Some nights, I like to get creative with my food – and last night was one of those nights! I also had a lot of fresh food in my fridge that needed to be eaten, including veggies & chicken! When I was in Belize, all of the food prepared was very fresh, picked straight from the backyard! I missed that coming back to the states – buying local produce definitely makes a difference in taste! Normally I’ll just bake some chicken in foil with vegetables, but everything ends up soggy or overcooked. So, I put my cast iron skillets to work, and the meal ended up being AMAZING.  Very light, fresh and perfect for the end of the summer. Recipes are below!

Lemon-Mint Baked Chicken with Quinoa & Sauteed Garlic Broccoli (Serves 4)

Ingredients for Chicken

• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 small bunch of mint sprigs
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup Olive oil (I used an herb-infused oil from Flying Olive)
• 1/4 cup White balsamic Vinegar (I used the lemongrass mint from Flying Olive) – add a little lemongrass to the pan if you do not have this
• 1/4 cup Champagne or white wine
• Fresh garlic (a few bulbs finely chopped)
• Cast iron skillet

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F. Pour about ½ cup champagne or white wine into a cast iron skillet. Add olive oil,, vinegar, garlic, and mint and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chicken, cooking for a few minutes on each side. Sprinkle salt & pepper on both sides of chicken. Place in oven and finish cooking for 15-20 minutes. The last few minutes of cooking, take about half a lemon and sprinkle over top of chicken.

Ingredients for Sautéed Broccoli:

• 2-3 large heads of broccoli
• Garlic
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup Olive oil (I used basil from Flying Oil)
• 1/4 cup White Vinegar (I used Sicilian lemon from Flying Oil)

Directions:

Add oil & garlic to cast iron skillet and sauté for a few minutes. Add in vinegar and cut up broccoli. Place a lid over the pan, stirring the broccoli around every few minutes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat until cooked to your liking. Top with salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 TBSP Olive oil
• 2 tsp Basil
• Fresh lemon juice
• Garlic, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Cook according to directions on box. Once the quinoa is cooked, add in olive oil, basil, juice of ½ lemon, and chopped up garlic. Add in salt & pepper to taste – Stir and let sit for a few minutes for the flavors to settle.

Serve all together & come hungry – I had enough left over to feed myself lunch the entire week!

Fresh Salad with a Garlic-Lemon-Basil Dressing (Serves up to 10 people)

Ingredients for Salad:

• ½ head of cabbage
• 1 head of bibb lettuce
• 1 bunch of radishes
• 1 large florida avocado
• Optional: onions, cucumbers, etc
• Dressing:
  • juice of 1/2 Lemon
  • 1/3 cup Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Basil
  • Garlic (1 TBSP chopped up garlic)
  • 1/4 cup White Vinegar (I used Sicilian lemon from Flying Oil)

Directions:

Cut up all cabbage & lettuce & place into a bowl. Wash & let drain. Transfer to a fresh bowl and top with cut up radishes, avocado (I cubed mine), and optional veggies. For the dressing: combine all ingredients and let sit for a little bit so the flavors come together. Either toss salad with dressing, or serve on the side. Enjoy!