recipe: CHICKEN SALAD WITHOUT MAYONNAISE

Mayo... who needs it?! Okay, well sometimes it's pretty awesome. BUT you can actually enjoy a tasty chicken salad sandwich without it! Check it out...

Cooking the chicken

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 chicken breasts with bones (Boneless, skinless breasts gross me out for several reasons, but besides that I prefer to use breasts with the bone because the meat usually cooks much more tender and juicy that way!)
• 1/2 Ambrosia apple, remove core and seeds (you can also use Gala, Fuji, or any other sweet apple)
• 1 Medjool date (remove pit)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• splash of white wine (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400.

Wash chicken breasts and place in an oven safe baking dish.  (I like to take a little extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, and a pinch of turmeric and massage them into each breast before I do anything else.  This usually makes the meat a little bit more tender and flavorful, but it is completely optional.)

Blend apple, date, garlic, red onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and wine if you're using it.  Make sure mix is smooth and then pour it on top of the chicken.  Cover with foil.  Cook for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from oven.  Let chicken cool slightly.  Remove breasts from the dish and set the "sauce" aside.  On a cutting board, remove the meat from the bone and cut/shred into small bite size pieces.  Place shredded chicken in a bowl and mix in the sauce a little bit at a time until moist and saturated. 

Preparing the chicken salad

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 Ambrosia apple, finely chopped (can substitute with any sweet apple)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add apple, raisins, almonds, and red onion to chicken.  Mix.

Place in the refrigerator to chill.  Serve and enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: BEET SALAD WITH ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

I looooove salad!  Most salads have a ton of nutrients and can be very good for you.  However, you can negate all those good things with store bought dressing.  Most dressings are loaded with bad calories as well as a ton of sodium.  Here is a simple vinaigrette dressing that doesn't use any oil.  It tastes great and it's actually good for you!  Check it out...

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

• 1 large beet
• 2 Persian cucumbers (aka mini seedless cucumbers)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 gala or Fuji apple
• 1 cup (or large handful) of green beans
• 1 naval orange
• 2 tablespoons red onion

Dressing:

• 1 naval orange
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

To prepare the beet:
Heat oven to 400.  Rinse beet, poke a few holes in the skin with a fork, rub a little extra virgin olive oil on the skin, and wrap tightly in foil.  Place in the oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and place under cold running water, you will be able to just push back the skin and remove it.  Chop the beet into bite size pieces and place in the refrigerator to chill.

To prepare the green beans:
Wash beans, cut off ends, place in a saucepan with about an inch of water and boil for about 10 minutes or until the beans are little tender.  Remove from pan, chop into bite size pieces and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Chop cucumber, apple, avocado, and onion and place into a mixing bowl.  Add the chilled beets and green beans.  Peel orange and chop into bite size pieces, add the orange to the bowl.

To prepare the dressing:
Peel second orange, pull apart and place into a blender.  Squeeze in the juice from the lemon wedge.  Add the balsamic vinegar.  Blend.

Add the dressing to the salad.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss and serve!

This makes a great side dish for a large meal, like Thanksgiving which is right around the corner.  Or just divide it into a couple portions and eat it as meal for one!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: APPLE AND BASIL TUNA

I could literally eat a tuna sandwich everyday for lunch.  There is something so delicious and even comforting about it for me.  But all that mayo can get fattening.  So I came up with a recipe that uses less mayo than normal and added lemon for moisture and flavor, plus a few extra bits of flavor! 

And remember the half an apple that you have left over from the Apple and Cucumber Guacamole?  Well now you can use it in this recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of tuna (I prefer to use tuna in water with no salt added and then you can add a small amount of salt on your own).
• 1/4 fuji or gala apple
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of red onion depending upon your taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 1/4 lemon (1 wedge)
• spoonful of mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Drain tuna and place in bowl to mix.

Finely chop onion, apple and basil and add everything to the bowl.

Squeeze in lemon juice, add mayonnaise, add a dash of salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients together.

Taste.  You can always add more salt, pepper, lemon or mayo depending on your taste preference. 

Makes enough for 2 sandwiches.  I recommend using a sprouted grain bread for increased nutritional value.

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: APPLE AND CUCUMBER GUACAMOLE

Avocados have a bad reputation for being fattening. While it is true that avocados do contain some fat it is the good kind of fat full of things that your body can use like Potassium, Vitamin E and Vitamin C among other things. So enjoy them!  But just in case you are still paranoid here is a guacamole recipe that uses less avocado than a traditional recipe without skimping on flavor...

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 2 Persian cucumbers (aka mini seedless cucumbers)
• 1 yellow or orange pepper
• 1/2 fuji or gala apple
• 2 - 3 stalks of fresh cilantro finely chopped (approximately 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion (can be a little more or less depending on your taste)
• 1/4 lemon (1 wedge)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Skin and chop avocados and place in a large mixing bowl.

Finely chop cucumbers.  Keep the skin on.  Persian cucumbers have a thin skin that is crisp, delicious and nutritious.  I usually cut the cucumbers into 1/8ths lengthwise creating long strips and then chop.  Cut peppers and apples to be about the same size as the cucumber pieces.  Remember you are only using half the apple.  Add everything to the mixing bowl.

Very finely chop the onion and cilantro.  Add both to the mixing bowl. 

Squeeze lemon juice into the bowl and remove any lemon seeds.  Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil, about 1 teaspoon (you can always add more later if you want).  Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and mix until creamy.   

Presto!  Nutritious and delicious guacamole is ready to serve and enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

PS - Tastes great with Bad Joan's Ezekiel Chips!