I was a vegetarian for 15 years. Now I eat meat pretty much everyday. I have to admit, being a vegetarian was pretty easy for me. I don’t really care for a lot of meats. You will probably think there’s something completely wrong with me wwhen I tell you I don’t even like bacon. And I think meatloaf is about the most disgusting thing ever. My poor mom used to make these fancy Sunday dinners of Savory Rump Roast and mashed potatoes. I would refuse to eat (also not a fan of mashed potatoes, something really is wrong with me, huh??)

But about 5 years ago, after 15 years of vegetarianism, I really wanted to focus on building some lean muscle mass and losing body fat. Contrary to popular belief, vegetarians are not all skinny mini’s. In fact, many vegetarians are overweight because they substitute meat with high carb foods (pastas, breads) and a ton of soy (which is highly allergenic and processed, leading to bloating and water retention).

So I forced myself to incorporate fish and poultry into my diet. Still no bacon, meatloaf or rump roast, though. It was not easy at first, but now I’m good. I love my protein. I have more lean muscle definition than I ever had as a vegetarian. I can fuel myself quickly and easily with small, low cal meals. Walking away from my vegetarian eating habits has really been a positive step for me.

That said, I’m VERY picky about my protein sources. There is a lot of bad meat out there. Not only is it dangerous for you and your health, it is a nightmare for our environment. So I shop responsibly. I only eat wild fish and organic protein. Yes, this means I pay more. But it is well worth it to keep my body healthy and free of toxins and help out our planet a bit.

You have probably heard me talk a lot about prepping food ahead of time. For me, this is imperative. If I’m going to make quick, healthy meals throughout the week, I HAVE to pre cook my meat. So every Sunday or Monday I make a bunch of chicken breasts. Then I cut them up and eat a half of a breast at a time. The picture above is my chicken from last week.

I know chicken can be super boring. I tend to overcook it (paranoia). So I try to really make it flavorful so I enjoy it (and don’t notice if it’s a bit on the chewy side…)

Here’s my Spicy & Savory Chicken recipe:

4 organic, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 teaspoons organic olive oil
4 teaspoons Tom Douglas Rub
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste

Remove all fat from chicken. Rub 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Tom Douglas Rub, a light dusting of cayenne pepper (more if you’re brave) and a few shakes of garlic salt into each breast until both sides of breast are coated. Alternatively, throw all ingredients into a big ziploc bag, shake until breasts are coated. Bake covered at 350 for 30-40 minutes (until meat is 170 degrees in the center).

Really, the big secret is the rub. I have used Tom Douglas Rub for years. I actually use the Salmon Rub on my chicken – I love the sweet & salty taste to it. All his rubs are great, though. I really want to try the Spicy Tokyo Rub. If you’ve tried that one, let me know! Because Tom Douglas is a Seattle Chef/Restaurant owner, it is easy to find his rubs in stores around here. If you can’t find them where you live, they are well worth ordering online. You can get other rubs at the store, but I have not found any as good as Tom’s. WARNING: do not buy rubs that have MSG (monosodium glutamate) listed as an ingredient. Bad stuff!!

Two of my favorite side dishes for my chicken:
Sara’s Beets & Yams
Sara’s Quinoa Salad

I would LOVE it if you shared your favorite ways to prep chicken below. I’m always looking for new ideas.

Comments

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments

• «Previous Post
• Next Post »

---