Tender Juicy Oven - Baked Chicken Breasts

Raise your hand if you're too familiar with dry bland cooked chicken breasts.  Taking it a step further, who instantly associates "baked chicken" with "tough" or "flavorless"?  I was absolutely one of those people!  Even some of my chicken salads with all of the dressing and mix-ins would end up dry.  That chicken would absorb any moisture in a 10 foot radius before I even had a chance to put it in the fridge!

Well, one weekend last month, I decided enough was enough.  I did a little online searching, comparing different blogs and websites and came up with this method of baking my chicken breasts.  It was still pretty quick prep and to my excitement, it came out of the oven so tender and juicy.  Even better, it stayed fairly tender and moist the following days, whether I shredded it and incorporated it over a spinach salad, added it to tacos or a flatbread, or mixed it with a dressing and turned it into a fun chicken salad!

I love this method because it acts as a base from which you can add whatever flavors you want, from herbs and spices to a variety of vinegars, and you still have a moist, tender chicken dish.  Or you can keep it simple, adding only a little salt and pepper, to incorporate in various dishes throughout the week!  Keep reading for this short and simple trick to Tender, Juicy Oven - Baked Chicken!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

 

TENDER JUICY OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN

Makes 2 Chicken Breasts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 - 1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breast

• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

• 1/8 or less teaspoon salt

• 1/2 of a whole lemon, cut into quarters

• 1/2 tablespoon butter (or less) or cooking spray, to grease one side of parchment paper that goes over the chicken.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place chicken breasts on the parchment paper and brush chicken breasts with the olive oil.

4. Sprinkle chicken with the salt.

5. Place the 4 pieces of lemon on the baking sheet with the chicken.

6. Butter or spray with vegetable spray a second piece of parchment paper that is big enough to fit over the baking sheet and seal in the chicken and lemon wedges (I usually just take a stick of butter and run it over the surface of the parchment paper until the paper is pretty coated with a thin layer) .

7. Place that second sheet of parchment paper butter / oil - side - down over the chicken and lemon wedges and seal around the sides of the baking sheet.

8. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

9. Your final product should be super easy to slice with a knife, or shred with two forks and no longer pink in the middle. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should read 165 degrees F.

10. Serve right away or save for meals later in the week!

NUTRITION NOTES:

Chicken provides us with protein, niacin, vitamin B6, among other nutrients.

1 ounce of cooked chicken has about 7 grams of protein.

Oven Burst Cherry Tomatoes

Hey there!  Question for you today - how often do you decide not to meal or ingredient prep for the week and instead pick up fast food or dine out because those "light" recipes you find in magazines are boring and bland or whatever you cook up is typically tasteless???

Well, today I may have a solution for you.  Today I'm sharing my Oven Burst Cherry Tomatoes.  I'm usually not so absolute but I mean it when I say these guys make pretty much any dish better (which is why, if you follow me on Instagram, you probably see these so often!) Even if you are not a tomato lover, I would at least give these a try.  Whether you roast or broil them, the cooking of these under high heat brings out their sweetness, replacing some of that strong acidity you usually find with raw tomatoes. 

I use this recipe to give depth and flavor to so many meals and snacks.  When added to less-seasoned dishes the tomatoes add bursts of sweetness and their juices gently permeate throughout, lending a totally new element to the dish.  I love roasting up a batch of these and keeping them in my fridge for the week.  They are the perfect addition to so many of my simpler dishes that I throw together between meetings or in the morning with my eggs. 

If you find yourself pressed for time during the week and those meals you throw together in minutes are usually bland and lacking, I highly recommend trying to add some of these sweet yet savory tomatoes to your dishes.  It's such a quick and simple way to add tons of flavor!

So here you go - the recipe for my Oven Burst Cherry Tomatoes.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

OVEN BURST CHERRY TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

• 2 teaspoon olive oil

• 1/8 teaspoon salt ( I use a pinch - not a lot at all)

• Optional - fresh or dried herbs, such as Italian Seasoning, thyme, rosemary, oregano

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat a broiler on high.  

2.  Cover a small to medium - sized baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

3.  Rinse the tomatoes, pat dry, and add to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

4.  Add in 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) olive oil.

5.  Add in a pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon) and any herbs you choose to add (my go-to's are often about 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning or 1 tsp thyme + 1 tsp oregano, OR I keep it simple and just add the pinch of salt!)

6.  Stir all together with a rubber spatula until oil and salt is well dispersed over all tomatoes.

7. Spread tomatoes out on parchment - lined baking sheet.

8. Place your baking sheet in the preheated oven (broiler) and let cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring tomatoes at about 4 to 5 minutes for event cooking.

9. Tomatoes are done when they have all started to burst and the skins begin to blacken.

10. Add to dishes immediately or allow to cool and store in an air-tight container to use throughout the week!

NUTRITION NOTES

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, lycopene, vitamin K and potassium!  Did you know that cooking the tomatoes makes their lycopene content stronger and more available to the body?!  And the vitamin C in the tomatoes helps our bodies absorb any non-meat source of iron (found in dark leafy greens, whole grains, and more).  A great thing to consider for you vegetarians and vegans out there!

Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats

As you all know, I have been on a bit of an overnight oats kick lately.  A bit behind the trend, I'm aware, but, then again, I've never been super trendy.  These have been such a time-saver in the last month, though!  With work fully underway in its busiest time and my Junior League commitments still going strong I need something quick and easy but that still tastes delicious and leaves me satisfied.  I will say it's a toss-up between these and my SunButter Banana Oats for which I like best.  The SunButter oats are a bit more savory, while these definitely have that fruiter juicier taste from the cherries and the yogurt.  I have resolved to alternating for the time-being because I really love them both.  I can keep these in the fridge for a quick breakfast in the morning or a part of a heartier snack. 

Not only are these great for a basic breakfast but these oats could also be a great post-run or post - workout meal or snack (depending on who you are and what type of athlete / exerciser you are) due to their combination of protein and quality carbohydrate.  The protein in this dish is helpful to repair any large or small tears in our muscle as a result of exercise and the carbohydrate repletes drained glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores and provides the body with more energy.  A body receiving a post- intense - workout meal without carbohydrate may end up having to use protein for energy instead, which could hinder maintaining or building lean muscle.   So, in short, this dish provides the protein the body needs to repair and build muscle and the carbohydrates it needs for energy and to spare protein.

This could be a good post-workout breakfast for early morning exercisers, especially if it's hard to eat something first thing.  If you're someone who has trouble eating before early morning practices grab something simple like a piece of fresh fruit, dried fruit or dry cereal prior to your workout and make sure to refuel with a balanced breakfast of protein & carbohydrate like these Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats!  And if you're an athlete that needs more than this post-workout try doubling the ingredients or add an egg or two on the side!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

OH SO SIMPLE CHERRY VANILLA OVERNIGHT OATS

Makes 1 serving (1 "jar")

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons rolled oats

• 1/4 cup 1% milk

• 1/2 cup frozen halved cherries (they came whole and I cut them in half w/ a sharp knife)

• 1/4 cup cherry yogurt (I love mine with Siggi's 2% black cherry yogurt!)

• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

To a small or medium-sized mason jar* add ingredients in the following order:

1. 1/4 cup rolled oats

2. 1/4 cup 1% milk

3. 1/4 cup frozen halved cherries

4. 1/4 cup black cherry yogurt

5. 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

6. 3 tablespoons rolled oats

7. 1/4 cup frozen halved cherries

* my sister - in - law puts her in saved salsa jars , which I think is a great idea too!  I'm trying it next time!

 

WHAT'S IN THIS??

Rolled Oats:  fiber, iron, vitamin D, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, protein, carbohydrate

1% milk:  protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, carbohydrate

Yogurt: protein, calcium, carbohydrate

Cherries:  fiber, carbohydrate small amounts of vitamin C & calcium;  currently being studied for their potential possible positive influence on inflammation and post-exercise soreness!

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)

265 calories;  15.75 g protein;  42 g carb;  7 g total fat (1.5 g sat, 0 g mono, 1 g poly);  4.5 g fiber;  21 g sugar (0 g added); 253.5 mg calcium;  95 mg Na;  1.75 mg iron