[Guest Post] Healthy Homemade Recipe – Chicken and Pasta by Kodjo Hounnake

Having a busy schedule can contribute to poor eating habits. After a long day, no one looks forward to coming home and cooking a healthy homemade recipe. It seems so much easier to stop at the local fast food drive-through for dinner. Though this option may be convenient, neither your wallet nor body can afford to sustain such routine on a daily basis. Having a busy schedule that keeps you away from home most of the day should not prevent you from enjoying a healthy homemade recipe. An added benefit of cooking a healthy homemade recipe is that you can have leftovers for lunch the next day.

You can enjoy a healthy homemade recipe by keeping a few tips in mind, such as pre-seasoning your meat ahead of time. Pick meats that have relatively short cooking times, and cut the meats into small pieces. Cutting your meats into pieces helps shorten cooking time. I also favor products made with whole wheat or sprouted flour because they are healthy. For example, bleached flour has less protein than the unbleached alternative. An essential part of a healthy homemade recipe is its grain content. The healthiest types of grains are whole grains. Whole grain does not have its bran and germ removed by milling, and hence, is unrefined and very healthy. Whole grain is a great source of fiber and other important nutrients such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. Brown rice and popcorn are good sources of whole grain. White rice does not provide the nutritional value our body needs, because white rice lacks many important minerals such as niacin, iron, potassium, and magnesium. White rice is also deficient in crucial vitamins such as vitamin B, B3, B6, and E. Brown rice on the other hand, can contribute to weight loss, and it helps slow the aging process.

To make your healthy homemade recipe even more digestible, make enough room for vegetables. Vegetables have relatively short cooking times. Raw vegetable has the most nutritional value. However, if you decide to cook your vegetables, cook them for a very short time. In addition, do not drench them in butter, oil, or salt. Below, I have provided a healthy homemade recipe for chicken and pasta, served with raw baby spinach.

Healthy Homemade Recipe: Chicken and Pasta

Ingredients for the Chicken and Pasta Recipe

• 2 chicken cutlets (pre-seasoned) sliced in pieces
• 5 grains of garlic minced
• ½ large onion chopped fine
• 2 tomatoes diced
• ½ cup flour (or less)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend (salt-free)
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of basil
• 1½ cup of tomato sauce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 1 baby bell pepper
• Few braches of rosemary
• Whole wheat pasta
• Baby spinach

Instructions for the Chicken and Pasta Recipe

To make this healthy homemade recipe, combine the basil with the seasoning blend and the flour in a small bowl. Add the egg content in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken slices into the egg, and then coat them with the flour mixture. Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan on medium fire. Cook the chicken slices until they turn golden.

Heat a few drops of extra virgin olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onions, garlic, and baby bell pepper to the heated olive oil. Reduce heat after a few moments, add some tomato sauce, and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chickens and the bay leaf to the sauce. Cover up the sauce pan and let it cook for 7 to 10 minutes on a low fire; make sure to stir occasionally. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the sauce when the chicken is almost done cooking; Add few rosemary branches as well.

Boil some water, add a tablespoon of olive oil and salt, and add the whole wheat pasta. Cook the whole wheat pasta until it is firm. Remove it from the stove and strain it.

Serve the chicken and sauce with the whole wheat pasta, topped with the remaining grated mozzarella cheese; add some baby spinach as a side dish.

Author Bio: Kodjo is a home fitness enthusiast who believes the average person can get and remain in great shape right at home. You do not need expensive gym equipment to achieve the body of your dreams. Your body weight is sufficient enough. See the hundreds of home workout videos and health tips on my home fitness blog