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!
This looks incredible!
That looks yum and a great healthy tea. Thanks for sharing.
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I made the broccoli tonight but used Balsamic Vinegar. We loved it!
yum!!
So fresh and perfect!