THIS IS A MUST TRY! Plain chicken is boring, why not spice it up with great flavors?! I found this recipe from the Clean Eating website (listed below) and made zero changes to it. It was perfect! I didn't realize until after the fact, that a great side dish with this would be brown rice or Quinoa. The only difference is, rather than boiling either one in water, use coconut water! It sounds delicious but since I already had sweet potatoes washed and ready to go, that's what I ended up going with.
INGREDIENTS:
• 3/4 cup of 100% coconut water
• 1/2 cup 100% fresh orange juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• pinch red chili flakes or 1 hot pepper, minced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh tropical fruit (such as pineapple, mango, strawberry, kiwi), diced
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preparing & Freezing Chicken:
In a bowl, whisk all marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and place into a small resealable plastic bag or container and freeze. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag, pouring in remaining 3/4 cup marinade. Press out excess air while sealing bag tightly, then store flat in freezer. (Marinated chicken may be frozen for 3 to 4 months.)
When it’s Time to Eat:
.JPG "Spice Island Marinated Chicken")
- Remove bag of marinated chicken and reserved marinade from freezer, placing them on a tray (to catch any liquid that may drain off while defrosting). Leave tray in fridge, allowing chicken and marinade to defrost overnight or for about 24 hours. (Raw, marinated chicken may be kept refrigerated for an additional 24 hours after it has completely defrosted.)
- Once defrosted, preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat a sauté pan on high. Add oil to coat bottom of pan. When oil is hot but not yet smoking, place chicken in pan, discarding remainder of marinade from the bag. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes and flip breasts. Season cooked side with salt and black pepper, while searing bottom for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put in oven. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked throughout (no longer pink in middle).
- While chicken bakes, add thawed 1/4 cup reserved marinade to tropical fruit in a medium bowl and mix. Cover and refrigerate until chicken is ready.
- Serve chicken with a scoop of fruit mixture.
Source: www.cleaneatingmag.com
Labels: Clean Eating, Clean Eating Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Lisa Decker, Spice Island Marinated Chicken, Successfully Fit, Tropical Fruit Salsa
.JPG "Tropical Fruit Salad")