Nutrisystem doesn’t totally leave my life even though I am not on this diet any longer. I stayed with it enough to figure what I needed to take away from it, which is cooking healthy, often, and not overeating. I am probably getting more calories than Nutrisystem’s 1,200 per day, but I am also eating fresher and more natural food.

I enjoy making something for my family that is not only loved, but also good for them. My kids like this chicken and go crazy over this salad, but couldn’t care less for potatoes. I, unfortunately, care about potatoes wholeheartedly, and did so since early childhood. My fitness trainer tells us every day how important protein is, but I would choose carbs over it any day. Thanks to Nutrisystem, I control myself, go for healthier options, and watch not only what I put on my plate, but also how much of it.

This meal is one of our staples and we eat it often. I love roasting chicken drums or wings in the oven, but I let my husband grill them on the weekends. Today the chicken was oven roasted, with oven roasted potatoes, and fresh salad with oil and lemon.

Ingredients:

• Organic chicken drums and wings
• Chicken seasoning
• 5 medium organic potatoes
• 5-7 organic Campari tomatoes
• 4 organic Persian cucumbers
• 3 large organic radish
• 1 Organic red or orange paprika
• ¼ of small organic purple cabbage
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• ½ of organic lemon juice

First I preheat my slow oven to 390 degrees. While it is getting ready, I season my chicken.

The best practice is to season it a few hours before roasting, but this time I didn’t get it unfrozen in time.

Put seasoning of your choice on both sides if drums, wings, or whatever other parts of chicken you are cooking. Place chicken pieces on foil lined baking dish and pour just a little bit of water on the bottom of it.

Next are potatoes. Take another baking dish and line it with foil. Wash your potatoes and peel the skin if desired. I usually cook organic potatoes with skin, but today I simply forgot and peeled them on auto pilot.

It actually was a good thing as they formed very tasty slightly dried and golden brown surface when cooked, which was like a second skin.

Potatoes should be cut into quarters length wise, seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with olive oil.

In the oven arrange the chicken on medium level rack and place potatoes right below it. I usually cook my chicken for an hour and flip them one time in the middle of cooking. If potatoes would be cooking alone, they would not take more than 30 mins to get done, but when they share the heat with chicken, they should stay in the oven the entire time.

While your chicken and potatoes are cooking, make salad.

I put whatever vegetables I have into this salad, because literally anything works.

I also don’t have any proportions, just put what you like and however much of veggies you prefer.

Today I cut up about 7 small Campari tomatoes, 4 small Persian cucumbers, 3 radishes, 1 red paprika, and a quarter of small purple cabbage.

Make sure everything you use is fresh, organic, and washed.

Put all the vegetables into your salad bowl, season heavily with salt and pepper, pour some olive oil, and squeeze about ½ of lemon juice.

Stir everything to combine and taste to make sure there is enough salt and lemon.

My kids love this salad so much they ask for extra helpings and then drink the juice from the bottom of the bowl. I also enjoy this salad and feel that I can eat unlimited amount of it totally guilt-free.

Once your chicken and potatoes are done, take them out and arrange on the plate with a tall heap of salad.

Enjoy!