Do you have five minutes?  THEN MAKE THIS RECIPE FOR DINNER, tonight!  Seriously, one of the quickest and easiest recipes I've ever crafted up.  My inspiration came from a recipe from Food and New York City titled Lazy Girl Sweet + Spicy Lime Chicken BUT of course, I didn't have the ingredients she was suggesting to make the actual recipe, so I tweaked it to make it work for me, and what spices I had on hand.  Simply put, IT WAS AMAZING!

Which is why I felt the need to share it IMMEDIATELY, despite the fact I have 40 other saved blog post drafts, I am presenting you with THIS super easy, super delicious recipe I crafted up yesterday.  Naturally gluten free and dairy free, it's sure to be a crowd favorite!  I was so surprised at how flavorful it was, I actually went into dinner preparing myself to "suck it up" and "eat it anyway" since I planned on not liking it...instead I wish I made more!

Juicy, Flavorful, Moist, Quick this Kickin' Baked Chicken gives my Juicy Baked Chicken and No Grill "Grilled" Chicken a run for their money.  So without further adieu, here it is:

Kickin' Baked Chicken 
Defrosted Chicken Breasts (2)
Lime Juice (bottled kind is fine!)
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
4 tsp. Brown Sugar

1. Marinate defrosted Chicken  
    Breasts in Lime Juice for 4-8 hours
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Line a baking sheet or pan with  
    foil (no clean up!)
4. Mix together Chili Powder, Garlic 
    Powder, and Brown Sugar
5. Place Chicken on foil, rub HALF
    of the seasoning mixture on one 
    side
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Flip, use remaining mixture on the 
    other side, bake another 5-10 
    minutes, depending on how cooked the chicken was when you flipped it!
8. Optional: Add some lime juice on top once the chicken has finished baking

The chicken was SO juicy and flavorful, which I credit to marinating in the lime juice all day.  And the chili powder was not spicy at all, but instead prevented the brown sugar from overtaking the dish and provided a nice blend of flavor mixed with the garlic as well.  THIS is definitely a keeper, and something I look forward to making again!

Tips/Notes
- Baking time MAY vary a bit, depending on the thickness of 
  your chicken breasts AND your oven, so adjust accordingly
- Double the seasoning amounts if using four breasts
- IF you like spice, add more chili powder
- Serve this with lime infused rice 
  (rice + cooked in water with lime juice)
                                                           - Not into chicken?  Make it with fish! Or Tofu!

• Baked Chicken, yay or nay?  I'm usually nay, but with this recipe it's a double YAY!
• Rubs, Marinades, or Seasonings?
• What's your go to flavor combo?

When it comes to food, I am all about minimum amount of ingredients and effort, with maximum deliciousness.  I LOVE Chinese/Asian/Thai food, but I do not love the long list of ingredients that typically come with the recipes I look up when trying to replicate my favorites.  I had seen so many Pad Thai Chicken recipes floating around the internet BUT all of them contained ingredients I didn't own and refused to buy for a mere tablespoon worth....SO I decided to make my own.
THIS recipe can be tweaked to your taste preferences   

You can use actual peanut butter, but for me, I used PB2 (powdered peanut butter) + 1 spoon of real
                     *ALSO ENSURE THAT YOUR TERIYAKI OR SOY SAUCE IS GLUTEN FREE*

Easy Pad Thai Chicken
For the Peanut Sauce - adjust to your taste preferences
1/3 Cup Natural Peanut Butter OR 1 Spoonful of Natural Peanut Butter + PB2 to taste
1/4 Cup Teriyaki Sauce OR 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce*
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Water to start, add more if necessary
Whisk

4 Chicken Breasts - cut into strips/chunks
Vermicelli Rice Noodles OR Zucchini Noodles 

Optional Add Ins
Crushed Peanuts
Grated/Shredded Carrots
Bean Sprouts
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes/Something for "heat"

1. Cut your chicken breast into strips/chunks
2. Spray a pan with oil, sauté chicken until golden brown 
3. START MAKING THE SAUCE once you put the chicken into the pan
   - Place all ingredients EXCEPT water: peanut butter, Teriyaki/Soy Sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice 
      in a medium saucepan on medium low heat
   - Whisk together until peanut butter begins to thin and the ingredients are well mixed
     (IF using powdered peanut butter, mix until all clumps disappear) 
   - Slowly start whisking in water until the sauce is to the consistency of your liking
     (You want it more on the thin side, since it is very concentrated, flavor wise)
   - Taste and see - ADD more of whatever you feel your sauce may be missing 
   - Keep sauce warm
4. Flip chicken over and allow the other side to become brown
5. Grate/Shred Carrots and Crush Peanuts for Garnish
6. Cook Vermicelli according to the package directions (typically soak in hot water for two minutes)
7. NOW, if you don't have "food touching issues" like me, then stir in your sauce, chicken, and vermicelli noodles into the largest skillet and cook for one to two more minutes ensuring your meal is hot OR, put noodles, chicken, and sauce in a bowl, mixing the amounts yourself
8. Serve in a bowl, top with grated carrot and crushed peanut garnish and enjoy!

Tips/Notes
- Peanut Butter vs. Powdered Peanut Butter - your call, whatever works for your nutritional needs
- Lime Juice vs. Actual Lime, Lime Juice is easier and something I have on hand 
- Turn up the heat with this dish by adding: hot pepper, crushed red pepper, Sriracha
- This CAN be made with angel hair pasta! GF or Regular
I served this with a mixture of Zoodles and Vermicelli to get more greens in, along with kale and broiled green beans BUT more traditional veggies would be: Edamame, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Napa Cabbage.

I am a lazy girl when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth. 
So lazy that sometimes I pour Nesquick Chocolate Syrup in my mouth, straight from the bottle, 
with the fridge door still open...
AND
I am NOT a baker.
Even the idea of a minute mug cake seems like too much effort to me due to the number of ingredients and measuring they often require. Ain't nobody got time for that, well according to Instagram and the internet plenty of people do BUT not me. I want minimal effort with maximum deliciousness.

SO what started out as a "hold me over before dinner time" protein packed snack to quell my craving for chocolate (which seems to be non stop) ended up into THIS.

These three ingredients mixed together created a batter like consistency, BUT unlike most batter recipes THIS recipe is IBS approved since it doesn't use beans or bananas. 

Adjust the recipe amounts to your tastebud preferences and how much you want to eat
*6 Tablespoons Egg Whites = 10 Grams of Protein*

3 Ingredient Healthy "Brownie" Batter

• 6-9 Tbsp. Egg Whites - carton kind
• 1 LARGE spoonful of Cocoa Powder
• Sweetener of Choice* to taste

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add egg whites 
2. Microwave for 30-45 seconds (you want it to be only a little bit cooked with some egg whites still in a liquid state)
3. Add LARGE spoonful of cocoa powder, mix with a FORK to fluff up the egg whites and distribute the cocoa powder through out the egg white solid/liquid mixture
4. Cook an additional 30 seconds or until all liquid is cooked through
5. Fluff egg whites with a fork while adding sweetener of choice (I used a half packet of stevia)

                                  ENJOY WARM OOEY GOOEY BROWNIE GOODNESS 
Tips/Notes
- Liquid Egg Whites from a carton are recommended since they are pasteurized and can be eaten undercooked

SWEETENER OPTIONS: 
Stevia, Honey, Coconut Sugar.  
I have not tried it with regular sugar, it MAY be too grainy for the batter

BROWNIE BATTER ADD IN IDEAS:
Once the "batter" has been made, why not try adding one of the following:
- Peanut Butter/PB2 
- Chocolate Chips/Cacoa Nibs

• What's your "guilty snacking pleasure"? Do you take Nesquick to the face like me?
• Do you love brownie/cookie/cake batter?  Favorite type?
• Are you a baker? 
• How do you satisfy your sweet tooth?