Happy Monday Guys!
I’m really excited about this week’s post because I’m sharing one of the best meals I’ve made in a long time. Incredibly delicious – check, satisfying – check, and healthy – check. You get your lean protein, your whole grains, and your veggies.
Mom would be so proud. Bonus: It’s perfect for meal prep, which means you’ll be eating good for the whole week. I’ll give you a second to grab a notepad/ipad because I know you’re going to want to make this one.
Okay, you ready? Let’s hit it.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken (I used 99% fat free)
8 oz. of grape tomatoes
For the Lemon herb marinade:
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (~ 2 average sized Meyer lemons should get you there)
1/2 tsp sea salt + extra 1/4 tsp for sprinkling on top of the chicken
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic & Herb Italian Seasoning
14 shakes of parsley (super precise, I know)
For the quinoa:
12 oz. package of Tri-color Quinoa
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
For the Kale
10 oz. of Kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Garlic and Herb seasoning
Optional:
Feta cheese for sprinkling on top
Directions:
Slice the grape tomatoes in half and set aside.
Take your lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, and parsley and mix together.
Coat a 9X13 inch glass pan with cooking spray. Lay your chicken flat in the pan. Pour the lemon herb marinade over the chicken.
Take the tomatoes and spread them out over the chicken. Sprinkle the 1/4 tsp of extra sea salt on top over the chicken and tomatoes. Cover the pan in saran wrap and then with aluminum foil. Let sit overnight.
The next day preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take the saran wrap off the pan and put the aluminum foil back on. Let the chicken cook for 40-45 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, cook the quinoa according to package instructions making sure to add sea salt and black pepper to the water in the beginning and stir.
If you have one, put a wok on medium-high heat and toss the kale in it using the olive oil, water, sea salt, and the Garlic and Herb Italian seasoning until it’s wilted. If you don’t have a wok, then cook the kale in 2-3 batches instead of all at once.
Once the kale is done toss it in with your cooked quinoa.
When the chicken is done, take it out of the oven and keep it covered with the foil.
Take 1-1.5 cups of your quinoa mixture and serve it with a piece of your lemon herb chicken and tomatoes.
Sprinkle some feta cheese on top, if you like.
Devour!
One of the reasons this dish is so flavorful is that you’re seasoning at every stage. The quinoa is seasoned, the chicken is seasoned, and the kale is seasoned, so when they all come together each component can hold its own. You’re not relying on the flavor of the chicken to carry the entire dish.
This marinade would also be delicious on some salmon. I think I need to make that happen in the near future.
Hope you guys have a wonderful week!
No Comments