Chicken Recipes – God Save the Quinoa

Category: Chicken Recipes

06
Feb
2018

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

categories: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken Recipes, Sweet Potato Recipes, Tofu, Vegetarian Recipes

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite super foods to cook. If you don’t believe me, ask my husband. In our 2+ years of marriage, there have only been a handful of times when sweet potatoes have not been included on our Sunday grocery list. Greg and I both love Pad Thai but don’t love the high levels of sodium and unhealthy ingredients used at restaurants. To make sure we could still get our Pad Thai fix, I concocted Sweet Potato Pad Thai; a healthier version of Pad Thai made with sweet potato noodles, colorful veggies doused in a creamy peanut sauce, topped with chicken for Greg and Tofu for me.

Sweet potatoes are one of my go-to’s because they provide a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, allowing them to supply the body with energy over a longer period of time. This slow process breaks complex carbs into glycogen and stored in your body’s liver and muscles to be used as fuel for exercise, which is key to fuel an endurance athlete’s body during long workouts or on race day. Sweet potatoes are also high in Vitamin A, which plays a vital role in bone growth, immune system health, and helps the skin and mucus membranes repel bacteria and viruses. If you remember one thing from this post, make sure to load up on sweet potatoes during flu season!

Other performance enhancing benefits of sweet potatoes are their anti-inflammatory and blood sugar regulating properties. Stress, too much exercise, injury, and poor food choices create inflammation within the body, which will wreck havoc on your heath and performance if not addressed properly. The best way to control inflammation is by keeping your blood sugar levels low and stable. To do this, aim to eat a full serving of sweet potatoes post work out when your glycogen levels are low.

Make a plate of Sweet Potato Pad Thai to restore depleted glycogen levels and help refuel your recovery needs so that your body is prepared to train hard for your next workout. By opting for foods like sweet potatoes instead of processed foods, white breads and avoiding anything with high fructose corn syrup, not only will you feel better, you’ll likely perform better too.

Now that you know why you need to eat more sweet potatoes, lets talk about how to transform them into Pad Thai. If you don’t have a spiralizer, I highly recommend you invest $30 and buy one. There are so many things you can make with a spiralizer, the options are endless… but I’ll save that for another post. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can buy pre-spiralized sweet potatoes at Central Market, Target, and Tom Thumb to name a few.

Before spiralizing your sweet potato, peel it and cut the ends off. If you’re working with a giant sweet potato, I suggest cutting it in half. You’ll need a nice flat surface so the sweet potato can stick (and remain stuck to) the teeth of the spiralizer on both ends (see picture above). Otherwise you’re likely to experience a situation where your sweet potato falls off the spiralizer forcing you to chase the rolling vegetable around the counter top. If you can catch it before it rolls off and onto the floor its your lucky day! Otherwise, you may need to make an emergency grocery trip… trust me, I know from experience. That said, you won’t need to worry about this as long as you cut your sweet potato so that it has nice, flat ends and make sure it is tightly attached to your spiralizer.

As mentioned above, you have the option to make this dish with chicken or tofu. Before you begin spiralizing, chopping, or preparing the peanut sauce, I recommend cutting your chicken breast and/or tofu and letting it soak in the marinade. If you’re making a chicken version AND a tofu version make sure you cut and marinade each option separately to avoid cross-contamination from the raw chicken. I recommend cooking these in separate pans, but if you insist on using only one to limit the number of dishes to clean (we often do this in my household) make sure you cook the tofu first!

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What’s your favorite way to cook sweet potatoes? Comment below- I’d love to hear from you!

17
Jun
2014

Asian Lettuce Wraps

categories: Chicken Recipes, Meat or Veggie Recipes, Tofu, Vegetarian Recipes

Looking for a fresh but spicy dish? Look no further! These Asian Lettuce Wraps do not disappoint! I’ve always been a huge fan of lettuce wraps (especially from Pei Wei) and I’m so excited that I’ve {finally} perfected a lettuce wrap recipe of my very own to share with you!

In this recipe, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy fresh juicy red bell pepper slices, diced carrots and green onions, spicy marinaded tofu (if you opt for the no-meat option) or chicken, cradled in a cold giant lettuce leaf, topped with creamy cashew peanut sauce. My mouth is watering already!

You might have noticed above I mentioned you could have tofu OR chicken. That’s right! This recipe can easily be made to satisfy vegetarians and meat eaters!

If you’re making the vegetarian version use one container of extra firm tofu cubes (drained). This will be enough for 4 servings. (I ALWAYS eat these leftovers for snacks). Be sure to drain the tofu before you marinate it!

If you’re making the meat eater version, use a one pound chicken breast for every two servings. (Hence if you want to make all chicken lettuce wraps for four people, I suggest using TWO one pound chicken breasts. But feel free to adjust the serving sizes depending on how hungry you are.

Let the tofu and chicken marinade in a rice wine vinegar and Sriracha mix for at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours. I’ve done both before and honestly, I don’t think the timing made a huge difference. Make sure you pour enough rice wine vinegar in the marinading meat (or meat substitute) so that the contents are completely submerged. Stir in about 3 tablespoons of Sriracha for a little added kick and let sit. NOTE: If you’re cooking chicken and tofu, be sure to let these marinade in separate bowls. No one wants salmonella from raw chicken.

If you’re looking for things to do while the tofu/chicken is marinading, you can get started on prepping the veggies and making the {oh so good} creamy cashew peanut sauce. To prep the veggies simply slice the red bell peppers into long skinny slices, dice the carrots and green onions and set aside. Wash your lettuce leaves and carefully pull them off from the head (SLOWLY so they don’t rip…trust me I know from experience!) dry them with a paper towel and set them aside on a plate. If you’re not sure what type of lettuce to use, let me share a couple options with you. If you want something more crunchy go with iceberg lettuce. If you want something softer and easier to roll (this is what I prefer for this recipe) go with butter leaf lettuce (or Boston Bibb Lettuce). I think the name varies depending on where you live. But, if I’m wrong they look and taste extremely similar to one another! You can’t go wrong with either option!

After the veggies are washed and chopped, make the cashew peanut sauce. Yall, I LOVE this sauce. I can {and do} eat it with a fork! Its sooooo good and easy to make! All you have to do is mix raw (unsalted) cashews, a garlic clove, some peanut butter, water, a little bit of rice wine vinegar, and sriracha in a food processor or blender and mix! SO. SIMPLE.

If you store the cashew peanut sauce in an airtight container like a jar or tupperware, it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks! Make extra to have something fun to snack on!

Okay, by now your tofu/chicken should be done marinating. I’ll start with tofu instructions first! All you have to do is pour the bowl of marinated tofu (INCLUDING the marinade) into a pan on the stove and bring to a boil. When juices start to boil reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Your marinade will start to bubble up (almost like if you were to blow bubbles into milk) and this is perfectly fine! It just means you need to give the simmering tofu a quick stir! Pour the majority of the marinade out into the sink and sauté the tofu until it turns golden brown and set aside.

To make the chicken, similar to the tofu (and you can use the same pan but ONLY if you cook the tofu first) pour the chicken AND marinade into the pan on high heat. Sauté chicken stirring constantly. Something cool is about to happen. The marinade will turn thick and sticky, taking on the appearance of a teriyaki like sauce. Just FYI I discovered this by accident and Greg said it was “really really good” so blame him if you don’t like it since I’ve never tasted it! If anyone knows why this happens when you cook rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, and chicken let me know! I’ve tried googling it and couldn’t find any explanations! Continue stirring the chicken on medium to high heat until all of the marinade has thickened and chicken is cooked all the way through.

You’re done! All you have left to do is assemble the lettuce wraps! Do this by placing the bell peppers, carrots, green onions, tofu or chicken, and cashew peanut sauce in a lettuce leaf and wrap it like a burrito (use a toothpick to keep the wraps together if they’re not cooperating) and enjoy!

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10
Apr
2014

Pesto Pasta with Veggies

categories: Chicken Recipes, Meat or Veggie Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Pasta is always one of my go to recipes when I want to make something quick and easy. If you love pasta, you’re not alone! Did you know that the average American consumes about 20 pounds of noodles each year? Unfortunately, the majority of these consumed carbs tend to be your traditional, refined “white” noodles. So, if this statistic applies to you, make a goal to be one of the “average Americans” that eats 20 pounds of whole-wheat noodles per year. Now, don’t freak out and start googling “what’s going to happen to me if I ate 20 pounds of white noodles last year”. Nothing is wrong with you and you’re going to be fine, I promise.

So why should you eat whole-wheat noodles instead of their white counterparts? Well, white pasta is made from refined flour and during the refinement process the germ and bran are removed from the kernel, leaving only the endosperm, which is grinded up and used to make the white noodles we all know and love. This causes a problem because the majority of the nutrients in grains come from the germ and bran. Since the germ and bran are removed during the refinement process white noodle eaters are missing out on the nutrients and health benefits associated with eating whole-wheat noodles. We’re talking natural fibers, iron, B vitamins, protein, and micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, and selenium. To put it simply fiber will fill you up so you won’t overeat, B vitamins help speed up your metabolism, Magnesium helps strengthen bones and promote muscle function, and Selenium helps protect your immune system. Need I say more?

Now that you know the health benefits whole-wheat pasta provides, here’s a little FYI. If you’ve never cooked with whole-wheat pasta be aware that it usually takes a little longer to cook and depending on the brand you buy can have a weird texture. Don’t worry, as long as you don’t over cook your pasta, the texture should not be an issue. If you’re not sure which “whole-wheat” version to buy (beware of impostors) one of my favorites brands is Healthy Harvest. In fact, it’s the brand I used in this recipe, which I’m sure you’re dying to know about. Moving on. 🙂

This is a great on-the-go recipe! This dish can be made in 30 minutes or less, and what’s even better is its chock full of veggies. This recipe calls for basil pesto, and I usually make my basil pesto at home. If you want to take a stab at it, it’s extremely easy to make as long as you have a food processor. If you don’t have one I highly suggest getting one! The big ones can be pretty expensive, but you don’t need a big one, well not for my recipes at least! I have a small 4-cup Cuisinart one that I bought for $39! It works like a charm and I guarantee you that its money well spent!

If you want to make basil pesto at home (pictured above) all you have to do is chop 2 cups fresh basil in the food processor, then add 5 TBS EVOO, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 TBS pine nuts, 2 tsp minced garlic, and ¼ tsp salt and combine until reaching desired consistency. Voila! Now you have fresh homemade basil pesto!

Like I mentioned, this recipe can be made in under 30 minutes. Timesaving tip: While the asparagus is roasting in the oven cook the pasta and make the basil pesto (if you decide to go the homemade route) so that when your asparagus is done cooking, you’ll be over halfway finished! All you’ll have left to do is combine the mozzarella, basil, asparagus pieces, and sun dried tomatoes with the pasta and fry an egg or two to place on top!

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01
Apr
2014

Skinny Orange Chicken (or tofu)

categories: Chicken Recipes, Meat or Veggie Recipes, Quinoa Recipes, Tofu, Vegetarian Recipes

I don’t know about you, but this week has been c r a w l i n g by. For some reason I keep thinking today is Wednesday, when in reality its only Tuesday… Don’t you hate when that happens? I sure do! Anyways, if your week seems to be inch worming by the way mine is and you want something to look forward to, check out my skinny orange chicken recipe! Yes, the title says it all… SKINNY! This recipe allows your tastebuds to enjoy the satisfaction of one of the most popular Asian dishes, but with a THIRD of the calories so your waistline can rejoice!

If you’re confused by the title “skinny orange chicken (or tofu)” and are wondering if this dish is vegetarian friendly the answer is YES! I would never let my fellow veggies down! 😉 You can definitely sub the chicken for tofu. The directions are included in the recipe below. Just remember, if you’re cooking half chicken and half tofu, be sure to cook the TOFU FIRST to avoid cross contamination. (I sound like my mother!)

This recipe makes about 4 servings and can be stored for 4-5 days in an airtight container. If you’re trying to be on your best healthy-eating behavior at the office, you should highly consider bringing your leftovers to work to enjoy for lunch. I bring my lunch to work 99% of the time not only because its cheaper for me since I go to the grocery store on a regular basis, but it helps me maintain my healthy eating habits. What’s that you say? Someone is catering greasy pizza down the hall? No thanks, I’ll enjoy my skinny orange chicken (or tofu) bowl!

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13
Mar
2014

Quinoa Pad-Thai

categories: Chicken Recipes, Meat or Veggie Recipes, Quinoa Recipes, Tofu

I LOVE Pad Thai but I don’t love all of the calories and sodium that accompany my Pad Thai takeout orders {sigh}. I was craving a Pad Thai dish that was both delicious AND nutritious. After doing a lot of research and a little grocery shopping, I ended up concocting a healthier version of my beloved Pad Thai take-out,- Quinoa Pad Thai- which I guarantee does NOT disappoint!

As you can probably guess from the title, this Pad Thai recipe uses quinoa instead of noodles. I know you’re probably thinking “you can’t have Pad Thai without noodles”, and this was the EXACT reaction I got from Greg the first time I made this. I promised him that he would like it and agreed that if he didn’t I would buy Pad Thai takeout for both of us. The pressure was on! But, sure enough after he took this first bite, I think the words that came out of his mouth were something along the lines of “I don’t like it…I LOVE it“. It was hard to tell because hardly stopped to breathe until he had finished his entire bowl! Success!

This recipe generously serves 4 people, meaning that depending on how hungry you are, you will probably have leftovers. This is one of my go-to recipes for when I know I’m going to have a hectic week because it reheats very well and lasts for about 5 days sealed in a Tupperware container. I like to make it towards the beginning of the week, usually on Sunday, and eat the leftovers on those days when I’m exhausted and/or get home from work too late to cook.

FYI, this is one of my FAVORITE recipes, and I’m excited to share it with all of you!

Before you get started, I want you to know that I designed this recipe to be made three ways. You can elect to make this recipe using 1) only chicken, 2) only tofu, or 3) half chicken, half tofu. I usually make half chicken and half tofu version. Be sure to pay close attention to the instructions for “all chicken or all tofu” or “half chicken, half tofu” highlighted in the recipe for serving sizes and directions so that you can confidently make the rendition of this dish that you prefer!

I would like to mention that regardless of the version you are making, you will cook the Quinoa and sauce FIRST. Once the Quinoa and Sauce are finished, you will cook your stir-fry, which you will add the Quinoa and sauce into later. If you are making the “half chicken, half tofu” version, please note that you will cook the tofu version first using half of the veggie mix, quinoa, and sauce.

Let’s get started!

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