Making the time to do the things that fill you up sounds way easier than it is. In the midst of buying a house, renovating said house, planning a wedding, and maintaining a career it seems like it is impossible for me to simply make time. The result is a grumpy, overworked, frustrated, selfish blob of ginger mess….
Chicken/Turkey
Clean Hawaiian Marinated Chicken
This is a simple recipe for Hawaiian Marinated Chicken that is clean and healthy!
We have fallen into a chicken breast rut. Yep, that’s seriously a thing. By that I mean I feel like I am always cooking the same chicken breast recipes over and over again.
It’s Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Sherry Mushroom Chicken, or Asian Grilled Chicken, or some kind of chicken stir-fry, time after time after time. It gets old, so since its grilling season I am on a quest to try out some new chicken breast recipes.
Someday I hope to amass a collection that hits 100 recipes, and while that might take a while there’s no time like the present to get started on that goal.
To start off this is a new recipe I recently came up with to pair with a rice recipe that I wanted to try (that one is coming soon, don’t worry). I’m really happy with the way it came out, it was incredibly flavorful, and the chicken was super moist. It is also a completely clean recipe so it’s great for those of us trying to stay healthy.
Now if you have any amazing chicken recipes that I can try please send them my way! I’ll be sure to give all of my influencers credit in upcoming posts!
- 1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2 oz tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Whisk together the pineapple juice, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey.
- Place the chicken breasts in a bowl with a lid or a sealable bag and allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes (may marinade for 24 hours in the fridge).
- To bake: Cook the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately.
- To grill: Place the chicken on a preheated grill (400 or more degrees) and cook for roughly 5 minutes a side. Then remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Pre-made Breaded Chicken for the Freezer
This is a simple and healthy recipe for breaded chicken as well as instructions on how to freezer and re heat it for last minute weekly meals.
Sometimes I just don’t have the time to cook a wholesome dinner from scratch. Other times I simply don’t have the energy, and while take out pizza is always a great alternative we are trying desperately here to save our pennies (for that house!), and get a little healthier (for that wedding!).
- 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 4 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Combine bread crumbs and spices in a large shallow dish and set aside.
- On a cutting board place one hand on top of a single chicken breast. Carefully slice the meat horizontally midway up the chicken, cutting almost to the other side. Open it like a book and finish cutting it through. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the chicken and working from the center out begin to pound the chicken with the smooth side of a mallet until it is about ¼ inch thick. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken.
- Brush the chicken with butter and dredge in the bread crumbs until well coated.
- Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes until cooked through.
- To Freeze: Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature. Freeze on a flat sheet tray without touching for about 30 minutes. Remove from tray and place into a large freezer bag and return to the freezer.
- Dip them in Honey Mustard, or another favorite dip
- Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Salad
- Chicken alfredo
- BBQ or Buffalo chicken sandwich or wrap
- Bacon Ranch Sandwich
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Pizza toppings
- Quick Chicken & Waffles
Got another suggestion? Lets hear it in the comments! I’ve got a ton of these so I’d love to try something new with them.
Chicken Basil Meatballs with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce
Chicken Basil Meatballs & Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe. This decadent sauce is the perfect companion to the flavorful and tender meatballs.
Oh man you guys this sauce. It’s pretty much the best thing ever, err at least this month.
I originally saw the recipe over at Closet Cooking, but it made a reappearance on damn delicious both here and here and on Julia’s Album.
I have made it quite a few times, and poured it over many different things, chicken, fish, shrimp pasta, rice. Basically you name it. I swear this is one of those sauces that I could eat for life and not get bored, though it may add some inches to my waistline. It’s seriously that good.
This time around I wanted to try it with meatballs, because meatballs are like my favorite thing right now. Combining two of my favorites in one dish is usually a good idea. In this particular case it was an amazing idea!
These tender and flavorful meatballs were only amplified by the delicious, creamy sauce and sweet little bits of sundried tomato. Of course I served this tossed together with pasta, because again we are talking favorites here.
- 16 oz. short pasta
- 1 lb lean ground chicken
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon basil chopped fine
- ¼ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 1/3 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bread crumbs, and egg white. Use your hands to mix well and then form balls about 2 inches in diameter.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, while turning frequently. They should be browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, cream and parmesan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the meatballs to the pan tossing well to coat. Remove from heat and stir in the pasta. Serve immediately.
Thai Ground Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce
Everyone seems to be into these Thai lettuce wraps and what not, but lettuce wraps have never been my thing. I mean there’s only so much you can pack into a lettuce wrap before your lettuce is exploding all over the place.
It’s this line of thinking that got me to come up with this amazing recipe. It’s not just a Thai ground chicken salad, but it’s a Thai ground chicken salad on top of a loaded green salad and soaked in delicious peanut sauce.
By the way, did you know that thai ground (or minced) chicken salad is a thing? Before researching this recipe (yep I’m nerd) I had no idea, but it’s a traditional dish that’s usually served with sticky rice and it’s called Larb Gai. There that’s your piece of trivia for the day.
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
- 1/3 cup mint, chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup shredded lettuce of choice
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 4 red, yellow or orange sweet peppers, julienned
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
- ½ cup crispy wonton strips
- Heat a oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground chicken and cook, crumbling it as you go until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the shallots and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, fish sauce, rice flour, and chili flakes tossing to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together the garlic powder, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, oil, peanut butter, and water. Adjust the seasonings and set aside.
- In a large bowl toss the lettuce, cabbage, carrot, peppers, onions, and edamame.
- Top with the cooled chicken mixture. Drizzle with peanut sauce and top with crispy wonton strips.
- Serve immediately.