As a new year begins, most of us promise ourselves that we will make healthier choices. To keep my promise to myself, I invited a friend over last weekend and made a healthy meal for two. I had limited ingredients so I really had to get creative with what I had at home.

THE SALAD

Ingredients

• Diced Pineapples
• Cucumbers
• Walnuts
• A pinch of squeezed lime
• A tsp of brown sugar

I tossed the diced pineapples, cucumbers, and walnuts tossed in a squeeze of lime and a teaspoon of brown sugar. The sweetness of the pineapples made it taste less like a salad and more like a dessert. I have a major sweet tooth so this is definitely a plus in my book!

Main Entrée

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless chicken breast pieces
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp fresh ginger chunks
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• Onions
• Bell Pepper
• Olive oil

I made a healthy, simple ginger chicken dish. I marinate up a pound of boneless chicken breast pieces in ½ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp fresh ginger chunks, and 1 tbsp crushed red pepper. I let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Then I heated 2 tbsp of olive oil on the pan and sautéed onions and bell pepper with a little soy sauce, salt, and brown sugar. I would have preferred to use sesame oil if I had some to add more flavor. Once the onions were cooked through, I added the chicken pieces and stir fried until I could easily poke a fork through the chicken, indicating it was done. This was my first time using fresh ginger as I normally use ginger paste or powder and I think the crunchy pieces of ginger really made this dish.

Dessert

Bananas, oranges, drizzled with a little bit of Nutella – I just had to satisfy my sweet tooth at the end of the meal again!