Indian Chicken Salad

 Gluten-Free, Light


This weekend I was lucky enough to have lunch with my cousins and aunt, who I never get to see. I volunteered to bring chicken salad, mostly for selfish reasons--I've been working on perfecting my recipe so I could share it with all of you. Knowing my family's love of Indian flavors, I knew it would be a good fit for our party. We served them on croissants (an Udi's bun for me...are there GF croissants out there?), but at home I ate my leftovers on a kale and red cabbage salad with Blue Diamond hazelnut crackers on the side.

All of the seasoning is to taste, have fun with it!

I started by coating 4 chicken breasts in Trader Joe's Mango Ginger Chutney and grilling just long enough for them to have pretty grill marks. I also found that the chutney charred on the grill and made my kitchen smokey, so a quick sear is all you need.

Before baking. Looking good already!

I added another coat of chutney and baked the chicken in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes; they came out perfectly juicy.

Our Recipe so far:

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 C Trader Joe's Mango Ginger Chutney

After letting the chicken cool, I diced it and placed in in a large mixing bowl, then combined it with the following:

1/8 C Crushed Almonds
1 Pink Lady Apple, Diced
1 T Cilantro, Finely Chopped
1 1/2 C Plain Yogurt
1 1/2 T Curry
1 t Garlic Powder
1/2 t Cumin Powder
2 Dashes of Turmeric (it gives Indian food that gorgeous golden color)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste
Cayenne Pepper, to Taste

 

My bed-headed helper.

Let chill for at least two hours to allow the flavors to marry. Serve on GF bun, bread, in a wrap or on a salad. It's even better the next day.

Serves approximately 10.

Happy Lunchtime!

Caprese Chicken Burgers

I kept promising to post my caprese chicken recipe, and today I finally got everything together to do so. It's a good thing I waited, because this is the best batch yet! I realized that I haven't been adhering to the main goal of this blog, which is to share recipes that help me incorporate more vegetables in my diet... these burgers are full of them!

The whole process took about 30 minutes, and it made 6 lovely and juicy burgers.

Gluten Free

Here's what you need:

1 lb Ground Chicken Breast
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 T Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
4 Sun-dried Tomatoes (Dry Packed), Chopped
2 Egg Whites
1/3 C Brown Rice Krispies, Pulverized
1 t Lemon Juice
1-2 t Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C Frozen Spinach
1/2 Yellow Onion, Chopped

Warm olive oil in pan--I used cast iron--on medium heat. When pan heats up, add onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Soften until onions are nearly translucent. Stir in basil, set aside.

Sautee-ing nicely, and smelling AMAZING.

Place ground chicken in to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add contents of pan and remaining ingredients. Stir.

Festive, isn't it?

Form patties. Cook patties until fluids run clear. When the burgers are cooked, sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

I served them on toasted buns with a light spread of olive oil mayo, torn romaine lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes and a side of Food Should Taste Good sweet potato chips. It was a very happy meal.

Behold!

EXTREME close-up!

I realize for this to be *actual* caprese, it has to have mozzarella...but I ran out. Deal with it. :)

Glorious, Glorious Cheesecake

 Gluten-Free

It seems to be a tradition in my home for me to make Mother's Day dinner. For one reason or another my husband can't do it. This year I decided to keep the dinner simple (roasted chicken, whipped potatoes and a green salad) and serve a truly decadent dessert. This was my first attempt at a gluten-free cheesecake and I was so happy with how it turned out!

The little beauty cooling off.

Triple Chocolate Orange Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce 

I started by preparing a gluten-free brownie mix (Betty Crocker, it has chocolate chips) and spread it on the bottom of a greased spring-form pan.

Then I prepared the filling:

2 Packages Softened Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese
1 C Fat-Free Sour Cream
1 Egg
1/2 C Organic Cane Sugar
1 T All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1 t Vanilla Extract
1/3 C Milk
2 t Orange Zest
A Squeeze of Fresh Orange Juice

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, egg, flour and sugar. Blend until smooth. Add vanilla, orange zest, orange juice and milk. Pour on top of brownie batter.

Place pan on jelly roll pan (deep cookie sheet) with 1/2 C water, replace water as it evaporates. Bake for 20 minutes at 375, and 350 for 20 minutes until knife comes out clean.

Gooey and delicious.

Every decadent cheesecake needs a sauce or topping. It's a fact. On the fly, I put together a strawberry sauce.

 

Strawberry Orange Sauce:

Hull and Slice 1 Carton Local Strawberries

1 T Organic Cane Sugar

1/4 C Fresh Orange Juice

Mix in medium bowl and let soak for at least 2 hours. The strawberries will break down a little and absorb some of the orange flavor.  

With all of the reduced and non-fat ingredients, I didn't feel guilty eating it. The cheesecake was light and fluffy, and the crust was delightfully gooey. It was the perfect combination.

Complete with the sauce and dark cacao shavings.

I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.

 Serve cold, and SAVOR. 

Coming next, those caprese chicken burgers I've been meaning to post!

A Thief In The Night

Hey, quick plug for my husband's band! If you like awesome American rock (occasionally inspired by the 1970's) you should check out Groove Thief! Solid musicianship, excellent songwriting, and these guys put on a heckuva show. It's perfect music for working out or driving around. I'm proud of my guys!

Here is a link to their first full album:

A Thief In The Night

Here is their official site: http://groovethief.webs.com/ 

You can find their music on CDBaby.com and iTunes. If you want me to send you an autographed copy ($10) let me know, we'll figure it out. :)

That's my superhot husband. My life is sweet.

Coming up next: my orange cheesecake with a gluten-free brownie crust. Stay tuned!

A Little Bit of Chocolate

Gluten-Free, Vegan

I don't know about you, but it takes everything in me to not stress eat. It's a major obstacle for me. This evening was rough, and after a busy and stressful week my sweet tooth was really aching. I decided to give in, but in a healthy way.

Here's what I came up with:

1 C Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 Banana
1/2 T  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 t Agave Nectar
1/2 t Coconut Extract

 Blend until smooth. It comes out velvety, just sweet enough, and just a little coconutty. It was exactly what I wanted. I found a quiet corner and savored it. After that, and a few deep breaths, I felt worlds better. Best part? It was about 130 calories. You're welcome, friends.

More posts to come! Up next: a caprese chicken burger!

Lunchtime Pizza

Gluten-free

Have you ever gone in to the kitchen really wanting a sandwich, only to find out that your bread was moldy and you were out of tortillas? This afternoon I had my brother over and was faced with this very predicament. I didn't want to make the both of us salads, because they aren't sandwiches. So, naturally, I made a sandwich pizza. Yes, that's right. PIZZA.

It ended up looking a little something like this:

The flavors were exactly what I was looking for, and it was actually kind of juicy (not something you always get with a sandwich...or pizza).

Here's how you make this happen:

I didn't have time to make a crust from scratch, so I used Gluten-Free Bisquick and followed the pizza crust recipe (add oil, water and eggs).
To the mix I added--

1 T Dijon Mustard
1 t Rosemary

Stir, and spread on to greased 13x9 pan. Pre-bake crust for 5 mins at 425 degrees.

To top it off:

Over 1/4 lb Deli Meat of your Choice (sliced in to strips)--I used 1/4 lb turkey, 1/8 lb ham
1 Tomato, Diced
1 C Grated Cheese (I used cheddar)

Bake for 13 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the crust is a light golden brown.

This is what it looked like after it came out of the oven and was attacked by my hungry husband and brother (the amazing smell emanating from the oven just made them hungrier).

Cut in to 6 pieces. Top it with 1 torn up leaf of romaine lettuce per person--or a handful of spinach-- and sliced cucumber. I added ground pepper on the top for extra flavor, but that's up to you.

Let's bask in the glory a little more--

Before.

After.

Have fun with this! My husband wanted me to add that this would also be great for brunch (someday I'll delve deeper in to our brunch obsession.)

Enjoy!

The 250 Calorie Burrito!

Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Spicy

Most days I'm lucky to be able to make a proper lunch, let alone sit down and eat it. So for me, convenience is key. The problem is, convenient usually equals unhealthy. The other day my husband and I went to Trader Joe's and picked up some easy lunch items.

Here is what I used to create my spicy, flavorful, 250 calorie gluten-free burrito--

Here's how I made it happen:

1 Brown Rice Tortilla
2 T Spicy Black Bean Dip
Approx. 1/4 C Shredded Cheese
2 Handfuls Torn Lettuce
2 T Medium Salsa
Mix 1 T Roasted Corn in to Salsa (you'll thank me for this smoky addition)

First add beans and cheese to the tortilla and heat until cheese is melted. I also warmed up the corn a little so I wouldn't bite in to cornsicles. Top with lettuce and salsa.

What I wish I had:

1/4 Avocado, Diced and Tossed in Lime Juice
1/2 T Plain Yogurt (I use that instead of sour cream)

In minutes I had a delicious lunch complete with whole grains, fiber, vegetables and metabolism-boosting spice that didn't leave me feeling guilty.

If you don't want, or like spicy beans (the TJ dip is kind of intense), my darling friend Cossette has an easy, tasty black bean dip recipe:

1 Can (Drained) Low-Sodium Black Beans in to Blender
1 Handful Cilantro, Torn, Add to Beans
1 T Plain Yogurt

Blend until desired consistency.

Any time I can make healthy food simple, I'm happy--so this lunch left me ecstatic!

Enjoy!

Superfood Smoothie

Vegan, Raw, Gluten-Free, Light

Cold and flu season is still upon us, which means VITAMINS, VITAMINS, VITAMINS! Few things are better than antioxidants, or superfoods, to help boost immunity; and dark fruits (strawberries, cherries, blueberries, etc) are full of them, and smoothies are a great way to get the nutrients you need on the go. This dark fruit smoothie is like health in a glass. For those who are unfamiliar with what antioxidants are, here's a quick rundown: they are vitamins and minerals (C, E, Beta-carotene, zinc, etc) which, when consumed in moderation, help repair damage to your cells.

While dealing with a cold I made this marvelous vitamin bomb:

Not only did it have what I needed to help me recover, it tasted like dessert...bonus!

Toss these lovlies in to your blender and let it go until smooth:

1/2 C Dark Cherries
1/2 C Blueberries
1/3 C Raspberries
3 Large Strawberries
1/2 Banana
1 T Flax
1/4 C Raw Almonds
1/2 C Natural, Nothing Added, Coconut Water
1 C Fresh Orange Juice

Serves 4

On top of the loads of antioxidants these ingredients provide, you get omega-3's from the flax, potassium and B6 from the banana, calcium from the orange juice, protein and monounsaturated fat (great for weight loss) from almonds, and natural electrolytes from the coconut water. Many of these fruits are full of seeds--which, I know, can be unpleasant-- but give you extra fiber (also helpful for weight loss). How great is that?!

My two year-old was getting impatient, she wanted more smoothie. This is one of her favorites.

I can't guarantee it, but you will probably feel like this when you're done.

In other news, I have signed up for my first 5k! Never did I ever think this is something I would do. Hooray for personal progress!

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Guilt-Free BLT

Gluten-free, Lightened up

In my mind, any sandwich involving bacon is a good one. However, on this weight loss journey I have had to leave some things behind (or save them for cheat days). I found that turkey bacon, while not the same, is an acceptable alternative to the real deal.

Here's what we made the other night to satisfy our bacon craving--

This meal is simple, and superdelicious. Here's how you make it happen:

2 Slices Turkey Bacon (we use Oscar Meyer), per person
1 Roma Tomato, Sliced
Gluten-Free Buns (this time we used Udi's BBQ buns), 1 per person
Spring Greens, 1 handful per sandwich
1/2 T Olive Oil Cracked Pepper Mayo, per sandwich

When frying the bacon, I dusted it with cracked pepper. It adds extra flavor, which the turkey bacon usually needs. To assemble, I toasted the buns, and lightly spread the olive oil mayo on each half. I tore the bacon strips in half, and added to the bottom bun. Top it off with a a few slices of tomato, a handful of spring greens and cover with the top of the bun. I'm not sure it could be easier.

Looks tasty, doesn't it?

We served it with sweet potato fries tossed in chipotle chili powder and garlic powder. I gave myself half a serving as the GF buns aren't exactly low-cal.

With the fries, this meal is 448 calories. Without, it's 278. Perfect for those days when you want big flavor in little time, but don't want to get fast food.

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My Practically Famous Chipotle Chicken Burgers

(Our Superbowl sliders...one was enough for me!)

Gluten-free, Light

A few months ago I decided to pretty much give up red meat. I eat it on occasion, but I just don't like how it makes me feel. But my husband and I LOVE burgers, and we're good at making them, so we sought alternatives. We picked up a package of ground chicken and I challenged myself to make the best non-beef burger I could. After a few attempts I have come up with something we can't get enough of.

Here's how you, too, can attain this smoky, juicy goodness for yourself:

1 Pound Ground Chicken Breast
1/2 C Pulverized Rice Krispies (I used the gluten-free brown rice kind)
2 Egg Whites
2 Handfuls Fresh Spinach, Torn
2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, Chopped
1/2 Red Onion, Minced
1 Squeeze Fresh Lime Juice
1 t Garlic
1/2 T Olive Oil

Start by cooking down minced onion with 1/2 T olive oil in a cast iron pan on medium heat. Once onions are translucent and soft remove from pan and set aside. Take Rice Krispies and pulverize in blender, set aside. In bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into patties of desired size. Cook until juices run clear.

As a recovering veggie hater, and a mother of a toddler, I've become an expert at hiding vegetables in food. By adding the torn spinach to this burger you get the extra vitamins without the flavor for those picky eaters. Baby steps.

When we made these for the Superbowl we put them on gluten-free biscuits and topped them with guacamole made with plain non-fat yogurt, 1/3 slice of peppered turkey bacon, fresh spinach, 1/4 slice of pepper jack cheese (we've used several kinds of cheese and provolone is my favorite, though pepper jack adds an extra bite), and a very light layer of olive oil pepper mayo. I could only eat one at first, but we kept coming back for more the rest of the day.

I may make these for dinner tonight, and you should too!

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Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Light

I am inundated with chickpeas! Since I keep forgetting to buy lemon juice so I can make hummus, I decided to add some to another salad. So today for lunch I made myself a balsamic quinoa salad.

I started by making a 1/2 C batch of crispy spicy chickpeas (see previous post). Then in a bowl I combined...

2 C Cooked quinoa
2 T Newman's Own Light Balsamic Dressing
1/3 Cucumber, chopped
1/2 Tomato, chopped (I used to hate raw tomato, but it's a staple for me now)
1/3 C Mozzarella, cut in to small cubes

I scooped 1 C of this salad, with the chickpeas, on to a bed of lettuce. When making this salad, don't forget to chill the quinoa first. I thought it was cool enough and ended up with mostly melted bits of cheese. It was still good, though. The combination of textures was delicious. I have been working on this recipe since this summer, and I think I finally have it where I want it. This salad is refreshing and flavorful.

Quinoa is a crunchy little powerhouse. In a 1 C serving it packs a punch of 8 g of protein, 40 g of carbs, 31 mg of calcium, and over 5 g of fiber. This is the perfect lunch before a long workout. Which reminds me...

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Crispy Chickpea Salad

Gluten-free, Vegan, Light

When I made curry fried rice the other night, I made the chickpeas from scratch...and I made a whole bag. TONS of left over beans. When I was making myself lunch the other day I wanted an Asian salad, but I remembered that I had those chickpeas. One of my goals is to be less wasteful with our food, so I challenged myself to make it work.

Here's what I ended up with-- a green leaf lettuce salad with an Asian dressing, mandarin oranges, and crispy spicy chickpeas. The combination of textures and flavors was irresistible.

To make the chickpeas:

Heat 1/2 T Olive oil in a pot
Add 1/2 C Cooked chickpeas
1/4 t Cayenne pepper
1/2 t Cumin
1/4 t Ginger
2-3 Dashes of red pepper flakes
A dash of curry
Black pepper, to taste

Stir occasionally until chickpeas are crispy. If you do it right, they should still be soft inside.

To make an Asian dressing:

1/2 T Liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)
1 t Toasted sesame oil
A splash of orange juice
3 dashes Ground ginger
A splash of rice wine vinegar
1 drizzle of honey
A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
3 chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 T Chopped green onion

Blend in bowl, and toss with greens. (I know, I use extremely precise measuring...)

To put it all together, you toss the greens in dressing in a bowl, add one serving of mandarin orange slices. Top with crispy chickpeas.

Chickpeas contain about 135 calories (per 1/2 c) when you cook them yourself, but in that same serving they have about 1/8 of the protein you need in a day, about 5 g of fiber, and a fair amount of iron and potassium.

I still have some leftover beans, I think that calls for a batch of hummus. Stay tuned...

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Curry Fried Rice

I LOVE Indian food, it makes me very happy. One thing that I really appreciate about it is that it has wonderful vegetarian options. The other night I made one of my favorite Indian-inspired cupboard-cleaner meals: curry fried rice.

Gluten-free, Vegan, Light



Here's how you make it happen:

1 C Cooked brown rice
1/2 C Cooked garbanzo beans
1 T Oil
2 t Fresh grated ginger
1/2 t ground coriander seeds
1 T Curry powder
1/2 t Ground cumin
Chopped cilantro, to taste
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
2-3 Dashes of red pepper flakes
Add as many steamed carrots, broccoli, frozen peas, and green beans as you want

Start by "blooming" the seasonings: heat the oil and add ginger, ground coriander, and cumin. Stir for about a minute. Add rice, garbanzo beans, broccoli, and green beans. Stir until broccoli is almost done. Add peas, steamed carrots, curry, liquid aminos (or soy sauce), cilantro and red pepper flakes. Stir until peas are heated through. If the stir-fry seems too dry (curry dries things out sometimes) add some vegetable stock or water.

I like liquid aminos because they have the flavor of soy sauce, but has less sodium and is gluten-free (and we always end up using less because the flavor is stronger). If you haven't tried it, I HIGHLY recommend it.

This also makes a great lunch the next day.

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