Lemon Cilantro Chicken

Lemon Cilantro Chicken

whole chicken (4-6 lbs.)

1 head garlic, peeled/cloves whole

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1 lemon, sliced

sea salt and pepper

-Skin chicken and remove innards.

-Rub it down inside and out with sea salt and pepper.

-Place chicken in crock pot.

-Fill inside of chicken with garlic cloves, scattering some outside as well. So same with cilantro.

-Place lemon slices around chicken.

-Cook on low 6-8 hours.

This chicken is so moist and has great flavor! It is a great option for dinner and provides leftovers for lunch the next day (or for a few days if you are eating it by yourself). I LOVE roasted chicken! I used to buy the ready-made roasted chickens from the grocery stores (which I still do on occasion), but now I can flavor them however I want and my dinner is ready and waiting for me to eat it.

Chicken and Spinach

The hardest meal of the day for me is lunch. I don't have the time to prepare a whole meal like dinner, but still want to make sure I am getting good protein and veggies. I love when we have leftover meat from dinner the night before that I can easily warm up for lunch. Today I had "Mustard Lime Chicken" with a spinach smoothie. YUM!

The chicken had a tangy flavor that was so good. And it was easy to make (always a plus in my book)!

Mustard Lime Chicken

(elanaspantry.com)

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ tsp pepper

Combine lime juice, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt and pepper in a food processor.

Pulse until ingredients are well combined.

Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry and place in 11x7 pyrex baking dish.

Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hours.

Heat grill and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes each side, until browned and cooked in the center.

Serve!

The spinach smoothie recipe was given to me by my friend, Tracee. I got the recipe last week and have made it everyday this week! It is AMAZING! You have to try it! It is sweet and satisfying. Great way to get more greens in your day, too!

Spinach Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 c. coconut milk/water

2-4 handfuls of spinach (your preference)

1 scoop egg white protein powder

big squirt flax oil (I have also used olive oil)

ice

Put all ingredients in blender and blend. Enjoy!

Snack Time

If you have ever been to our house, you would know we love to snack. In changing the way I eat, I had to change the kind of snacks I consume. I have made a list of some of my favorite snacks. Ok, some of these are not my favorite, but I eat them because I know my body needs them (i.e. raw veggies). When it comes to produce, I try to buy what is on sale - so what I have available for snacks and meals may change.

These are easy snacks to take on the go and fill me the most (especially in the late afternoon). Some good snack ideas:

boiled egg

deli meat

apple with almond butter

unsweetened applesauce

carrot/baby carrots

raw broccoli/cauliflower

orange

raisins (just a few to help satisfy my sweet cravings)

pistachios

almonds

pecans

Larabar - apple pie is my favorite