Chicken Salad and Spinach Pita
Serves 8
Ingredients:
For Chicken Salad:
2.5 lbs chicken breast
1 medium apple (your choice - I used a Braeburn)
3 tbsp mayo (I use the mayo w/ olive oil to lower calories and give more depth in flavor)
8 halved whole wheat pita pockets
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika to season chicken
Red pepper flakes
For Spinach:
1 bunch of spinach (you can sub with a bag of baby spinach)
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt, pepper, and garlic
Steps:
For Chicken Salad:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and place them in skillet.
4. Season top side of chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
5. Cook about 5-7 minutes on one side, flip, and season remaining side of chicken.
6. Allow second side of chicken to cook for another 5-7 minutes.
7. Place the chicken on a greased cookie sheet (you can also use aluminum foil to cover) and bake the chicken for around 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
8. Remove chicken from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
9. Pull the chicken and place in a medium-sized bowl.
10. Dice the medium-sized apple and throw the pieces into the bowl with the chicken.
11. Add the juice of 1/2 a lime to the chicken and apple.
12. Add 3 tbsp of the mayo to the bowl.
13. Add red pepper flakes (you control the amount) and mix the ingredients.
14. Cover and place in fridge.
For Spinach:
1. Wash the spinach.
2. Trim the bottoms and veins from the spinach leaves (you don't need to trim if you bought baby spinach).
3. Heat extra virgin olive oil in medium-sized sauce pan on medium heat.
4. Throw the bundle of spinach into the sauce pan.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
6. Allow to cook for around 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove the pan from the stove and add the juice of 1/2 a lime.
8. In a whole wheat pita, add a few spoon fulls of the chick salad with a scoop of the spinach. Add tomato for additional color and flavor. Enjoy.
*NOTE: Feel free to add grapes, nuts, or celery to the chicken salad for different flavors and textures. Cherries also work well and add a sweetness.
Cost:
$6.00 - Chicken
$1.50 - Spinach
$0.30 - Lime
$3.50 - Whole Wheat Pitas
$1.00 - Portion of Mayo Used
$1.50 - Braeburn Apple
TOTAL - $13.80 for meal.
Honey Lime Sesame Chicken and Couscous
Ingredients:
For Couscous:
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Pinch salt
For Main Dish:
1 stalk broccoli
1 red bell pepper
2 large carrots
1/2 yellow onion
Extra virgin olive oil for pan
For Sauce:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp spicy sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
*Mix and match these levels for your own taste*Steps:
For Sauce:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set off to the side.
For Main Dish:
1. Roughly chop the broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper into similar-sized pieces and set off to the side.
2. Finely dice 1/2 yellow onion.
3. Cut the chicken breast into equal-sized cubes.
4. Add extra virgin olive oil to a large saute pan on medium-high heat.
5. Add diced onion and chicken breast to saute pan.
6. Season the chicken and onion with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
7. Once the chicken is about halfway cooked, begin work on the couscous.
8. In a small pot, add the 1 cup of whole wheat couscous and brown on medium heat. It should take around 5 minutes.
9. Add the 1 cup of chicken stock to the couscous and add a pinch of salt. Allow this to cook for around 8-10 minutes.
10. Keep stirring the chicken, and add all of the chopped vegetables once the chicken is mostly cooked.
11. Add the sauce to the pan, place the lid on the pan, and allow to cook for around 5-7 minutes.
12. Add the chicken and vegetables to the couscous, and you have yourself a meal!
Cost:
All of the prices below are scaled for the above recipe.
$6.00 - Vegetables
$0.30 - Lime
$1.50 - Chicken
$2.50 - Couscous & Stock
No comments:
Post a Comment