid foods at the age of four months, and strives to ensure that he eats a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods.

“He likes carrots and chicken and rice, but he has very strong opinions about peas,” she says with a laugh. “He’s also a very active little guy. At seven months he’s already standing and trying to walk.”