Chicken Salad, My Way

Chicken Salad.  An American favorite that I am far too picky about.  Too much mayo and it's ruined for me.  The consistency truly has to be perfect - light and cool on hot summer day.  I love the crunch that celery brings, paired with freshly shredded or chopped chicken and just the right dressing. 

Here's what I whipped up the other night: Chopped chicken breast, diced celery, scallions, and cubes of ripe avocado.  Toss these together.  In a separate bowl I combine sour cream, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and a bit of salt until it was well blended.  Then I dressed the chicken mixture and had a lovely new twist on the typical chicken salad. 

The mayo-free aspect really made me happy.  For some reason, I cannot stomach the texture of mayo.  I much prefer sour cream and, in fact, believe it to be one of the top condiments of choice.  I love the how it cools a dish instantly and is matched well with a seasoning such as cayenne pepper.  The avocado added an extra creaminess that replaced the need for mayo entirely.  And a good Dijon mustard is an outstanding way to up the flavor of any dish - I am always amazed at how little mustard is needed to turn a straightforward dish into something with flair. 

And if you haven't tried this mustard yet, it's a must.  It could quite possibly be the most delicious mustard ever.

The Secret to Spinach Salad

 

I have finally discovered the Secret to Spinach Salad.  As an adult woman who has to watch her calorie intake as my metabolism is forever slowing down, salads are ideal.  But I feel as though I am on a salad rollercoaster.  In theory, I should be eating salads, and only salads, for lunch and for dinner every single day.  Some days I am just not in the mood however - either that or I cannot decide on WHAT type of salad to dine on.  There are oh-so many.  To top that, even as I eat these salads, I am constantly analyzing them in regards to their net worth to me.   Some days I just want to enjoy the fresh, crisp crunch of iceberg lettuce, but the nutrient nazi in my head is saying, 'What nutrition are you getting out of this? Eating this is simply a waste of time.'  

Having said all this, I am well aware that dark, leafy greens are the way to go.  Spinach being at the top of that list - full of vitamins and minerals - some of the most vital ones, folate, iron, and vitamin A.  But depending on how it is prepared, spinach can hold a certain bitterness that simply turns me off.  In addition, if you cook it too long, well then, you might as well just eat iceberg lettuce since all those vitamins and minerals have pretty much evaporated.  And I hate the old trick chefs use to 'make spinach taste good' by creaming it or cooking it with loads of butter, oil, cream and/or cheese.  What's the point of consuming it then if you also take down two days worth of calories and saturated fat?

While creating my weekly shopping list this week I decided I was in the mood for goat cheese.  And what does goat cheese pair well with?  Spinach salad of course!  But I was determined to NOT be subject to the bitterness of the spinach this week.  Seriously, I do not want to dine on bitter spinach.  Ever.  Again.  It just so happened that this week I was attending a cooking class at Sur La Table with a high school friend in the driver's seat.  And in her cooking class we were making: spinach salad.  She shed some light on what was necessary - what I had been missing.   Typically I create all-vegetable salads, and what she reminded me of was that foods need balance and that balance is created by contrast.  The bitterness of the spinach was of course balanced by the sweet tang of the goat cheese - but just one more element was enough to tip the scales completely in my favor - fruit.  

Be it strawberries, raspberries, sliced apples or orange wedges - the addition of fruit with your bitter green salads will open up a whole new world.  As always, I am dedicated to eating healthy, but I want to really enjoy the healthy food I am consuming to continually remind myself it is worth it.  So in this entry photo, you are looking at a delicious spinach salad complete with spinach, goat cheese, a sprinkling of walnuts and strawberries.  I am now at peace with the leafy green known as spinach - and off to pursue more good foods, making them taste great. 

The Ultimate Vinaigrette

 

With the holidays behind us and a fresh new year ahead, it's time to starting eating more salads.  And pretty much less of everything else:)  As much as I enjoy holiday eats and treats, I grow weary as December ends and my pants no longer fit.  I feel programmed to increase my healthy factor as soon as January 1 hits.  Now, as much as I love salad, and I really adore salad, I often struggle to find salad dressing that both tastes delicious and isn't too hard on my waistline.  My husband and I sample countless bottles from various stores and restaurants, but rarely do I find one that lasts.  I am beginning to think homemade dressing is the way to go.  The only thing that really prevents me is my own laziness - yes, at times I would rather unscrew the cap to some random bottle of dressing.  But after this recipe, I am dedicating my efforts to homemade!  Just the other day I received this, the Ultimate Vinaigrette, from my sister-in-law.  You have probably figured out by now that with the word 'ultimate' in the title that this creation belongs to none other than Tyler Florence.  Once I saw that, I was sold :)  I love Tyler Florence, he's such a cutie!  And both his shows and his recipes are truly fantastic.  This particular dressing went with a very simple salad of just arugula.  Personally, I sometimes envision vast fields of clover when eating arugula because of its taste.  The dressing has to be really good, otherwise I feel like I'm grazing.  This one did the trick - it was outstanding!  I added butter lettuce and radicchio for color and texture.  But that was it, nothing else needed.  This dressing stood on its own and was a fantastic complement to the variety of lettuces.  Oh yes, I did use one other thing......

 

This mini.  In went, whole shallots, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar and honey.  Fits right in with New Year's resolutions, right? The dressing was done in less that 5 minutes.  This mini has come in handy so many times that it has earned a permanent spot on our kitchen countertop.  Homemade dressing is now more attainable to me.  Also, I really prefer how incredibly well the olive oil gets blended with the rest of the ingredients due this mini's high speeds.  It leaves my whisking-by-hand in the dust.  Besides, I always detested the fact that I would whisk together a dressing and before I even poured it over the salad the oil separated from the vinegar.  A sincere thank you to my sister-in-law for finding this gem :)

Make it again? No question, we're having it tomorrow night!

Improvements?  Not a thing.  Unless you're in the mood for a little heat, then throw in some red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper. I also believe it would work with any lettuce, spinach or other vegetables you'd like to throw in.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/arugula-salad-and-ultimate-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html

Red Quinoa Salad

Red Quinoa Salad: red quinoa, bell pepper, scallion, tomato, avocado, arugula, feta, lemon juice, olive oil. 

Make it again? Yes, it was fresh, healthy and light.

Improvements: Use an avocado that is almost ripe, that way it will be perfect for leftover the next day, not too mushy.

Fruit Salad with Lime & Brown Sugar Dipping Yogurt

 

This was simple.  I wanted us to snack on fruit throughout the afternoon on this lazy Saturday.  After tossing together all the fresh fruit we had in the house, I thought a dipping sauce would add that little 'something extra.'  I mixed nonfat Greek yogurt together with brown sugar and lime.  At first, I couldn't taste my additions.  However, after putting it in the fridge for at least an hour, the yogurt had a tangy, subtly sweet taste to it.  The flavors just needed time to marry :)

Make it again?  When spring and summer roll around again, I think I will make this.  It was a fun, yet healthy way to enjoy our fruit.

Improvements: For friends and family, especially kids, it would be fun to skewer the fruit.  Also, I am certain that the yogurt flavorings could be experimented with.  Trying out an orange instead of the lime, etc...