Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

This salad was inspired by a Rachel Ray recipe.  It is very similar to hers, but I made it a little easier and took out ingredients we do not eat (like bread crumbs).  Also, I do a light "fry" then transfer the chicken to the oven to finish baking it.  This is a perfect technique to get a "fried" piece of chicken without frying it.

Here we go...

What you need:
1.5 pounds chicken
1 1/2 to 2 cups pecans
2 egg whites
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 head romaine
1 bunch of green onions
8 (or so) radishes
olive oil
maple syrup
barbeque sauce
salt and pepper


Cut chicken breasts thin and set aside

Turn your griddle or large pan on the med high heat.  Also turn the oven on to 350 degrees.  While it warms up:

Grind the pecans in a coffee grinder or food processor or blender until flour like.  Do not over process or it will turn to pecan butter.  Transfer to a shallow bowl.  Add the zest of one orange along with salt and pepper to taste.

In a second shallow bowl, place egg whites from 2 eggs (discard the yolks or save them for something else)

Coat your pan or griddle with several tablespoons of olive oil.

Roll the chicken in the egg whites and then the pecan/orange zest mixture 1 breast at a time.  Place them on the hot pan/griddle. And cook them for 2 to 3 minutes.  The goal is not to cook them thru but to cook them just enough to create a crunchy outer layer.

Flip them over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to a baking sheet.  Continue this process until they are all cooked.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thru.

While the chicken is baking, let's make the salad and dessing.

For the salad:  Cut 1 head romaine lettuce, the green onions and sliver slice the radishes.  Set aside.

For the dressing you'll need the orange juice (from the orange you zested for the pecan crust), barbeque sauce, maple syrup and olive oil.















In a tupperware container start with the orange juice and add equal parts barbecue sauce, maple syrup and olive oil.  I recommend 3 tablespoon of each. That makes the perfect amount of dressing for 4 large servings.  Whisk together until well combined.

When the chicken is done baking, let it rest for a few minutes.

On a plate or in a large salad bowl place the lettuce, green onions, radishes, sliced pecan chicken and drizzle with the dressing.  This is plenty of salad to serve me, my husband and two young daughters for dinner AND have enough leftovers for us to eat for lunch he next day.

ENJOY!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

This IS a Heather original!  I came up with the recipe many years ago.  I've shared it with several friends and it's now apart of their recipe collection too.  These are a perfect Sunday morning breakfast.  It's PANCAKES, a weekend tradition for lots of families AND it's perfectly balanced with fat, carbohydrates and protein.  No guilt here!  And, to top it all off, the recipe makes 24 pancakes.  That means leftovers for my family.  And leftovers means I don't have to cook breakfast Monday morning, sometimes the most hectic morning of the week for me.


What you'll need:
1 large bowl
a blender
flat griddle

1/3 cup flax seeds
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 T baking powder
1-32 oz container cottage cheese (regular, NOT low fat or fat free)
1-16 oz container liquid egg whites
4 eggs


First, grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder.










Transfer to the large bowl.





 




Grind the oats in the coffee grinder, 1/2 cup at a time, and transfer to the large bowl with the flax seeds.
(OOPS!  I didn't take a picture of this step!)

Add the baking powder to the dry mixture bowl with the ground flax seeds and oats.

In the blender add the container of cottage cheese, carton of egg whites and 4 eggs.

Add your bowl of dry ingredients to the blender.  (I stirred mine a little bit before taking this picture, but you do not have to stir it.  The blender will do that for you)

Liquefy until well combined, about 30 seconds or so.

Transfer the batter back to that large bowl you used for the flour mixture.











Let it rest there while your griddle heats up.

Turn the griddle on to a high setting, 400 degrees for me.

Once the griddle is hot, butter the griddle.  Here is my handy way to do so:

Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour the batter onto the griddle making 1/4 cup size pancakes.

Cook until bubbles for on the top and the pancakes are set.

Then, flip and cook another 30 seconds or so.

Continue doing this until all batter is used.  It should make about 24 pancakes.

Serve with your favorite topping (agave, maple, etc.)

Store leftovers in the fridge for several days.



Snack idea:
Eat them as an afternoon snack with a little peanut butter spread on top and several slices of banana.  Roll that baby up and eat it like a burrito.

Raw Kale Salad

So, for everyone who knows me well knows I've experimented with just about every "style" of eating there is under the sun.  This is one I learned while on a raw foods diet.  It's one that has stuck with us over the years.

OK, I'll admit, this is not a Heather original.  It's from The Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/massaged-kale-salad-recipe/index.html).  But, it's so good I have to share it with y'all.

The ingredients are simple; it's the technique that may be new to you.  I'll explain myself in the directions.

RAW KALE SALAD

1 bunch kale
1/4 t salt
2 to 3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 mango, cut into pieces
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) raw or toasted will work
juice of 1 lemon

Remove the kale leaves from the stems and tear them into small pieces.  Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt.  Massage these wet ingredients into the kale for a few minutes.  The leaves should now look wilted.  Add the mango and pepitas and incorporate them into the kale.  Voila!  That's it!  This salad will last in the refrigerator for several days.