Epicurean Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing

This is a fun variation on pasta salads, perfect for summer!  The recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I will also say that this salad tasted way better fresh than out of the fridge the second day.

Epicurean Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing

Salad:

• 10 ounces rotini pasta
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces or shredded
• 1 large sweet-tart apple, cored, diced (I prefer Honey Crisp for this salad)
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced small (about 1 cup)
• 1 15 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained very well
• 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup light or regular mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup light or regular sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.
2. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together.
3. In another small or medium bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir gently to mix so that all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour (the salad may dry out a bit if refrigerated for much longer - you can make extra dressing or reserve part of the dressing to stir in right before serving).

Bruschetta

With the explosion of cherry tomatoes from our garden and fresh basil that I can't hardly keep up with, I decided some Bruschetta was in order.  I made a batch of this bread to use for the base.  We added small squares of Mozarella cheese after I took this photo which made these just perfect.  This recipe is adapted from one I found at www.simplyrecipes.com.

Bruschetta

1 baguette or other artisan bread
6-7 Roma tomatoes or equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (and more for spreading)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
10-15 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp Kosher salt (more or less to taste)
fresh ground pepper (a couple of turns)

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degress.
2.  Slice bread into 1/2" thick slices and using a pastry brush, spread olive oil on one side.  Place olive oil side down on a cookie sheet.  When oven is heated, place bread in oven on top rack for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
3.  Cut tomatoes into small pieces.  Mix with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil (cut into thin slices), salt and pepper.
4.  When bread is done turn slices over so olive oil side is upright and spread with a generous amount of the tomato mixture.  Top with small cubes of Mozarella cheese if desired.

TMNT - Themed Food Ideas

This post is for Jared. :)  We just threw a TMNT party for my five year old.  I have to admit, these were pretty fun to make.

Healthy Apple Muffins

Once a week or so I like to make muffins for breakfast.  So when I came across this recipe here I was excited to try them.  They were a hit with the whole family and I will definitely be making them again.

Healthy Apple Muffins

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup honey 
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats {quick or old fashioned} + 3 tbsp for topping
• 1 1/4 cup crushed bran cereal
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used one cup wheat and half a cup white)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and coarsely grated 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
 

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line your muffin tin with paper liners
• Mix the eggs, oil, milk, honey, yogurt, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl until well blended.  Add 1 cup of the rolled oats and the crushed bran.  Let soak for 10 minutes.
• In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Add the wet ingredients in and mix until blended {the batter will be quite thick}.  Stir in the grated apple.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin tin and fill up almost to the top {they rise very little}.  
• Mix brown sugar and the remaining oats together and sprinkle on top.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes {until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean}.  Makes 16.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread (or Muffins)

We've been harvesting zucchini from the garden and that means it's time to make zucchini bread!  I came across a new recipe from 100 Days of Real Food that only uses honey and no sugar.  I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised! 

One little tip: I've found that any baked good with whole wheat flour tastes better (lighter, fluffier) if I grind the wheat and use it immediately instead of using pre-ground wheat... even if it's only been sitting in my fridge for a few days.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread (of Muffins)

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil (liquified)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F for small loaf pans or 325 degrees F for large loaf pan or muffins.
2. Blend the dry ingredients.
3. Make a well (or hole) in the center and pour in the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla. Stir just until mixed – do not overmix.
4. Fold in the grated zucchini and chopped nuts if using. Pour batter into greased loaf pan(s) or muffin holders and bake until a toothpick comes clean in the top/center of the loaf or muffin.
   - If using smaller pans bake for 30 – 40 minutes.
   - For one larger loaf pan bake for 50 – 60 minutes.
   - For muffins bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Vinaigrette

A sweet salad dressing with no sugar!  My neighbor shared this recipe and I've used it over and over again ever since.  It's great with any berry salad.

Cinnamon Vinaigrette

1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tb red wine vinegar (or white)
1 Tb honey
A few shakes of cinnamon.

Shake it all up and enjoy! 

Granola

I've tweaked the Classic Granola recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe over the past year or so and come up with a variation that I like and make often with ingredients I always have on hand.  This is a great, filling alternative to store-bought cereal!

Granola

6.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2.5 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (My regular grocery store only carries sweetened but I found unsweetened in the bulk bins at the health food store.)
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup high-quality honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I get the raw, unsalted ones at the health food store in the bulk bins.)
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

*I don't put any nuts in mine because of Tyler's allergies but you can add the following if you are one of the lucky ones with no tree nut allergies in your home!

1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 1/4 cups pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add wet ingredients and  mix well to distribute evenly. Spread a thin layer of mixture on two rimmed baking sheets - half sheet pans.  (No need to line pans.) Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring mixture and rotating sheets half way through until mixture is an even golden brown. Be careful to watch granola: it will quickly turn from golden to burnt and will continue to cook as it cools when you take it out of the oven. Mixture will be moist when it comes out of the oven but will crisp and clump (a little) as it cools. Keeps for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container.