Get Well Chicken

Get Well Chicken

Right as I got back on the blogging wagon, my whole family got sick! Somehow, each was sick in differing ways... So when I finally mustered up enough strength to cook, I wanted to make something that was easy and would make up feel better. I love combining rice, chicken and ginger when we're sick. It always makes me feel a little better.
 I took a whole chicken, rinsed it inside and out, put it in a baking dish, and added some S&P and garlic powder. I also added (don't read the next word bc it's not diet friendly...) butter. I added 1/3 butter stick on top and let it melt over the whole chicken. Baked at 350* for about an hr and 40 minutes. I cooked some white rice and dusted ginger over the rice and placed the chicken on top.

Alana's Review

Taste: 4/5
Ease: 4/5
Comments: This was super delicious, the only change I would make is to baste it throughout.

Toddler Review:
While he didn't "mmmmmm" through every bite, he a bunch of it. So I count this as a win in my book!
Summary: Toddler approved!

Leftover Love

Leftover Love

So I came up with this great idea... have you ever had just one item left over after dinner? So it's like, what am I going to do with 1/4 cup of green beans? I have a solution... I have a "rolling" left overs container in my freezer. Obviously, some things can't go together, but for the most part, after the said left over item cools I just dump it in. Then when the container is full, it's time to wait. Wait until, you're in a rush and half tempted to grab some easy fast food. Boom, this is already waiting to save the day!

This particular potluck is: teriyaki chicken, cheesy quinoa, corn, Italian style green beans, and broccoli tots. I wouldn't say it was friggin amazing, bc it wasn't haha (let's be real). It was tasty enough though! And much better than eating bad for you food. Win-win! 

Alana's Review 

Ease: 5/5 (it literally cannot get easier than this)

Taste: varies (mine described above 3/5)

Comments: pepper, everything can use more pepper

Taco Seasoned Chicken Salad

Taco Seasoned Chicken Salad

I. Love. Salads. I would make them more often but somehow I always forget about them as an option until I'm trying to figure out what to do with left over lettuce, tomato, cucumber and carrots. Which is what happened tonight! Easy, delicious, quick, win-win-win!

All the above ingredients were used. I baked chicken at 375 for 40 min. Prior to that I seasoned them with cumin, paprika, pepper, and a minute pinch of salt.

I splashed some balsamic vinegar on top and called it a day.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: Make more often!

Toddler Review: Yum! He did more eating than playing, hah. And he ate ALL his chicken (which never happens). Side note, I think he's got his mama's love for spice.

Summary: Toddler Approved

Grilled Chicken and Cheesy Quinoa

Grilled Chicken and Cheesy Quinoa

So, things have been pretty boring in the kitchen on my end. I've been doing good,  clean eating wise, but it's been a lot of repeats. I definitely need to work on spicing it up.

The chicken was grilled on a griddle and I started to make my own sauce but I ran out of honey and cleaner ingredients, so I added some store bought bbq sauce to thicken it up. My quinoa, though, is what I wanted to post about. I cooked it like regular, then I turned off the stove and while it was still hot, I put in some shredded cheddar cheese and some gouda slices. It... was... amazing... it was very comforting almost too one tone. I added salt and pepper, and it was perfect. 

Alana's Review 

(Quinoa)

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4.5

Comments: I used water instead of chicken broth, I'd do that instead. 

One Pot Chicken Quinoa

One Pot Chicken Quinoa

Recipe:http://www.cookincanuck.com/2015/09/one-pot-chicken-quinoa-mushrooms-spinach-recipe/

Whenever I hear of a one pot meal, I'm instantly intrigued. If there's a chance I can cut down the number of dishes I'll have to do, I'll take it! Plus this recipe sounded nice and filling, which is perfect for a hungry gal like me. I'd never tried quinoa before so I figured this sounded like a yummy place to start.

I made the recipe according to the directions but halved everything (I was cooking for one plus two meals, so I only wanted to cook three chicken thighs) except for the spices that went on the chicken, which I doubled because I wanted to make sure I tasted them and seasoned the chicken nicely. Now, if you're going to half this recipe like me, write this next sentence down. ADJUST THE COOKING TIME. I had a silly moment where I thought I could cook the smaller amount of quinoa for the same 15 minutes it says, which then made it end up getting totally burnt and I had to start all over. So please, adjust the cooking times. I did 8 minutes of simmering the quinoa with the lid on. I'd also recommend cooking the chicken almost all the way through beforehand instead of just searing for two minutes, because after the quinoa was perfectly cooked, the chicken was totally raw so I ended up overcooking the quinoa so that I could get cooked chicken. It still tasted ok in the end, although the quinoa had an almost gelatinous texture which wasn't the most pleasing. The chicken did taste delicious though, so there's a win! 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: chicken 4/5 quinoa 2/5

Spinach Greek Yogurt Chicken

Spinach Greek Yogurt Chicken

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

Caprese Chicken

I decided to merge these two recipes! I couldn't wait to give it a try. It was delicious! Unfortunately, every component (aside from the tomato) was severely overcooked. But I can't be too upset at the cause. I'd overcook all my meals to stare at this face a little longer!

Chicken was tough and I over-reduced the balsamic sauce (AGAIN) and steamed the green beans so long that I ran out of water and burned my pot. AHHH!! And so the green beans tasted burnt. Yuck. But what are ya gonna do. When the baby needs you, you gotta be mom first, chef second! 

You may be wondering why I have that tiny measly slice of tomato on my chicken. I usually split my chicken with my son, and he is not a fan of tomato. I usually do 3/4 the chicken for me, 1/4 for my son and an extra veggie for him in addition to the sides my husband and I eat. I love meat, so I tend to over-indulge. And this is a good way for me to curb my intake. 

This reminded me of Chicken Florentine, but I've never read the recipe for that before, so I'm claiming this as it came directly out of my mind!

 Anyways - Here's my dets!

Mixed together:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 Parmesan

1/2 finely chopped spinach

Pinches to taste: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Spread over chicken breasts, bake at 350 until cooked thoroughly (aka NOT 50mins to an hour for 1 lb total weight for two chicken breasts)

While baking, I made the balsamic sauce. 

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp light brown sugar

A couple splashes organic chicken stock (and then a couple more splashes to deglaze the pot when I over-reduced)

 Pull out the chicken, place slice of tomato on top, broil a few minutes, then top with the sauce. 

Alana's Review:

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 4/5 (would be 5/5 if I had cooked the chicken correctly)

Comments: Don't overcook the food. =)

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup

One thing you'll notice as you see more soup posts from me is that I really don't care for broth-y soups. I'm a hungry gal, and a bowl of broth with a few pieces of veggies or meat in it is NOT going to fill me up. I say this because it served as the inspiration for this chicken tortellini soup I made. I came across a picture of a chicken noodle soup-esque soup with tortellini in place of egg noodles, which sounded yummy. I started out making using its recipe but soon discovered that the amount of veggies and such were not enough to satisfy me, so I improvised and ended up making a soup of my own stuffed with delicious veggies and chicken and tortellini. Here's the recipe:

2 chicken large chicken breasts

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 cup sliced portabella mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cans chicken broth with roasted vegetables (see my turkey meatball soup post about this wonderful broth)

1/2 cup water

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp dried onion flakes

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 7oz box dried multicolored cheese tortellini

Handful of fresh spinach

Start out by searing the chicken in a large pot over medium heat with a little olive oil. Once cooked through, take the chicken out and immediately put in the carrots and celery and cook until tender. Meanwhile, either shred or thinly slice the chicken. I decided to get fancy and thinly slice it. Once the veggies are tender, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the broth, water, bay leaves, onion, and parsley. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and bring soup to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tortellini and cook at a simmer for 15 minutes, or until tortellini are fully cooked. A few minutes before serving, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Don't forget to take out the bay leaves before serving!

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: My boyfriend and I were split on the tortellini. I didn't like them at all, they had a weird, fake cheese flavor to them (they were clean and made with real parmesan though). My boyfriend did like them though, so let me know if you try them and what you think! Otherwise the soup was delicious. Next time I'll try another brand of tortellini (or maybe get crazy and make my own!).

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

As unappetizing as the picture looks is as tasty as it was. Haha. So, here is my recipe. 

Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Pinches: salt, pepper,  garlic powder, Mrs. Dash lemon pepper

Mix everything but the chicken in a bowl. Place the chicken in sprayed or oiled baking dish. Top each breast generously with mixture. I baked @ 375 for 40-45minutes.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: I liked it very much! It was so cheesy and moist. By the end it was a little too lemony, even for me. My husband doesn't like lemon chicken, like at all. I thought it wouldn't be as lemony as it was. So next time I think I'm going to switch it up and instead of a lemon taste I'm going to use chopped spinach. 

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken

Ok, so complete disclaimer... this is a healthier and cleaner version of my teriyaki chicken and may not fit your ideal clean eating standards. I am half Filipino and in my household we eat rice, a LOT of rice. Growing up we would eat rice with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's just how it is. So the fact that I haven't had rice since I started clean eating is a miracle. I know that brown rice is an option, but I cannot stand it. I don't know what it is about it, and I know some people love it and prefer it. But I just don't like it. I love and typically use jasmine rice. Brown rice is healthier but in this instance I just used my beloved jasmine rice. In the pre-cleaneating days I would sauté the chicken in butter, soy sauce, etc. And then would do the same for the green beans. So this is much much healthier! 

I salt and peppered two chicken breasts then dusted some garlic powder on top.  I prepared the sauce separately. After the chicken cooked I cut it up and tossed it with the chicken. I steamed the green beans, no butter or any thing else since the chicken with the sauce would be on top of the green beans. I put ginger powder in the water I cooked the rice with. 

Sauce:

1 cup organic chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

A splash of balsamic vinegar

A splash of Worcestershire sauce

I let this simmer while the rest of the food was cooking. My thought with this was that instead of simmering the chicken in straight soy sauce mixture. I made the majority of the sauce be broth and just gave it teriyaki notes. Then by tossing the chicken at the end in it, it meant less of that sauce and sodium seeped inside. It was actually very delicious! I think I might even prefer this to my old way!

Alana's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

Caprese Chicken

Caprese Chicken

I used the balsamic vinegar reduction from the link at the bottom. I accidentally reduced it a TAD too much, haha. But it still worked. I also waited a few minutes to take a photo, so the crisp fine lines of sauce had spread. But it tastes a lot better than it looks. And I think it looks pretty good!

This was amazing. I salt and peppered the chicken then seared each side, then baked it. I did the typical mozzarella and tomato topping and broiled them the last 3-5 minutes.  I kept it pretty simple, the only change I did from the traditional recipe is instead of fresh basil leaves, I used dried. I try to cut up our meals for our toddler and I thought it would be easier for him to eat and still get the taste. Anyways, it was great and will be on our meal rotation! I paired it with a simple tossed salad with Parmesan, no dressing. You're able to use the sauce from the chicken. I also toasted some cut bread with olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, pepper, and garlic powder to serve sort of like a crouton.

Alana's Review

Ease: 4.5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: No changes needed! I can't wait to make this again!

http://damndelicious.net/2015/05/02/baked-caprese-chicken/?m

Chopped Cajun Chicken with Cheddar Corn Quinoa

Chopped Cajun Chicken with Cheddar Corn Quinoa

Ok, so this was kind of a cheat. Before I had fully committed to clean eating I purchased this meat.  Kroger had a super sale on meat, and there was a huge package of pre-seasoned Cajun Chicken, seriously it was like 4 bucks! I know this had more seasoning and other things I wouldn't have put on it, but I didn't want to keep it frozen forever! So I cooked it ahead of time and tasted it. It was, as I expected, super sodium packed. So to diffuse the situation, I decided to pull all the meat off and chopped it up.

I paired it with some "plain" sides. I cooked quinoa (aka my new favorite thing) in chicken broth and water. I cooked frozen corn, and then mixed the corn, quinoa, and chopped cheddar from a block together, then placed everything on some remaining romaine hearts I had. It may not look pretty, but everything tasted really good together.

I guess the moral of the story is, even though there was part of the meal that was not the best you can take actions to lessen the blow to your diet or program. Again remember, this isn't a hit or miss challenge, this is your life, it's a journey. We're slowing progressing to our goal of a healthier lifestyle and I'm pretty happy with this meal. 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 3.5/5

Comments: The side was perfect, the chicken was too salty, next time, I'll do my own seasoning! 

Lemon Butter Chicken w/ Parmesan Zucchini and Green Beans

Lemon Butter Chicken w/ Parmesan Zucchini and Green Beans

http://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/06/21/baked-parmesan-zucchini-rounds/

http://wonkywonderful.com/lemon-butter-chicken-thigh-recipe/

If you know me, you know I love butter. I put an embarrassing amount on my baked potatoes, butter and parmesan pasta is my favorite go-to meal...I just can't get enough. So I got just a little excited when I saw the above recipe for lemon butter chicken thighs. Pro #1: I already had all of the ingredients on hand. Pro #2: It involves butter. Sounds like a winner to me! It was pretty easy to make and had a nice garlicy lemon flavor. But here comes the twist in the story: it wasn't the star of the dish for me. No, not the buttery braised,  moist chicken, but the parmesan zucchini! That stuff was delish. That cheesy, crispy bite was flavor heaven. And only two ingredients? Winner winner zucchini dinner.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: chicken 4/5. Zucchini: 5&5

Comments: I'd recommend lightly spraying whatever you bake the zucchini on, they like to stick. Also, I used skin-on chicken thighs, but I'd recommend skinless as the skin gets very soggy in the braising.

Baked Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Asparagus Saute

Baked Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Asparagus Saute

I had a pack of chicken thighs left over from a big freezer meal prep session, so I thought I'd use it. I lightly salted the chicken and and baked it in the oven. During which I mixed together a little sauce I basted the chicken a couple times and then poured the remainder all over for the last 5 minutes. The veggies, I sauteed onion with some extra virgin olive oil, then threw in the sweet potatoes and asparagus. I hit it with some balsamic vinegar then let covered it and let it cook on medium heat. I then put in the roma tomatoes, put another dash of balsamic vinegar and topped with some honey and pepper. This was to mimic the mixture for the chicken. 

Chicken basting mixture (just an fyi I do everything to taste and hardly measure anything):

olive oil

balsamic vinegar (just a splash)

honey (a tbsp or two)

pepper

salt

chicken broth (about 1/4 cup)

Alana's Review:

Ease: 4/5
Taste: 3.5/5
Comment: So I definitely enjoyed this one, I liked the chicken, and I liked the veg. mix, but I think I would add maybe another vegetable to the mix, and the chicken I think  I would use a couple more spices. It was good, very traditional, and I prefer it to be a little zestier!

Balsamic Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa

Balsamic Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa, dinner

I had saved some balsamic chicken from the other night and froze it. I ended up using it sooner than I expected. I let it thaw in the fridge then shredded it and threw it in a skillet with chicken stock and vegetable stock. I threw in a splash of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of pepper and salt. I tasted it after it had cooked and it was a little too "zesty" for me, so I put in about a tbsp of honey and that made it perfect. The Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa was exactly that, quinoa (cooked with the two stocks mentioned above), cheddar, and broccoli.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comment: AMAZING. I had never tried quinoa before and I am always very skeptical of new foods, but this was such a great surprise. Even my husband commented that it was good. We were not healthy eaters (previously) so this was definitely a win. No suggested changes!

Honey Balsamic Chicken Salad // Fruit Salad

Alana here! Lunch was a struggle, I ended up eating left overs (a semi healthy meal, but still...). I spent so much time trying to plan for breakfasts and dinners, I forgot about lunch! Anyways it'll be better tomorrow!

Honey Balsamic Chicken Salad, Dinner

Half a chicken breast baked with marinade (1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, garlic powder... I accidentally threw it in out of habit instead of mincing fresh garlic) on top of a tossed salad. I used romaine hearts, spinach, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dusted with 1/4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese.

Alana's Review

Ease: 3.5/5

Yum: 4.5/5

Suggestion: Next time I will set some marinade aside to sprinkle on the salad so it's not too dry.

Fruit Salad, Dessert
Incl: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi
Side note, the dessert I really wanted as a fudge sundae.. but I resisted, go me!

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion: None! It was fresh and delicious.