Chicken W Sauteed Asian Veggies- Post Gym Meal

After a hectic start to the year (with little time for following through on New Year's Resolutions) I've decided that as life has started to settle down, now is the perfect time for a mid-March "resolution". My resolutions: post more recipes and get back to a 5 day a week gym schedule.

In keeping with this, below is an awesome post-gym Chicken w/ Sautéed Asian Veggies recipe to replenish you and get you fueled up to get after it again tomorrow. Why is this so good post workout?

1. Protein: Your muscles get torn up while you're working out (don't worry it's tiny, little tears) eating a protein rich food (I recommend chicken with this dish) post workout helps repair the damage and fuel you up for tomorrow's workout.


2. Carbs: Glycogen, a form of carbohydrate, essentially acts as fuel for your muscles while you workout. You literally need to replenish your glycogen levels to aid proteins in the rebuilding process. I like to include carb rich veggies like carrots and also add a little brown rice or quinoa (which offers both carbs and about 5 g protein per serving).
   

Chicken W/ Sauteed Asian Veggies:

2 Chicken Breasts (Cooked fully per chef's taste, I recommend this marinade recipe)
1 1/2 Tbsp Peanut Oil (Can use Olive Oil)
1 Tbsp Minced Ginger
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Extra Large Carrot (peeled into thin strips)
1 Zucchini (thinly sliced)
1/2 Vadalia Onion (thinly sliced
Handful Snow Peas
1/4 c Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce (or more to taste)
Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Coat non-stick pan w/ oil and bring to med-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 1-2 mins. Add onion and continue to sauté for approx 5 mins. Add carrots, and zucchini and splash with soy sauce and continue to sauté until onions are transparent and zucchini and carrots are fork-tender. (Cook longer for softer veggies). Pour the remaining soy sauce and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes on and toss to coat. Plate alongside chicken and rice and enjoy :)

This Recipe is very much cook to taste so have fun with it and play-up the flavors you love and play-down what you can live without. Feel free to post comments below on what did and didn't work for you :

http://www.ihavenet.com/recipes/3-Perfect-Post-workout-Recipes-RCG.html

Scallion Sweet Potatoes

Clearly sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite things to post about, but another one of my favorites is Scallions. Put these mild, bright onions on anything and I'll eat it. So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover the below recipe that really showcases Scallions! And even better the whole thing is only 5 ingredients w/ super easy cleanup!

Sweet Potato: Check out my in-depth comparison of Sweet Potatos vs. Yams to see all the amazing health benefits that come from this truly awesome root vegetable

Scallions: I was kind of shocked to see how nutritious this mild onion actually is. The green parts of the scallion contain Vitamin A & the white parts contain Vitamins B & C! Scallions are an onion and therefore belong to the allium family. Alliums have been shown to stimulate immune responses, battle cancer cells & viruses, as well as act as antioxidants in the body which protect cells from free-radical damage.
And, on top of all this, scallions also contain certain phytonutrients (allicin & quercetin) which help maintain a healthy heart & lower cholesterol levels- That's awesome!

With all these amazing health benefits and the fact that a medium sweet potato only contains about 115 calories, you can feel good about indulging in this hearty side dish :)


Scallion Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine 1 1/2 lbs chopped, peeled Sweet Potatoes, 1 bunch Scallions (cut into 2'' pieces), 6 crushed Garlic Cloves, & 1 tbsp fresh Thyme in a bowl. Drizzle with 1/4 c Olive Oil, and season w/ Salt & Pepper to taste. Toss. Place on a sheet of foil on top of a baking sheet and fold sides up. Bake in oven for 20-25 mins(Until Potatos are tender). Stir the Sweet Potatoes around mid-way through baking.


http://dietblurbs.com/leeks-and-scallions-green-onions-health-benefits-sources-of-vitamin-a-c-quercetin-and-allium/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45

Chix w/ Apple, Onion &Brussels Sprouts

I invited a good friend over to cook dinner the other night and using mostly what we found already in the kitchen we were able to put together this great & simple recipe!... Why is it so healthy? Here's a quick over view

Brussels Sprouts- See below recipe for health benefits of this amazing cruciferous veggie!

Apples- Granny Smith apples are packed with anti-oxidants (disease fighting compounds). They are rich in flavonols which can help reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer. Even better apples are packed with fiber (both soluble & insoluble)! This helps keep your digestive system regular and who doesn't love that. Foods high in fiber also help fill you up faster in fewer calories.

Red Onion- Onions belong to the Allium family. They are sulfur-rich and therefore aid in liver detoxification. The liver is one of my favorite organs just given it's hugely important function of processing and eliminating toxins. Eating sulfur rich foods (onions, garlic, cabbage, daikon radish...) helps the liver perform its job more efficiently. Between the fiber in apples & sulfur-rich benefits of Onions this recipe can definitely help your body function maximally :)

Chix w/ Apple, Onion, & Brussels Sprouts:

Olive Oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic, divided
1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger, divided
1 granny smith apple (Jullienned)
1/2 red onion (Julienned)
1/2 cup thinly sliced b. sprouts
2 chicken breasts

Season chicken breasts w/ salt & pepper. Take 1/2 tbsp garlic & 1/2 tbsp ginger and rub evenly into chicken breasts. Cover w/ plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for 20-30 mins

Place brussels sprouts in sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until water evaporates & sprouts are soft. On another burner heat approximately 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp garlic & saute 1 minute. Add 1/2 tbsp ginger and saute another minute. Add red onions and saute until soft. Add apples & cook another 10 minutes (Until apples soften). Combine Apple/Onion mixture with cooked brussels sprouts and place to the side.

Take chicken out of fridge. Add 2 more tbsp olive oil to saute pan and bring to med heat. Add chicken breast and cook thoroughly.

Plate chicken w/ Apple, Onion, Sprouts mixture and whatever grain you'd like to pair with (Recommend brown rice or quinoa) and ENJOY!