Hi there! I’m new to the food blog, so I thought I would take a moment to say hello! I am not a chef. I am only just now learning how to cook, actually. But I have recently embarked on a quest… a quest to find a healthier way to live, and to eat.
Being a wife and a mother, I am naturally concerned with the way my family eats. After years of eating low cost, processed foods, I have recently started to learn more about the importance of eating more natural foods. Of course I always knew that eating fresh fruits and vegetables was a good idea, but I am now learning all sorts of tricks, things I never would have thought of, when it comes to healthy eating. For example, did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables can actually be better for you than fresh ones?? Who would have thought??
My ultimate goal is to show my family that you do not have to sacrifice taste in order to eat well and be healthy. That is their concern, and I’ve heard that concern echoed by so many people outside of my family as well. I’ve managed to make a couple of tasty meals that you would be surprised to find out are absolutely healthy as well. So I thought I would come here and share some of the tricks I am learning to eating better, while not sacrificing flavor.
To start off with, I made the most amazing meal last week. I have been sharing this meal with everyone I talk to in my day to day life, and now I will share it with you as well.
The kids ALL raved about how good it was. They said to me, “You’re going to make this again, right?” My husband is a steak and potatoes sort of guy, and he rarely *raves* about anything else. Even he said this was “good” and worth making again.
What was the meal, you ask? Salsa Chicken, which I served with roasted California blend vegetables. Roasting vegetables is so simple and it really brings out the flavor of the veggies. I never would have thought to cook veggies this way, but now that I have started I just can’t stop!
I don’t remember where I originally found this idea, but you can find this recipe or similar ones here, here, and here. Or you can just read below, but I believe in giving credit where credit is due!
This is all there is to it…
You will need:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- A taco seasoning packet
- Salsa (I used Pace Medium Chunky Salsa, but it’s up to you which kind you use)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream is optional. Or for a healthier, low-fat option you can use plain Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream.
Season both sides of the chicken with the taco seasoning, place in a baking dish, spoon a layer of salsa on each piece, and place the baking dish in the oven at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle each piece with shredded cheddar, and put the baking dish back in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes or so. Top with sour cream or Greek yogurt. We used the Greek yogurt and it was ridiculously good!
For the roasted vegetables, just dump a bag of frozen vegetables into a baking dish, I like the California blend veggies, season them however you like, and put that baking dish in the oven at the same time you initially put the chicken in. Take them out when the edges start to crisp and brown. They will be done just about at the same time as the chicken.
So full of flavor, so healthy, and so easy! Can it get better than that?