I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to cook!
Growing up, and even while living by myself going through college and early medical school, cooking was never something I took my time with. But then, as I started to explore nutrition and the different flavors and textures of different foods in medical school, cooking became a huge passion of mine!
I will scroll Pinterest and the internet looking for new recipes to try, and my “saved recipe” list is far too extensive to ever make it through – though that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try! And more often than not any more, I use whatever recipe I find online as a base, and add my own flair and spin, and it always turns out delicious.
These days, cooking for a household with my husband and two boys, it’s sometimes tough to find a good healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy. Below are a handful of the winning recipes that everyone has enjoyed.
Try some out – I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed!
Balsamic Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower broken/cut into florets
2-3 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ C Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
1 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian seasonings
Dried Parsley
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix the balsamic glaze by adding the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, spicy brown mustard, garlic pepper, italian seasonings, and salt and pepper to a bowl and whisking until well mixed.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cauliflower florets and chicken breasts out.
- Drizzle balsamic glaze over cauliflower and brush over the chicken breasts.
- Bake 20 minutes, then stir cauliflower and bake another 20-25 minutes
- Temperature check the chicken breast to make sure internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.
- Garnish with dried parsley
NOTE: Chicken breast can be substituted for thighs and wings, adjust temperature and cook time accordingly. Cauliflower can also be substituted for any number of roasting veggies. Some examples are: sweet potato, brussel sprouts, carrots, parsnips and turnips.
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
Ingredients:
4-5 boneless pork chops
4 Tbsp butter
~10 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ Red Onion, diced
4oz Cream Cheese
½ C Chicken Broth
1 C Heavy Whipping Cream
½-1 C Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Noodles, pasta, or spaghetti squash
Directions:
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter and mix with 4-5 minced garlic cloves and rosemary. Then rub pork chops with butter mixture and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes.
- Add olive oil to electric skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Sear pork chops on both sides (2-3 minutes each side) then remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter to skillet and allow to melt.
- Add onions and remaining minced garlic to skillet and saute until onions start to turn translucent.
- Add cream cheese and melt/mix together
- Add chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, then stir in cream and parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Return pork chops to skillet and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until pork chops are cooked through. Continue stirring sauce during this time so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Serve over your favorite noodles, pasta, or cooked spaghetti squash.
Butter and Sage Roasted Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
2-3 Medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ C Organic melted butter
¼ C Fresh or dried sage
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Into melted butter, mix sage, lemon juice, salt, and pepper well.
- Rub onto chicken breasts and place in a 9×13 glass baking dish
- Bake 45 minutes to an hour – until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, loosely cover with foil, and let rest about 15 minutes.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Buffalo Chicken Baked Avocados
Ingredients:
2 C Shredded Cooked Chicken Breasts
4 Medium Sized Ripe Avocados
½ C Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce
2-4 Green Onions Sliced and divided in half
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Halve avocados, remove pits, then slice ¼ inch off the bottom of each avocado so it has a flat surface to rest on. Place avocados on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet.
- In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken breast with the buffalo sauce and half of the green onions. Make sure chicken is well coated.
- Spoon chicken mixture into center of each avocado so they are well stuffed.
- Bake avocados for 15 minutes, until chicken is starting to brown on top.
- Let cool and garnish with remaining green onion slices.
Chicken Gyro Bowls
Ingredients:
For the Greek Chicken:
3-4 Medium Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Juice of 1-2 Small Lemons (~¼ C)
¼ C Red Wine Vinegar
½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Cucumber Salad
2 Roma Tomatoes – diced
1 Large Cucumber – diced
½ Red Onion – diced
1 C Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
½-¾ C Pitted and halved Kalamata Olives
1/4 C Chopped Pickled Peperoncinis
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
½ Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley to taste
For the Tzatziki Sauce
16 oz Full Fat Strained Greek Yogurt
1 ½ Large Cucumbers
3-4 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Fresh Dill – chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
For Bowl Assembly:
3-4 C Sliced Romaine Lettuce
6oz Crumbled Feta Cheese
Soft, warmed pita (optional)
Directions:
For the Chicken:
- Add all ingredients for Greek Sauce to a 2C glass measuring cup, bowl, or jar and whisk or shake together well.
- Marinate the chicken in ~ ½ the sauce mixture for at least 30 minutes, but you can also marinate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place marinated chicken on parchment paper and bake 45 minutes (or at least until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Allow to cool, then cube the chicken and add to a skillet to brown and re-heat.
- Can drizzle with more Greek Sauce to maintain flavor and moisture as you are cooking.
For the Cucumber Salad:
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and mix together. Use salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley to taste. Can add more or less oil and vinegar as needed to coat and flavor as well.
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- Grate the cucumber so it is in small shreds, then strain to remove water. Add strained cucumber to cheesecloth or paper towels and squeeze as much excess water out as you can!
- In a medium bowl mix together olive oil and minced garlic. Stir well to mix so the oil absorbs the flavor of the garlic.
- To the garlic oil, add the yogurt, cucumber, vinegar, and dill and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the bowls:
- Add 1C Romaine to bottom of medium bowl.
- Top with ½ C Cucumber Salad and ¼ – 1/2 C Chicken.
- Sprinkle feta cheese over top, and add 1-2 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!