Tonight on E! Entertainment News

You may have seen my mug on the E! Entertainment News show today, but if you blinked you may have missed it. That’s why we like Tivo! (You can still catch it at 11:30 EST/8:30 PST, rerunning at 3:30am/12:30am & shown on Tuesday in Ireland–check your listings.)

My friend and celebrity trainer, Valerie Waters, invited me to show her clients a simple healthy Red Carpet Ready approved recipe. On the menu: mouth watering Orange Ginger Chicken with Roast Asparagus followed by a Chicken & Avocado Wrap recipe that?s so easy to make (with leftovers!). Valerie even got in on the action showing off her new favorite green smoothie recipe, perfect for hot summers and loaded with good stuff for a healthy body.

VALERIE WATERS’ TROPICAL GREEN SMOOTHIE

2 big handfuls of raw spinach

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 banana

1 cup of water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Easy Peasy!

ORANGE GINGER CHICKEN WITH ROAST ASPARAGUS

RECIPE:

Serves 2

4 x 6oz chicken breasts ( 2 for dinner, 2 more leftover lunch)



Chicken Marinade

1 cup orange juice

1 tbsp fresh ginger ? grated

½ tsp chili flakes

12 asparagus spears

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425F (220C)

Put all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag along with chicken breasts. Marinate in the fridge for up to 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let it return to room temperature.

To prepare asparagus; trim woody white stalks from the end of each spear approx. 1 -2? in length.

Once ready to cook, lay marinated chicken breasts on a foiled roasting tray along with asparagus spears.

TIP: Add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth to the roasting tray before popping in the oven. The broth will create steam in the oven and help keep the chicken moist while cooking.

Cook for 7-8 minutes in oven or until internal temp. 165F. Serve with fresh orange segments.

As you know, lunch is one of those meals that’s usually a grab and go or you or it’s pricey. My trick kills two birds with one stone: plan ahead. By making extra portions for dinner you automatically have lunch for the next day. Want to spice it up and make a completely different meal out of left overs? It’s easier than you think. For instance, take the Orange Ginger Chicken dinner and turn it into a wrap. You’re in charge–load it up with fresh veg and go easy on any low-fat/non-fat dressing and you’ll not only have something healthy to eat, you’ll be cutting out any unwanted hidden calories.

CHICKEN & AVOCADO WRAP

RECIPE:

Serves 2

Leftover chicken breasts from dinner ? thinly sliced lengthwise

¼ avocado per tortilla ? sliced

Handful chopped romaine lettuce

spread of light mayo

spread of dijon mustard

8? whole wheat low-carb tortillas

The amount of ingredients you?ll need will depend on how much chicken you have leftover.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Lay the tortillas on a clean surface. Smear thin layer of both light mayo and mustard on each tortillas primarily around center.

Lay 3 or 4 slices of chicken in center of each.

Place avocado slices on top along with small handful of chopped romaine.

Add pinch salt on top.

Fold tightly (without breaking) as normal to make wrap.

Make ahead of time and refrigerate for next day lunch. Serve with side of fruit or side salad.

Have fun with it–add in fresh orange segments for an extra zing or even left over asparagus for more nutrients.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers? market whole foods as well as natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Gavan Murphy is the The Healthy Irishman.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

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