Dijon Chicken Salad

This is one of those dishes that I came across online and just HAD to make. This is the perfect make-ahead salad to pack in your lunches for the week, or just for a healthy weeknight dinner.

A little warning, it's a little time consuming with the different steps to prepare, but if you buy pre-grilled chicken and pre-roasted peppers that will save you a lot of time. If you have time to make it by scratch you wont be disappointed! I fed this to my 10-month-old and he loved it! I ended up not adding all the dressing to the salad but I did just enough to coat it and get the flavor.

Dijon Chicken Salad
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 30 minutes            READY IN: 50 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 quart fat free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or sliced raw almonds (optional)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, roasted and diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 large bell peppers, roasted (or store bought works great too)
• salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. To roast your peppers preheat oven to 450º. On a lined baking sheet, spray with coconut oil. Cut peppers into quarters and place skin-side up. Bake peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin begins to blacken (its okay if its black--that's what you want). Once peppers are done transfer them to either a ziploc back or a covered bowl to allow them to steam. 
2. While peppers are roasting, mix asparagus with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When peppers have about 10 minutes left, throw asparagus on the baking sheet. Allow them to roast 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of asparagus). Allow asparagus to cool before chopping. 
3. For the salad add chicken broth and bay leaves in a large skillet with a lid and allow it to come to a simmer. 
4. Add chicken breasts to the skillet and bring broth to a boil. Cover pot. Allow chicken to cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of chicken. 
5. While chicken is cooking you can prepare the other salad ingredients. Chop garlic, onion, asparagus, basil and parsley and place them in a large bowl.
6. Take your peppers out of the bowl, or whatever you placed it in, and remove the skin. They should just slide right off. Chop peppers and add them to the salad mixture. 
7. Once chicken is cooked, shred it into bite size pieces and add it to your salad. 
8. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender until combined. Add dressing to your salad and toss to combine. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    120 calories  2g fat  6g carbs   16g protein   4g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from stiritup.me

Veggie Noodles with Thai Peanut Sauce

I realize I may be a bit behind the times here for anyone who is more experienced in the low-carb thing, but I am recently so excited about the idea of veggie pasta! For a while I've known about spaghetti squash as a good pasta substitute, but I've also discovered that there are a ton more options out there for substituting veggies instead of high-carb pastas and rice. Using a julienne peeler (or if you have time and patience you can do this with a knife) you simply thin slice any number of veggies to create easy to eat, super healthy carb alternatives. At first I wondered if they would need to be cooked somehow to make them soft and flexible enough to eat. You probably could do this with some recipes, such as with a hot pasta dish, but the thin sliced vegetables are just great uncooked with any number of dressings or sauces. (When I served this to my husband he was convinced that I had mixed in the veggie pasta with real pasta - I had to convince him that it was actually all vegetables!) My mind is reeling with the possibilities, and I can promise you will be seeing more of this from me in the weeks to come!

With this recipe, I used a favorite Thai peanut sauce that we've traditionally used as a pasta salad sauce. It's full of flavor, with just enough spice and tang, and the peanut butter makes it creamy and filling. For an even heartier meal with more protein, you could serve this salad topped with a fish fillet, or mix in some tune or shredded chicken.

A couple of tips about making the noodles ... Like I said, a julienne peeler  seems to be the best way to go for making these quickly and simply (or there are also more fancy contraptions out there that I haven't yet invested in, but that I may need to start putting on my wish list!), but you could also get a similar result using a knife. If using a julienne peeler, watch out because man, those things are sharp! Also, for the zucchini, I cut my slices starting with the peel until I got down to the seedy part in the center. The centers didn't work as well to create the long slices, though. Don't throw them out, though! I saved the centers and then used them for baking (as you'll see in an upcoming Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread!).

Thai Veggie Noodles
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 25 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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•  For the sauce:
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• For the "noodles:"
•  4-6 medium zucchini
• 3-4 medium carrots
• Toppings: peanuts, diced green onions, minced cilantro

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until they are smooth and well combined.
2. To make the noodles, using a julienne peeler, peel off long strips of the zucchini and carrots resembling long pasta. (See the head notes for tips.)
3. Combine the zucchini and carrots in a large bowl. Toss with the peanut sauce right before serving. Top with crushed peanuts, green onions, and cilantro.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    2 cup serving    322 calories   17.9 g fat   31.9 g carbs    14.6 g protein    16 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Shrimp Avocado Dip

Growing up, I always looked forward to Christmas Eve. We would kick off the evening at church and would have a candlelight service and sing Christmas hymns. Afterwards, my dad whipped up some of his favorite "special" traditions including steamed pudding (yum!) and oyster stew (um yeah...). There was always plenty of food which often consisted of appetizers, soups, and goodies like cookies or fudge.

This is the first year that we are doing Christmas Eve (and day) solo as our very own family. I am looking forward to creating our own traditions, and blending those which have been passed along to my husband and me. Though it feels a little overwhelming to decide what we should do, I will adopt my mother-in-law's favorite saying, "Keep it simple." I figure if I screw it up big time this year, I have a few years before all my kiddos leave the house to make things right. One thing I know for sure is that we will be having this dip. This is a tradition that comes from my husband's side, I believe, but we modified it to be a little healthier. For years we've made it with cream cheese instead of avocados as the base. My husband had the brilliant thought that we should try avocados instead because it has the same texture as cream cheese. (And the colors just scream holidays, right?!) This dip tastes amazing, and bonus: it's healthy! If you already have your holiday menu planned out, this would also be perfect for New Year's Eve.

Shrimp Avocado Dip
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 avocados
• dash of salt
• 4 tablespoons cocktail sauce
• 1 cup of small cooked & peeled shrimp (I purchased my shrimp in the frozen section and just thawed with cold water prior to making this)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Peel and pit the avocados. 
2. Place the avocados in a small bowl and add the salt. Mash the avocados until smooth. Place on a plate.
3. Put cocktail sauce on top of the avocados.
4. Sprinkle the shrimp on top.
5. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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(not including crackers)

    1/8 cup serving    61 calories   5.2g fat   1.8g carbs    1g protein    1.7g sugar   

Enjoy!

Steak Roll-Ups

Have you ever been told not to play with your food?

Have you said that to your children?

Well this tasty dish allows just that and they are best eaten with your hands! Cooking is always more fun with you can get creative with your food. I wanted to show off my skills to my husband so I decided to use my fancy mandolin to slice my vegetables. I apparently got too cocky and sliced my finger. ouch. It wouldn't stop bleeding, so he had to finish cooking as I gave him instructions (so its not TOO hard). I admit, it's not the best way to get your husband to cook for you, but hey I'll take it!

I'm not a huge fan of balsamic vinegar, but the glaze was pretty tasty so I'd recommend giving it a try. I might serve it just with steak sauce next time. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Kaitlyn, she introduced me to Sweet Baby Rays sauce. I could drink the bottle. It makes everything better.

Steak Roll-Ups

2 SERVINGS (makes about 5 rolls) 

PREP: 30 minutes           COOK:10 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 lb skirt steak or thinly sliced sirloin
• Steak Seasoning of your choice (I just used seasoning salt)
• 1 carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 zucchini
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning 

Balsalmic Glaze (optional)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup beef broth

DIRECTIONS

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1. Trim your meat and pound it with a meat tenderizer. Cut meat into 2-3 inch strips (going along the length of the meat). Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and steak seasoning of your choice. Set aside in fridge for 30minutes. 
2. Cut vegetables into thin strips, I just used my simple slicer mandolin to do this, but a knife works too. Make the length of your vegetables a little wider than your steak strips. 
3. Peal and finely chop your garlic. 
4. Saute vegetables and garlic in a pan with a little olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with italian seasoning and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, start making your glaze. Melt the butter. Add in shallots, vinegar, sugar and beef broth. Cook until shallots are transparent and then set aside. 
6. Now the fun part. Take your steak and place in a good amount of the vegetables. Roll the steak and secure with a toothpick. Repeat step for remaining steak strips. 
7. On medium heat add a little oil, just enough to coat the pan. Add in your rolls. Cook each side until brown, or your desired doneness for steak. 
8. Serve with balsamic sauce spooned over the top. Don't forget to remove the toothpick before digging in!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 roll w/o glaze    130 calories   6g fat   3g carbs    14g protein    2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from http://picturetherecipe.com

Low-Carb Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Cookbooks! If anyone else out there is addicted to them, raise your hand! I love checking out cookbooks from the library and browsing them similarly to how most people browse magazines. The pictures, the ideas, the personality of someone's cooking style - I love it all. I usually come away with at least a few new ideas, but every so often I find a gem where it feels like it was a cookbook written just for me. Those are the ones where every single recipe jumps off the page, begging me to make it. Recently, I found one of those. It's called Latin D'Lite by Ingrid Hoffmann. Of Cuban descent, the author apparently was raised in the U.S. watching her mother cook in their family restaurant. As an adult, she wanted to recreate her favorite Latin dishes with a healthier twist - hence the concept of her Latin D'Lite cookbook. I found and adapted this recipe from there.

This is a beautifully colorful soup, packed full of vegetables and plenty of protein with the chicken. It has the comfortable feel of traditional chicken soup, but with a fresh, new Latin flavor twist. Most of the ingredients in this soup were familiar favorites to me, but I had fun with a new ingredient here. I had never eaten or cooked with yuca before (also called cassava - here's a picture if you're interested ... yes, I'm a food nerd!). It is a root vegetable, with a fairly thick, brown skin. Once peeled, the inside is whiter than a potato, and when cooked it turns a translucent color and maintains a thicker texture than most cooked potatoes. I'll be honest, I kind of fell in love with it, along with this fantastic soup.

Low-Carb Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup
8-10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20-30 minutes           COOK: 90-120 minutes            READY IN: 2-3 hours

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 rotisserie-style chicken (or 3-4 large chicken breasts)
• 10-12 cups water (or broth)
• 1 yellow onion - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 celery stalks - diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 medium red bell pepper - cored, seeded, and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium yuca, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (or some hot sauce, to taste)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 
• lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

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1. If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the meat from the chicken and set aside (the refrigerator would be best). Place the remaining chicken parts (bones, skin) in a large pot and cover with water. Place covered pot on stovetop on medium heat, and lightly boil for 60-90 minutes. This will create a nice broth base for the rest of the soup. Once the broth has cooked, and you are ready to continue with the soup, remove the solid pieces from the pot and discard, leaving the prepared broth. (Alternatively, you can use prepared chicken broth. If so, cook and shred 3-4 chicken breasts in place of the rotisserie chicken.)
2. Add in the prepared vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, red pepper, yuca, and sweet potato), along with the seasonings (cumin, jalapeño/hot sauce, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper) to the broth. Add more water if necessary to cover everything adequately (it's a thick, full soup with all the veggies, but the vegetables shouldn't "outnumber" the liquid - it's still a soup, after all!)
3. Let the soup simmer over medium-low heat for about 30-35 minutes. Check the flavor to see if it needs additional salt. 
4. Once the soup has cooked and the vegetables are soft, add back in the chicken meat (cutting any large pieces into bite-size pieces). Let the soup simmer another 10-15 minutes, until everything is hot.
5. Serve the soup generously garnished with cilantro and lime wedges for squeezing. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    2 cup serving    315 calories   5.4 g fat   12.9 g carbs    50.8 g protein    3.7 g sugar

This recipe would also be a really good way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. You could make up the broth from the turkey bones, or just mix in the turkey meat to the soup.

Recipe adapted from Latin D'Lite by Ingrid Hoffmann.

Baked Salmon

I'm not a big camper because I'm afraid of the dark---yes, even in my twenties--and I let my mind wander to the point where I'm convinced something will in fact get me through the tent. I just know that it would simply be an annoyance for any bear coming after me ... it would just slow them down and they would get through it one way or another. Needless to say, we don't camp unless I have a trailer, which means ... we don't camp. But, I adore the idea of gathering around the cozy fire with tin foil dinners cooking in the crackling fire as I'm wrapped in a blanket cuddled up to my sweetheart. This dinner brings that campfire taste to the comfort (and safety!) of my own kitchen. We eat this at least a few times a month and I still get requests for it, so I can't be the only one who thinks it's good!

Baked Salmon
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 60 minutes           READY IN: 65 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 pieces of 7 to 8 oz salmon, skinned and boneless (I get mine from Costco)
• 2 tablespoon fat free mayonnaise 
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut pieces of tin foil (one per salmon) large enough to cover the entire fillet.
3. Place each individual salmon on its foil. 
4. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each salmon. You want enough to do a thin layer on the top of the salmon so you might need to add or remove the mayo depending on the size of fillet you have. Sprinkle with sea salt. 
5. Cover the salmon and place on a cookie sheet. 
6. Let it cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes. You might need to adjust the time depending on your size, so check it every 10 minutes or so for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cooked fillet    414 calories  24.7g fat  1g carbs   43.9g protein   0.5g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from fit2fat2fit.com