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

Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta

There's something about a great pasta dish that I find super comforting at the end of a long day. I love the below recipe because it includes plenty of hearty veggies so you can indulge a little without the guilt. Big thanks to Sam Owades for this inspired recipe :)

Butternut Squash: No surprise here, but I get excited when Butternut Squash comes back in season and I get to make some of my favorite recipes! It's high in fiber (helps with heart health), Contains B6 (needed for proper function of our nervous and immune systems), and has a significant amount of potassium (a mineral that is needed for proper function of literally every single cell in your body-that's pretty cool).

Spinach: Spinach is packed with nutritional benefits: It's loaded with phytonutrients that are necessary for healthy vision. It also contains Vitamin E which helps to stimulate the immune system and keep brain cells healthy by eliminating free-radicals. And then of course there's the high iron content (known for boosting Popeye's strength). Iron is needed for hemoglobin production and hemoglobin is a major component of energy.

Butternut Squash & Spinach Papardelle

• 2 Medium Butternut Squash Cubed (approx 1/2 in)
• 2 Medium Sweet Onions Coarsely Chopped
• 1 tbsp Garlic Chopped
• 1 Bag Fresh Spinach
• 6 Oz. Goat Cheese (1 small log)
• 3/4 Lb Pasta (Papardalle or Tube works best)

Toss Squash, Onion & Garlic in Olive Oil so there's a thin coat and add Salt & Pepper to taste. Place squash mixture in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute until soft (approx 15 minutes). Stir frequently.

While squash sautes, bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta per package directions.

When the squash is done, place in large serving dish. Add about a quarter of the goat cheese at a time until the squash is evenly covered but not heavily. Add fresh spinach to squash mixture and gently toss so spinach begins to wilt. Lastly, add cooked pasta and give on last toss and enjoy!

Sources: The 3-Day Cleanse, by Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss