Spicy Chicken Vegetable Chili

I think my taste buds are changing again. Lately all I want is to make my food spicy. Not like "burn your tongue and now you can't even taste the food because it's so hot" spicy, but just a good flavorful spicy. I've been sneaking in some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce wherever I can. Tonight I'm making stuffed jalapeños wrapped in bacon for a potluck we're going to. I've never been a big jalapeño fan, and don't usually go out of my way to buy them unless a recipe calls for them, but we had a bag full of them in our CSA share and I've been craving them all week. I've never actually made them before, so I brainstormed what I thought would taste good stuffed in them. I guess we'll see what happens!

Speaking of spicy, this chili definitely satisfied that craving. I've been covering some evening classes at the gym while one of our trainers studies for the bar exam at the end of the July. That means I'm not getting home from the gym on those nights until after 8:30. Not really a lot of time for getting crafty in the kitchen, so I thought chili one night would be pretty easy. I wanted to switch it up from my usual three meat (beef/pork/bacon) chili, and decided chicken would be a fantastic option. I was right! I love it when new ideas pay off! 

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Chili

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Special Tools:
Crockpot

Ingredients:
3 pounds of chicken breasts, cubed (about 4 pieces if using organic, free-range)
1 large zucchini, halved and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 medium (or 2 large) carrots, chopped
1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced 
1 (14oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (12oz) jar of salsa authentica (red), no sugar added
1 (12oz) jar of salsa verde (green), no sugar added
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of cumin
1/2 tbsp of course sea salt
1/2 tbsp of coriander
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional, for more heat)
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
guacamole, for garnish
extra lime, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Start with cubing your chicken. I like mine to be somewhat still frozen because it makes it super easy to chop up into cubes and since it's slow cooking all day anyway, time isn't of the essence! Add it to the crockpot when done. *Kitchen safety tip: If you want to defrost your chicken a little, don't do it in hot water (which causes bacteria to grow), do it in cold.
2. Chop your veggies and add it to the crockpot with the chicken. 
3. Top everything with the broth, lime juice, tomatoes, salsas, and seasoning. Give it a good stir.
4. Set the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be fall apart tender!
5. Serve on top of cauliflower rice and garnish with guacamole and more lime juice, which helps to cut the heat a little but definitely enhances the flavor. 

Golden Roasted Chicken

This week was brutal at the gym. My husband and I both woke up Friday and were convinced that our arms were just not attached to our bodies. 
Monday we did Fran. Always a torturous, fun WOD. Yes, I used those two adjectives in the same sentence. 
Tuesday we did shoulder press work and a 14 minute AMRAP of 100 doubleunders and 5 deadlifts at 75% of our 1RM. Who needs their calves anyway. 
Wednesday was heavy back squats and a 10 minute AMRAP of Cindy. More pull-ups. Yay! 
Thursday we did a Bear Complex.
This is one cycle:
1. Power Clean
2. Front Squat
3. Push-Press
4. Back Squat
5. Push-Press
We do that cycle seven times for one round and 5 rounds total. If we put the bar down during any of the seven cycles, we had to complete ten burpees before continuing. Misery. Absolute misery. Props to those athletes that never put the bar down. That damn sure wasn't me! But I finished with a cheer squad around me, which is always nice. 

And we finished off the week with a descending ladder of bench press 10-1, coupled with a 250m run between each set.

But I'm not complaining. I made it through and I know I'm better for it! 

Hard work calls for hearty meals. This chicken turned out so amazingly flavorful and juicy. Sometimes the breast can get dry, but not this bird! By rubbing the seasoning and butter under the skin, and stuffing the cavity, it stayed nice a moist (stop grossing out at that word...lol). I also cut up a few carrots and roasted those with the chicken, but you can make whatever side you want with it.  

Golden Roasted Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:
Roasting pan
Kitchen twine
Small bowl

Ingredients:
4-5 pound free range organic whole chicken, at room temperature
1 large onion, sliced into thick rings
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 large or 2 small lemons, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, divided (I like Kerigold) and at room temperature
1 tsp of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Remove and discard the giblets from the chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken with paper towels. 
3. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Insert the garlic, lemon slices, and thyme into the chicken. 
5. Place the onion slices down into the roasting pan and lay the chicken down on top. 
6. Bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
7. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of butter with the 21 seasoning salute. Use your fingers to massage this under the skin of the chicken without tearing it. 
8. Rub the other tbsp of butter over the entire surface of the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
9. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 400 and continue roasting, 45-60 minutes, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced. 

Dill-Tarragon Chicken Salad

I love summer! Everything just seems to slow down a little and it gives me a chance to enjoy the things I don't have time for during the hustle and bustle of the school year. And even though I'm finding that I'm waking up around the same time every day, it's giving me a chance to really enjoy my mornings sipping on coffee or chai leisurely, watching Today on NBC. Even going to work doesn't seem like work. I'm able to tackle jobs one at a time without interruptions. But probably my most favorite thing about summer so far has been my ability to get creative in the kitchen. I can't seem to get enough of those smoked grilled chicken burgers, I branched out and tried two new vegetables that I ended up loving, collards (that were crispy, not slimy...I don't do slimy very well) and bok choy (which went into this amazing Vietnamese Paleo pho soup). Those will definitely have to make an appearance on the blog soon, so keep a look out. I also roasted a beautiful chicken last week that came out golden and crispy on the outside and completely moist and juicy on the inside. My husband and I devoured most of the 4 pound bird the first night. I have been craving a good chicken salad though, so I purposely saved some of it and made this wonderful chicken salad the next day. There is something about tarragon and almonds that I can't get enough of, but the fruit and bacon just put it over the top for me! It's really hard to share, so if you're planning to, make sure you divide it out right away or you may end up eating the whole thing right out of the bowl...like I did!


Dill-Tarragon Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2

Special Tools:
Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:
2 cups of shredded leftover golden roasted chicken
1/4 cup of paleo mayo (I used a variation similar to this)
3 strips of crispy bacon, chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/2 an apple, diced (I used a pink lady and left the skin on)
2 tbsp of dried cranberries, sugar free
12 grapes, halved
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 tbsp of dried dill
1/2 tbsp of terragon
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

Instructions:
1. Combine the chicken, mayo, and bacon in a large bowl and toss with a spoon to mix well.
2. Add the celery, apple, cranberries, and grapes and stir again until coated.
3. Add the seasonings and mix well.
4. Cover and let the chicken salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
5. Eat right out of the bowl or serve in lettuce cups.

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken

The heat and humidity yesterday was absolutely horrendous! Some days I can't believe I choose to work out at 3:30 in the afternoon. By the end of the hour, I've basically taken a sweaty shower, because my clothes are drenched. It's gross. But I wouldn't change it for anything! I love my CrossFit family and how hard we all work together. Lately I've been rowing a lot more before class, because one of our trainers rocked my world with some rowing techniques that are actually improving my stamina. I also committed myself to 100 lunges a day, with at least 75 of them being weighted, throughout this most recent sugar detox. So that was my own personal warm-up. Then we had a fun little mini-WOD as our group warm-up that went like this:

2 20 sec. hold wall climbs
5-10-15-10-5
Kettlebell swings
Sit-ups
Walking lunges with a PVC pipe
Followed by 400m run 

After our mobility session, we completed a 20 minute AMRAP of:

5 hspu on the parallettes (which I scaled down to using plates for my deficits)
10 toes-through-rings (I did SO much better this time because I actually got the hang of the back swing)
15 med. ball cleans

Needless to say, it was a fast paced day and lots of sweaty monsters running around. By the time I finished training and got home, I was famished! Thankfully, dinner was quick and easy, but super tasty. I really enjoyed the combination of the sweet onions with the spicy chicken, and the cabbage was a last minute idea to add crunch and some beautiful color!

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Special Tools:
Large saute pan
Splatter screen, optional but recommended
Small bowl

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of organic free-range boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp of bacon fat (or other fat of your choice, but bacon gives it GREAT flavor)
1 medium-large sweet onion, sliced
1/4 of a head of red cabbage, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tsp of fish sauce
1 tsp of sriracha sauce
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
green onion, chopped to garnish

Instructions: 
1. Heat your fat in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Season your chicken with salt and pepper.
3. When the fat is hot, add the garlic and ginger and let it sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Lay the chicken top side down in the pan for 5-7 minutes until it gets golden brown and slightly crispy. *Try not to move it around in these first few minutes and use the splat screen if the bacon fat starts to pop.
4. While the chicken is cooking, cut your onion and cabbage. Also, in a small bowl combine the coconut aminos, fish sauce, sriracha, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
5. Flip the chicken and add the onion to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. 
6. Add the sauce from the small bowl and allow it to cook into the onion and chicken for another 5 minutes or so. 
7. In the last few minutes, add the cabbage and cook until it begins to wilt.
8. Top with chopped green onions as a garnish. I served mine with some sautéed butternut squash and zucchini. 
NOTE: I cooked boneLESS chicken. If you still have the bone in when you cook your thighs, it will take much longer, like at least 30 minutes, so you won't want to add your onions and cabbage until much later.

Smoked Cilantro Chicken Burgers

I am a big fan of chicken in all ways. Even prior to becoming such a health nut, I was inclined to order a chicken sandwich over a burger because I thought it was the healthier alternative. However, I've come to learn that most places don't serve very good quality chicken. Don't even get me started about certain places and their willingness to sell us meat that came from headless chickens from all of the junk they're injected with to plump them up! Eww. It's seriously disturbing. So I stick to my homemade creations for the most part. But a plain Jane chicken sandwich can be kind of boring. Well, I started thinking about how I could spice it up a bit. One of the spices in my cabinet that gets overlooked a lot because of it's powerful flavor is smoked paprika. It's really good, but I hadn't quite figured out a good way to incorporate it unless I was making BBQ. Well...You guys! I can't believe how well this worked out. The flavor is amazing and I am really excited to share it with you all. So without further ado, I give you...

Smoked Cilantro Chicken Burgers

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3-5 (mine yielded 5, but I ate 2 and my husband ate 2)

Special Tools:
Food processor
Big bowl
Grill

Ingredients:
2 organic chicken breasts
1 medium sweet potato, steamed and skin removed
1 tbsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of dried basil
1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly chopped
3 oz. of crumbled goat cheese
3 tbsp of fresh cilantro
1 tbsp of chives, thinly chopped
1 lime, juiced

Intstructions:
1. Put the first 7 ingredients into a food processor and turn it on until the ingredients are well combined. *NOTE: I did this in TWO batches so as not to overcrowd the processor. 
2. Using a spatula, remove the chicken mixture from the processor into a large bowl and fold in the red bell pepper, goat cheese, cilantro, chives, and 1/2 the lime juice. It looks really gross, but trust me it will turn out GREAT!

3. Put the mixture in the freezer while you go and heat up your grill on about 400. It just makes the chicken a little easier to work with.
4. Remove the bowl from the freezer and make the patties. My meat yielded 5 patties. 
5. Put them on the grill and turn every 5 minutes for 20 minutes to prevent sticking. Squeeze some lime juice onto the top of the patties every time you turn them. (Ignore the 1/2 eaten one my husband and I were taste testing!)

6. That's it! Top with whatever you want. I had tomato, avocado, and hot sauce. My husband went all out and put cheese and a bun in addition to what I had. Next time I'm adding bacon and a fried egg!

Greek Chicken Salad

In our home, we don't get around to eating out much during the week. I've come to realize that I feel so much better after a meal at home than I do at a restaurant. Being mindful about my food consumption has really helped to open my eyes to all of the extra additives most places put in their food. I know that most restaurants and large corporations aren't putting these harmful substances in their food out of malice, but rather are looking to preserve the food, make it with less quality ingredients because it's cheaper to feed the masses, or make it taste "better" by hiding a bunch of sugar in it. Interestingly enough, when we do go out, often times I'll sit there and think You know what? I could probably make this at home, with better ingredients, and probably boost the nutritional value. That's really how my love of cooking healthy started. I would have this constant internal struggle with myself...yes, going out to eat is so much easier, but why am I going to spend money on something that I could probably make myself?! And do you know what? The majority of the time I'm completely content with my version and don't feel like I'm totally missing out. I think we've really got to train ourselves to think about food only as fuel and not as a reward system, or crutch. But!...that doesn't mean the food we make at home can't be delicious and rewarding, in addition to being healthy. 

Little known fact about me (unless you're my husband or my friend Bridget who shares this same sentiment)...I absolutely LOVE Greek food. I could probably eat a Greek salad every single day of my life. I especially love feta cheese. And olives, can't forget the olives. Tzatziki sauce has a special place in my heart, though I don't eat that much dairy these days. And I don't know what it is about that phyllo dough, but it is so delicious. I wish I didn't feel so awful after eating it or I'd probably eat a ton more. So I guess it's a good thing I don't! 

Here's a recipe for a delicious Greek chicken salad. If my propane tank wouldn't have run out of gas when I made this earlier in the week, I would have totally grilled the chicken instead of baking it. That would have taken the flavor to another level for sure! You know what that means?! I have an excuse to make this again. Round two coming up soon! But even baking the chicken, my husband gave me an "exceeded expectations," so I'll take it! Enjoy everyone! Let me know what you think. 

Greek Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 1+ hour, 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1+ hour, 55 minutes
Serves 3-5

Special Tools:
Foil lined baking sheet
Large bowl

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:
3 organic chicken breasts
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tbsp of fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp of fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp of fresh oregano, chopped
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:
3-4 cups of cooked chicken, diced
3 strips of bacon
1 1/2 cups of cucumber, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 small avocado, diced
3/4 cup of feta cheese (leave out for strict paleo)
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of lemon juice
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp of fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 pepperoncini peppers, whole or sliced (optional)

Instructions:
1. Place the chicken and all the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag and marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 415 and cook the chicken on the foil lined baking sheet for 20 minutes.
3. When the chicken is done, set it aside and allow to cool completely on a plate. Don't dice the chicken yet. Allowing it to rest lets the juices sink back into the chicken. 
4. Remove the juice from the baking sheet, reduce the oven to 375, and cook the bacon for 13-15 minutes, until crispy. Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a paper towel.
5. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the the cucumber, tomato, red pepper, olives, onion, carrot, and avocado.
6. Once the chicken has cooled some, like there is no more steam and you can handle it easily, dice it up and put it in a large bowl.
7. Add all of the other ingredients to the bowl, except the avocado and bacon, and toss well.
8. Once everything is combined, add the avocado and carefully mix (if you mix it too much, the avocado can become mushy).
9. Chop the bacon and add it to the bowl.
10. Eat by itself or make some lettuce wraps with it!

Chicken Wings

In my past life, wings and beer were a weekend routine. We have this place in Jacksonville called Gators Dockside. You could get some of the best wings in town and a pitcher of really crappy beer that was only like $5. I would hit that place up all the time, especially during football season. I still love a good sports bar. The energy there is always upbeat! However, I don't typically order wings for myself anymore, because I am painstakingly aware of the processed sugar content in wing sauce. Well, fortunately for me (and subsequently now for you too), I've been able to come up with a couple of wing sauce recipes that are paleo approved! Frank's buffalo wing sauce contains zero grams of sugar, making it the perfect pairing with any chicken wing. Teriyaki wings used to be my go-to flavor in college, so a substitute recipe had to be created. I'm also a big fan of honey mustard, and garlic parmesan. So pick your favorites, or make them all, but these wings are sure to be a hit during your next gathering.

____(insert flavor here)_____ Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Special Tools:
Kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife
Foil lined baking tray
Large bowl
Sauce brush

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
1 pound of chicken wings and/or drumettes, separated and wing tips removed (this is where you might need the scissors)
1 tbsp of coconut oil, melted
1 tsp of course sea salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Buffalo sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce

Sweet and spicy sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of honey
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Teriyaki sauce:
1 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
2 tbsp of coconut aminos
2 tbsp of blackstrap molasses
1/2 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

Honey mustard sauce:
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
2 tbsp of honey
1/2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

Garlic parmesan sauce (this one is not strict paleo):
3 tbsp of ghee or grass-fed butter
1 tsp of tapioca starch (combine first with ghee before adding the rest of the ingredients)
2 tbsp of garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp of grated parmesan

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Prepare the wings by using kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife to separate the drum from the wing and the wing tip from the wing. You can discard the wing tips. If you already bought them separated, then you can skip this step. 
3. Toss the wings and drumettes into a large bowl with the coconut oil and seasonings, coat well, and lay them out on the foil lined baking tray.
4. Put them in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce you want to use in a bowl.
6. For the remaining 20 minutes, brush the wings every 5 minutes, turning them each time to allow the sauce to cook into the wings.
7. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Note: If you double the batch of sauce, you can take the wings out and toss them into the bowl with the sauce to make it extra saucy!

Layered Chicken Nachos

In my days of not caring what I ate, one of my favorite things to order when I was with a group of people was chicken nachos from Miller's Ale House. We would order one for the table and share it easily among 6-8 people. If I went with a small group, say 4 or less, I wouldn't order it because I knew it was too much food. Then I would be bummed out because I didn't have it. Ah, if only I knew then what I know now about my horrible food choices. Isn't that what everyone says?

With my discovery of Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips, however, now I can have this awesome snack whenever I want (in moderation, of course!), and customize it to include all my favorite toppings. This is also a perfect snack ideas for gatherings. I served it up as an appetizer last weekend to hold our friends over until dinner a couple hours later. This recipe has two cooking stages: the chicken in the crockpot and then a few minutes under the broiler. However, if you bought a precooked rotisserie chicken and shred the chicken yourself, that would omit the first 6-7 hours. I think the crockpot is better though, because I was able to give my chicken a Southwest flavor, which is what the Ale House chicken tastes like to me. 

Layered Chicken Nachos

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours + 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours + 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Special Tools:
Slow cooker
Baking trays
Parchment paper
Medium saute pan

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can organic no salt added diced tomatoes
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of paprika
1 tbsp of cumin
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth or water
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
6 cups of plantain chips (about one and a half bags)
1 and 1/2 cup of shredded goat milk gouda cheese
1/2 can of sliced black olives
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Trader Joe's Double Roasted Salsa
1 handful of chopped cilantro 

Instructions:
1. Place the first 9 ingredients into a slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 6 hours. 
2. Remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks. If the liquid absorbs immediately into the chicken, add a little more. You want the chicken moist, but not swimming in liquid. Otherwise the chips will get soggy. Turn the slow cooker to your keep warm setting, if there is one. 
3. Place your sauté pan over medium high heat for a minute and then add the ghee and allow it to melt.
4. Add your chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté until they are soft, about 6-8 minutes. 
5. Turn your oven to a Low Broil.
6. Lay a piece of parchment paper down on a baking tray. 
7. Spread 2 cups of chips (about 1/2 of a bag) onto the parchment paper. 
8. Spread about 1/3 of the shredded chicken and tomatoes over the top. 
9. Then add about 1/3 of the onion and peppers on top.
10. Sprinkle that with 1/2 cup of cheese.
11. Broil for about 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the plantain chips begin to brown and the cheese is melted. *Watch carefully and do NOT leave the kitchen as broiling is the easiest and quickest way to burn your food!
12. Remove from the oven and onto a large plate or tray. 
13. Top with black olives, avocado, salsa, and cilantro. 
14. Repeat steps 6-13 two more times to use up all the ingredients. 

Fully Loaded Citrus Marinaded Chicken Wraps

I love to cook, but sometimes a girl needs a quick and easy meal. Last night was one of those nights. After a super busy day at work and a jam packed 3 hours at CrossFit Tallahasee (front squats, snatch 1 rep max, and then a snatch AMRAP), I was pretty exhausted and not in the mood to spend more than a few minutes on my feet. My girl Juli from PaleOMG is great for coming up with ideas that are relatively simple; and this recipe originated from her, but I modified it slightly to fit my lazy attitude. While this seems like it takes a while, an hour is spent letting the chicken marinate (just enough time to watch an episode of something on your DVR) and then you're really only making the guacamole. 

*To keep this 21 Day Sugar Detox approved, leave out the mango!

Fully Loaded Citrus Marinaded Chicken Wraps

Prep Time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Serves: 3

Special Tools:
Foil lined rimmed baking sheet
1 medium mixing bowl

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of orange juice
2 lemons, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 strips of bacon
Mango-pineapple guacamole
Trader Joe's Double Roasted Salsa (totally Paleo!)
Butter lettuce, for the wraps


Instructions:
1. Place the first ten ingredients into a large gallon plastic bag or deep bowl and let marinate for about an hour. 
2. Preheat the oven to 400
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the bacon strips down. Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes, depending on desired doneness.
4. Remove the bacon from the sheet and let the excess grease drain off on a paper towel or two. 
5. Place the chicken on the same tray (right in the fat) and return to the oven for 20 minutes. 
6. Make the mango-pineapple guacamole.
7. When your 20 minutes is up, turn your broiler on and allow the tops of the chicken to brown for about 3 minutes (make sure your chicken is cooked through).
8. Remove from oven, let it rest for a couple of minutes (this allows the juices to settle back in the meat).
9. Slice each breast into about 10 pieces.
10. Place a few pieces of lettuce cups on a plate, add chicken, then top with bacon, salsa, and guacamole. Devour!