Welcome to the Wellness Passport!

Airport reflections and my current favorite crispy chicken recipe

I'm the weirdo who loves long layover walks in airports. seeing so many souls in motion, crossing paths for the first and likely last time — on their ways to important people and places and purposes — is to me, something sort of beautiful

it's a reminder that we're all in our own ways wanderers — separately journeying, similarly searching.

I’m typing this as I sit at a bar in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, glass of dry bubbles in hand. The snack bag I packed at home is conveniently hung on one of those beneath-the-table hooks, making it easy to sneak mousy bites from a half eaten Trader Joe’s ‘tapas sampler.’

“Be discrete,” I think to myself as the bartender lasers a side eye my way.

iPhone alarm is set to exactly 45 minutes. This is an assurance that the distraction of watching passerby doesn’t make me late to the gate — or worse, miss my connecting flight. I wish I could say I’ve never had to overnight in an airport for this reason, but I can’t.

What I can say is I’m so excited you’re here. Here joining me on this journey — both literally (to Europe) and figuratively (in life). The Wellness Passport will be a mish-mash of easy meal ideas, musings from adventures stateside and abroad, links to all my favorite products, and diary entries not shared on instagram (dating tell-alls to come!)

There was no easy segue from airport to chicken (forgive me?) but this Crispy Chicken with Garlic-Feta zucchini is kind of (sort of) a springtime segue from winter to summer — it’s comfort food meets fresh flavors. It’s hearty(ish) meets healthy(ish). It’s cozy meets quick.

I made it three times in one week and have a feeling you may want to, too!

CRISPY CHICKEN WITH GARLIC-FETA ZUCCHINI

2 boneless chicken breasts • 1 persian cucumber • 4 oz sour cream • 2 cloves garlic • 2 medium zucchini • 2 tsp lemon juice •1/2 cup panko bread crumbs • 2 oz feta cheese crumbles • 1 tsp ranch seasoning (I like Trader Joe’s) • 2 dill sprigs • salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken:

1) Pound chicken breasts to an even 1/4 inch. Pat dry and season with ranch seasoning and salt and pepper.

2) Place panko on a plate and press both sides of chicken into crumbs.

3) Cook in a hot skillet with 2 tsp olive oil; flip after 3-5 min and cook other side until done.

For the zucchini:

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. cook in hot skillet with 1 tsp olive oil and garlic, stirring until tender. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp lemon juice.

For the sauce:

In small bowl, combine finely chopped cucumber, minced dill, sour cream, and remaining lemon juice.

Serve chicken topped with sauce and zucchini topped with feta cheese.