Avocado Chicken Salad

  

This chicken salad recipe is adapted from one by my friend Mike.  It is easy, delicious, and a definite crowd-pleaser!  The avocado is the perfect simple, creamy alternative to mayo or dressing on a traditional chicken salad.

A few tips on buying and using avocados:

You have a few options when buying avocados.  You can buy avocados that are very hard when you squeeze them.  Store on the counter until they give a little when you squeeze them but are not at all mushy.  Then, either refrigerate them (for up to 4-5 days in my experience) OR use them right away.  You could also just buy avocados that give a little when you squeeze them but are not mushy.  Then refrigerate them for up to 4-5 days or use them right away.  I find the easiest way to cut up an avocado is to slice it longways down the middle, rotating the knife around the pit.  Then remove the pit with your fingers.  Hold one half of the avocado in the palm of your hand and (with a butter knife), score the avocado down to the skin in one direction and then again in a perpendicular direction.  Then use the knife to pop the chunks you have created out of the avocado skin.  Avocados are a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your meals.  I love to eat them in this salad, alongside eggs, mixed with salsa as a "dip" for raw vegetables, or in guacamole.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Adapted from Mike Lassak

2 lb chicken breasts or thighs

4 avocados

¼ cup lime juice

Salt

Pepper

8 ribs celery, diced

6 green onions, diced

1 c dried cranberries

Prepare chicken however you would like- bake, sauté, grill, etc.  You could also shred up a rotisserie chicken.  Whichever way you choose, just make sure you have about 2 lb. of meat.  (We like to bake 1 bag of Trader Joe’s chicken breasts or thighs and then cut it up to use in the salad).  Cut up chicken and set aside.  Mash up 4 avocados.  Squeeze about ¼ cup lime juice (fresh or bottled) and a liberal amount of salt and pepper onto the avocados.  Dice 8 ribs of celery and 6 green onions, then add that to the avocados.  Then add 1 cup of dried cranberries.  Next add the chopped up chicken.  Stir everything well and refrigerate before serving.  This keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days but tastes best when eaten within a day of making it.  

Pumpkin Ice Cream and Maple Candied Walnuts

As promised, here are the desserts we made for our holiday dinner last weekend: Pumpkin Ice Cream and Maple Candied Walnuts!  We own an ice cream maker, but I've only ever tried making ice cream once before.  I attempted making peach ice cream, but renamed it "peach dessert" since it didn't quite have the texture or consistency of ice cream.  It was a tasty dessert, but not quite ice cream per se.  This time around I wanted to make pumpkin ice cream.  I did a lot of research and reading to come up with this recipe.  I knew I wanted to use Snowville Creamery's whole, grass-fed milk, and local honey (that we got from our friend John!).  I also didn't want to have to mess around with adding eggs (which many ice creams require).  Finally I came up with the following recipe, inspired by many different pumpkin ice cream recipes out there.  I also learned that adding a bit of alcohol to ice cream keeps it softer and more "scoopable," so I tried adding some bourbon to my ice cream and it really did the trick!  The ice cream was easy to scoop, even after a few days in the freezer.  I recommend making this as a special holiday treat!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 c whole grass-fed milk
2/3 c honey 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp good quality bourbon

Mix all ingredients with the whisk attachment on an electric mixer until well combined.   Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, 15-20 minutes.  I recommend pouring the mixture in to the ice cream maker slowly- that's what I did and it seemed to work well.  (Most ice cream makers require the main compartment to be frozen before churning ice cream, so plan ahead and freeze this piece at least 24 hours before you plan to make the ice cream).  After 15-20 minutes the ice cream should be the consistency of soft serve.  You can eat it just like this OR freeze it in a shallow container.  Mine kept well for 5 days in the freezer.  I haven't experimented enough to know how long it would stay good past 5 days, so let me know if you try it.  This makes about 3 cups of ice cream.  

Maple Candied Walnuts

These are amazing and incredibly addictive on their own.  I've made them twice already this week and have eaten more than I care to admit.  They are also a great topping for the pumpkin ice cream! 

1 cup walnuts
1/4 c grade B maple syrup
1/8 tsp coarse salt

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt.  Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the maple syrup has caramelized (the walnuts will be completely coated in syrup and there will be little left sticking to the pan), about 5-7 minutes.  Spread walnuts out onto parchment paper and let cool.  Store in an airtight container on the counter (if they last long enough to put in a container- I'm telling you, these are addictive!)

Holiday Meal

Clockwise from upper left corner: cranberry sauce, turkey, sausage quinoa stuffing, white bean cauliflower mash, oven roasted sweet potatoes, oven roasted brussels sprouts, oven roasted green beans, salad.

During the holidays we travel to our parents’ houses and stay with them, which means we’re never the hosts of the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals (although our parents do let us do a lot of cooking when we're up there, which is very fun!)  So we decided to make some of our favorite holiday dishes and eat this yummy meal with our long-time friends and fellow "foodies."  The measurements in most of the dishes are not very exact, so just trust yourself with whatever amounts of seasoning and vegetables you want to add!   Here’s what we made (everything is pictured on the plate above):

Turkey

Clean and remove all unnecessary parts from a 14 lb. turkey.  Soften 1 stick of grass-fed butter (we used Kerrygold) and mix in salt, pepper, and chopped fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary (about 2 T of each).  Rub this mixture under the skin of the turkey, then sprinkle turkey with coarse salt and pepper.   Bake at 400 degrees on a rack in a roasting pan.   After about an hour, check the turkey and if the skin is browning a lot, make a tent over the turkey with foil and then put it back in the oven.  After 2 hours, begin to check the turkey about every 10 minutes to see if it is done.  When the turkey is done (either you've tested it with a thermometer or the timer in the turkey has "popped"), wrap it tightly with foil for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.  Then carve the turkey and serve! 

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

          Wash 4 lb. sweet potatoes (which will fill a 13x9 pan and cut into small cubes (a bit smaller than a die), leaving the skin on.  Microwave the sweet potatoes for about 2 ½ minutes.  We did this in batches because there were so many.  Place in 13x9 pan and toss with olive oil, then sprinkle with cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper.  We didn’t really measure this, just gave them a good coat with the cumin, a bit less cinnamon, just a dusting of cayenne and a good amount of salt and pepper.  Sorry for the inaccurate measurements.  Just experiment and trust yourself! 

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Oven Roasted Green Beans

                We used 1 lb. of thin, already cut green beans from Sam’s Club for ease of preparation.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 or 425 would also be fine.  We cooked them at 400 because that’s what the oven was already at from the turkey).  Line baking sheet with foil and place green beans on sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then toss to coat.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until they have some good color.

Sausage and Quinoa Stuffing

                In a large dutch oven, brown 2 lb. sausage.  We used ground pork from the ½ pig that we just bought!  (This is the first dish we made with our pork!)  When the meat is almost fully cooked, add 1 diced onion, some mushrooms (about 2 cups), 1 diced stalk of celery, and about 2 cups of diced baby carrots.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and add about 3 T chopped fresh rosemary.  Cook until all vegetables begin to soften.  Then add 2 cups dry quinoa and 3 cups chicken broth.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the quinoa absorbs most of the liquid. 

White Bean Cauliflower Mash

Cranberry Sauce

Salad with spinach, tomatoes, red onion, yellow peppers, cucumber, basil, walnuts, and hard boiled eggs.

This was such a satisfying meal.  Thanks to the many blogs I read for some of the wonderful recipes we used!  Thanks to Rem for making the meal with me, and thanks to our friends for making food and coming over to eat with us!  Stay tuned for my next post: the dessert we had after dinner!

Balsamic Mustard Chicken and Blog Recommendation

One fantastic blog I read often is Everyday Paleo.  The recipes are easy and very tasty.  The author, Sarah Fragoso, also has several books and cookbooks.  Check out her blog and recipes!  I like to make the Balsamic Mustard Chicken recipe on her blog, but I add a diced onion to the pan with the chicken.  So delicious!  The marinade is so flavorful, and the onion diced up in it is amazing because it soaks up all of the marinade flavor and becomes sweet and caramelized.  It is very good served with quinoa, steamed broccoli and green beans (as pictured).  I’ve also marinated the chicken and then baked it on a bed of chopped onions, carrots, and celery.  If you do this, make sure you pour the extra marinade over the veggies so they soak it up as they bake.  Enjoy! 

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

When we still ate gluten, Rem and I used to make this chicken noodle soup a lot in the winter.  We made it with thick, Amish egg noodles, which tasted amazing.  Now we make it with brown rice penne pasta, which is also extremely delicious.  Either way, it is a hearty chicken soup that warms your soul on a cold fall or winter day!

Even though we typically make it with chicken, yesterday we used leftover turkey from a whole turkey my dad cooked on the grill.  Thanks, dad, for letting us cook at your house and for buying all of the ingredients!  Normally we roast a whole chicken in the oven and then shred some of it up to use in the soup.  You could also shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.   I highly recommend making this soup with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, especially if you’re experiencing the first real signs on winter like we are here in Ohio.  I am not looking forward to the freezing cold weather that winter brings… but I do love making soup to warm us up, so maybe it’s not all bad!

One thing we learned from a few trials of making this soup is that it is best with regular chicken broth, not reduced sodium.  I like it best with Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth.

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving!  What do you like to make with leftover turkey or other Thanksgiving leftovers? 

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Tyler Florence

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins

4 celery ribs, diced

4 fresh thyme sprigs (sometimes I also age a little fresh sage and rosemary)

1 bay leaf

2 quarts chicken broth (regular, not reduced sodium)

8 oz. brown rice penne (I use Hodgson Mill brand) 

1 ½ cups shredded, cooked chicken or turkey (we like to roast a whole chicken in the oven just prior to making the soup and then shred up about half of the chicken to put in the soup)

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Coat a medium dutch oven or stock pot with oil and turn heat to medium.  Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf.  Cook until the vegetables are softened but have not turned brown, then remove bay leaf.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.  Add the brown rice pasta and simmer for 4-6 minutes (or according to package directions).  Add the chicken and simmer for about 3 more minutes to heat up the chicken.  Taste, then season with salt and pepper if the soup needs it (it shouldn’t need too much salt since the broth has salt in it, but it may need some pepper).  Then stir in the fresh parsley.  Serve hot!  This makes outstanding leftovers, so don’t be afraid to double the batch if you want lots of yummy soup leftover.  The recipe as written makes 4-6 servings.  

Brownie Bites

These brownie bites please any palate and are a perfect tiny snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth without any guilt!

Brownie Bites

Originally from Detoxinista

1 c almond meal

½ c cocoa powder

½ c honey

½ c coconut oil (melted and cooled a bit)

3 eggs (wait until the oil has cooled to add these)

1 T vanilla

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease mini muffin tins with coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until a gooey, thick batter forms.  Spoon batter into tins and bake 10-15 min or until brownies are puffed up and spring back to the touch.  Cool in pan 20 min then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. 

These freeze well and can be eaten directly from frozen (as they do not harden too much).

I used a small cookie scoop to scoop the batter evenly into 24 mini muffin tins, then but the remaining batter (5 small scoops) in a ramekin.  I baked the ramekin for 10-15 min as well.  The center did not set, but remained incredibly fudgy!  It was amazing.  So, if you want to experiment with baking the whole recipe in ramekins and make very fudgy brownies, let me know how it turns out! 

Macronutrient Breakdown

For 29 brownie bites, each has approximately 84 calories, 6 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g protein, 6 g fat.

Oven Roasted: Brussels Sprouts, Spaghetti Squash

Believe it or not, I actually hated most vegetables up until part way through college.  It’s crazy for me to think back to what I ate at that time since now vegetables are a main focus of every meal and snack I eat.  I have come to love every vegetable I try and can’t get enough!  However, it wasn’t until recently that I started adding Brussels sprouts and spaghetti squash to our weekly dinner rotation.  I am so happy to have discovered these two tasty vegetables.  I’ve you’ve never tried them, you are missing out!  Go to the store and grab some today!  At this time of year you can find both at nearly every grocery store.  They are easy to prepare and are versatile enough to accompany almost any main meat dish.  

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts served with Cod.  We sauteed frozen (then thawed) cod pieces from Trader Joe's with an onion, garlic, some olive oil, and white wine.  Yum!

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 lb. Brussels sprouts

Olive oil (1-2 T)

Salt

Pepper

2 cloves crushed garlic

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Thoroughly rinse Brussels sprouts under cold water and dry.  Chop the end off of each Brussels sprout (not too much, just the hard “stump” looking part), then chop each sprout in half.  Put Brussels sprouts on baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and also throw on two crushed cloves of garlic (for extra flavor).  Toss it all with your hands to coat the Brussels sprouts with oil and seasoning.  Bake for 20 min. or until they start to turn a nice brown color on the edges.  Enjoy!  

For Rem and I, a 2 lb. bag ends up being about 3 servings... but we eat them like candy, seriously.  So a 2 lb. bag should really make about 6 servings.  (A tip: I tried prepping the Brussels sprouts early by cutting them and putting them in a bag in the fridge with the olive oil and seasonings.  They were definitely not as good.  The flavor was just off.  So I recommend preparing these just before you are going to roast them!)

Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheet with foil.  Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Be careful not to cut off your finger or hand.  The squash is very, very hard, so use a heavy, sharp knife but be cautious as you cut!  Then scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon.  Place both squash halves, cut side down, on foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until you can easily insert a butter knife through the skin.  Let the squash halves cool for a few minutes, then scoop out the flesh!  I like to use a fork first to really separate the strands, but you will also need a spoon to get all of the flesh away from the skin (you don’t want to eat the skin).  Eat plain, or season with grass fed butter, salt, and pepper!  I like to eat it cold with cottage cheese, or as a side with any type of meat.  It’s also a great substitute for regular spaghetti.  Clearly it does not taste like regular spaghetti, but it tastes good with any type of normal pasta "topping" or sauce.  Makes about 4 servings.