I had chicken breasts planned for the grill and a pile of broccoli from the Farmer’s market all chopped and ready to be steamed. Then my daughter requested “noodles” and I saw the box of pasta in the pantry and thought..Hmmmm…maybe I can whip up a pasta dish instead of our classic “grilled chicken with a steamed veggie and side of rice or quinoa”. I didn’t have any pasta sauce, which used to be a pantry staple, but I did have some olive oil, garlic, and lemon….Enter creativity here!

I started by heating  1 TBS of olive oil and 1 TBS of minced garlic in a large pan. In a separate sauce pan, I began boiling water for the pasta.

Next, I cut the chicken into approximately 1″ cubes and browned until thoroughly cooked through – about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently. Then I added the pasta to the boiling water.

Next I added the broccoli and juice from two lemons. But when I took a step back I didn’t think I had enough veggies…so I went back to the fridge.

I found a jar of roasted red peppers and fresh spinach – PERFECT!!!! I sliced the red peppers up (actually my husband sliced the red peppers up) and we mixed everything together and topped with 3 cups of fresh spinach and placed a lid on top to steam.

 

After about 3-5 minutes I removed the lid, gave one last stir and we were complete!!!

 

 

Much better veggie to chicken ratio and dinner was complete in less than 30 minutes and its all 21-day fix approved!!! I consider that a success!!!

 

Chicken and Veggie pasta

(makes 6 servings)

21-day fixers: 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow and 1 tsp (olive oil) 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1.5 – 2 pounds chicken, cut into 1″ cubes

• 2 cups chopped broccoli

• 1 cup roasted red peppers, sliced

• 3 cups fresh spinach (or approximately one cup frozen spinach)

• 12 oz whole wheat or brown rice pasta cooked according to package directions.

• 1 TBS olive oil

• 1 TBS minced garlic or 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 lemons

• Parmasean cheese (optional)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. Heat  olive oil and garlic in a large pan.

2. In a separate sauce pan, bring 6 cups of water to boil and add pasta when water begins to boil, cooked according to directions.

3. Brown chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Add lemon juice, broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes

5. Add roasted red peppers and spinach, cover with lid to steam for 3-5 minutes.

6. Serve over pasta and enjoy

Its clean, its fast, and it was DELICIOUS!!!!

 

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information about ways to enjoy clean eating and/or if you are interested in the 21-day fix workout program,  fill out the form below to join  my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support group! Together we can end the trend of obesity!