Grilled Chicken with Garlic, Lemon & Herbs

I am going to miss these lazy days of summer. I didn't get out of bed until 8:30 this morning. And then I puttered around, getting breakfast for the kids, making the hubby his daily dose of dense nutrition (Shakeology) and emptying the dishwasher before I started my workout. In two days, that all changes. In two days, I'll be up at 5:45. Yuck.

I decided to try a new recipe for dinner tonight. You know how I love a recipe where the work can be done early in the day so there's very little to do at suppertime.  I used this recipe from Once Upon a Chef. 

Here's the cast.

I did a few things differently than the original recipe. For starters, I did not use a meat mallet to thin out my chicken. Mostly because I was using chicken tenders and they were already pretty thin. Next, I mixed my marinade in a bowl instead of a bag because I thawed my tenders in a bag. And I didn't want to waste two bags. I'm cheap eco savvy like that.

That being said, I put all the oil, herbs, and spices into a small bowl. Then I set off to zest my lemon.

Confession: I had never zested a lemon. I have wanted to try it many times, but I didn't own a zester, and I was too cheap lazy frugal to buy one. When I saw this recipe, I decided I would finally make the plunge. I purchased my zester at Walmart for just under $6. 

Zesting didn't go quite as well as planned. I have no idea why, but all the lemon zest stuck to the zester and wouldn't budge. I ended up using a toothbrush (don't worry, it was new) to remove the zest from the zester. 

When I had finally collected my lemon zest, I added it to the bowl with the other oil and spices.

Then I whisked them all together. 

I poured them into the bag with the chicken tenders, and I let it marinade for about 7 hours.

Jeff was kind enough to grill these for me tonight. In the rain. He's the bomb.

I served the chicken with some grilled veggies. That Jeff grilled. In the rain. Did I mention he's the bomb?

Everyone loved this chicken! It was super tender and very flavorful. The recipe is definitely a keeper.

Grilled Chicken with Garlic, Lemon & Herbs

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-3/4 lbs. total)
• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced (I used dried, minced garlic)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano (I used 1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning instead of the thyme and oregano)
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• zest from one lemon

~Mix all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Place chicken and marinade in a zip-lock bag, seal, and massage marinade into the chicken until it's evenly coated. Marinade 4 - 12 hours.

Question of the Day:

What are your best lemon zesting tips?

Control

Sorry I have been MIA the past few days. These four have been occupying a lot of my time as we soak in every minute of summer fun that we can.

In the meantime, I've been working hard and squeezing in all of my workouts while the little guys sleep in a bit. I've been playing with eating a few more calories than I usually do, and I am seeing some gains in my weight lifting as a result. 

I think you have to be careful when you become deeply committed to a fitness/nutrition routine. As a Type A personality, I crave control. I think that's why I like working out so much. I have the ability to take that time for myself each day. I plan it, I commit to it, and I make it happen - see the controlling pattern??? And I can control the food I put in my mouth. That's part of what makes it difficult for me to tell myself, "Hey, it's time to put MORE food in there." Because for so long it was about eating less. 

But my fitness goals are changing. And I have to remember that the ultimate goal is to be as healthy as I can be. Not to be a certain size or a certain number on the scale. But to be truly healthy. And set a good example for my kids.

My idea of nutrition is and always has been about moderation. I want to be able to go out and eat ice cream with my kids. I want to be able to have that occasional cinnamon roll for breakfast. And I want to eat a smore by the campfire. So that's what I do. I try to make healthy choices most of the time. And when I make a choice that's not as healthy I don't feel guilty about it. Period.

Because the road to good health is a journey. Tomorrow is a new day. And I will pick right back up and start again every morning.

Have a great start to your week!