Post Holiday Healthy Food

Cooking is so fun for me, but it becomes kind of tricky when I am trying to lose weight. So I am going to try and come up with some new post holiday healthy foods to make. I have lost 15lbs. in 6-7 weeks, but as you can imagine with Christmas, this past week has been tricky. So with New Year's rolling around the corner I will continue making healthy changes, and get back to cooking healthy dishes. Don't get me wrong, I love the yummy treats the holiday's seem to bring, but you get to a point where you need fresh bright healthy flavors. I hope those who may actually read this blog will enjoy the recipes I come up with. If there is something you are craving but are looking for a healthy way to enjoy it, let me know and I will try to come up with a recipe for you.

One dish I love to make is lemon grilled chicken with a balsamic drizzle. So tangy and tasty. It is also so simple. Just combine all the ingredients in a plastic bag, and let marinade all day. Then throw it on the grill, or in a pan on the stove, and in minutes you have a delicious dish to wake up your taste buds.

Lemon Chicken: Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves, minced garlic
1/2c. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
* mix ingredients together, add chicken and coat. Let marinade all day and then grill or bake or saute. Enjoy!

Balsamic drizzle:
1/2c. good balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
* heat in sauce pan over med-low heat till slightly thickened.

After marinading the chicken then throw on the grill till cooked through. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top. It doesn't take much of the balsamic vinegar, only a little bit and you get that tangy flavor. I would suggest serving fresh snap peas, or green beans steamed along side the chicken. When the farmers markets open up again, it provides a wonderful selection of fresh produce that is excellent to cook with.