waldorf chicken salad

Waldorf Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 to 2 1/2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast (I used the breasts of one rotisserie chicken)
1 cup celery, sliced (about 1 1/2 stalks and leaves)
1 cup apple, diced
2-3 scallions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together chicken, celery, apple, scallions, and walnuts. 
2. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Eat alone, add on top of a bed of lettuce, or sandwiched between two slices of bread. Refrigerate any leftovers.

roasted sweet potatoes with bacon and scallions

During the school year, I suck at being healthy. So, during the summer, I try to cleanse my body of all the crap food and nourish it with the good stuff. I've especially been attempting to be as Paleo as possible before my New York vacay in July. I was doing really well but, truthfully, I've FAILEOd a few times this week for social purposes. Oops.

Can you believe I only started eating sweet potatoes about a year ago when I did my first Whole30? Crazy right? White potatoes will always be better in my book but, if it's in the potato family, I'll work with it.  Lately, I've been addicted to this one sweet potato side dish. Since sweet potatoes are Paleo-friendly, I don't even feel guilty that I've already made it twice this week. SO good.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Scallions

INGREDIENTS
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp grated fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp bacon fat (or substitute with extra virgin olive oil)
5 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sliced scallions

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook bacon. You can do this stovetop in a skillet or baked in the oven. Cook the bacon to desired texture (I like mine crispy!). Remove bacon from pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Also reserve additional bacon fat from skillet/pan to use. 
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Prepare sweet potatoes. Wash the skin of the sweet potatoes by scrubbing with water. Cut raw sweet potatoes into 1-inch rounds, and then into half or quarter pieces. 
4. Place sweet potatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, and black pepper into a large mixing bowl with 2 Tbsp of pourable bacon fat or extra virgin olive oil. (If the bacon fat has solidified, you can warm it up in the microwave to get back into liquid form.) Stir everything together until ingredients are well distributed onto sweet potatoes. I give the bowl a few tosses, too.
5. Place the seasoned sweet potatoes onto a foil-lined baking rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
6. Toss the warm sweet potatoes with 1 Tbsp warm bacon fat or olive oil, bacon, and scallions. 
7. Serve hot. 

strawberry balsamic salad with chicken

It's getting warmer, which means I certainly feel like eating lighter. Spring/summertime is my favorite because there's plenty of fresh produce available, and I seriously can't get enough. I decided to sweeten up my salad with strawberries, and then added leftover barbequed chicken thighs to balance it all out. The smokey, grilled flavor from the chicken was a bonus. Have I inspired you to have dinner outside? Fire up the grill and toss this simple spring salad together.

Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Chicken
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
3 cup chopped romaine lettuce
3 Tbsp strawberry balsamic dressing (see recipe below)
1 cup cooked chicken pieces, chopped (I had leftover BBQ'ed chicken thighs.)
3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Toss romaine with strawberry balsamic dressing. Add 3/4 cup of the chicken pieces and 1/2 cup of the strawberry slices and toss again.
2. Top with the remaining chicken and strawberries.
3. To brighten it up, you can also finish your salad off with fresh lemon zest.

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Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mashed fresh strawberries
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
pinch of salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Add mashed strawberries balsamic vinegar and honey to saucepan and heat on medium high until it starts rapidly bubbling. Stir well to incorporate everything and also frequently to keep from sticking to the sides. 
2. Once it starts rapidly bubbling, allow to cook for about 2 minutes while stirring. Then, turn the heat way down to low/medium-low heat. Stir the mixture around occasionally as it continues to cook. It's ready when the balsamic vinegar has reduced-- the mixture has thickened and the volume looks like it has halved.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow mixture to cool for a few minutes before using. This can be used a spread, because it is somewhat jam-like. Or you can also use this as a dressing. Take your pick.

pesto chicken stuffed portobello mushrooms

Confession. I never get tired of pesto. I put it on my breakfast eggs (or toast if I'm feeling extra naughty). I throw it on lettuce and call it a salad. And, because it's herb-based, it tastes good with fish, red meat, and lean meats alike.

More often than I'd like to admit, I crave homemade fettuccine with pesto and chicken. It's one of the most satisfying cheat meals ever.. until I start feeling like crap from scarfing down all that gluten. Really, I do. It's a love/hate relationship.

Luckily, I love mushrooms. For a vegetable, mushrooms are so meaty and hearty. So, instead of making pasta with pesto, chicken, and mushrooms. I decided to cut out the middle man-- the pasta-- to save myself from gluten misery.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
yields 6-8 stuffed mushrooms

INGREDIENTS
6-8 Portobello stuffing mushrooms (mine were on the smaller side, so about 8)
1 tsp olive oil + extra for brushing
1/2 c. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken breast, largely diced (I use a skinless breast of a whole-roasted chicken)
1/2 c. pesto (store-bought or homemade-- it's always best to use your favorite)
5-6 black olives, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare mushrooms. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth. Mushrooms drink in water very easily, so it's best not to wash them directly under water. You want them as dry as possible. Then, with a spoon or sharp knife, remove the stem and gills from each mushroom cap. Lightly brush each Portobello with olive oil and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
2. While mushrooms are baking, prepare the pesto chicken filling. In a small skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally. Once onions are softened, stir in garlic. Allow the garlic to cook a bit-- about 2 or 3 more minutes. Finally add chicken, pesto, and salt and pepper to taste. 
3 Stuff the Portobellos. Use a spoon to fill hollowed mushroom cap with pesto chicken. Add chopped olives on top. Pop the stuffed Portobellos back into the oven for about 2 more minutes. Then they are ready to eat!

loaded sweet potato bites

It's a good thing I have no interest in football, or else I might be upset that my Bay Area team came up short. The Niners did not have a great Super Bowl Sunday, but I sure did. Big surprise, my favorite part about Super Bowl Sunday is making cute bite-sized foods.

Since making these, I've had this carton of sour cream chillin in my fridge. Even though it's not Paleo, I just hate wasting ingredients. After work on Saturday, I made a stop at Trader Joe's. I knew I wanted to make little loaded sweet potato bites. It was a little disappointing to come home realizing I did not have the green onion I thought I had. Worst feeling in the world as I scoured every drawer and shelf of the refrigerator. Oh well, I made it work. Try these out. They are delish!

Loaded Sweet Potato Bites

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp chili powder

toppings (optional): 

3 slices crispy bacon, chopped

parsley, chopped (can also use green onion or chives)

sour cream

shredded cheese

whatever you put on your loaded baked potato!

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Thoroughly wash sweet potatoes and dry with a paper towel. Cut off and throw away the ends. Then, slice sweet potatoes into about 1/4" thick pieces.

3. Place sweet potatoes in a medium bowl along with all the other ingredients (except toppings). Mix everything together well with a spoon or your hands-- whatever works for you. Make sure all sweet potato slices are coated well with olive oil and seasoning.

4. In an even layer, spread sweet potatoes out onto the lined baking sheet.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then, flip all potato slices over. Place back into the oven for about 12 more minutes or until they develop a nice golden "crust" color.

6. Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly first before adding toppings (don't want your sour cream to melt!). Top with whatever you like! If you want to add cheese, I would sprinkle a little bit of shredded cheddar or parmesan on top and pop back into the oven to melt before adding other toppings.

To make this recipe Paleo, you would just omit sour cream as a topping option. Honestly, they would still taste good. I just happened to have sour cream I needed to use, and it also helps all the other toppings to stay on top of the sweet potato. My compromise for using the sour cream was not adding any cheese. Although, I do not recommend skipping out on the crispy bacon. Crispy bacon with the seasoned sweet potato is heavenly. But that's just my personal fatty opinion. I believe everything tastes better with bacon.

orange balsamic glazed brussels sprouts with bacon

I personally don't know why people dislike/hate/are revolted by brussels sprouts. I assume it's due to a bad experience. I never ate brussels sprout anything growing up, so for a long time I never knew how they tasted or what to do with them. Then, I had a life-changing brussels sprout moment at Motorino in New York a few years ago. Brussels sprout and pancetta pizza.. holy goodness. That pizza is so scrumptious that it hurts to be 3,000 miles away. I literally want to cuddle with that pizza. Okay, I'll keep it G-rated and stop now. It's not even possible to recreate the depth of flavor developed by brussels sprouts roasted in a brick oven. So if you are ever in the East Village, stop by Motorino and know that I am jealous. I don't really miss pizza much, but that pizza.. it doesn't make me feel even a smidge guilty for binging on gluten and cheese.

Okay moving on, back to brussels sprouts. I don't mind them just oven-roasted with EVOO, salt and pepper. But today, I was feeling adventurous and decided to add a twist.

Orange Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 slices of cooked thick-cut bacon, crispy
orange zest for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare brussels sprouts. For each brussels sprout, cut off and throw away the brown end. Then, cut each brussels sprout lengthwise into thirds. Don't worry about this being perfect. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Add the EVOO, salt and pepper to the brussels sprouts. Gently toss until the brussels sprouts are evenly dressed.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then, stir the mixture around. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until they are tender and the leaves have browned.
5. Prepare the orange balsamic glaze. This can be done while your brussels sprouts are baking. In a frying pan on medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and orange juice. Allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes until it looks like it is reduced to about half the amount. It does not look like much but it will be just enough for the shrunken brussels sprouts.
6. Add brussels sprouts to the glaze in the frying pan. Carefully stir together until brussels spouts are lightly coated. 
7. Turn off heat and pour into a separate bowl. Roughly chop or crumble the crispy bacon and use it to top the brussels sprouts. Add a sprinkle of orange zest if desired.
8. Serve, eat, enjoy!

I paired my brussels sprouts with a salmon fillet. I only added lemon pepper to the skin and cooked it in the same frying pan with some EVOO. I've been pan-frying my salmon lately instead of baking it in the oven, mostly because I've been dealing with skinned salmon. I find that by cooking it in the pan, I can get the skin really nice and crispy and it somehow also turns out perfectly moist every time. If I did have a skinless fillet, I would then prefer baking it in a foil packet with herbs, fresh lemon, onion slices, and cherry tomatoes. But that sounds like another recipe for another day..