edible sound bites

When I'm meal planning for the week ahead I always try to incorporate as much variety as I can. Chicken is usually on the menu, vegetables are always front and centre, and sometimes we take a break from meat altogether... meatless Mondays anyone?

Food can get boring pretty easily with repetition, especially when lean chicken breast is a mainstay in our house. Unless you know how to spice things up from time to time. Know what I mean?

Enter the world of spices & herbs and a little out of the box thinking. 

That's where this recipe for healthy faux-fried/ chicken comes in. If you recall that lunch salad I made a while ago topped with baked chicken; this is the recipe for the chicken.

Crisped to perfection in the oven using homemade whole grain breadcrumbs and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. A hint of fresh thyme also adds flavour that's reminiscent of Spring.

My go to lunch is almost always a leafy green salad with protein (chicken, hard-boiled egg, lean pork tenderloin, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts etc.). When it comes to salad dressing I will either make my own or opt for lemon juice or balsamic vinegar (sometimes with a bit of olive oil). I've recently discovered how amazing fresh minced ginger root is added to my salads. It practically acts like a salad dressing. It adds a nice zing and it's super good for you too.

The leftovers are really good too. So far I've tried it in my lunch salads and in a wrap all nice and toasty with spinach, mustard, leaf lettuce, and shredded carrots.

Crispy Baked Chicken (serves 4)

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Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 cup whole grain bread crumbs *(I like to make my own)* See Note
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• a pinch of smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Place an ovenproof wire-rack on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and Sriracha. In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, thyme, cheese, and paprika.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in egg mixture, shake off excess liquid, then roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat. Arrange on prepared pan/ wire rack.
4. Bake without turning for 50 minutes to 1 hour until internal temperature registers 180*F on an instant read thermometer.

 *Note* 

To make your own breadcrumbs, take a few slices of day old whole grain bread and chop into small (1 inch) cubes. Place them on a baking sheet in the oven on 350*F for 5-10 minutes or until they are nice and toasty. Watch they don't burn! Transfer them to your food processor and give them a quick whir until they resemble breadcrumbs. You can give them a drizzle of olive oil before toasting, but it isn't necessary. 

After a long day of Christmas shopping I came home starving for dinner and wanted nothing more than something fast and tasty. After thinking about my options I quickly decided on making my favourite honey mustard chicken dish.

This very simple dish will delight your taste buds. It is a must try. The flavours blend together to be sweet at the same time as tangy.

I mean, sure, I could have just picked up a pizza or something else that I didn't have to cook.

But who needs take out when I can make this...

So fast and oh so simple. 

Honey, mustard and cider vinegar are really a match made in heaven!

Honey Mustard Chicken with Sauce (serves 3)

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Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly pounded
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking the chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp un-pasturized honey
• 2 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp water
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste 

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tsp of olive oil, minced garlic, honey, mustard, cider vinegar and water. Hit with a little salt and pepper to suit your taste if desired. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a few splashes of olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray) to the pan and saute chicken for 5-10 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
3. Add honey mustard mixture to the pan and saute with the chicken for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Serve chicken and then top with the honey-mustard sauce from the pan. Pair with your favourtie veggies. It goes great with baked sweet potato fries or roasted potatoes, and steamed green beans.

Note: The thicker the chicken breasts are the longer they will take to cook. Just pound them slightly with a rolling pin or pan to ensure even cooking.

Are you getting sick of pumpkin yet?

I've got a veggie soup that will fix that. Starring the lovely whole grain kamut in the form of orzo pasta.

Heads up! We're going savory today.

With the influx of fall and colder weather all I would like to do is hunker down and eat hot soup.

Like this one. 

It's seriously becoming one of my favourite soups. Whenever I make it I'm always sure to make enough for lunch leftovers the next day. I have never tried orzo before until I made this. It's shape is similar to rice but it's texture is very tender and soft.

The parmesan cheese may seem like a strange addition to vegetable soup, but believe me it's a match made in heaven. The older the parmesan cheese, the better. It will have less fat and even more flavour. It's also high in calcium. But whatever you do don't buy that pre-grated stuff. It's just not fresh.

I highly recommend you get a really nice rye or pumpernickel loaf of bread to go with this on the side. Perfect for swiping the bowl with!

Vegetable Chicken Soup with Orzo (serves 4-6) adapted from Chicken & Vegetable Soup

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup brussels sprouts, cut into halves
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 whole sprigs of thyme
• 1 (14 oz) can no-salt added tomatoes
• 4 cups of no-salt added, fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry (uncooked) kamut orzo
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup grilled chicken, shredded
• Grated Parmesan cheese for topping (about a tablespoon per bowl)

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat heat the olive oil. Swirl to coat the pan.
2. Add onion, carrot, brussels sprouts, garlic, black pepper and sea salt. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are translucent. 
3. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a low rolling boil. Then add the orzo and green beans; cook 3-5 minutes more. Stir in the shredded chicken.
4. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.
5. Serve hot and top with grated parmesan cheese.