Lemon Pepper Chicken “Spaghetti”

I like this recipe because it is fast, easy and most of all, there aren’t a ton of dishes to do afterwards.

Taste: I like spaghetti squash a lot. So I think it is delicious. For those of you who enjoy more powerful seasonings, feel free to mix it up. Here, I kept it fairly simple because I prefer to eat vegetables without too much alteration. This is a really simple meal to add to. You can throw on some marinara sauce for a more traditional “spaghetti” meal.

Ease of preparation: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being not even your great grandmother would spend that much time in the kitchen preparing  this and 1 being you didn’t even put the effort into warming up your pop tart, I would say this is a 3.7. So, not too bad for the average college student. Also, this is an easy meal to make a lot of at once and reheat when you’re in a pinch for time.

Ingredients
Amount	Measure	Ingredient
3	piece	Chicken Breast Cutlet
3	cup, cubes	spaghetti squash
1	dash	salt
2	teaspoon	Lemon Pepper
1	dash	black pepper
1	tablespoon	butter
1	teaspoon	olive oil
3	cup, chopped	Kale Blend
1 1/2	cup	Applesauce, canned, sweetened, without salt
1	teaspoon	cinnamon, ground

Steps
Sequence	Step
1	First, cut your spaghetti squash in half "hot dog style". You won''t need the entire thing. Place the squash middle down on a microwave safe plate. Stab in with a fork 6-7 times (this will allow the steam to escape while it is cooking). Pour a few millimeters of water onto the plate and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave for 10 minutes on high.
2	While your squash is spinning around, heat a pan on the stove, or plug in your George Forman. Oil your cooking surface with a smidgeon of olive oil. Sprinkle your lemon pepper on both sides of your chicken breast and place it in the Forman. I use the frozen chicken breasts that you can buy in the freezer section of your grocery. They are very convenient. I don''t even defrost them before cooking and they always turn out juicy and tender. Mine usually cook up in about 10 minutes using the George Forman. If you are using a pan, just turn them over when they are golden brown. Make sure you cook the chicken all the way. Nobody wants to get sick here.
3	Your spaghetti squash should be done by now. Use hot pads when you take it out and take caution not to dump the water on yourself. That would be a mistake. Remove the plastic wrap and flip your squash over. Using a fork, remove the squash from the shell, fluffing it as you do. It looks like spaghetti, right? Who would have thought? Anyway, put about a cup of this on your plate. If you are serving more than just yourself, do the same for your amigos. If not, just wrap up the wrest and store it in the fridge. This is where I add a little butter, salt, and pepper.
4	Slice your chicken, or don''t, and place it on your plate. I like green stuff. Specifically the Kale blend. So, I put a bunch of that on my plate as well. I don''t really love salad dressings, but if you do, go right ahead and dump it all over those babies. Get your fruit on by pouring some applesauce into a little dish and dust some cinnamon sugar on it.
5	That''s it. You''re done. The only thing left to do is eat it. Well, that, and do your dishes. Because no one likes ''that'' roommate. Yeah, don''t be that guy.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size (463 g) Servings Per Recipe 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories 540 Calories from Fat 252 (46%)
	% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28 g	43 %
Saturated Fat 7.4 g	37 %
Monounsaturated Fat 11.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 8.8 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 890 g	297 %
Sodium 1217 mg	51 %
Potassium 821 mg	23 %
Total Carbohydrate 49 g	16 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12 %
Sugars 21 g	NA
Protein 24 g	48 %
Vitamin A	210 %
Vitamin C	140 %
Calcium	13 %
Iron	11 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

This recipe has a decent amount of protein. Protein is the building block of your cells. It is important for cell production and repair. This is also very high in Vitamin A which is good for vision and  bone health. It also supports your immune system which is always a plus while you are in school.

There is no dairy represented here. That can be easily fixed by adding a glass of milk. Also, there are no grains.  A lot of people eat bread with their spaghetti. So, a good addition could be some whole grain bread. You can spread some butter on it and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese, then toast it in the oven for a few minutes. Then you are a little fancy. College chic, if you will.

I believe this is a healthy meal because it incorporates two servings of vegetables, a serving of fruit, and protein. You lose a little by adding butter to your squash, but you can easily omit that.

Hatch, K