Jenna Danielle

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The Best Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

Chopped brussels sprouts, kale, radicchio, spring mix, feta
and pepitas with a light italian dressing.

This is one of my favorite chicken marinades! The ingredients are simple and I can toss it together if I’m short on time. The chicken come out juicy and flavorful every time!

In my house we eat COPIOUS amounts of chicken breast. It’s lean, it’s healthy, it can be dressed up or down… but it can get a little boring. That’s where fun marinades come in!

This marinade is mediterranean-inspired. It’s perfect for grilling up traditional chicken souvlaki (kabobs). I love this chicken on salads or in a pita with some tzatziki sauce. So. Good. And you only need to marinate your chicken for 20-30 minutes for the full effect. Don’t worry, you can leave it overnight, too, if you know you’ll be cramped for time.

Looking for more healthy recipes? Check the out here!

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

Prep time: 10 min + 30 for marinating
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into strips
3 T. oregano
2 T. garlic powder OR 4 cloves minced
3 T. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. cumin
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 t. chili flakes
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1. Add all ingredients into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, up to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Lay marinated chicken strips out on a baking sheet, make sure they’re not overlapping.
4. Cook under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes, pull the chicken out and turn the chicken strips over. Broil another 5-7 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal chicken temp is 165º.

Pretty simple, right? Give it a try this weekend. I promise you won’t think of chicken as boring after that!

Eating lunch at my desk, as usual.

One Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Fajitas

Lean, healthy AND easy clean up?! That’s my kind of dinner!

I created this recipe as part of my #JanuaryWithJenna Challenge on Instagram. Go check it out if you haven’t already!

If you’ve followed me for a while you may know that I’m a sucker for tacos (read: borderline obsessed). Because I believe in a balanced lifestyle, but also in eating what I want, I have found several ways to make tacos a sustainable diet item for me.

This is one of them.

Lean chicken breast, lots of veggies and one pan make this dinner easy and healthy for any night of the week.

Serve them up on corn tortillas for less carbs, or even throw it all in a bowl over lettuce and cabbage for a carb-free option. You can’t go wrong here!

One Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Fajitas

Total time: ~35 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients for fajitas:
1 lb. chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 2” strips
2 medium bell peppers, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into strips
½ lime, sliced
½ orange, sliced
your preferred tortillas
salt & pepper to taste

Other fixings as desired:
plain Greek yogurt (healthier alternative to sour cream)
cilantro
low fat cheese
salsa or hot sauce of choice

Ingredients for fajita seasoning:
(NOTE: this makes more than you need! Store it in an airtight container and use it on any meat for delicious, effortless, no-calorie flavor!)

1 T.  new Mexican chili powder (regular works too)
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. oregano
2 t. cumin
1 t. onion powder

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Rub the chicken strips liberally with the fajita seasoning. Then salt and pepper to taste.
  3. On a well sprayed sheet pan, arrange the bell peppers, onions and chicken. It’s ok if they’re overlapping. Place lime and orange slices on top.
  4. Bake fajitas 15-20 minutes, or until chicken reaches internal temp of 165º and juices run clear.
  5. If you’d like a little more char on the chicken or the veggies a little more done, stick the pan back until the broiler for a few minutes.
  6. Enjoy!
This fajita seasoning is WONDERFUL on any protein as easy, no-calorie flavor!

That’s it! It’s such an easy dinner that we probably have once a week. The leftovers are fabulous for salads or burrito bowls or even as another round of tacos. Because, lets be honest, is too many tacos even a thing??

Be sure to check out my #JanuaryWithJenna Challenge for more healthy recipes and WEEKS of home workouts!

Lean & Juicy Turkey Burger w/ Chimichurri Sauce & Sweet Potato Fries

I just love a good burger. As part of my January with Jenna Challenge, I have been in the kitchen creating some tasty, healthy recipes that won’t have you snoozing with boredom.

My goal with this dinner was to create something that doesn’t feel quite like healthy eating, but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy either.

First off, the chimichurri sauce. This is a bright, tangy Argentinan sauce made with parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil. I’d probably eat a shoe if it had chimi on it. It’s traditionally served with steak (which is AMAZING) but I’ve enjoyed it on everything from eggs to steamed broccoli.

The chimichurri gives these juicy turkey burgers a tangy, garlicky kick. I love it on burrito bowls, too!

Second, baked sweet potato fries? Yeah, ’nuff said.

Lean & Juicy Turkey Burger w/ Chimichurri Sauce & Sweet Potato Fries

Total time: 50-60 min
Serves: 4

Chimichurri Sauce

Total time: 10 min
Ingredients:
1 c. packed fresh, chopped Italian parsley*
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. dried oregano
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. salt
a pinch of ground black pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
* all ingredients, including parsley, can be placed in a food processor for a smoother consistency sauce.

Combine and refrigerate to allow to marry while the rest of the dinner is being made.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Total time: ~45 min
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
~4 T olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Peel and julienne sweet potatoes. Rinse with cold water & pat dry. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper to coat well.

Bake at 400° for 25-45 minutes, depending on how done you like your sweet potato fries. 25-35 minutes will render soft fries, 35+ will give you crispier fries. If you like them even crispier, stick them under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

While the fries are baking, get the burgers ready.

Turkey Burgers

Total time: 20 min
Ingredients for patties:
1lb. 99% lean ground turkey
1 egg yolk
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. onion powder

Ingredients for sandwiches:
sliced provolone
tomato
red onion
spinach
wheat buns or sandwich thins (lower calorie)

Directions: Mix ingredients thoroughly and form into 4 equal patties. In a large skillet on medium heat, cook burgers for 3-5 minutes per side, until just done and juices run clear. Internal temp should be 165°.

The last and most important step? Enjoy! I made extra patties and froze them for a super quick dinner on a night when I probably won’t feel like cooking. They freeze wonderfully! Just set on the counter until they’re defrosted and cook in a skillet as normal.

The chimichurri sauce will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. You may find as the days go on that it tastes even better! That’s because the ingredients really having time to mingle/marry makes a big difference. I suggest making this sauce first before starting the rest of the dinner, just to get the optimum flavor out of it.

Tell me how you like it! I love feedback on my recipes. Let me know if there’s anything you would change. I am always open to revising and reinventing my recipes.

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Fluffy, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Happy fall, y’all!

Photo credit: @jordancraigmedia

When I lived in upstate New York, a lifetime ago, fall was my favorite season. It was chilly and the green hills were ablaze with color–reds, oranges, yellows, deep purples. We’d rake leaves into a pile and take a running LEAP into them, scattering them everywhere. And the smell of crunchy leaves…ahhh! I miss those falls. Here in Arizona, not much changes except the nights and mornings getting gloriously cooler.

Here, summer reigns. And I love it. I’d probably freeze my bottom off if I were to experience a NY fall again. Even though these days, summer is my favorite season, (hell, Arizona is my favorite season!) I enjoy getting my fall on in little ways around this time of year.

I’ve been in the kitchen messing around with this recipe. It’s not the dense, moist pumpkin bread my dad makes (he’s my baking hero, I’ll share his recipe soon), it’s something different and wonderful in it’s own right. These muffins are fluffy and delicate and oh so pumpkin-y. They’re perfect for a morning on-the-go or as a mid afternoon treat with coffee.

I subbed pure maple syrup for sugar to make them a bit better for you. Make sure you read the labels on your syrups. Most are just maple-flavored corn syrup–bleh. I also like to use unbleached flour. You can use wheat flour if you’d like them a bit denser and nuttier. I think that would be wonderful.

Fluffy, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

•6 T unsalted butter, softened
•1 c. canned pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
•1/2 c. pure maple syrup
•1/4 c. milk
•2 eggs
•1 t. vanilla extract


•1/2 t. baking powder
•1 t. baking soda
•1/2 t. salt
•1 T + 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
•1 1/2 c. all purpose, unbleached flour

  1. Preheat oven to 350º and spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with muffin papers.
  2. Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
  3. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Whisk briefly to combine.
  4. Fold the dry mixture into the wet until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
  5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 13-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool a little. Eat your first one (or two!) warm. 🙂

This recipe makes 12 muffins. Share them only if you want to!

This post may includes affiliate links to products I truly use & recommend. I earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase from my links. This helps keep JennaDanielle.com running and puts kibble in the fuzzdogs’ bowls. Thank you for supporting this crazy dream of mine!

So while we won’t be wearing any scarves or boots for another few months (maybe more!), we can enjoy a little bit of fall in the form of muffins.

Green Drank Smoothie

This post may includes affiliate links to products I truly use & recommend. I earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase from my links. This helps keep JennaDanielle.com running and puts kibble in the fuzzdogs’ bowls. Thank you for supporting this crazy dream of mine!

There’s nothing better than a cold smoothie on a hot morning! Over here in Phoenix, we tend to have more hot mornings than not and I love it. I like to whip up this smoothie most mornings before I workout, or when I know I’m going to be busy and need something in my stomach.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat right after I get up in the mornings. Because I enjoy working out early in the day, it means I have to get something in my system so my workout doesn’t kill me. Solid food is out of the question. My stomach isn’t ready for that kind of action and I don’t usually have the time between getting up and dressed and getting to the gym at a decent hour (read: not packed). Cue Green Drank.

Confession: I ran out of vanilla protein powder this AM, so this has 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 chocolate.
I’m not at all mad about it.

With our sleep-deprived morning brains, Brian and I started calling our green morning smoothie Green Drank, and it sort of stuck. We add a scoop of protein powder in there so we can fuel our bodies and a handful of greens because… well, greens. Apple cider vinegar has been lauded all over the past decade for reducing bloat, helping digestion, killing bad bacteria, lowering bad cholesterol and a myriad of other health benefits. Blueberries are packed full of antioxidants which have been shown to reduce DNA damage in the body and help delay mental aging by supporting brain functions. Flax seeds are high in fiber (yay regularness!) and omega-3s which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Give this little drank a try and I promise you’ll be feeling pumped and ready to take on the day!

2/3 c. cashew milk (or base of choice)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (this is our fav!)
1 large handful of spinach or other greens
1/2 c. blueberries*
1 T. flax seeds
Splash of apple cider vinegar
Optional: handful of ice

Throw into a blender and blend!
I LOVE our Ninja blender! We’ve had it for several years and it always chomps through even the most frozen solid foods in seconds. It’s an amazing, affordable option:

*Note: we buy blueberries when they’re on sale and freeze them, or buy the large frozen bags of them so that they keep longer and we don’t have to add ice. You may need to add another splash of cashew milk if your smoothie too thick.

There you have it: a great start to your day and a tasty morning treat!

Looking for more tasty and healthy recipes?
Head over to my Recipes tab to check out all my favorites!

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