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: PEACH AND BASIL COBBLER

Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits!  And basil is my absolute favorite herb (which you will discover as the blog continues).  So it's no surprise that these two divine tastes go well together!  I found a recipe a while back from Martha Stewart for Peach/Basil Crumbles that I modified a tiny bit to up the nutritional value without compromising on flavor!  Check it out...


INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

• 4 large ripe peaches, pitted, and sliced into wedges (you can peel them if you like, I usually keep the skin on)
• 1 to 2 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Topping:

• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make the filling simply mix all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

To make the topping, combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (this is a different bowl than the filling filling).  Rub in the butter a little bit at a time with your fingers until mixture is crumbly.

Place filling in 8 x 8 baking pan.  Cover with topping. 

Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Makes 6 servings. 


*Differences from the original Martha Stewart recipe*

• She uses sugar in the filling: I find that fresh, ripe peaches have enough natural sugar already and do not need any additional processed sugar.
• She uses lemon zest in the filling: I personally did not like the taste that the lemon zest added to this particular recipe.
• She uses all purpose flour for the topping: I use whole grain oat flour which is higher in protein and fiber than all purpose flour. In this recipe I also think the oat flour gives an added flavor that is delicious!
• I also added a tiny bit more almonds because I enjoy the crunch texture!

This dish is great to serve if you have guests over.  If you are cooking for 1 then you can store this by putting plastic wrap over the pan and keep in the refrigerator (note - it will get a little grey in color once you store it in the refrigerator but it will still be delicious and keep for several days).  When I make this cobbler I like to eat it throughout the week...  I eat it for breakfast if I'm in the mood for something sweet.  I like to take a serving to work in a Tupperware container and eat it as a snack when I'm feeling the need for a little sugar.  And of course I eat it for dessert or a snack if I'm watching TV.

With fresh fruit, herbs, nuts, and oats this dish makes a healthy dessert or snack so enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan