Apple Chicken Salad

Salad Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
2 ribs celery, diced
1 apple, cored and diced (or you can use 1 c of grapes, cut in half)
1/2 c pecans or walnuts (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:
3/4-1 cup full fat plain greek yogurt or plain non-dairy yogurt or avocado oil mayo
1 T dried cilantro or 2 T fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 T coconut oil, melted or avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
dash garlic powder
1 t coconut sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
lemon zest
dash sea salt
dash pepper


Directions:
1. Bake chicken breasts in oven or you can boil them. You can even use leftover chicken from a roasted chicken. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. 
2. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a shaker or medium bowl combine dressing ingredients and shake/stir well with a whisk.
3. Pour dressing ingredients over salad ingredients and toss well with a spatula or wooden spoon. You can serve right away or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for a better flavor.
4. Serve on a bed of lettuce or with your favorite crackers or bread.

Barbecue Chicken and Apple Slaw

Barbecue Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut in half (approx. 1 lb)
2 large organic apples, peeled and diced
1 vidalia onion, diced
4 slices bacon or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 cup BBQ sauce (I recommend Bone Suckin' Sauce. It is sugar free and all of the ingredients are healthy) or use your favorite sauce

Directions:
1. Put the chicken, apples, onion, bacon and BBQ sauce in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2. While the chicken is cooking, make the slaw OR make the slaw a day ahead of time (I think it is better if it sits in the fridge for a while before serving.)
2. After the chicken is cooked through, shred with 2 forks and stir the crockpot mixture together well. 


Slaw Dressing Ingredients:
6 T non-dairy yogurt (unflavored and unsweetened) or you can use full fat coconut milk or you could use a healthy mayo, like avocado oil mayo
4 T apple cider vinegar
1T + 1t dijon mustard
1T + 1t pure maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Remaining Slaw Ingredients:
2 apples, cut into thin strips
2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, shredded

2 green onions, diced

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a shaker or bowl and mix well. Pour over top of remaining slaw ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve on top of barbecue.

This is a favorite among my nutrition clients. I saw the original recipe at closetcooking.com, but altered it and listed different alternatives for some of the ingredients. Enjoy!

North Carolina Chicken Fingers

When we lived in NC I had a friend that made these for my family after I had surgery. Of course everyone loved them. For a healthier version, try using gluten-free crackers or gluten-free bread crumbs.

Ingredients:
1 stick real butter
2 boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into small tenders or nuggets
1 sleeve Club or Ritz crackers, mashed into crumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt butter in a shallow dish. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
Dip chicken fingers in butter and then roll in cracker crumb mixture. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown.

Pumpkin Soup

So I am going to Culinary Nutrition School and we had to make a recipe from scratch that was anti-inflammatory, hence this pumpkin soup. This is a great fall recipe! 

Ingredients:
1 small pie pumpkin, cut in half (3 cups of pumpkin)
1 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 organic pears, cored, seeded and cut in half
2 T Ghee or Coconut Oil
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
4 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cardamom
1/4 t ground turmeric 
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t ground pepper
4 fresh sage leaves
1 cup dry northern beans, soaked 8 hours or overnight
1-2 T pure maple syrup (to your taste, depending on how sweet you like it)
1 cup dairy free milk
Topping: Roasted pumpkin seeds and cinnamon


Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Cut pumpkin in half and take out seeds (setting the seeds aside). Rub inside of pumpkin with olive oil and place upside down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, core two pears and slice them in half. Rub inside of pears with EVOO and set aside. Remove cookie sheet after first 20 minutes. Place pears upside down on cookie sheet beside the pumpkin halves. Return to oven and bake for another 35 minutes or until bottom sides of pumpkin and pears just start to turn brown. Remove from oven and let cool. (When pumpkins and pears are cooled, use a spoon to scrape inside of pumpkin and throw the shell away. Cut up pears into chunks.)
3. Spread pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle seeds with olive oil and sea salt and cinnamon. Stir and put back in oven for an additional 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside to use later as a topping.
4. Rinse soaked beans and place in a saucepan, covering them with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and rinse beans in warm water. Set aside.
5. In a dutch oven or large pan, melt 2 T ghee or coconut oil.
6. Add celery and onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add chicken or vegetable broth. Add ginger and other seasonings. Add pumpkin, pears and beans. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
8. Doing half at a time, blend soup ingredients until smooth in a high speed blender (make sure you let ingredients cool first if you don’t have a vented blender).
9. Return soup to pan and add 1 cup of non-dairy milk. Stir and heat through. Do not boil. 
10. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and roasted pumpkin seeds on top.

Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (rinsed in cold water) 
2 cups water 

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 (15 ounce) BPA free can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed 
4-5 green onions, diced

2 limes, juiced 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 t ground cumin 
1 t sea salt 
1/2 t red pepper flakes 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put 2 cups of water in a saucepan on stove on medium heat. Rinse quinoa in a sieve with cold water. Add quinoa to saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, leaving the lid on and simmer 10-15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed the water and split open. 
Click here for detailed directions on cooking quinoa.

Meanwhile, juice limes, chop cilantro and onions and slice tomatoes. Set aside. In a small bowl add lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin and pepper flakes. Whisk. 
Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

Makes a great lunch or a side dish with tacos for dinner. You could always cut up some grilled chicken and add to your salad.

Healthy Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe avocados
2 T fresh lime juice
1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 dash ground black pepper
8 oz low-fat plain Greek yogurt or plain coconut yogurt for non-dairy
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 1/2 cups refried beans
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
lettuce, chopped
3 green onions, ends trimmed, sliced thin *optional
2 T shredded cheddar (or pepper jack) cheese (½ oz) *optional

Directions:
1. Mash avocados in a medium bowl.
2. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper; mix well. Set aside.
3. Combine yogurt, cumin and chili powder in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4. In a dish layer ingredients: start with beans, then add avocado mixture, yogurt mixture, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and cheese (if using).
5. Serve with tortilla chips of your choice.

*I saw a similar recipe posted from BeachBody and revised it. 

Vegan Paleo Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
4 c chopped broccoli, stems and florets (peel stems before chopping)
4 c chicken broth or vegetable broth
dash of nutmeg 


Directions:
Peel broccoli stems and chop. Set aside. Chop florets and set aside, separately from stem pieces. 

In a large pot, heat 2 T olive oil. Add onion and stir until brown, but not burnt. Add 1/2 t salt and 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/4 t pepper and 1/4 c water. Saute for 5 minutes. 

Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth and chopped broccoli stems. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook 5 more minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 T olive oil. Add 2 T garbanzo bean flour and cook on low for a few minutes. Continually stir or it will burn. After it turns brown, add 1 cup of coconut milk and whisk. Cook for 10 minutes, whisking so to not let it stick or burn. Mixture should be thick. 

Transfer the broth and broccoli in the pot to a blender and puree. If you don't have a Blendtech blender, be sure to leave the top of your blender open a little to let steam escape. Place back in large pot. Add milk mixture and stir well. Add 1/4 c nutritional yeast and whisk together. Cook for 5 more minutes and then remove from heat. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of nutmeg (optional).

The Pioneer Woman's Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 whole Beef Flank Steak
1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 T Cumin
1 T Chili Powder
1/2 t Red Pepper Flakes
1 t Salt
1/2 t Black Pepper
1 T Sugar or 1 packet Truvia
2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced
1 whole Red, Orange, Green and Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced (or whatever colors you like)

Directions:
In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar/Truvia until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat. In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I put it in the fridge in the morning and then cook it when I get home from work.

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside.

I like to cook my flank steak on a grill. Or you can heat the same same skillet you used for the veggies (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare. Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. 


Slice the meat right before serving and serve with all the fixins. Delicious!

Pecan Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is a great dish for company. It only uses 4 chicken breasts, but will serve 8 people. Original recipe from Daphne Brogdon.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil, plus for drizzling
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 7 ounces each), butterflied
1 T molasses, mixed with 2 teaspoons hot water
1 t ground fennel
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup pecans, toasted, roughly chopped
2 T chopped fresh tarragon
3 T canola oil or olive oil
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
Half 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes or 1 cup
1/4 t crushed red pepper


Directions:
Lay out a 15-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Lay a butterflied chicken breast, cut side up, on the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over to cover. Using a meat pounder, pound out the thicker parts of the breast so that it's uniformly thick. Fold the plastic wrap open and brush the chicken breast with the molasses; season with generous pinches of fennel, salt and pepper. (This will be the inside part of the breast that gets stuffed.) Fold the plastic wrap back over and flip the breast over. Fold plastic wrap open and season the other side of the breast with salt and pepper. (This is the outside that will later get seared in the pan.) Re-cover with the plastic wrap and place on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Remove a butterflied breast from the plastic wrap. Place it on a cutting board, molasses-side up. Place 1/4 cup of the filling on half of the chicken breast. Fold over the other half to enclose the filling. Using a bamboo skewer, close up the opening by threading the skewer through one end of the opening to the other to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.

Heat the canola or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add the wine, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and poach until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove the skewers, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, turn up the heat on the poaching liquid to medium, add the crushed red pepper, and let simmer until thickened and reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Strain the sauce into a small pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

To serve: Slice the chicken, if desired, and arrange on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, with extra sauce on the side. I served this with mashed potatoes and roasted zucchini and yellow squash.

Paleo Vegan Zucchini Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis or 3 small ones
¼ t sea salt
½ t dried basil
½ t dried oregano
½ t garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ t dried rosemary
fresh pepper, to taste
a few shakes of red pepper flakes, to taste
½ cup almond flour or coconut flour
2 eggs (Vegan: use flax eggs - 2 T flax meal and 6 T water)

Directions:
Preheat oven (with a pizza stone in it if you have one) to 450F.
Cut the tops and bottoms off the zucchinis.
Shred the zucchinis. You can use a food processor or a grater.
Steam the shredded zucchini for a few minutes OR microwave for 1 minute.
Remove from the steamer or microwave and pour onto a kitchen towel or nut milk bag.
Once it has cooled off enough to handle, use the kitchen towel or a nut milk bag to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible. Once you think you are done, squeeze more. This is the most important step to get a crispy crust.
Mix the zucchini with the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Place a greased piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Form the "dough" into a pizza.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are brown.

Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings. I put some pesto and a little homemade spaghetti sauce on ours. Then I topped it with fresh cut tomatoes. I also cooked some onion, a red pepper and some yellow squash in a little bit of olive oil until soft, but not mushy. Add veggies on top of sauce/pesto. 
Turn oven to Broil and cook pizza for 3-4 more minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
Remove and let cool. Slice and eat. 

* I found the recipe for the crust on the website applestozoodles.com 

Kimchi Chicken Stir Fry

So I made kimchi and wasn't sure how to eat it. I thought I would try it in a stir fry. It was delicious and so easy since the kimchi was already made and in the fridge. 

Ingredients:

2 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
Mrs. Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce or tamari
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 medium onion or 1 small onion or 4 green onions, diced
2 cups Kimchi
extra virgin olive oil

cooked rice or quinoa

Directions:
In a wok or large skillet heat 2 T EVOO on medium heat. Add diced chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add 1-2 T Mrs. Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and stir, cooking 1 more minute. Remove from wok and place in a bowl and set aside.

Add 1 more T EVOO to wok and heat. Add onions and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Then add spinach and 2 cups kimchee. Stir fry a few minutes, until heated thoroughly and spinach is wilted. Add chicken back to wok and stir together with kimchi mixture. 

Serve over rice or cooked quinoa. (Do not add salt to your quinoa/rice when cooking. It is not needed.)

Kimchi

I've never had Kimchi before, but have been reading about the health benefits of fermented foods. I decided to try it. I got the recipe from Meghan Telpher at Academy of Culinary Nutrition. It is very easy and amazingly delicious. Next time I will cut the chili powder in half because it was really spicy.

Once ready, seal the jar and store in your fridge. Will keep for 2-3 months sealed.


Just a word of warning, you can smell it while it is fermenting. I could smell it as soon as I walked into the kitchen. Not a bad smell, but definitely noticeable. 

For an delicious stir-fry using kimchi, click HERE.

Vegetable Meatloaf

I make meatloaf once a year. Why? Because I always hated meatloaf growing up. No offense Mom. Just not my thing. I made this vegetable meatloaf and will definitely be making it more often now! It was even better the next day warmed up. Great dish to make ahead and put in the oven when you get home from work or even bake a day ahead and reheat.

Ingredients:

1 red or orange bell pepper
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion
1 small zucchini
1 c chopped spinach
2 t extra virgin olive oil

1 lb ground beef
1 egg or 1 chia egg (1T chia meal + 3T water)
1/2 c flax meal
1/8 c nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
Finely chop first 4 ingredients. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook vegetables until soft. Drain any liquid off (if any remains). In a large bowl stir together cooled vegetables with ground beef, egg, flax and nutritional yeast. Place in a loaf pan or shape into a loaf and place in a baking dish. Bake at 450 degrees for one hour or until cooked thoroughly. Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Goes great with buttered peas and mashed potatoes. (or in my case, just buttered peas since I can't eat potatoes).

Heavenly Hash

I saw this recipe in a magazine in the Dr's Office and decided to make my own version. It is amazing!  I like to make it at the beginning of the week and have it for breakfast throughout the week. 

Ingredients:

2 cups brussels sprouts; washed, trimmed and quartered
2 apples; washed and cut into cubes or small pieces
1 butternut squash; peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes
2 carrots; peeled and sliced (I used purple carrots for added color)
4 T vegan butter or Ghee or oil of your choice (divided)
2 1/2 t sea salt (divided)
3/4 c chopped celery
1 cup onion chopped
2 t sage or 1/2 c minced fresh sage leaves
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 c raisins
1 lb grass fed beef
3/4 lb ground turkey or pork
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T pure maple syrup
1/2 c chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a sheet pan, toss the brussels sprouts, apples, squash and parsnip or carrot with 2 T melted butter. Season with 1/2 t sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes. 

Put 2 T butter in a saute pan oven medium heat. When butter begins to sizzle, add the celery, onions, sage, thyme and 1 t sea salt. Cook until veggies become translucent. Add the raisins and stir well. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. 
In the same saute pan, add beef and turkey or pork and brown, cooking until most of the juices have cooked off. To meat mixture add 1 t sea salt, 1/2 t pepper, red pepper flakes and maple syrup and stir well. Add meat to veggies with raisins in a large bowl.

When roasted veggies are done, add 1/2 cup chopped pecans and continue roasting for 10 more minutes. You can even turn the oven to broil the last 2 minutes to give the veggies a nice texture. Remove from oven and add to other ingredients in large bowl. Toss well and serve. Can be eaten alone or with over-easy eggs or even used as a stuffing. 

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 c butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 lemons
thyme
rosemary
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small glass bowl, melt butter. 
Zest 1 of the lemons. 
Add zest and sprinkle in some thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir together.
Place chicken in 13x9" pan lined with foil, breast side up.
Rub butter mixture on outside of chicken and between the skin and the breasts. 
Cut the lemon you zested in half. Squeeze the juice over the chicken. 
Cut the other lemon in half and stuff it inside the cavity of the chicken. 
If you have cooking twine (make sure you have soaked it in water for at least 5 minutes) tie the legs of the chicken together. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

I like to serve this chicken with roasted carrots and cooked green beans.

Vegetable Turkey Cincinnati Chili

I saw this recipe in Paleo Magazine in my doctor's office. If they are going to make you wait an hour, at least have some good books to look at.  I took a picture of the recipe and made it for dinner when I got home. It didn't say anything about being like Cincinnati Chili, but being from Cincinnati, I immediately recognized the cinnamon and cocoa as a unique ingredient in Cincinnati Chili. So, I adjusted the recipe a bit and changed the title. It is amazing how much it tastes like Cincinnati Chili and you would never know it had so many vegetables or turkey in it. I took some to work today and 2 people tried it that like Cincinnati chili and they loved it. Delicious and nutritious! 

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded and diced
2 T olive oil
sea salt, to taste
1 lb ground turkey
2 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tomato paste
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder
1/4 t ground cinnamon
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Diced avocado, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the squash with 1 T olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and brown in some spots.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the turkey and crumble and cook until no longer pink.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, broccoli and garlic.  Cook, covered, for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, cocoa or carob powder, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover, simmer for 30 minutes. Add squash and cook another 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Top with avocado or your favorite topping. 

Peggy's Kale Salad

I had never been to PF Changs until we went to Las Vegas. I had this amazing salad. When I got home I tried to recreate it and it tastes awesome! I will definitely be making this a lot! The following salad makes 3 side salads or 1 large salad that could be an entire meal.

Salad Ingredients:

3 cups chopped kale
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 c walnuts
1 T pure maple syrup

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together kale, cabbage, celery, tomatoes and grapes.
In a skillet over medium heat, stir walnuts until hot. Drizzle maple syrup over walnuts and stir for 1 minute. Remove walnuts from skillet and lay on a piece of wax paper in a single layer. Let cool.

Dressing Ingredients:
4 T lime juice
Zest from 1 medium orange
4 T fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 t honey
4 packets Truvia or 2 T sugar or you can use whatever sweetener you like
a few dashes of salt
pinch white pepper
1 cup light extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing Directions:
Place juices, zest, honey, sweetener, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk with one hand while slowly adding the oil with the other hand. When all of the oil is whisked in, serve with your salad. This makes enough dressing for double the amount of salad above. Keep any leftover dressing in the fridge for later. 

Kung Pao Shrimp

I've made this with shrimp and chicken and both are delicious. This serves about 4. You can very easily double the recipe for more. I doubled the sauce and cooked a batch of chicken and a batch of shrimp. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. 

Ingredients:

4 T soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1\2 t corn starch or tapioca starch
4 T water 
1/4 t sesame oil 
1/2 balsamic vinegar 
1/2 t sugar or Truvia
pepper to taste 
3 T hot chili oil or oil of your choice 
3 cloves minced garlic 
1/4 onion, diced
15 large, peeled and deveined, shrimp or 2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (optional)
5 scallions, chopped 

Directions:
Mix soy sauce, starch, water, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar or Truvia and pepper together in a small bowl. Set next to the stove.

Pour your hot chili oil into your frying pan or wok. 
I didn't have hot chili oil on hand, so I used 3 T of olive oil and sprinkled in 1/4 t of red pepper flakes. 

Place the minced garlic and diced onion into the oil. Saute on medium until they start to brown. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add your sauce mix and stir the shrimp around. (If you're using chicken, cook until no longer pink - it will take a little longer than the shrimp.)

Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until sauce is thick, coating the shrimp.


*original recipe from www.feedminiandme.com

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Chicken

Before Roasting

This is an amazingly delicious meal! 

Ingredients:
1 lemon, plus 3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 1/2-2 lemons)
2 ½ t kosher salt, more for pot
3 T freshly squeezed orange juice
4 T olive oil
1 ½ T whole grain mustard
3 T honey
1 bay leaf
½  t crushed red pepper flakes
Black pepper, to taste
1  4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces or 4 chicken breasts
3 cups sliced carrots (1/4-inch thick) or 1 cup baby carrots
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced dates (you can make this without the dates, but in my opinion they are the best part of the meal)
1 t dried thyme leaves or 1 T fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
Quarter the lemon lengthwise, removing any seeds. Thinly slice crosswise into small wedges and add to small pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for 2 minutes and drain. Reserve slices, discard water.

In saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, orange juice, oil, mustard, honey, salt, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.

After roasting - ready to eat!

Put chicken in 13x9" dish and add carrots, onion, dates, thyme and blanched lemon slices. Pour honey mixture over everything in the 13x9" dish.  Let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and roast an additional 15-20 minutes or until carrots are tender. If the pan looks dry add 2 to 3 tablespoons  of water. 


Serve with rice or quinoa or mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts.

*I adapted this recipe from one I found in The New York Times.

Sauerkraut with Sausage and Apples

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, diced
     (I used aidells chicken & apple smoked sausage)
1 small-medium onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup hard cider or bourbon or apple juice or cider
1 (24-ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and rinsed briefly
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 red apples peeled and diced (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Heat a large skillet or medium pot over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, celery and apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cider and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the sauerkraut, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples and sauerkraut are very tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately.

*You can always substitute 1/3 c chicken broth for the cider or apple juice.