Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

I haven't posted in a while but I finally have time again. Finals are finally over!! I will have more time to exercise and blog now! No excuses. For those who actually look at my blog, sorry for being MIA. I will try to post more yummy food recipes! :)

For today's meal, I made something really simple. You will probably think it's unbelievable! Hahaha! Everything will be made in the oven.

(Pictured above is chicken seasoned with Mrs. Dash - Extra Spicy)

Recipe for sweet potatoes adapted from Creative Cain Cabin.

Yields: ~5 servings

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.

Use two different baking trays.

Baked Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
~5-6 thin sliced boneless chicken breast (If you don't have thin sliced chicken breast, you can just cut the chicken breast)
Olive Oil
Mrs. Dash seasoning (I used Original Blend and Extra Spicy for another meal)

-Place the thin sliced chicken breast onto the baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and lightly season. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and poke holes so that the chicken breast can roast.

1/2 bag of cut sweet potatoes from Trader Joe's or ~2 sweet potatoes
Olive Oil
Paprika seasoning (you can use other seasonings as well)

-Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes - try your best to cut them into evenly sliced pieces. Place the sweet potatoes onto the baking tray (lined with parchment paper/aluminum foil). Drizzle with olive oil then mix around to ensure the oil is all over the potatoes. Season with desired seasoning.

Place the tray of sweet potatoes and chicken into the oven for 35 minutes @ 350 degrees F.

Baked Asparagus
1/2 bag of Asparagus (or 3/4lbs)
Olive oil
Black pepper - sprinkle desired amount

-Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.

-Trim the asparagus. Wash & dry. Place the asparagus onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil - mix to ensure that the olive oil is distributed evenly. Sprinkle ground black pepper onto the asparagus.

Cook the asparagus for 8 minutes. ENJOY!! :)

Simple & Healthy; Baked Chicken with Salad

I know, I know. You're probably thinking... "who needs to learn how to make a salad?!" I mean, a lot of times it is a lot easier to just go out and buy a salad. Since I started cooking a lot of my own food, I realized that a lot of meals are simple to make. I guess you could say that sometimes we just over think how difficult a task may be. I used to think that the salads I made were disgusting without sauce and I never knew how to portion the toppings. To be honest though, I realized all the amount of  ingredients you include in your salad or any meal in general is all based on preference. For example, my boyfriend likes his food saltier than I do. He likes to put sauce in his salads but I don't. What's the point of a salad though if you decide to put a large amount of, say ranch, on your salad? Exactly, there is no point. I mean, I would assume that people want to eat salads as a healthy meal. There is nothing healthy about ranch dressing. Another point I want to make is that there is no point in going out and paying $10-20 for a salad when you can make more than just one plate of salad with that amount of money.

Here is a simple and healthy salad. I prepared the chicken last night. This morning it took me less than 15 minutes to put my salad together and it is DELICIOUS! :)

You may choose to cook the chicken the night before or the same day you make your salad. I usually cook about 4 pieces of chicken breast so it will last me several meals.

Preheat your oven at 350 F degrees. Line a large pan with aluminium foil then place the chicken breast inside the pan. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and poke holes into it with a fork. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes.

4 pieces of chicken breast (defrosted)

I cooked my chicken for another 10 minutes to ensure it was cooked thoroughly.

You can add any toppings on your salad. This combination is one of my recent favorites.

2 handfuls of spring mix, sometimes I add some romaine lettuce to the mix.
Sliced red onions (depends on how much onion you like)
3 scoops of canned corn
1/2 diced roma tomatoes

My boyfriend's parents got a big case of canned corn at Costco for about $8. I love putting corn in my salad because it makes my salads colorful and gives it that sweet flavor. You can basically add whatever you like into your salad. As long as you have cooked chicken, it will take less than 15 minutes for a delicious and healthy meal! :)

Below are other combinations of salads that have made.

Simple Caesar salad. It cost $5 at Costco but sometimes it cost more depending on the restaurant. This salad has romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, baked chicken breast and a little bit of Parmesan cheese. 

If you must have salad dressing, I would suggest using Trader Ming's salad dressing (you can find it at Trader Joe's).

Also, you can try using flavored olive oil. The basil flavored olive oil is amazing :) Just give the salad a quick drizzle (a little goes a long way)! You can also use balsamic vinegar with olive oil.