A popular saying in regard to healthy eating is to eat the rainbow. That does not mean a bag of Skittles. That rainbow has more in common with the sheen of an oil slick in a parking lot puddle after a summer shower.
This is one of the rare occasions where the saying is true. Eating foods with vibrant colors delivers vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting properties. It will also make you feel better. I know there was a period in my life where most of my diet looked like a three piece special from Captain D’s…brown, brown, and more brown. If I had possessed a visible aura at that time, it would also have been a greasy, deep fried brown.
I understood that I felt lethargic and hungry all the time back then, but I didn’t understand why. It was a classic case of being overfed yet undernourished. My calories were far too high, but nutrients were far too low. That’s why a take out meal of -insert any high calorie burger and fries meal here – will leave you starving and wishing you had more to eat just a few hours later.
Back then, I would snack until dinner time, then snack again after dinner almost until bedtime. I was probably well over 3000 calories a day, yet I was still hungry. Now, I average between 1800 – 2000 calories tops, and I stop all eating by 4 pm at the latest. I’m not hungry in the slightest, and I wake up feeling light and ready to go.
If I had stopped eating that early back when I ate nothing but junk, there’s a chance I would have eaten my pillow in my sleep. It’s all because everything I eat now delivers the protein, fiber, and vitamins my body needs to function, so it’s not screaming at me that it needs more fuel.
Here’s a recipe that covers all those bases. It’s full of color, full of lean protein, and full of vitamins and fiber. Did I mention it tastes fantastic? Probably should have done that earlier.
If you are tired of eating a plate full of greasy fried brown things that weigh you down, brighten your day by cooking with some color. Nature has a rainbow of flavors that taste way better than any candy can fake and will light up your insides with energy to get through the day. Enjoy.
Lime Cajun Chicken with Cauliflower rice
Ingredients
1 package free range chicken breasts
1 organic red pepper, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 package organic wild cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock and 1 cup grass fed heavy cream
8 ounces shredded grass fed Jack cheese
1 24 oz package frozen cauliflower rice
1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) -divided
Zest and juice of one lime
4 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
Instructions:
DIce your red pepper, shallot and slice the cherry tomatoes:
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Using half of all the spices listed, coat the chicken. Heat 2 tsp of avocado oil in a skillet and cook the chicken until browned and at least 170 degrees. Squeeze half the lime juice on the chicken while cooking:
Move the cooked chicken to a bowl and cover with foil. Cook the shallot and red pepper in the same skillet until soft. Add the tomatoes, lime zest and juice, chicken stock and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the pan. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat. Add the chicken back and reduce for about 20 minutes. While this is cooking, heat the remaining avocado oil in another skillet and cook the cauliflower rice with the remaining spices. Once the cauliflower is brown and appears dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 of the shredded cheese, stir to combine and cook until reduced and thick:
Melt the remaining cheese in the veggie chicken stock mix, stirring to combine:
Place the mix over a serving of cauliflower rice and enjoy. Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro, plain grass fed yogurt, and black bean chips:
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.