Quick chicken & green onion stir fry

First, let me begin by saying thank you to everyone for the sweet and thoughtful birthday wishes and gifts!  It has been a 4 day birthday extravaganza, and I don't want it to end.

A special thank you to my coworkers, who surprised me with this adorable "cake" yesterday morning:

I say "cake" because it's actually a round layer cake decorated to look like a cupcake!!!  Uh-door-uh-bull! :)  And incredibly delicious.  That icing is my very favorite kind of icing and, guess what, it hails from a local grocery store chain!  Take that, overpriced underflavored trendy cupcake shops.  Although I can be a total baking snob, I try to keep an open mind and this is one of my rewards.

Paired with some fresh strawberries and blueberries, I had a giant slice around 9:00 and another (after a lunch of carrots and a turkey sandwich) around 1:00.  By 2:00 I could feel blood icing coursing through my veins and knew I had to act quickly because a) I planned to go to the gym after work, and b) I had an ice cream date in the works for later that evening.

So, what should you do if you've had a delicious but verrrrrrrry sweet day like I had?

1. Chug, chug, chug!  Water, that is.  Drinking plenty of this clean natural fluid will help to keep your body hydrated while flushing out the bad stuff (that happens to taste oh so good).

2. Hit the gym!  ...but don't go overboard.  Working up a good sweat will kick start your metabolism and help you feel a little more human in the process.  But, if you start to get cramps from too much sugar intake, which may happen, listen to your body and slow it down.  Pushing yourself to discomfort and illness is not going to help you.  Remember, walking and biking are effective but slightly lower impact activities.

3. Don't skip regular meals!  You may think, "Since I had a large slice of cake, I'll skip dinner to keep my calorie count down."  Worst idea ever, folks.  Give your body something more than empty calories to fuel itself.  Lean protein and fibrous vegetables are your friends in times like these.

So, how did my evening end?  I whipped up a quick and easy dinner: chicken and scallion stir-fry.  It hit the spot and balanced my body out enough so that I could enjoy a scoop of ice cream as my final birthday treat :)


Chicken and Scallion Stir-Fry
-serves 2-3

A few notes: Any protein will do in this recipe, so feel free to try beef, shrimp, or even tofu.

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teasoon red pepper flakes
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
Ground black pepper
Cooked rice, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving (optional)

Heat a large skillet or wok over high.  Add oil and swirl to coat skillet  Add chicken and stir until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add scallions and stir until bright green, about 1 minute.  Add lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons water.  Cook, scraping up any browned bits from skillet, about 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice, with soy sauce if desired.