Dinner time can be a huge culprit for eating bad food, especially if you've already had a busy day and don't feel like slaving away in the kitchen in order to make something healthy to eat. However, there are very quick and easy recipes out there that are still very yummy and provide the healthy nutrients you need in order to keep that fat off! One of the easiest recipes happens to be a chicken stir-fry with basil, mint, and eggplant.
This Asian-inspired dish is easy. All you have to do is throw together some veggies, protein, and other simple ingredients into a frying pan. All of it is very straightforward and quick with stir-fry.
Fortunately, this particular dish uses lean chicken with a bit of basil and eggplant in order to whip up something that you and your entire family will love, and they won't even know they will be eating healthy without all that fat!
Why are these ingredients so good for you? Check out below:
Skinless chicken is a very lean and healthy protein that can be added to anything and give you the healthy nutrients you need without all of that added on junk that fat-heavy proteins are going to have.
Basil is a wonderful herb that provides a healthy dosage of vitamin K, iron, and vitamin A. It also even provides a source of calcium and helps with dieting.
Eggplants are full of something known as phytochemicals, which also helps with dieting. However, phytochemicals are also great for lowering that risk of heart disease while being quite tasty.
Recipe and photo courtesy of the Mayo Clinic
Here's the full list of ingredients you'll need for your stir-fry:
- 1/4 cup of basil
- Two tablespoons of mint
- 3/4 cup of chicken broth
- Three green onions, chopped
- Two cloves of garlic
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- One tablespoon of ginger
- One small eggplant
- One yellow onion
- One red bell pepper
- One yellow bell pepper
- One pound of chicken
- Two tablespoons of soy sauce, low sodium
Directions
- Add the basil, mint, ¼ of the chicken broth, green onions, garlic and ginger into a blender/food processor and ‘pulse’ until it is minced (not pureed).
- Add 1 tsp. of olive oil (or non-stick cooking spray) to a large nonstick pan, over medium heat. Then add the eggplant, onion and bell peppers and sauté until the veggies are tender (approx. 8 minutes). Put them in a bowl and cover to keep them warm.
- Add the rest of the olive oil (about 1 tbsp.) to the pan on medium heat. Add the chicken and soy sauce and sauté for approx. 2 minutes, until the chicken is opaque. Then add the remaining chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Return the veggies from step 2 and stir until heated (approx. 2-3 minutes).
- Transfer to a warm serving dish and…
ENJOY!
