Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Well, I begged Brandon to come and help me deliver some stuff I sold, so I bribed him with dinner. I knew it had to be good, but I wanted to try something different, so I googled on my iPhone and found this recipe from Fitness Magazine.

Ingredients
5 small sweet potatoes (I used from Trader Joe's bag), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil and scatter on the bottom of a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. 

2. In a small bowl, mix together the chilies, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon to make a paste. Rub the paste evenly over each breast. 

3. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sweet potatoes and roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.

I could barely get a picture before I was dying to try it! It was surprisingly amazing!! The chipotle chilies in adobo sauce add quite the flavor!

Each serving is 306 calories, 4g fat, 43g carbs, and 29g protein.

Making Dinner Easy

I've compiled a bunch of photos that were already on my cell phone to show meals that I make often.. and they're SO easy!

Top Sirloin, Israeli Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Filet Mignon,Garlic Green Beans and Spinach

Top Sirloin with Asparagus

Salmon, Green Beans and Brown Rice

Chicken, Zucchini and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains

Chicken, Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Filet Mignon, Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Chicken, Brown Rice and Chopped Broccoli & Asapargus

Filet Mignon, Asparagus and Brown Rice

Top Sirloin and Zucchini

Chicken, Green Beans and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains

Steak, Spinach, Trader Joe's Harvest Grains and Olive Bread

Chicken, Trader Joe's Harvest Grains and Chopped Broccoli

Halibut, Asparagus and Brown Rice

I try to portion control everything with measuring cups, especially my grain/rice. If I make chicken or steak, I always make an extra to put in my breakfast the next morning, or have for lunch the next day! 

What is your favorite healthy dinner???

Spanish Chicken

Tonight's dinner was SOOOO good! SPANISH CHICKEN with zucchini and couscous..

It was delicious!

Coating Mixture

Coating Ingredients

• 1 Cup Ground Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed
• 1/4 Cup Paprika
• Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Parsley, Oregano

Mix together in a bowl.

Stuffing Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Minced Olives
• 1/4 Cup Minced Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Minced Onion
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 Lemon Juiced
• Garlic Salt, Black Pepper, Parsley

Heat oil in pan with onions and garlic. Once onions become translucent, add additional stuffing ingredients until cooked.

 

Next, butterfly your chicken breasts, and put stuffing mixture in each one. Close them, and coat with coating mixture (above).

Warm EVOO in another pan and brown both sides of coated chicken. Put chicken in 350 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes.

While they are baking, steam zucchini with garlic salt, pepper and EVOO...

 

Couscous was heated up with EVOO until browned, then chicken broth, parsley and garlic salt was added until all the broth was soaked up.

 

Finished Product

 

This recipe is for 2 servings. 1 Serving came in at 276 calories with 7g fat, 35g carbs, 29g protein.

Baked Basil Chicken

Last night's dinner was not so successful as my fish went back before I was able to eat it! =(

However, tonight's was GREAT! It was baked basil chicken with cherry tomatoes over spinach and brown rice.

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil

Directions
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken into baking dish with broth and vinegar. Place tomatoes on top of chicken, and sprinkle fresh basil. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Ready to go in the oven!

I used spinach as my next layer, however you could use any greens you want. I started by heating olive oil in a pan, putting in spinach, then I made a sauce of balsamic vinegar, garlic salt, pure honey, and dijon mustard. When the spinach was almost done, I let it finish cooking in the sauce.

Brown rice cooking up top. Oil for spinach in the larger skillet.

 

The sauce

Brown rice was my bottom layer!

The finished product!

It was even Ashley approved! I'll definitely be making this again sometime!

A Great Dinner

I made an awesome dinner tonight! It consisted of salad with vinaigrette dressing, israeli couscous and chicken and zucchini kebabs. Couscous is used the same as brown rice or quinoa would be, however it is a semolina of whole wheat. They're my best friend, business partner and roommate's favorite "side"! I took two boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes and marinated it in olive oil, garlic salt, parsley, Cavender's greek seasoning, and paprika. Then, I cut two small zucchinis and threaded them and the chicken simultaneously onto bamboo sticks. I used a George Foreman grill and cooked for 4 minutes, then flipped them and cooked another 4 minutes until the chicken was done!

Green Salad w/ Vinaigrette Dressing, Couscous, Chicken & Zucchini Kebabs

This meal weighed in at 286 calories, 3g fat, 36g carbs, 29g protein.

It ended up being EXCELLENT! Pretty simple and turned out amazing! I swear.. ever since I came home from Italy, I'm a better cook!

Ciao!