Ginger Garlic Chicken - Healthy High Protein/ No Carb

After the kids went to bed last night I had about an hour dish out a protein rich, healthy dinner for my husband before he got back from school. Earlier in the day he had mentioned that if possible, he would like to follow a strict protein rich, no carb diet all week. So it had to be either chicken, fish or eggs. I decided to go ahead with my quick Ginger -garlic chicken recipe with a side of steamed asparagus and peanut sauce.

Ginger Garlic chicken:

For the marinade:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tsp. ginger garlic paste
¼ Tsp. Turmeric powder
¼ Tsp. Red chili powder or paprika
2 Tsp. Plain Yoghurt
½ Tsp. Tandoori Masala (optional)
¼ Tsp. Butter
Salt
Pepper

For cooking:
½” finely chopped ginger
4 peeled, crushed garlic cloves
Olive oil

Take the chicken breasts in a mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients for the marinade and coat the chicken with it. Use a fork to pierce the chicken several times. This is a good old way for marinade to get absorbed quickly into the chicken. Set aside for at least 15 minutes, about an hour would be great. In a non-stick pan heat 1 Tsp. of olive oil, add the chopped ginger and crushed garlic cloves. Sauté for two minutes or till the garlic turns slightly brown. Gently add the marinated chicken and any remaining marinade from the bowl. Cook on each side for 10 minutes or till completely cooked. Add a few drops of olive oil as needed while cooking.

Peanut Sauce:
For a quick peanut sauce, in a bowl mix together the following ingredients and a yummy sauce is ready in 5 minutes.
2-3 Tbs. unsweetened peanut butter,
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
½ Tsp Hot Chili Sauce
1 Tsp. sugar
1 Tsp. garlic paste
2-3 Tbs. water
Salt

Steamed Asparagus:
Steam asparagus for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper and its ready to go! If you want to make it yummier heat 1 Tsp of butter in a pan and sauté the steamed asparagus on high flame for 2 minutes, then add salt and pepper.

Plate it well – I think plating food in a creative manner does justice to the food, the cook and also the lucky person who gets to relish it! I will be sharing a few quick plating tips in my future posts.

Remember to eat well!
-Sheetal