What is better food, better health?

Am I a paleo blogger? No. Do I believe health starts with nutrition? Absolutely. If you're looking for a manifesto on clean eating and arguments in favor of a paleo lifestyle, you won't find it here. Check out The Whole9. In fact even if you're not looking for something radical check that site out anyway. It's a great starting point. It's got links and articles and a whole bunch of science - data - about nutrition and how our bodies use macronutrients. I'm not a licensed expert but I listen to experts who back up their claims with real compelling data. And I've tried a few different things to "eat healthier" over the years - Weight Watchers, Zone, starvation (that was a brilliant one) to name a few. Nothing has been better for me and yielded better results than eating low glycemic with a paleo foundation (it's actually similar to Zone too, but with less precision). I have a busy schedule, a two year old, a husband, a full time job, I work out and I have a closet for a kitchen. I figure there must be a few people out there who can relate to some of that. I used to think eating healthy and making time for regular meaningful exercise was "hard." It really just takes some guidance, awareness, and enthusiasm. So here's a start - here's what I cook and eat (and sometimes what I read).

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Chicken Breast and Sweet Potato

Even though there are hundreds of thousands of creative and interesting recipes on the interwebs and Pinterest, if you're a busy mom or just a busy person, you end up with a few go-to meals that are fast, easy, and eventually mindless. This is one of ours.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (skinless boneless)
1/2 onion
4-6 mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp chicken stock*
1 large sweet potato

*If chicken stock is not available, vegetable or beef stock is acceptable or even plain water.

Supplies:
Large sauté pan or skillet with cover
Non-scratching tongs

Serves: 4

Clean, butterfly** and dry chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper (other herbs and spices if desired - some suggestions: oregano, tarragon, rosemary) set aside. Slice onion and mushrooms, mince garlic. Heat skillet on medium with olive oil; once heated, add onions, mushrooms, garlic. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Make room for chicken breasts in pan. Place breasts in pan, cook for two minutes and turn. Add a few drops of EVOO if necessary. Cover chicken breasts with the mushrooms and onions using non-scratching tongs. Add 1 tablespoon chicken stock and cover, turning heat to medium low. After 5 minutes turn breasts. Chicken is done when juices run clear.

**For how to butterfly the breast see http://www.ehow.com/how_5023503_butterfly-cut-chicken-breasts.html

For sweet potato:
Wash and dry thoroughly, and prick several times. Bake in 375F oven for one hour on the rack; or microwave for 5 minutes, turn, microwave for 5 more minutes. Slice into rounds.

I am unashamed to say we eat this or a version of it about once a week (sometimes more). Super fast, simple, filling, fairly inexpensive. You could add sautéed spinach or kale using the exact same pan, or a fresh salad to get more veggies in. Yum!

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