Day 49: It's Time For Lemon Thyme--Take Two!

My mom taught me not to waste food (there are starving children in China after all!) and sometimes, leftovers can taste even better than the original! Having some leftover lemon-thyme tea from last night, I thought of creative ways to use it in my dinner tonight. Not only did I marinate some chicken breasts in it, but I used it to saute some veggies as well as cooking some quinoa instead of using plain water, and mmmm, the tea-infused quinoa was SO tasty. Tantalize your taste buds with this delicious recipe:

Coconut-Almond Chicken With Swiss Chard and Sweet Quinoa Infused with Lemon-Thyme Tea
Makes 6 servings of chicken and 2-3 servings of Swiss chard and quinoa


3 large frozen chicken breasts
2 c. lemon-thyme tea
1/4 c. lime juice

Tropical Gluten-free Breading:
3 tbsp almond meal/flour
1 tbsp flax powder
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Indian Spice Mix:

3/4 tsp. tumeric

3/4 tsp. coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp dried lemon peel

1 tbsp dried thyme

1/2 c. + 3 tbsp light coconut milk
1 c. lemon-thyme tea
1 tsp. ginger paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 packets raw stevia
3 c. chopped Swiss chard (I used red and white)
1/2 c. quinoa

1) Marinate chicken in the tea and lime juice for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator until it's defrosted or preferably overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking pan with aluminum foil.
3) Take the chicken out of the fridge and slice the breasts in half lengthwise.
4) In a small bowl, mix almond meal, coconut flakes, flax powder, and Indian spice mix.
5) Place each chicken breast in the bowl and shake it on both sides, coating the breasts with the breading.
6) Put the breasts onto the aluminum foil and close it around the breasts, making a packet.
7) Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
8) Pour the marinade into a large skillet, adding the 3 tbsp of coconut milk, ginger paste, 1 packet of stevia, and lemon zest and set the burner to medium-low heat.
9) Once the mixture starts to boil slightly, dump in the swiss chard and the fresh thyme, stirring it for a couple minutes and then covering it with a lid to simmer on a lower heat for 5-7 minutes.
10) Remove chicken from oven and open the packet of foil. Place chicken back into the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until the breading becomes crispy.
11) After the greens start to wilt, spoon out the greens with a slotted spoon into a small bowl and set aside.
12) In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, pour the quinoa, topping it with 1 c. lemon-thyme tea and 1/2 c. coconut milk.
13) Stir in 1 packet of stevia and heat in the microwave on high for 10 minutes, until all the liquid has absorbed into the quinoa. Let it stand for a couple minutes.
14) Spoon quinoa into bowls, topping it with the Swiss chard and 1 chicken breast per bowl. Serve immediately!

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!