Thanksgiving Withdrawal

The days that follow the thanksgiving weekend are not easy. Putting aside the usual difficulty of going back to work after a long weekend, you have the additional pain, anguish and shakes that come with weaning yourself from a powerful narcotic, in this case, food.

If, like me, your thanksgiving feasting tends to overflow into the weekend due to leftovers, family meals and/or hangover therapy, then you are headed for a hurtin' when you get your usual salad at lunch today. Some people avoid this discomfort altogether and just let themselves grow a warm winter “layer” between November and January. But I think there is another option… The key to getting out of holidays alive and unscarred without the extra chunk is to keep on eating hearty and delicious food buttttt make it healthy! Impossible??? Of course not!! Continue reading for a filling and tasty chicken dish that will ease the transition from gluttony.

Lemon Olive Chicken

Ingredients
-Chicken – 3 breasts or thighs
-1 cup pitted kalamata olives
-3 cloves garlic – peeled and finely chopped
-the juice from 2 lemons
-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 onion chopped into slices
-2 cups thin green beans (aka French green beans)


Prep
-Season chicken well with salt and pepper
-Put chicken and all of the above ingredients besides the onions and green beans in a large ziplock bag.
-Shake around to mix and put bag in the fridge the night before you are going to cook to marinade.

Cooking
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
-Line a pan with tinfoil and spray with Pam
-Pour chicken, all marinade juice and olives onto the pan
-Put the chopped onion and green beans around the chicken (in the marinade)
-Bake for 43 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
- Serve and enjoy

Congratulations, you have taken the first step in Thanksgiving detox 101.