Because my lifestyle is so active (5+ hrs of tennis / rigorous exercise), I need to consume nearly 4,000 calories daily in order to maintain my weight (158 lbs) and energy. For the past nine months I have made dinner nearly every night, as it made sense from both a nutritional and budgeting standpoint. Throughout this tennis journey I have studied nutritious diets and communicated with a sports dietitian regularly. My favorite dinner meal, which I make nearly once a week I refer to, simply, as my Healthy Chicken Dish.
Unfortunately, I cannot take full credit for this recipe, as it is a spin-off of Gordon Ramsay’s “Tray-Baked Chicken with Butter Beans, Leeks and Spinach” https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/tray-baked-chicken-with-butter-beans-leeks-and-spinach/ I have no shame in admitting that my culinary skills are nowhere near Gordon’s and thus his recipe is the cornerstone for this dish. But, I have tweaked his recipe so that it is slightly: healthier, easier and quicker to concoct, and easier to clean up. His version may taste better.
My recipe serves 3-4 people (1 breast per person, 1.5 per Tanner because I consume a ridiculous quantity of food). Total cost of the ingredients is USD 20-25. The dish takes ~1 hour to complete: prep takes ~15 minutes and cooking takes ~45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts*
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil*
- 3 cloves garlic*
- 2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and sliced*
- 200 mL dry white wine
- 400 mL chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 thyme sprigs*
- 1 400g can butter beans*
- 1 400g can green beans**
- 150-275g baby spinach leaves*
- Sea salt, pepper, turmeric**
- Optional spices: Italian seasoning, paprika sweet Spanish, cayenne ground, and garlic salt**
*Adjustment to amount found in Gordon Ramsay recipe
**Added new ingredient not found in Gordon Ramsay recipe
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 185°C / 365°F (convection bake)
- Use one large glass Pyrex pan, add: spinach, white wine, stock, butter beans, peas, and sliced leeks. Mix contents of pan. (I add as much spinach as I can fit comfortably in the pan).
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper
- Put non-stick pan on stove, heat at medium heat. Add olive oil.
- Put chicken breasts in pan. Add in thyme and garlic cloves. Season with 1 tsp of turmeric and pinch of optional spices on each breast. Flip chicken and season in manner similar to above. Cook until chicken is browned on all sides. Feel free to flip 2-3x.
- Add contents from pan (chicken breasts, thyme, garlic cloves) to Pyrex pan. Add 2 tbsp of turmeric, salt, pepper, and optional spices.
- Put Pyrex pan in oven for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Give the tray a stir occasionally to make sure everything is cooking evenly. Each stir spoon some of the stock/wine over the chicken breasts.
- Remove the Pyrex pan from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
I eat 1-2 chicken breasts with half the contents of the glass pan for dinner. Additionally, I will supplement this meal with 2-4 cups of white or brown rice, quinoa, or spaghetti.
Health Notes
- Chicken, leeks, butter beans, green beans, and spinach… need I say more? Protein, fiber, iron… and we are just scratching the surface.
- Garlic is highly nutritious. ~3 cloves or 28 grams provides the following nutrients, among others: Manganese – 23% of the RDA, Vitamin B6 – 17% of the RDA, and Vitamin C – 15% of the RDA. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic
- Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a substance that has been identified as having strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. I acknowledge that the amount of curcumin in turmeric is very small. Note: it helps to eat turmeric with black pepper. The black pepper contains piperine, a substance known to enhance the absorption of curcumin. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric
