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.


 

Pesto Chicken and Grilled Romaine Hearts with Parmesan

Listen up, busy moms!  This one is super easy and oh so delicious.  I can't begin to explain how much I LOVE Trader Joe's.  I'll be posting lots of recipes and snack ideas using items from Trader Joe's.  This meal is no exception.

Turn the grill on to medium heat for the chicken.  While your grill heats up, get the following out of the refrigerator:

Pre-marinaded pesto chicken from Trader Joe's
(or make your own: chicken marinaded all day  in
store bought  pesto sauce, I recommend Classico)

2 Romaine Hearts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Parmesan Cheese

Place romaine hearts in a large container.
Pour oil and vinegar (about 3 tablespoons of each) on top.
Set aside.

Place chicken on heated grill.

Cook until done (about 7 minutes per side).
Remove from the grill and set aside.

Turn the grill on to HIGH heat.
Place Romaine hearts on grill.
Cook about 1 or 2 minutes per side,
or until just seared.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve!

Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti, Italian Salad and Edwards House Dressing

First off, I apologize for the poor quality pictures.  In the middle of cooking our electricity went off.  Luckily I have gas, so I was able to cook to candle light.  But, by the time it was ready to eat we still had no electricity, so we had to take these pictures in the dark.  I will say, this is THE BEST meal I had all week!  TONS of GARLIC!

ZUCCHINI NOODLE SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

• 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 LB ground beef or turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed thru a garlic press
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce of your choice (I use Mezzetta brand Napa Valley Bistro.  It is one of the most expensive jarred sauces, but it's taste is superior.  There's no added sugar and it has the perfect balance of tomatoes, olive oil and seasonings....try it!)
• 2 zucchinis
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil.  When hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the ground turkey/beef and cook until no longer pink.  Turn the heat down to low and add the spaghetti sauce.  While the spaghetti sauce mixture heats up make the zucchini noodles.

To make the noodles you will need a spiral slicer.  If you do not have one, you should!  These things are awesome!  Below is a picture of my Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiral Slicer.  Bread Becker carries them and you can also find them online for less than $30.  Follow the package instructions for making "noodles" or "strings".

   

Plate your "noodles", meat sauce then top with Parmesan cheese.

ITALIAN SALAD

This week my farmer's market had these huge, fresh heads of romaine lettuce and I couldn't help but get one. That was the start to this refreshing salad.

In a large bowl combine, in this order:

• 1/2 a head (or so) of romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 small cucumber cut diagonally, then horizontally to create half moons
• 1 tomato, diced large
• 1/2 purple onion, sliced in thin rings
• 2 to 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Top with the Edwards House Dressing.

EDWARDS HOUSE DRESSING

This tangy dressing is made with 100% Organic, unfiltered, raw Apple Cider Vinegar.  I can't even begin to tell you how amazing Apple Cider Vinegar is for your health.  Vinegar is a fermented food which contains enzymes and a host of macro nutrients.  To read more about vinegar, check this out:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/health-benefits-apple-cider-vinegar.html

On to the recipe:

In a salad making container (which is what I used here) or a Tupperware container with a tight lid combine the following in this order:

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning (dried herb mix)
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed in a garlic press
• few dashes of salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix well.  Serve over salad.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies...NO Sugar, NO Grains, NO Dairy..and still super TASTY!

I guess you can say I'm on a roll.  This is my third post in three days!  Go me!  Actually, I'm excited about blogging, so excited I've neglected work stuff...like Quick Books.  Oh well.  Hopefully I'll catch up soon.  For now, it's cookie time!  Yes, I did eat one...or two...or maybe even three...oops!  ; )

There are a few ingredients in these cookies that you may not have ever worked with before, especially in baking:

1. Agave Nectar:  I purchase raw, organic agave nectar from a local store called Bread Beckers at only $10 for 44 ounces.  Here's the brand I buy:  http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Organic_Raw_Blue_Agave.html
2. Almond Flour:  I make my own, since the already ground stuff is so much more expensive.  It's easy to make: put raw almonds in a food processor and grind for 15 to 30 seconds or until it's a meal texture.  Do not overgrind or you could possible make almond butter.  If you chose to buy the flour, I've heard Trader Joe's has the best price on almond flour.
3. Coconut Flour:  This is a new one for me.  It has a strong coconut taste.  Use it in small quantities with other flours.  I learned that lesson real quick.  You can buy coconut flour at Harry's/Whole Foods and possibly a local Kroger or Publix, in the organic section...

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips, based on your likings

If you need to, make your almond flour in the food processor and set it aside.

DO NOT PREHEAT YOUR OVEN YET.  I'll explain why in a minute.

In a kitchen aid mixer or a food processor, combine the peanut butter, agave and eggs until incorporated together.

In a separate bowl combine the flours, powder, soda and salt.  Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  mix just until combined.

Then, add the chocolate chips and mix or pulse just enough to incorporate those in, too.

Using a small ice cream scoop or a a large spoon, drop the dough onto a stone or cookie sheet of your choice (don't forget the grease the sheet if you aren't using a stone).

Put the stone/cookie sheet, with the drops of cookie dough on it, in the fridge.  This will help the cookies set well and bake without spreading and flattening.

NOW, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  When the oven reaches 350 degrees, take the cookie sheet out of the fridge and put it in the oven.  Bake for 12 minutes.  When you take them out of the oven you may have to let them rest on the cookie sheet a few minutes before you are able to transfer them to a cooling rack or a piece of wax paper.

I put the remaining cookie dough in the fridge to rest until the first batch is done and I'm ready to bake my second batch.

This will make about 24 cookies.

All Out Burgers

These burgers have sort of evolved over time.  Every time I made them my husband or I would say "hmmm, this or that would be good on the burger, too".  So, here you go, our version of the turkey burger, all decked out!

First, I get the burgers (ground beef or ground turkey, your preference) on the grill.  While the burgers are cooking I cook the toppings on a griddle.  Our toppings of choice:

• grated sweet potato
• uncured turkey bacon
• onions and mushrooms
• "fried" eggs
• jalapeños
• goat cheese
• raw cheddar cheese*
• avocados (not pictured because I already made my kids' burgers and used them on their burgers)

Our final product:

 I chose a little sweet potato, turkey bacon, onions and mushrooms, an egg and a slice of cheddar cheese.  SO GOOD!

Jonathan chose sweet potato, turkey bacon, goat cheese, jalapeños and egg.

You know what really makes these?  The egg on top!  When you cut into the burger some of the egg yolk juices out!  So freakin' good!

*We eat raw dairy.  Soon I'll dedicate a post to raw dairy products.