Lemon and Thyme Chicken (Whole 30 Approved)

This recipe was one of my go-to weeknight recipes before Whole 30 and now I love it even more! It has tons of flavor and is so refreshing, particularly in the warmer months.  I've been making this Lemon and Thyme Chicken in bulk on the weekends to eat for lunch during the week. Sometimes I eat it warm with roasted veggies but most of the time I eat it cold over a salad.

I snagged the original recipe from Kelly at Eat Yourself Skinny, which is a lower fat/lower calorie version but I've added some healthy oil to the recipe for two reasons. Number one, Whole 30 requires us to eat healthy fats so that we have enough calories to sustain ourselves (plus, healthy fats ARE good for us) and number two, the marinade later becomes a delicious salad dressing. One quick note on that. The oil in the marinade does solidify a bit in the refrigerator but a few seconds in the microwave will fix it.

I only have one more week left on this Whole 30 journey and I will give you another recap soon. If you missed my earlier posts, Why I chose Whole 30 and The first two weeks on Whole 30, feel free to read those if you're interested.

Lemon and Thyme Chicken

// Ingredients //

3 organic chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Juice from two lemons
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

// Instructions //

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice salt, pepper, garlic and thyme.

2. Place chicken in shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken breasts and juiced lemons. (You can eat the lemons too! The baking process makes them deliciously sweet.)

3. Bake the chicken for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you're placing it in the refrigerator to eat later, be sure to allow the chicken to cool completely first.

Honey Chipotle Peach Salad

August is national peach month so I've been trying to consume my fair share to support the local farmers. While I love peaches in cocktails, desserts and salsas, nothing seems to beat a plain perfectly ripe peach. However, with the Georgia heat, peaches seem to ripen so quick that I have to find  creative ways to eat them before they're past their prime. This salad was an easy weeknight summer meal and the different flavors and textures were a great combination! I received some honey roasted chipotle almonds from Blue Diamond and added them to the dish and the spice was a heavenly match to the sweet Georgia peaches. What's your favorite way to enjoy a summer peach?

// Ingredients //

1 peach, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 cup spinach
1/8 cup sliced red onion
1/8 cup roasted garbanzo beans
1/8 cooked and crispy diced pancetta
1/8 cup Blue Diamond honey roasted chipotle almonds

Dressing:

1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard

// Instructions //

1. Roast garbanzo beans at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and set aside to cool. Then saute pancetta over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix dressing ingredients and set aside. Assemble salad starting with spinach. Layer additional ingredients and top with homemade dressing. Serve and enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond. All opinions are my own!
** Photography and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup. I had never made it before last week. Maybe it was my anticipation of spring or planning my garden but suddenly I came down with a craving. I consider this recipe perfect timing since tomorrow is the first day of Lent and lots of people opt for meatless meals once a week or perhaps daily. As tempting as it was to throw a ham bone into this soup, I chose not to for the sake of healthy eating. You know what? I didn't miss it at all. This soup is wholesome and hearty and surprisingly full of flavor, especially considering the minimal ingredient list. Simplicity sure has a way of feeding the soul, doesn't it?


*****Split Pea Soup*****
(serves 6)

// Ingredients//

1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 lb. split peas
8 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

// Instructions //

1. In a large stock pot, saute onion, garlic, olive oil and thyme over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Add carrots, peas and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until peas are soft. Stir frequently to avoid burning on the bottom.

3. Taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh thyme and crushed red pepper.

*Photos and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Energy Bites

During our snow days at home last week, I spent some time cleaning up my Pinterest boards. Needless to say there is a lot more organizing to do but I did stumble across several recipes that I had saved for a later time. Funny how that happens. I pin and pin and pin and then I forget to go back and execute. I realized my pinning efforts were useless and mindless if I never put my "pinsperation" into action!

These energy bites came up during my Pinterest purge and I thought to myself, "These could either be totally tasty or downright disgusting." A few moments later I was rolling up these energy bites and lucky for me, they were DELICIOUS! The best thing about these energy bites is that I keep most of the ingredients on hand at all times which makes them convenient. They also freeze wonderfully. These tiny treats pack a lot of protein and couple of these will take you through a busy morning no problem.

***** Energy Bites *****
(makes about 20 bites - adapted from Daydream Kitchen)

// Ingredients //

1 cup Old Fashioned oats, uncooked
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
1/4 cup white chocolate chips (or milk chocolate chips)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

// Instructions //

Combine ingredients slowly with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Then roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper. Store in the refrigerator or freezer in a sealed container.

*Photography and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Black Bean Salad

This salad is my new addiction. I've made it four times in the last two weeks and can.not.stop. I've been eating it on top of fish, with tortilla chips and (shamefully) by the spoonful every time I walk by the fridge. The tangy lime flavor and smokey cumin pair well together and pretty much make my mouth water just writing about it. Best of all, it's chock full of veggies so there's no guilt....Except for the eating it by the spoon part.

***** Black Bean Salad *****

(adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny - serves 4)

// Ingredients //

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 (11 oz.) can summer corn, drained

5 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 red (or green) pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/2 cup cilantro

1 garlic glove, minced

1 tbsp. lime zest

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. olive oil

// Instructions // 

Combine ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) to let the flavors combine. Serve chilled and enjoy!

*photos by Amy Mikkelsen