Lemon chicken with honey balsamic brussel Sprouts and side salad with Greek vinaigrette.

So we are starting a new weekly feature called fit Fridays. Each Friday we will be showcasing a healthy meal option that tastes great that you can make at home. I have always loved food and cooking, so it just made sense to take that passion and create healthy meals for our patients or anyone following along. Let’s get into the recipes

Lemon chicken is a simple dish with great flavor. My kids love this dish and I think adding kalamata olives at the end of baking really adds to the flavor.

Lemon chicken:

• 1 whole chicken cut into legs, breasts, wings, and thighs

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1-2 cloves garlic mixed

• 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano, to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, optional

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except for the olives. Place chicken skin side down in a prepared baking dish with ghee or other nonstick spray. Let chicken rest at room temperature for one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast chicken for 30 minutes then flip chicken to skin side up and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes, until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees. During last 10 minutes add kalamata olives if desired. Once done remove chicken to platter and pour juices over chicken.

Brussel sprouts are rich in vitamin K and vitamin C. They are high in fiber and help to reduce inflammation and are rich in antioxidants. This honey balsamic glaze is a great topping to add flavor.

Honey balsamic brussel sprouts:

• 1-2 pounds brussel sprouts

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

Start by preheating oven to 425 degrees. Cut the stems of the brussel sprouts then cut in half. Mix brussel sprouts and all other ingredients besides the balsamic vinegar and honey in a bowel. Pour the brussel sprouts onto a baking sheet prepared with ghee or other nonstick. Place cut sides of brussel sprouts down. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place back in bowel used for mixing and coat with balsamic vinegar and honey. If you would like you can add blue cheese crumbles. Obviously you can adjust ingredients to fit your taste.

We finish the dish with a side salad with a homemade Greek vinaigrette. Traditional greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. I did not have any bell peppers on hand and did have salad lettuce mix so this is a modified version of Greek salad. The great thing about making homemade salad dressings is they are simple and quick to make and you can adjust the ingredients to make it just how you like it.

Side salad:

• Lettuce mix

• Kalamata olives

• Cherry tomatoes

• Feta cheese

• Red onion

Greek vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 gloves garlic minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the vinaigrette dressings in a small bowel. Arrange salad and top with dressing. Mix well to combine.