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: POACHED SALMON

Want a simple, quick, and delicious salmon recipe?  Look no further...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (or more) salmon fillets
• 1 cup white wine (any white will work)
• 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place salmon on a large piece of foil.  Fold the sides of the foil creating a "dish" with the foil around the salmon.  Pour in wine and squeeze the juice from the lemon.  Close the foil so there are no openings (it does not have to be closed against the salmon just closed so that liquid doesn't get out).

Fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water.  Place foil packet in the pot.  Place the lid on the pot.  Place on the stove on high, let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until it's cooked all the way through.

Remove from foil and serve!  You can squeeze more lemon on top for additional flavor or serve it over a bed of lettuce as a salmon salad!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: MUSHROOM POTATO SOUP WITH A HINT OF SAGE

Want a creamy mushroom soup without the cream? Well look no further! By adding potatoes to the soup you can make it thick, creamy, and filling without having to add heavy cream. It's a healthier alternative to a traditional creamy mushroom soup.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb mushrooms (whatever kind you prefer, white button mushrooms seen above)
• 3 medium white potatoes
• 1 large sweet onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 4 cups of water
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop mushrooms, potatoes, onion, garlic, sage and place everything in a large oven safe dish.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper (I usually use about 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper).  Mix everything together, cover with foil, and cook for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes.  Blend, use the water to help make the mixture smoother and thinner (it will still be plenty thick and creamy!).

Place in a pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Taste, add more salt and/or pepper if it needs.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: CARROT RAISIN DIP WITH HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS

I love snacks! Especially crunchy snacks which are a little bit savory and a little bit sweet. The other day I noticed I had some carrots and raisins I hadn't eaten yet so I tried a little experiment. The result was a very flavorful dip that is actually good for you! Check it out...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag baby carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a medium size oven safe pan. Cover tightly with foil.  Place in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven.  Let cool for a few minutes and the blend.

Simple, delicious, and healthy!

This dip tastes great with some homemade Pita Chips.  They are so simple to make and if you use a whole wheat pita they are low in calories and high in fiber.  Here is how you do it:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Separate the pita
• Brush each side with olive oil
• Cut into triangles
• Cover a baking sheet in foil and lay the triangles in a single layer
• Lightly salt 
• Place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until brown and crispy 

This is an easy snack to keep at home that will fill you up in a nutritious way!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: LEMON SHALLOT QUINOA

I love quinoa! It makes a filling and healthy meal or side dish, and it's so easy to prepare. Quinoa tastes great with so many ingredients but here is just one of the ways in which I like to prepare it...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 Persian cucumbers (aka mini seedless cucumbers)
• 1/2 an avocado
• 5 large asparagus stalks
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
To prepare the quinoa:
Rinse the quinoa.  Place 1 cup of quinoa into a pot and add 2 cups of water.  Bring the water to a boil, cover, then let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (until all the water is gone).  Place quinoa in a bowl and put in the refrigerator to cool.

Steam asparagus, cool, and chop.

Chop cucumber, avocado, and shallots; add to quinoa along with asparagus. 

Squeeze lemon juice, add olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix and enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP

Around this time of year it's always nice to have a hearty bowl of soup to warm your bones!  There is something so comforting about it and when the soup is hearty it can be very satiating.  This is a super simple recipe, made with basic and fresh ingredients, that will definitely hit the spot...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped into large pieces (1/2 to 1 inch)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 7 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 large yellow squash, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 small handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over low to medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to get clear. 

Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until some liquid starts to develop from the tomatoes.  (At this point I like to just mash up the tomatoes a bit with my spoon adding to the liquid but still leaving the tomatoes chunky).

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes.  (You can let it cook for up to an hour, stirring occasionally.  The longer it cooks the better the flavor will be.  Best if you can let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving).

You can add more salt, pepper, or olive oil according to your taste. 

Makes approximately 4 to 5 bowls of soup.

Enjoy!


GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: PERSIMMON PECAN COOKIES

I love spice cookies during the holiday season!  But eating a lot of sweets during this time of year can get out of control pretty quickly.  So it's always good if you can use real fruit when baking to substitute for some of the sugar.  And, of course, using whole grain flour like oat flour can help to make those delicious calories count for something good!  I found a delicious persimmon cookie recipe online (see original recipe here); I just made a few modifications to it in order to make the cookies a little bit healthy while still maintaining the yummy flavor...

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ripe hachiya persimmons (tip: these persimmons need to be super soft and often black when they are ripe, ask your grocer how to test for ripeness if you are not sure)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups oat flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

INGREDIENTS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove skin from persimmons and puree.  Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside.

Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen depending on how large you make your cookies.

Happy Holidays!

GTBB,
Bad Joan