Hot Chicken Recipe: The healthy alternative to Chicken Wings

Morning everyone! I thought I would share a super yummy recipe thats been one of my favorites for years {{courtesy of my late aunt Qui...we miss you!}} For lack of a better name we call it "Hot Chicken." 

So Yummy......

When I was a kid I LOVED chicken wings. I mean, ate them by the bucket. literally. When I got older I realized they weren't the healthiest for you so I stopped eating them cold turkey. Haven't had a wing in about 20 years. I haven't stopped my *love* of chicken wing TASTE though. This recipe can fill this void and is a lot healthier {{read: #guiltfree }} Warning: You must like spicy/hot food to like this. I would recommend this dish to anyone who like medium, hot, or extra hot wings! I am so obsessed with hot sauce that I add Franks to my plate as well ha ha! 

What I love most about this recipe is that it is only 4 ingredients! And you can pop it in the oven and is low on prep time which is key when you have kiddies {{or you're just super busy. which is everyone!}} running around. Also, even though you do use flour, there is only 26 Carbs in the entire recipe which is a keeper for me! Divide that up between 3-4 breasts and you're looking at about 10 g carbs per breast of chicken and tons of flavor! 

Hot Chicken

1/4 cup flour (I use Arrowhead Mills enriched unbleached white flour)
3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3-4 breasts of chicken

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in microwave in glass bowl. Mix in hot sauce and juiced lemon to melted butter. Put 1/4 cup of flour in different bowl and place next to hot sauce mixture. Line a pyrex dish with foil. (I find that foil works better than parchment paper). You can cut the chicken breasts into tenders or leave them as breasts-up to you (I do both-below they are in tenders and the above photo is just breasts). Dip chicken in flour, then into hot sauce mixture and place in pyrex dish. Repeat with all breasts of chicken. When complete, if you have extra sauce leftover, you can dish the rest on spots that may have not been covered with the hot sauce mixture.  In this photo I show using parchment paper but like I said I find it works better with foil. 

Bake for 30-40 mins. I like to broil mine the last 3-5 mins to get a little crisp on them. This is served great with mixed veggies & salad! 

Next time you have a hankering for some chicken wings...try this recipe! Have a great day everyone....

xo

Alex
 

 




 

Burrito Bowl...made at home!

Happy Weekend Everyone! 

I wanted to share one of my most FAVORITE recipes ever. Please do not think that eating clean means tupperware containers with plain chicken, fish, egg whites, raw veggies and brown rice every day all day. There are so MANY tasty recipes that you can have with tons of flavor. This recipe is on our weekly rotation. When I started the 24 Day Challenge, I asked my coach Ben if I could have burrito bowls from Chipotle. He responded yes ..just of course no cheese or sour cream which is no problem for me. I wasn't super comfortable hitting up Chipotle more than once though as I knew eating out just is not as healthy. I wanted the absolutel best results and in order for that to happen, I had to be making food in my own kitchen. This got me thinking...how can I make these exact burrito bowls at home??

Well, my friends, here is how: 

Ingredients:

 Olive oil
Your choice of 2 peppers-green, yellow, red, etc
White onion cut
Green Leaf Lettuce chopped
Homemade Guacamole or "Wholly Guacamole"
Cooked brown rice (I usually do 1 cup, depends on how many pple you are cooking for)
1 packet of simply organic fajita seasoning ( ** I get this at Wegmans; I do know Whole foods carries it as well as available online from various companies)
2 cloves of garlic (optional)
Chopped Cilantro (optional)
Chopped tomatoes (optional)

Directions: 

Begin process of cooking rice. Dice chicken breasts. Follow instructions of simply organic package. Marinate chicken in seasoning. Next slice onion and pepper. Heat olive oil in pan. Once oil is warm sautee onion and peppers until soft and then add marinated chicken. While meat and rice are finishing cooking, cut up green leaf lettuce, cilantro, and tomato to garnish. 

Once chicken and rice have completed their cooking, place cooked rice in bottom of bowl. Add desired amount of chicken/pepper mixture on top. Place chopped green leaf lettuce on top of chicken. Garnish with cilantro, tomatoes, or guacamole. 

I have never added cheese or sour cream but you definitely can for those looking for a little splurge or who are not on the 24 Day Challenge. We have added corn and black beans to this meal and it has been tasty as well. There are so many different variations that you can add it never gets old!

I will be sure to add our family guacamole recipe in the next few weeks. We absolutely love a "rustic" guac to start our meal off! Hope you guys enjoy your healthy {{24 DC approved}}  home made burrito bowl! 

xo

Alex

The finished product: 

All chopped up and ready to go!

 

 

 

 

Below, rice brewing, chicken marinating and veggies cooking! 
Note: I only placed the rice and chicken on stove for photo purpose

The chicken and veggie mixture completed! Let's dig in!