As summer approaches and the amount of time I feel like spending in the kitchen diminishes I have started working on a series of recipes that can either be made in less than 20 minutes or can be cooked one night and turned into a few night’s dinners. Not exactly leftovers but using leftover foods to create new and exciting meals. Let’s call the series Simple Foods, Delicious Meals…

Roasted Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, four halves
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• ½ tsp lemon rind, grated
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a roasting pan or baking sheet with cooking spray. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them on the pan. Sprinkle with oregano, lemon rind and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Makes 4 servings. 3 points per serving.

Notes
Line your roasting pan or baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Also, this recipe can be altered in many different ways. Try fresh thyme instead of oregano or use dried seasonings, just reduce the amount to one teaspoon. Throw some grated parmesan cheese on there for some added flavor.

Meals
These Roasted Chicken Breasts can be served as is alongside some sautéed broccoli rabe and brown rice but they also can be converted into other meals. Check out my suggestions…

Chopped Salad
Dice some roasted chicken and add to a bowlful of chopped veggies such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and mushrooms. Throw in some chick peas and crumbled turkey bacon and serve on a bed of lettuce with a low calorie dressing.

Chicken Quesadilla
Using whole wheat tortillas make a fabulous quesadilla with slice chicken breast, sautéed mushrooms and spinach and a little low-fat pepper jack cheese for some kick.

Chicken Sandwich
Place half a breast on a whole wheat roll and top with roasted red peppers and basil mayonnaise.