Author:
Kevin Curry
Keto Chicken & Green Beans Almondine Meal Prep
The first healthy meal I ever made for myself was grilled chicken breast with green beans and brown rice. The chicken was previously frozen, the green beans were from a can and the brown rice was instant. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I smothered the chicken with so much Mrs. Dash seasoning but by the time it finished cooking in the skillet, there was about 1 inch of water in the skillet and all of the seasoning had come off. I still ate it though.
Fast forward several years later – at least 6 years – and I’m releasing my own cookbook. What an incredible journey this has been. In honor of this milestone, I decided to revisit the first meal I ever created to re-imagine it with my newfound knowledge of nutrition and cooking. And I’m adding a twist by making it keto-friendly since it’s pretty much the most popular diet out right now.
Couple of tips:
- If you’d like to increase the abundance of the meal – while marginally increasing the carbohydrates – I recommend adding steamed or sautéed cauliflower rice with chopped onion.
- Swap in chicken thighs for chicken breasts to up the amount of fat to help meet individual caloric fat goals for meals.
- To make this a leaner low-carb recipe, simply use a total of 1 1/2 tablespoon olive instead of 3 tablespoons, and reduce the amount of sliced almonds for the green beans.
- Add some heat with cracked red pepper.
- Use lime or lemon juice for individual meal seasoning instead of copious amounts of salt.
WANNA TRY KETO?
If you’re considering the #ketogenic diet I recommend checking out 2 dope resources:
- my 8-week keto experiment
- 4-day keto meal plan
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 1 lb raw green beans
- 1 lb chicken breast, tenders
- Substitute: chicken thighs
- Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
STEPS
Step 1
Bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a pot and add a steamer basket. Add the green beans and steam until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Once they are to your desired tenderness, remove the green beans from the steamer basket and add them to a bowl of ice water so they stop cooking and to preserve their vibrant green color.
Step 2
Add the chicken to a bowl and toss in the seasonings, and then rub it all over.
Step 3
Set a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the remaining olive oil then toss add the chicken. Sear the chicken on the outside until golden brown, then reduce the heat to medium and cook through, about 6 to 8 minutes (if using tenders, a bit longer if using full chicken breasts). Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to low-medium and add in the garlic and sliced almonds. Fold the garlic and almonds in the oil and cook until the almonds are toasted, slightly brown. Increase the heat to medium-high and toss in the green beans. Toss and fold everything together until the green beans are warm again and the outside is slightly seared.
Step 5
Remove the green beans from the skillet and enjoy with the chicken!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!