Quinoa For Breakfast...Yes Quinoa

I keep reading healthy recipes and meal plans that use quinoa as the breakfast main. If you are like me, you picture quinoa as a substitute for rice or potatoes... with dinner. I have previously tried it as a breakfast 'cereal' but just didn't enjoy it until I decided to top it just like I would oatmeal.

After years and years of eating oatmeal this is a nice change. Oatmeal is amazing for you, but quinoa is a bit better. It is a balanced grain that contains a good amount of protein. If you don't know all the benefits take a look here for some no nonsense quinoa facts.

So I tried a recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's new cook book and it turned out amazing. I will post that recipe tomorrow, but in the meantime you can cook it as you usually did. (Basically same way you cook rice.) I cook extra to last a few mornings. You can totally put any toppings on this and make it your own!

Walnut Banana Quinoa

Walnut Banana Quinoa

• 3/4 cup perfect quinoa 
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 banana, cut into slices
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• drizzle of honey

* warm up quinoa with almond milk for about 1 minute (skip this step if making fresh)

* layer on the rest of the toppings and drizzle with honey

Ta-da!!! Yes it is that easy...and good!

Banana Muffins

Yes...I made banana muffins again! It seems to be a reoccurring theme around here. The reason why I make them so frequently is the kids devour them, there are so many variations (that make them taste totally different) and they can be made totally healthy and vegan or totally indulgent.

The following recipe is how I made them and everyone loved them. I have included in the brackets how you adjust the ingredients to yield a slightly more decadent cafe style banana muffin/cake. I always make my muffins in the mini cupcake pan so they are perfect for little hands, but you could easily make regular sized muffins or even a cake with this recipe. In addition to the mini muffins (you can see one in the picture below) I also made heart shaped muffins as well.

Banana Muffins

• 4 large bananas (could use three for a milder taste)
• 1/2 cup white sugar (1 cup for a sweeter muffin)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup margarine or bitter (1/3 cup for a richer taste)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

* Preheat oven to 350, grease muffin pan or line with liners
* Mash bananas then cream with butter, egg and sugar
* Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir till well combined
* Pour into tins and bake. Approx 15-17 mins for mini size, 20-22mins for regular and about 25-30mins for a cake. (as oven temps may very make sure to insert knife or toothpick if it comes out clean then this will ensure it is cooked all the way through) 

Shaped Pizza

Valentine's is usually a time when people go all out with dinner. Some people who never cook are suddenly inspired and attempt a 5 course meal or at the very least a fancy dessert. The other option is the over crowded restaurant. Seeing as I make dinner every single night of the week, from scratch, I thought Valentine's was the perfect day to make something a little different and get into the spirit of things.

This recipe is really more of a guide. Just like ordering a pizza you can put what ever toppings you enjoy on the pizza. A store bought crust is the perfect base for this dinner along with some salad and a dessert. Any shape pizza could be cut out of the crust but the large heart wastes the least crust and the mini ones maximize the crust as well.

Shaped Pizza

• 1 store bought crust, cut into a large heart or into mini ones using a cookie cutter
• tomato sauce, usually provided with crust
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• veggies of your choice
• olives (optional)
• meat choice (optional)
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
• oregano to taste

*  Spread sauce in a thin even layer on the crust, we only use half the package
* Finely chop all vegetables and put in microwave safe bowl with butter and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, veggies should be slightly softened and dried (this prevents the crust from getting soggy, since when fresh veggies cook the release water)
* Put veggies on crust, with olives or any other toppings you choose, top with cheese. Alternatively you could put the veggies on top of the cheese, I just find the cheese on top prevents anyone from picking any veggies off and I think it tastes better
* Sprinkle with oregano 
* Bake in oven as package directs, usually 425 for 12 minutes

"Fresh" Dried Herbs

If you are like me you are always trying to infuse your meals with extra flavour but without extra salt, sugar and sauces laden with preservatives. Herbs are a great way of doing so. Although I prefer fresh herbs I find they always spoil before I can use the whole package. I do buy dried herbs from the local bulk store but sometimes they have a bland taste. I also wonder how long they have been sitting in the bins or jars.

Previous to making dried herbs the way I am going to share with you I always pictured having plates of herbs out drying for days or hanging from various spots in the kitchen. This is an easy way to get fresh dried herbs and know exactly what is in them. Best thing is there is no extra baking or time involved...just do the following steps next time you are already using your oven! I make my herbs after we have made muffins or cookies.

Dried Herbs

• fresh herbs (mint, sage, rosemary, etc.), washed if needed and dried
• spread out evenly on cookie sheet - I make aluminum foil dividers so I can put more than one herb on a sheet
• place the sheets in heated oven - after shutting it off from your previous baking/cooking
• leave overnight in the morning remove and place in Ziploc bag
• gently shake in bag to crumble the leaves and for the leaves to follow off the stems, remove stems from bag

 That is it...you can store your herbs in spice jars or leave in the bags. Now you know how to have fresh herbs that didn't involve extra electricity, time or weeks of waiting. 

Canada Day Weekend!

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians! Whether you are here or abroad I hope you enjoy the benefits of the long weekend!

With the holiday weekend it means fireworks and treats! Here are two that I know we will be enjoying whether it is while watching the fireworks or just relaxing with friends...who really needs an excuse! For the first one the boys and I made Homemade Caramel Corn (recipe here) and put it into cute little popcorn containers, that we picked up at Party Packagers.

Delicious Homemade Caramel Corn

Cute Red and White Maple Leaf Gummy Candies

Protein Granola Squares

The following recipe was an attempt to find something similar to a granola bar, but a little bit more filling and healthier than the fructose ones that the stores sell. I find that by adding a little protein powder it makes the squares more filling and that much more healthy. It can be omitted though and the recipe would be equally as good. I used the vanilla one sold by Arbonne. 

I used Teff flour instead of all purpose flour to make it Gluten Free, but you could use regular flour if consuming wheat is not a concern. These were a hit so next time I will double the below recipe, as shown it made about 16 squares.

I made these thick so they are like squares

Protein Granola Squares

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup grits (or 1/4c wheatgerm + 1/4c ground flax)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Teff flour (or all purpose, whole wheat flour, etc.)
• 1/3c raisins
• 8 apricots, cut into raisin size pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c honey or maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil, but any type would work)
• 1/3 c apple sauce unsweetened (or one individual one)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 scoops Arbonne vanilla mineral powder (optional)

* Preheat oven to 350
* Grease 9x13 pan if you want thin, slightly crisper bars or a 9x9 if you want them with a more cake-like consistency
* Mix everything together adding liquids last (honey, vanilla, egg, apple sauce)
* Pat evenly into pan
* Bake for approx. 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked but still slightly soft. They will firm up when after cooling so you don't want them to be over cooked or they will become crispy
* Cool for 5 minutes then cut, make sure to cut them before they completely cool for greater ease

MMMM

Wrapping Veggies For The BBQ

In the summer we quite often try to cook our whole meal on the BBQ. Frequently we wrap our veggies, potatoes, etc in aluminum foil then place on the BBQ. The only problem with this is that sometimes when putting the item that is to be cooked in the foil the liquids run out...and that is before it even gets on the grill.

Here is a simple technique to get a perfect 'basket' for the dish you are grilling. Whatever the amount you are cooking you need double the size of the bowl. (e.g. small amount of potatoes use a medium bowl.) Leave 2-4 inches extra foil around the top of the bowl.

Empty Bowl 

 

Foil Placed Into Bowl, With 4" Surplus Around Sides

Place Mixed Food Into Foil Lined Bowl

Bring All Sides Together In Center, Twist the Excess Foil Together, Gently Press Down, Remove From Bowl

Gluten Free Banana Muffins - NO Special Flour Needed!!!

Anyone who has a wheat or gluten allergy or is just trying to cut back on eating wheat knows how complicated some of the ingredients are, let alone searching for them. Maize flour, Arrowroot flour, Chia flour, etc. Even when you find these flours they are expensive and you may be stuck with a bag of flour that you dislike the taste of.

The following recipe is one that I made muffins with using oatmeal, yes regular plain oatmeal!!! Some stores do have oatmeal flour available for purchase but I just placed regular oatmeal in the Magic Bullet/food processor and grinded the oatmeal into flour myself.

The result was ultra moist, tasty and easy muffins! They are pretty healthy to boot! You can use a greased pan or as I recommend lined muffin tins. I used egg replacement to make these dairy free. There is margarine but we use soy margarine that doesn't have dairy. A regular egg and margarine will yield the same results. This recipe yielded me 24 mini muffins and 6 large ones. I placed a chocolate chip on each one purely for decoration and to entice the boys...it worked, but wasn't necessary...they inhaled these!

 

Banana Muffins

• 3 or 4 bananas, mushed (I used 4 for extra moisture)
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4c brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 c margarine or butter
• 1 egg (or egg replacement as per directions) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2c oatmeal, grinded (I measured it prior to grinding and grind until it is almost flour like in texture)

* Preheat oven to 350
* Mix mashed bananas, honey, sugar, margarine and egg together
* Add in all ingredients but oatmeal and combine until completely mixed
* Add in oatmeal and stir until totally incorporated
* Scoop into greased or lined muffin tins, top with chocolate chip (optional)
* Mini muffins took 15 minutes to cook, large ones took 20 minutes

MMMMuffins!!!

3 Dishes and A Pan

Sometimes it is a common thought that in order to have the tasty & healthy food we want, we have to sacrifice our time or we save our time and end up eating not so healthy fair. The following recipe is fast, super easy to make and if you double or triple it you can turn it into tomorrow and the next nights dinner and no one will be the wiser.

The first dish is the base for all the recipes. I prefer it cooked on the BBQ, but doing it in the oven works just as well. Dish #1 is perfect on top of salmon (check out my recipe here), or as a delicious vegetable side to any meal. The second is pasta sauce, which you could add ground beef to, should you choose to. The third is a version of the tomato soup recipe I shared previously.

Raw Tomato Mixture

Tomato Topping - Dish #1

• 1.5 pints of cherry tomatoes + 1 regular tomato (alternatively you could use 7 regular tomatoes)
• 1 medium sized onion, cut into thin strips
• 6 cloves of garlic, peel and cut in half
• EVOO, enough to thoroughly coat mixture
• s & p
• hot sauce, optional

 * Cut half of the cherry tomatoes in half, leave the other half whole. Cut the regular tomato into several chunks, about 8. Do the latter for all the tomatoes if not using any cherry tomatoes
* Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir.
* Bake in Pyrex baking dish in the oven at 400 for half an hour or until the tomatoes have wilted and the onions are soft. If cooking on the BBQ place it in aluminum tray and cover with foil, or put directly in foil and wrap so all the ends meet at the top (kind of like Wontons in Wonton soup) you can BBQ it at medium-high for 20-30 minutes (if you are making extras cook it all this way at once)

Tomato Topping on Salmon with a Side of Potatoes

Pasta Sauce - Dish #2

• cooked leftovers/extras from Dish #1
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1 lb ground beef, browned (optional)

* Add spices to 'Tomato Topping' and warm on stove
* Use immersion blender or regular blender and blend until smooth and a sauce like consistency
* Cook pasta as you usually would and top with sauce 

Tomato Soup - Dish #3

• cooked leftovers/extras from Dish #1
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stocks, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups of soup stock or 4 cups of water + 1.5 bouillon cube(s)

* Combine all the ingredients in a pot on your stove, bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer
* Remove bay leaf, and puree the mixture
 Voila... Soup!!! Makes a great lunch or starter for any dinner!

3 Minutes Prep, One Dish, 7 Ingredients = Dinner Delight

With the recent amazing weather who wants to come inside early to spend an hour cooking dinner? Not me and defiantly not my boys. The following recipe is one that I make in minutes, makes a generous amount and all of it, even the leftovers, are gobbled up! Tip: Double it and freeze some for lunches!

Chicken, Shrimp and Rice

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups water with 1 chicken bouillon cube or 2 cups chicken stock
• 6 chicken thighs, bone in
• 6-8 large shrimp, peeled
• 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp jerk seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Preheat oven to 350
* Put all the above ingredients in a Pyrex baking dish (8.5x 8.5 is probably easiest), then stir
* Cover with tin foil and cook for approximately half an hour. Stir the ingredients about 3 times through out the cooking process to ensure even cooking. You may need to add slightly more water if it is evaporating before the rice is cooked. The end result should be a fairly moist rice, but not soupy
* Turn up for 10-14 minutes to 400 to ensure everything is cooked and most of the excess liquid is absorbed. Oven temperatures very so this is a general time.


Serve with a salad and a vegetable(s) on the side and enjoy...now wasn't that easy!!

Yummy Brussel Sprouts...Yes Yummy!

Brussel Sprouts generally aren't anyone's favorite vegtable. Even veggie lovers don't rave about the 'sprouts' they had last night. This recipe may change that!

I make the following recipe and we never have left overs, even my 3 year old loads up on them!

Brussel Sprouts

•  1-2lbs brussel sprouts, dry/brown stem thinly sliced off

* Place brussel sprouts in steamer over boiling water and steam for 6-8 minutes,the sprouts should still be firm since they will be sautéed. No mushy sprouts here!
* Remove from heat rinse for 30 seconds under cold water
* Cut sprouts in half vertically. (through stem and top, not through middle)

•  1-2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

* Warm oil in pan on medium-high heat, when hot place flat side of sprout down in oil
*  After 5 minutes sprinkle with sea salt and turn over. Sprouts should be golden brown
* After another 4 minutes coat with pepper and more salt (if needed)

Enjoy!

(this recipe is modified from Gwenyth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter)

Rachel Ray's Green Beans 'n' Shrooms

I tried Rachel Ray's Green Beans 'n' Shrooms recipe the other night and liked it. The beans till had some firmness to them and the mushrooms were a great addition. It was super simple and quick to make. I made it ahead and served it cold, it was equally as yummy as when warm. The only thing I modified was olive oil for the butter, added garlic when I combined the mushrooms and beans and omitted the almonds. (I was out but will try them next time. I love toasted almonds.)

This recipe is defiantly worth adding to the regular line up.

Baked Kale

I am sure by now you have heard at least one celebrity saying that they cook up baked Kale and snack on it as a way to have something crispy & salty while being low cal and healthy. If you haven't tried this trick I recommend it, if not for the health benefits at least for the taste.

Kale The Super Food

Not only is Kale insanely healthy for you (it is actually one of the healthiest foods that you can eat) this actually tastes great too. I don't know what it is about this simple snack, but I can eat literally the whole tray of it in a sitting. I think it is the combination of the salt and the flakiness of the Kale. Kale is known to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of 5 different cancers and help the body to detoxify, just to name a few of its benefits. For more information and a nutritional break down go to this site.

To cook it simply wash the Kale, cut and discard the center hard stems then cut the leaves into 1"-2" pieces. Remember it shrinks when it cooks and will break apart so they don't need to be too small. Sprinkle with just enough Olive Oil to lightly coat the Kale then top with sea salt. Bake at 475, stirring frequently until the pieces crisp up and turn brownish. You may prefer them super done so they crumble or less done so they are slightly chewy. Near the end it goes from almost done to burnt rather quickly, so keep an eye on it.

Enjoy your yummy and healthy snack!

Candace's Guacamole

Guacamole is one of those dishes that tastes delicious, is simple to make, but there are so many recipes out there it is hard to figure out which one is worth making. Quite often people only make it when company is coming or as a dip with a corn chip, but guacamole is an ideal way to get in healthy fats and Compliments the flavour on so many other foods.

I put guacamole on toast, in sandwiches, I even use it to dip veggies in. Below is a super simple recipe that I always get lots of compliments on. I have tried several that involved cilantro and/or onions, this one has neither, making it super fast and favorable to more people. See how to cut an avacado here.

Candace's Guacamole

• 2 avocados, inside scooped out and mashed, reserve one pit
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper
• few drops of Tabasco (optional)

* Combine all the ingredients and stir. Since lemons and garlic can very greatly in size you may need to add more of one or both to suit your taste, but the above measurements are fairly accurate for medium sized ingredients.
* If not serving immediately put the pit in the guacamole. This will help it from turning brown. Keep in mind it isn't bad when it turns brown. It is just oxidizing like an apple would do. It just isn't as appealing visually, for what ever reason the pit helps with this.

Enjoy!

Black Pasta

Depending on where you purchase your groceries from you may have seen black pasta and kept on walking. Would it taste different? What makes it black, chemicals? I took the plunge and purchased it a while back and was totally delighted with the taste, texture and look of it in the below recipe. My husband faved about this dish.

What makes it black you ask? Well rest assured it isn't chemicals but it actually gets its colour from squid ink. This isn't nearly as gross as it sounds, to any squid haters out there. The ink merely lends colour without much, if any flavour. The brand I bought was called Rigoletto Squid Ink Fettuccine, made by Helen's Homestyle Foods Ltd.. This pasta was so good I am tempted to try the other varieties made by this company. It was slightly chewy, but not mushy or flimsy. The below picture (not great quality) shows how it holds its colour. Some coloured pasta I have previously tried faded when cooked.

Black Pasta with Zucchini and Seared Chicken

• Pan Sear 2 chicken breasts (skip this if you are a vegetarian, it is still great)
• 3-4 zucchini, cut up into dice size cubes
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• evoo
• black pasta

* Pan sear chicken breast, as shown here. Set aside on plate, use the same pan to make the following;
* Brown onions then add garlic and saute in olive oil
* Stir in zucchini add salt and pepper and allow to slightly wilt and brown, still firm and not mushy approx 5 mins. 
* Boil pasta as usually would, drain
* Add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil to pasta and stir then add zucchini and chicken mixture

Serve and Enjoy! May be don't mention how the pasta gets its colour until it is all gobbled up!

Pasta With Lemon Asparagus Sauce

Asparagus is a delicious, nutritious vegetable that reaches it's peak of flavor in the spring. If you are looking for a great recipe with only a few ingredients and a chance to use some yummy asparagus this recipe is great.

The asparagus' flavor isn't an overwhelming one if fact it may not be noticeable that asparagus is what the 'magic green ingredient' in this pasta sauce is. I added garlic to the recipe last time but prefer to make it as I have posted it below. The garlic was too strong for the delicate flavors.

Lemon Asparagus Sauce

• 1 lb fresh asparagus
• 1 Tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 cup Evoo
• 1 lbs pasta

* Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces, reserving tips on side
* Cook bottom of asparagus until tender
* Puree bottoms with lemon zest & juice
* Cook tips just until soft, you still want these firm as they are more for a garnish
* While making sauce cook pasta as usual and drain
* Top pasta with sauce

Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and you are set! Mmmmm!

Kale and Chic Peas

I know, I know the title of this recipe isn't exactly making your mouth water or want to drop everything and run to the market for the ingredients. Although if you are like me after the weekend, especially a long one, I am in need of a health fix.

This recipe is actually quite good and goes fast around here. Kale is a great green vegetable because even when it is cooked it doesn't go limp like Swiss Chard or Spinach. (Which could also be used instead of Kale.) You can use chic peas or any other bean of your choice. If you have kids and they aren't big on 'green leaves' chop them up really small and they won't notice. My son won't eat it how it is shown below, but cut really small and in with rice he devourers it. Serve it on a bed of rice and you are set.

Kale and Beans

• 1 small or half medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can of beans, rinsed and drained
• s & p
• 2 bunches of Kale, washed and cut into bite size pieces (they don't have to be super small they will shrink when boiled)
• 1 lemon juiced

* Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and golden
* Add in beans and s & p, cook on medium just until beans are dry of any remaining moister and warm stir frequently, about 5 minutes should do it
* While bean mixture is cooking boil Kale in water until it is limp but not mushy
* When Kale is cooked drain then add to the bean mixture, pour on lemon and stir, you may want to add a little more olive oil here

And there you have it a healthy Monday dish!

Baked Brie

If you are looking for a light yet enjoyable meal I suggest this one that I made the other day. It was a nice change and would be ideal for a lunch. I made salad, tomato soup and baked Brie with fresh baguette.

The tomato soup was from the recipe I shared last week, you can find the recipe here. As for the Brie it is super simple to make, especially if you use the President's Choice Phyllio pastry. It comes in a white box with two individual rolls in it. Instead of having about 20 or so thin sheets in each roll, each roll is the thickness of 20 sheets pressed together. For this recipe instead of having to use multiple sheets  and layer them, I was able to sit the Brie in the middle of the Phyllio dough and wrap it once, it took about a minute. Bonus! You could easily put a filling like a jam or roasted red peppers on the Brie then wrap it. Since I used a Brie containing olives I preferred it plain.

Baked Brie with Olive Ciabatta Bread

Baked Brie

• Brie wheel, I used the smallest one (serves about 4)
• 1/2 sheet of Phyllio pastry 
• evoo or butter

* First I cut the roll of pastry in half and put the one half out to dethaw and the other half back in the freezer with the other roll
* I sat the Brie in the middle of the pastry and folded the dough up around the cheese. Since the dough will be in a rectangular shape, I pushed up the long rectangular sides first (the sides with the least amount of dough) and used the shorter sides (but with more dough) to hold them up and cover the whole top
* I brushed the top with olive oil, but you could use butter
* Cook for 30 minutes on 400, until golden brown, on a lightlty creased cookie sheet or pie plate

If you are cooking a bigger Brie wheel use a full sheet or even two and cook until golden brown.

Rice With A Twist

White rice is a quick and easy side to pretty much any meal. Everyone likes it, it is fool-proof and raw lasts for months in your pantry, so it is always on hand.

Star Anise**

We have white rice about once a week so sometimes a different taste is nice. I always add broken egg or spaghetti noodles so it is almost like a pilaf. The addition of just one piece of Star Anise results in a rice with a more robust flavor but not overwhelming. A subtle change but a nice one. One 'star' has quite a bit of 'star power' so start with one and if you like that next time you could add a second. If you are unfamiliar with Star Anise it is a spice that is star shaped and the texture of a cinnamon stick. You can buy it in most bulk stores. Here in London I purchase it at Quarter Master in Worltley Village. 

Star Anise Rice

• 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp Egg or Spaghetti Noodles, broken into 1/2" pieces (optional)
• 1 cup of white rice, soaked in water
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 Star Anise

* Warm oil in pan on med-high heat, add noodles (if choosing to include) stir constantly as they will burn fast
* Once noodles are lightly bronzed add water, rice, salt and star anise. Turn to high, and let come to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover
* Once rice is done (approx 20 mins), remove Star Anise and fluff and serve


**Star Anise is popular in Chinese cuisine and is also used medicinally in the treatment of rheumatism, colic and bronchitis.  It has also been used extensively to ease digestion and control flatulence and nausea. S tar Anise is often chewed after meals to freshen breath

Seared Chicken

Chicken is one of those things that while there are hundreds of recipes out there I sometimes feel like the chicken itself is the same texture, same taste just with a different sauce on the outside. Enter this recipe. This results in the juiciest & most tender chicken breast. We never have left overs when I make this.

No doubt this is one of the easiest more obvious chicken recipes but I didn't start making it until recently. Use as many or as few chicken breasts as you like, just like my potato recipe their is no exact measurement, the only concern would be how big your pan is. This quick method locks in the juices by searing the outside first, the small pieces guarantee it is cooked.

Seared Chicken

• chicken breasts, cut up into 1" pieces
• Evoo
• salt and pepper
• lemon pepper (optional but I highly recommend if you have any to include it)

*  Put just enough olive oil in frying pan to coat the bottom once it is warmed (1/2 Tbsp), heat up on med-high heat
* When the pan is hot add the chicken (this is the key - the hot pan), stir around to coat in oil, then stir in with s & p. When the chicken is added it will immediately sizzle and smoke, no worries just make sure to stay close by to stir to keep it from burning
* Stir every minute or so to avoid burning
* Cook for about 5-7 minutes. When outside is golden brown with a few darker spots, it is done. Cut one piece in half to ensure cooked all the way through