RECIPE REVIEW: SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEA, CUMIN AND TURMERIC

I was first introduced to this NY Times Sheet-Pan Chicken recipe during a dinner party with a girlfriend and couldn’t get enough. I ended up taking a copy of the recipe home eager to try it myself and not only was it so easy to remake, but it tasted just as good as the first time. I love the mix of flavors and spices, and how the yogurt breaks through the acidity. If you want to make it vegetarian and just leave out the meat, I’m sure it would be just as tasty! Either way, Adam told me I can definitely make it again so not only does this recipe get my approval, but it gets his too!

Score: 4.5/5

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 4 People

-Chicken and Chickpea-
4 LBS of Chicken (I prefer to use dark meal like thighs) bone-in and skin-on.
Lemons for lemon juice - need to yield 5 TBSP total (2 for chicken, 2 to marinate slaw, and 1 for yogurt)
1.5 CUPS of full-fat Greek yogurt
2 TSP of Turmeric (1 TSP for chicken marinade, 1 TSP for seasoning later)
1 TBSP of Fennel Seed
1 TSP of Cumin (ground)
2 Cans of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 Large Red Onion - sliced thinly
1 Mini Cucumber - sliced thinly
Olive Oil
2 TBSP Water
Salt and pepper to taste

-Toppings-
Feta (optional)
Fresh Mint - torn into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

 Season chicken using salt and pepper before creating a marinade using 3/4 CUP of yogurt, 2 TBSP of lemon juice, 1 TSP of Turmeric, and 2 TBSP of water. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, it should be slightly salty, this will reduce once cooked and combined with yogurt topping later.

Add seasoned chicken to marinade and make sure it is coated evenly - allow to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Prior to cooking, adjust the oven rack to the top shelf and heat oven to 450!

Next combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, and the remaining Turmeric in a bowl with half the red onion slices, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before giving it a good toss to make sure it is covered evenly. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and push chickpeas to the outer edge to make room for chicken.

Scrape the excess marinade off the chicken and place it in the center of the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until skin is browned. You will need to toss chickpeas occasionally to make sure they become crispy and golden and don’t burn

While the chicken is cooking create a slaw by tossing the remaining onions in a bowl with the thinly sliced cucumber and add 2 TBSP of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and let sit in its juice.

Once the chicken is ready, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Add onion cucumber slaw, to remaining yogurt and top with 1 TSP of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Top chicken with yogurt and garnish with mint and feta.

Enjoy!

To check out the original recipe, click HERE!

If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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KETO CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES!

After Christmas, I starting to feel like I had really over done it this holiday season. With all the parties and dinners I was really starting to feel unhealthy. I knew I was in need of making some serious changes to my diet. Both my mom and my boyfriend have been eating KETO for awhile and both of them would sing me praises about their new KETO lifestyle. Both said that eating KETO for them has provided them with great energy, they don't ever feel hungry, and both have experience weight loss. My mom who suffers from bad inflammation not only had lots of energy and lost weight, but she also started to feel better and was able to move around more without feeling as much pain. Fast forward to now - I have been on KETO for a month and I have lost 5 lbs! I get to eat full fats like avocado, butter, and olive oil, and never feel drained of energy.

When I started on the diet I was looking for some recipes and realized there aren't that many out there there were actually healthy and KETO.  So here is a delicious recipe that I altered and made my own to help you get started. It can also easily be transitioned to a Vegan recipe by removing the cheese. ENJOY!

Good for 6 People

INGREDIENTS:

4 Zucchini Large - (1 zucchini can usually feed 1.5 people regular portion sizes)
1 TBSP of Olive Oil
1.5 Large Avocados
1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves (Washed and left on paper towel to dry)
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/3-1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts (depends on your palette)
2 TBSP of Lemon Juice
1 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 TBSP of Olive Oil
Large Pinch of Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

-A Spiralizer
-A food processor

spiralized zucchini.jpg

DIRECTIONS:

Spiralize your zucchini and set aside on a piece of paper towel so that all the excess water/juice is absorbed.

In the food processor add in your avocado, basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Pulse until basil is finely chopped and you have a creamy consistency. While the motor is still running add in your 3 TBSP of olive oil. When finished add a large pinch of salt and pepper to taste and mix in until well incorporated.

In a skillet add 1 TBSP of olive oil and let it heat up on medium heat. When ready add in your spiralized zucchini and let cook until soft (around 2-3 minutes).

Once ready, move cooked zuchinni to a bowl and toss n the avocado pesto (there will be pesto left over don't feel like you have to use all of it). Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve!

*This recipe can easily become vegan if you remove the cheese!

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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HOMEMADE PUFFED RICE GRANOLA WITH SMARTIES!!!

If you like to cook and get creative like me sometimes you end up with a lot of left over ingredients filling up all the space in your pantry. The great thing about homemade granola bars are that you can really use whatever you have on hand. If you want to make them naturally sweet use more dried fruit. Not worried about calories - sweeten with chocolate or caramel! Granola is a great way to create something out of what you've got while still tasting good and satisfying those cravings in a healthy way. Today I made puffed rice granola with walnuts, pine nuts, shredded coconuts and even some crushed smarties! If you are interested in making granola bars at home I have included the recipe below! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of salt
2.5 cups of rice puffs
1/3 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of crushed walnut
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/4 cup of crushed smarties

DIRECTIONS:

In a small sauce pan on medium heat melt the brown sugar, honey and butter together. Stir until completely liquefied. Remove from heat, add in your vanilla extract and salt before setting aside.

In a large bowl mix in your puffed rice, shredded coconut, walnuts, pine nuts and crushed smarties - mix up that goodness!!!

Once the melted sugar, butter mixture has cooled a little (dont want it to melt your chocolate) add it to the big bowl of puffed rice and mix until fully incorporated.

Take a deep flat dish and line with aluminum foil before pouring in granola mixture. Spread around using a spatula and let chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge before chopping in granola bars!!! 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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WALNUT & DATE ENERGY BITES!

Okay lets face it, sometimes throughout the day you crave a snack and what you end up choosing can really make or break your diet. One way to avoid making such an easy mistake is to be prepared! These energy bites are both vegan and paleo and taste AMAZING! When hunger strikes or you need a boost of energy grab one of these babies and feel guilt-free! They last for about 7 days when stored in the fridge and are so easy to make that you have no excuse lol ;) Happy eating my friends!

VIDEO POSTED BELOW

INGREDIENT:

1 Cup of Walnuts
1/2 a Cup of Unsweetened Coconut
16-18 Pitted Dates
1 TSP of Cinnamon
1/3 Cup of Almond Butter
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract
3 TBSP of Hemp Hearts
2/3 Cup of Oats

DIRECTIONS:

Place walnuts and unsweetened coconut in a food processor and pulse until the walnuts have been broken down into small chunks.

Add in dates, cinnamon, almond butter and vanilla extract and continue to pulse until the dates have been broken down into small chunks.

Transfer contents to a bowl, add in your hemp hearts and oats, and mix all ingredients together with your hands.

Once nicely mixed start to roll the ingredients into balls and place on a lined baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Allow balls to sit for 30 minutes to dry and harden.

*You can store them up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container!

ENJOY!!!!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

DELICIOUS CREPES

'Crepe' in French mean pancake and are often used for both breakfast and dessert. For example in the evenings you can serve them with Nutella and Strawberries for dessert after dinner or in the mornings as a savory low carb breakfast option with egg and vegetables. Try it for yourself using this recipe below. ENJOY

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup of Water
1/2 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of all Purpose Flour
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract
2 TSP of Sugar
2 Eggs
Butter

Suggested Fillings:

Savory -
Egg (cooked separately)
Smoke Salmon
Red Onion
Cream Cheese

Sweet -
Peanut Butter
Honey
Berries or Banana
Nutella

DIRECTION:

Add water, milk, flour, sugar and vanilla extract to a blender. In a small separate bowl crack the eggs and make sure there are no shells before adding it also to the blender.

Blend on low until nicely mixed together.

Heat a skillet on low-medium heat and add in butter. Once ready add blended batter to the skillet and move around so that it spreads out evenly.

The crepe will start to cook immediately. After about a minute when the bottom side is golden flip the crepe - use a spatula to aid you.

Once flipped add your contents to the crepe. Once crepe is finished cooking on the side facing down fold the crepe over itself, capturing the contents inside. Serve Hot.

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!