Paleo Chicken Salad with Bacon & Onions

Paleo Chicken Salad with Bacon & Onions
Recipe adapted from a non-paleo Food.com recipe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, raw
3 slices Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon, cooked and diced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4  tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup pureed sweet onion
1/2 cup Paleo mayo recipe below

Boil water. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cook bacon in the microwave or stovetop per package instructions. Add lemon juice, cumin, onion powder, worcestershire sauce, sea salt, pepper and mayo to a large bowl. Add onions to processor. Pulse until pureed. Add to large bowl with  spices. Rinse processor and add now cooked/drained chicken and pulse until lightly shredded. Add to bowl. Now, if mayonnaise isn’t made already, rinse processor and follow recipe below. Add half of the recipe below (1/2 cup total) to large bowl and mix everything together. Serve over fresh greens or wrapped in lettuce.

Review: Wonderful! We LOVED this - the bacon really gives it a smoky flavor, great combined with the onion. This particular bacon tastes a lot like ham or Canadian bacon. We may actually like this better than the grape/almond chicken salad... or maybe we're just sick of that one as we've been eating on it for a few months now! Either way - this is our new favorite. I have even served it to non-paleo peeps and they love it!

Paleo Mayo
Found on Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 1 cup

1 large egg, room temperature not cold (very important!)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon yields)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t mind black flecks)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup extra light olive oil

Combine egg, lemon juice, mustard powder, pepper and salt in food processor and blend until frothy. Using drip hole in the top, drizzle oil in a few drops at a time. DO NOT rush this; drizzle oil down the tube little by little until all is mixed in and mixture is creamy.

Paleo Drumsticks Two Ways

The lemon pepper version with green beans and cauliflower mash

Paleo Drumsticks Two Ways
Batch #2 adapted from a Health-Bent recipe

4 pounds drumsticks
Batch #1: juice and zest from 1 lemon; 1 tbsp black pepper; 1 tsp salt
Batch #2: 2 tsp each garlic powder, chili powder & paprika; 1 ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Coat large, 1” deep baking sheet in a tsp of olive oil – use fingers to spread it around and ensure whole pan is covered in oil. Add half of drumsticks to a large bowl. Mix 1 tbsp of olive oil in with hands. Toss Batch #1 Mixture on and mix further with hands. Lay on pan. Rinse bowl and hands. Add rest of drumsticks to bowl. Mix 1 tbsp of olive oil in with hands and toss Batch #2 Mixture on. Lay on other half of pan. Broil for 10 minutes skin side down. Turn each over and broil for another 20 minutes.

Review: Love these! We like Batch #1 with cauliflower mashed potatoes and green beans. Batch #2 is great with mash and beans, too, but it's also great with guacamole as it has a bit of Mexican taste to it.

Paleo Chicken Salad with Grapes & Almonds

one serving on a bed of lettuce

Paleo Chicken Salad with Grapes & Almonds
Adapted from Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, raw
1 cup seedless grapes
1/2 cup chopped raw slivered almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 stalks celery
¼ of sweet onion
1/2 cup Paleo mayo recipe below

Boil water. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cut grapes in half. Add grapes, almonds, sea salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to a large bowl. Add celery and sweet onion to processor. Pulse until very finely chopped. Add to large bowl with grapes and spices. Rinse processor and add now cooked/drained chicken and pulse until lightly shredded. Add to bowl. Now, if mayonnaise isn’t made already, rinse processor and follow recipe below. Add half of the recipe below (1/2 cup total) mayonnaise to large bowl and mix everything together. Serve over fresh greens or wrapped in lettuce.

Nutritional Information per serving: 480 calories, 9 carbs, 37 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Amazing! We had this for dinner last night and it is just packed with flavor. I rolled mine up in lettuce leaves, and ate some of it 'straight' with a fork. It is a large serving for sure. I was especially happy with this mayo - it looks like real mayo, not a runny, oily mess I have found some of the Paleo mayos give me. This is more than likely going to be a staple on our weekly menus. If you're freaked by the fat grams, know that the vast majority of fat grams (and calories really) comes from the olive oil and almonds. I don't recommend using less mayo - it seemed like just the right amount - now swimming but not dry.

Paleo Mayo
Found on Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 1 cup

1 large egg, room temperature not cold (very important!)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon yields)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t mind black flecks)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup extra light olive oil

Combine egg, lemon juice, mustard powder, pepper and salt in food processor and blend until frothy. Using drip hole in the top, drizzle oil in a few drops at a time. DO NOT rush this; drizzle oil down the tube little by little until all is mixed in and mixture is creamy.

Soy Glazed Salmon

Soy Glazed Salmon
Makes 2 Servings
Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com

1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice from ½ lemon)
½ tbsp dry white wine (or water)
8 oz. salmon, skin removed
½ cup basmati rice, dry
optional topping: sesame seeds

Cook rice per package instructions on stove. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir sugar, oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and wine until sugar has dissolved. Spray nonstick cooking spray in square baking dish. Add fish in a single layer. Pour glaze over fish and turn to coat evenly. Bake until fish is opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over basmati, spooning remaining glaze on top as a sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Nutritional Information: 401 calories, 43 carbs, 14 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: The glaze was very tasty, and it made plenty to allow for the sauce to give the rice flavor. I liked how easy this was, too – I had all of the ingredients on hand! I did use wine, only because I happened to have a bottle open already, but I feel certain it would be fine with water instead like the recipe suggested as an alternative. I will definitely have this again, and think it would be great with other grains, too, like couscous or quinoa, or with an Asian-inspired salad!

Shrimp Etoufee

NO! this is not paleo... but i'm still finding some recipes I never posted pre-paleo!

Shrimp Etoufee 
Adapted from Family Circle Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 cup onion, diced 
½ cup green pepper diced 
1 cup celery, finely diced 
2 tbsp mincd garlic 
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce 
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp Cajun seasoning 
1 pound shrimp, peeled/tail-off 
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1 cup Jasmine rice (dry) 
1 lemon, cut into wedges 


 In a large pot, whisk together flour and oil until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes until reddish-brown in color. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer 15 minutes until celery is soft. Cook longer if it’s still ‘crunchy.’ Add shrimp and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve shrimp over rice. Squeeze lemon wedges over each plate. 


Nutritional Information: 407 calories, 53 carbs, 9 fat grams and 28 protein grams. 


Review: Powerful dish! It had so much flavor and everything mingled together great! We used fresh shrimp and it was excellent. Shrimp dishes typically don't reheat well, but the heavy sauce made this one do well, just heat at 50% so that the shrimp doesn't become rubbery. I thought this dish was easy to put together, although my processor made it easy to dice up all of the veggies. Make SURE you dice the celery well - no one wants a crunchy bite in the etoufee! I still can't get over the calorie counts - it tastes much more calorific.

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Dip

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe adapted from Katie Did
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp mustard
½ cup lite olive oil
¼ cup hot sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover chicken breasts in water and bring to boil for 3-4 minutes until white; cook through. Drain and allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend together egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic and mustard. Slowly stream in olive oil until thick mayonnaise is made. Add hot sauce and chicken. Pulse until blended and chicken is shredded. Pour into small casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with celery.

Nutritional Information: 389 calories, 1 carb, 30 fat grams and 27 protein grams.

Review: WOW. This tastes amazing. I’ve eaten it straight, as well as over lettuce as a Buffalo Chicken Salad. The dip is great with celery, and you can just make it 8 servings for 8 snacks. We’ve already made this twice and it’s easy to double for more meals or snacks!

As a salad!

Mom's Lemon Chicken

Mom’s Lemon Chicken
Makes 4 servings

16 oz. chicken, raw, diced
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp tarragon leaves
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
Zest from 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
¼ cup water
2 cups white microwavable rice, cooked
4 cups green beans, cooked

Heat a large pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. In the meantime, mix soup, salt, paprika, tarragon, lemon juice and water. Pour mixture over chicken and simmer for 1 hour covered. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice with green beans on the side.

Nutritional Information: 368 calories, 50 carbs, 3 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yum - I grew up eating this gravy-like dish and just love it. I requested it so much as a little girl, and it was great to eat it again, albeit a healthified version of it. I thought it tasted pretty dang close to 'the real thing' - and was so glad that I pulled it out of the recipe archives from my mom! Thanks, mom, Austin liked it a lot, too! :)

North Indian Style Chicken

North Indian Style Chicken
Recipe inspired by Sunset Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms
2-in. piece fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp each ground coriander and cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ pound boned, skinned chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
5 - 10 oz. baby spinach
8 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 of lemon yields)

In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mince ginger. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin and salt to pan; sizzle a few seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes, or until no longer pink on the outside. Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer, covered, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop enough cilantro to yield 1 cup. Stir into pan, along with lemon juice.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 389 calories, 17 carbs, 19 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: WOW. First of all, chicken thighs are awesome. I've never cooked with them as I've always gone for lean meats, but with paleo, fattier meats are on the menu! This dish made me not even miss the carbs - I loved all of the flavors, the spicy sauce, the mushrooms - just a great dish. I could easily see having this over cauliflower rice next time - having some "rice" would be great!

Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup

Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, finely diced or matchsticks
1 pound chicken
1 cup long grain rice
5 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh - juice from 2 lemons)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup spinach (optional)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
8 oz. mushrooms (optional)

Heat a large pan (with lid) over medium high heat; add oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and onion. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add chicken and brown slightly, then add carrots and rice. Stir to toast the rice for a minute. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice cooks completely. Add cream. Continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Nutritional Information: 358 calories, 44 carbs, 5 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: Big fan! I will say that the mushrooms gave it a different taste, but I made it without and you got much more of a lemony taste. I thought it had a great flavor, and loved the parsley with lemon taste, and that little bit of cream went a long way, too. I think it's a great fall dish and of course anything with rice is a win for me. My recommendations would be to make sure the chicken is more shredded then diced, use fresh lemon juice, and make sure you cook the onions and carrots to where they're soft not crunchy (which is why i'm a fan of matchstick carrots - easier to cook!).

A bite - yum!

Hot Chicken Salad Pasta

Hot Chicken Salad Pasta
Adapted from a Fabulessly Frugal recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
½ cup celery, finely diced
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp minced onion, dried
28 grams Cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 oz. potato chips, crumbled
8 oz. pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the ingredients except cheese, potato chips and chicken. Add chicken and stir well. Place mixture in baking dish and add cheese then chips to the top of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 446 calories, 57 carbs, 8 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: So I had originally made this recipe but without pasta - instead it was in a wrap. I liked it, but wanted to try it with pasta - it just sounded good! So I tweaked the recipe a bit and here goes! It was super creamy, and I liked the little bites of celery - gave it some flavor but make SURE to dice the celery very finely so it adds flavor without too much crunch/vegetable awkwardness. I think what I liked best about this one was that it was really creamy. I think if you wanted to avoid potato chips, you could easily put panko bread crumbs on top, or even crushed reduced fat ritz crackers! I like it and will make it again!

whole dish

Lemon Basil Almond Pesto

Lemon Basil Almond Pesto
Adapted from Tastespace
Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
Juice from ½ lemon
50 grams almond slivers
1 packed cup basil (about 40 leaves)
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp hot water

Add almonds to food processor. Puree. Add remaining ingredients except for water and pulse until well blended. If too thick, add hot water and pulse.

Additional Items to make Meal:

16 oz. chicken, diced and sprinkled with salt
8 oz. pasta, cooked per package instructions

Heat large pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes until chicken is just cooked, still a little pink. Add pesto. Stir until blended well. Add cooked, drained noodles. Stir until well coated. Add 1tsp of hot water at a time to loosen up the mixture if need be. Divide into four servings. Top with additional basil as garnish if desired.

Nutritional Information (with Chicken & Pasta): 418 calories, 46 carbs, 11 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Nutritional Information (pesto only): 94 calories, 4 carbs, 9 fat grams and 3 protein grams.

Review: Awesome. I'm a huge fan of lemon and basil anyway, so knew this would be a favorite. I was intrigued at using the almonds instead of the pinenuts, but it gave it a sweeter, nuttier flavor. I liked it a lot! This was more of a lime green than a deep green, but of course I could have added more basil. That's kind of the beauty of making your own pesto - you can add more amounts of low-calorie or no-calorie ingredients like lemon juice and basil to make it your own. We tasted as we made it (with cooked noodles - just dipped them into the blender). So while the above mixed worked for us (i.e. half a lemon of juice was plenty!), mix it up - just know that if you add more almonds or olive oil the nutritional information WILL be impacted. I hope this helps, I hope you try it and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I'll let you know how it freezes. :)

Pad Thai

Pad Thai
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Stephanie Cooks

4 servings pad Thai rice noodles
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp minced garlic
16 oz. chicken
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp almonds, chopped (7 grams)

Sauce: 4 tbsp lemon, 3 tbsp. fish sauce, 3 tbsp splenda, 1 pinch red pepper flakes and 4 green onions diced

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, stir well, and set aside. Heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and chicken. Transfer to a plate once cooked. Add egg. Cook for 1-2 minutes until done, then break into small pieces. Reduce heat to low, add sauce, noodles, and chicken back to the pan. Toss well to combine. Add cilantro. Toss well. Garnish with almonds.

Tip: Time it to where noodles are drained then immediately added to sauce. If not, they stick together.

Nutritional Information: 394 calories, 47 carbs, 7 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: We loved it. I will say that it smelled funny while we were cooking it until we added the green onions – then it smelled amazing. So we changed it to add them to the sauce. Also, we used lemon juice but you could have used lime juice – just our preference. I loved the rice noodles – it was my first time cooking with them. This recipe just seemed super easy and made for a great, flavorful dish. I loved the combination of cilantro and green onions, and the sauce really went a long way. I will make this again for sure!

Greek Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo

Greek Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo
Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

5 oz. fresh spinach
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
Pinch nutmeg
4 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup fat-free feta cheese
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz. orzo
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup parmesan cheese (Kraft)
¼ cup fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, tossing, 3 minutes until wilted. Add garlic and nutmeg and cook, tossing, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Once cooled off, squeeze liquid from spinach and then add to a bowl with feta and basil. Use a knife to cut feta and spinach into smaller, easier to stuff, pieces. Butterfly chicken and open like a book. Cover with wax paper and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness. Place a quarter of the mixture along the center of the breast; roll and secure with toothpicks. In the skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add stuffed chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Bring pot of water to a boil; add orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of liquid, and toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Use liquid if needed.

Nutritional Information: 421 calories, 45 carbs, 8 fat grams and 43 protein grams.

Review: Whoa! It was a great recipe. The chicken was super tender and juicy, and the stuffing was flavorful. The garlic gave the spinach a nice flavor. The pasta paired perfect with it - the parmesan thickened up the orzo, and the parsley, olive oil and lemon zest (more so than the juice) gave it a lot of punch. It was a nice, light meal with lots of color that was very filling!

Lemon Basil Pasta

Lemon Basil Pasta
Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Makes 4 Servings

10 oz. linguine
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ of a lemon
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp minced garlic

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Add beans for the last two minutes of cooking time. Remove ½ cup cooking liquid and set aside. Drain pasta and beans. Meanwhile, finely shred peel from the lemon half. In food processor or blender, combine lemon peel, basil, garlic, olive oil, juice from lemon half, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Process until smooth. Add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency (I used 3 tbsp). Toss lemon-basil mixture with pasta mixture.

Nutritional Information: 409 calories, 71 carbs, 10 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: I liked this but didn't love it. I think with this one I just really missed the meat and that made me sad. It was great hot, but not as good reheated. I don't hate it or anything, I just would give it a 3/5. I normally don't post my 3/5 recipes, but I LOVE the idea of a bean pasta and want to work with this one to hopefully like it more. Any ideas?!

Zucchini and Parmesan Pasta

Zucchini and Parmesan Pasta
Makes 4 Servings

Recipe inspired by Cooking with My Kid

1 pound zucchini, grated
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 tbsp chopped basil
zest of 1 large lemon
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 oz. angel hair pasta
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp + 2 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and basil. Cook for 3 minutes. Put grated zucchini in a colander, squeeze out some of the moisture then add it to the skillet. Turn heat down to medium low and continue to sauté veggies. When water is boiling, cook pasta for 6 minutes. Do not drain. Instead, use tongs to transfer cooked pasta into the skillet with the zucchini. Use the tongs to toss the pasta with the zucchini and cook for another few minutes until it is all combined. Then add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese and stir one more minute.

Nutritional Information: 374 calories, 57 carbs, 9 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: Awesome. I can't get over what a great meat substitute zucchini is! Also, I've never grated zucchini. It couldn't be easier! The original recipe called for much more olive oil, no parmesan, more pasta, more servings, and no lemon juice. I didn't miss these items and liked the idea of 4 servings. And when I made it, I used a bit less zucchini - love the idea of a pound and think it would add a lot (so I changed it above). Also, I loved the garlic and red pepper flakes - great flavor. It tasted like a scampi - but with zucchini! I will make this again - loved the pasta and the lemony flavor - that zest goes such a long way!

Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

1.25 cups dry quinoa
1 ¼ cup water
1 ¼ cup chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
¾ tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp black pepper
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
20 grams slivered almonds, finely diced
1/2 large red bell pepper (100 grams), diced
2 cups wild arugula (60 grams), divided into 4 (use more if desired)

Add quinoa to pot, along with water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Meanwhile, add garlic, salt, lemon juice, black pepper and olive oil to a large bowl. Stir, then add chickpeas, almonds and bell pepper. Mix well. Once quinoa is done, add to bowl and stir. Divide mixture into four servings (each 228 grams) and serve each over 15 grams arugula.

Nutritional Information: 422 calories, 57 carbs, 16 fat grams and 12 protein grams.

Review: Wow. I was nervous about this. I love quinoa, but didn't know how I felt about a "warm salad." Well, I'm a fan! The quinoa and beans made a soft, almost creamy mix, but the nuts added a nice crunch, along with the arugula and peppers. It was a blend I would have NEVER put together on my own, but it tasted AMAZING. The original recipe called for 1/3 black olives too... I'm glad I left those out. I feel like they would have overpowered the dish. There is nothing else I would change about this - VERY happy with this rainbow, meatless dish! I will say, and I noted above, that more arugula would have been welcome (and clearly wouldn't have added calories!). And speaking of calories (and fat) I don't think I would have missed it if say 1/2-1 tbsp of oil wasn't in here - just saying!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad
Makes 4 Servings

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp oregano, dried
¼ tsp basil, dried
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ packet splenda
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
1 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced

Other:
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
8 oz. pasta, small shape
3 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced
2-3 cups spinach

Optional:
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
30 Hormel Turkey Pepperonis, quartered

Cook pasta per package instructions. Drain and set aside. Combine all ‘dressing’ items in a blender or food processor. Mix pasta with ‘other’ ingredients – feta cheese and tomatoes. Add ‘optional’ ingredients if desired. Toss with now-blended dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach.

Nutritional information (without pepperonis): 293 calories, 46 carbs, 8 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Nutritional information (with pepperonis): 324 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Review: I think this one tasted best right after we made it. When we reheated it, it was a little bit dry. Probably because I didn’t use more oil. I added tomatoes in to the dressing part, and think it will improve the dryness. Or, I would suggest adding a 1/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (like Fage). Regardless, this was a great, flavorful recipe – I love the dressing and it’s a super colorful and tasty dish. I think it’s going to make a great spring and summer staple around our casa. The pepperonis can be a fun add on, but of course no biggie to keep it meatless, which is what we're moving toward doing 1-2 days per week at our place!!

Simple Hummus

Simple Hummus

Makes 8 100-calorie servings OR

16 50-calorie servings

1 can garbanzo beans, do not drain
3 tbsp tahini
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh parsley, diced

Add garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic and ½ tbsp olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Nutritional Information: 98 calories, 5 fat grams, 10 carbs and 3 protein grams.

Review: I was really happy with it! A lot of the recipes I found said to drain the beans - so I drained most of the liquid and rinsed. However, this hummus wasn't as smooth as I wanted it so I edited above and suggested to not drain/rinse at ALL. I think this will make a significant difference. Again, still loved, still ate it because of the flavor, but I heart a creamy texture. I tried this with pita crisps, as well as spread on a flat out wrap with feta cheese and lettuce - wonderful snack.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
6 oz. Nonfat, Plain Greek Yogurt, divided (Fage 0%)
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tbsp light canola butter
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
6 dried red chiles
1 14-oz. can tomato sauce
1 small jalapeno, cut in half, seeded and finely diced
1/4 tsp Sriracha Chili Sauce
3 cups rice

Mix 3 ounces of yogurt with chicken, lemon juice, 2 tsp. cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour. Melt butter and add jalapeno pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, garlic, curry powder, sriracha sauce and stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken and cook for five minutes. Add tomato sauce and chiles and simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. While simmering, cook rice per package instructions. Remove chicken from heat, stir in remaining 3 ounces of Greek yogurt. Divide rice into four servings. Top with chicken and garnish with cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 58 carbs, 8 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

Review: So this was the most involved Indian recipe I've ever made in the fact that I felt like I was using real Indian ingredients- I had to go to an Indian grocer for the red chiles! The recipes makes a lot of sauce - easily enough for each serving to have 3/4 cup. I liked how much it made, and it wasn't soup, but it wasn't thick either - perfect really! The yogurt mix in at the end really cooled it down, but it was still very spicy! We have decided that this is my best Indian recipe ("by far" Austin said - I tried to not be offended. hehe). There isn't one thing I would change and can't wait to eat it again - it even reheated VERY well at lunch today! So if you're up for thick red curry with a kick - go for this dish!

Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma
Recipe Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

Chicken: 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp olive oil, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 pound chicken, diced.
Sauce: 1 small container 0% Fage yogurt, 1 ½ tbsp tahini, 2 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp minced garlic
Also: cooking spray, 4 pitas, 1 cup lettuce, 8 tomato slices
Options: 1 cup couscous OR 1 large pita

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken to bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. To prepare sauce, combine all ingredients stirring with a whisk. Cook chicken over medium heat in medium pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, 4 minutes on each side until no longer pink.
Pita Option: Place pitas in toaster; cook for 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each with ¼ cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices. Top each serving with a quarter of the chicken pieces and sauce. (to make it easier to eat – spread sauce on pita with the back of a spoon, then top with lettuce, tomato and chicken so they “stick” to the pita).
Couscous Option: Cook couscous per package instructions. Divide couscous across 4 plates. Then serve lettuce, tomato, chicken and sauce alongside it.

Nutritional Information (couscous option): 475 calories, 61 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (pita option): 434 calories, 53 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: I really liked this light recipe. I tried it hot and cold (with the pita) and both were good. I preferred it cold and made it like an Indian Pita Pizza with the sauce as the base so the ingredients would stick – very good! My sauce mix was 200 grams total, so if you weigh it’s 50 grams of sauce on each one. This is a keeper. It was good with couscous as well – but not as filling to me.

A pic of it with the sauce on bottom and "toppings" above it!