Monthly Archives: April 2022

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

There are so many varieties to chicken salad, and I love a good chicken salad recipe! It seems like every time I make one it is gobbled up to the point people are fighting over the last of it. Maybe I don’t make it often enough.

If you ask me, “Do we need another chicken salad recipe?”, it is a resounding “yes!”. Variety is important, and this Chicken Salad is very colorful! After all, we eat with our eyes first! The wonderful thing about this chicken salad is it is Mediterranean! Mmmm! So much flavor, and one of the healthiest ways to eat in the world. It has sundried tomato bruschetta, fresh basil (my favorite fresh herb), delicious roasted red peppers, black olives and the tang of red wine vinegar. It also has the crunch from fresh celery, and two kinds of onion flavor…..green onions and chives! You will need a whole roasted chicken, and I am totally all for a good store bought rotisserie chicken if you are tight on time. There are so many good ones, and many of them are gluten free. If you are making the chicken at home, you can oven roast it or use an instant pot to cook it. Another good trick of mine is to roast two chickens at once. One is for dinner that night, and I make the other one into chicken salad. It’s a time saver and smart cooking!

Chicken salad is such a great lunch option in my opinion. You can heap it over a salad, one of my favorite ways to eat it, make a sandwich, or serve it alongside something else. For dinner, I like to pull it out of the refrigerator after having made it earlier in the day, and then make some sides to go with it. It makes an easy dinner night that everyone here really loves. Did I mention Make Your Own Wrap night? That’s another winner. Just put out the wraps, the chicken salad and some toppings and sauces. People can make it their own. Another great thing about this recipe is, it is just as delicious, if not better, the next day with all the flavors melding. I do hope you will try this recipe, Let me know what you think!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 Whole Cooked Chicken, deboned, skin off and chopped

3/4 Cup of Sliced Black Olives

1/2 Cup of Sundried Tomato Bruschetta

1/2 cup of Fresh Basil, torn

1/2 cup of Sliced Green Onion (aka scallions)

1/3 Cup of Mediterranean Organic Roasted Red Peppers, diced

2 Stalks of Fresh Celery, diced and you can include the leaves too

1/3 Cup of Chopped Pecans or you can use Pine Nuts

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon of Chives (fresh or dried)

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

1/3 Cup of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar

Directions: Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, chives and oregano to make your dressing. Place all the other ingredients into a large bowl after chopping and prepping them as directed above, and then pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! I’d love to hear from you.

Easy Homemade Grain Free Sandwich Bread (Dairy Free, Nut Free, Yeast Free)

*Homemade Grain Free Sandwich Bread – Easy, Yeast Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free*

Anyone who loves bread and is looking for healthy bread recipes, or has missed bread because their tummy can’t handle it, I have a recipe for you that is a very delicious, healthy and easy. There is no rising required, so it is fast, and the texture and flavor are really good! I have been tweaking this formula to get it just the right flavor and texture and have had my taste testers giving me feedback with their high standards. 😉 The ingredients are healthy, and it is a pleasure to make. Actually, it is just a pleasure to bite into a piece of bread with the texture of grain bread. I like to toast it and put an egg on top, make a sandwich, or crostini for dinner, or put a spread on it and eat it with a salad at lunch. My daughter made French Toast with it last Saturday, and proclaimed it delicious that way. I do hope you give it a try, Pin it for later too and let me know what you think!

*Homemade Grain Free Sandwich Bread, Sliced – Yeast Free, Nut Free, Gluten Free*

Easy Grain Free Sandwich Bread

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

4 Egg Whites

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

27 grams of psyllium husk (this gives the bread it’s perfect texture. I like this pure brand with no additives just pure Psyllium Husk)

1/2 Cup of runny Tahini (Sesame Seed Butter – this is the one I love, it’s roasted and tastes amazing with no sugar)

3/4 Cup of Warm Water

70 grams of Coconut Flour

1 Tablespoon of Runny Honey

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

2 Extra Tablespoons of Olive Oil for brushing the loaf while it bakes.

Directions:

Grease a bread loaf pan.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, whisk together the egg whites until they are frothy.

Add the olive oil and tahini to the egg whites, and beat until they are fully incorporated.

Put the 3/4 cup of warm water in a separate bowl, and add the psyllium husk. Whisk and set aside. The mixture will gel quickly, that’s good!

In a separate bowl whisk together the coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. When your psyllium and water is jelled, add it to the egg, tahini and olive oil mixture, Beat until it incorporates and is nice and smooth. This takes about 3 minutes. Now, add in the dry ingredients and continue beating until it is smooth and incorporated. Next, grease your hands with some olive oil, and using a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula, scoop up the dough into a loaf shape and using your hands form a loaf making it nice and smooth.

*Forming the loaf with olive oil greased hands before placing in the bread pan*

Place the formed loaf into your loaf pan. I don’t make the loaf the full length of the pan, it fills up as it bakes. Now brush the top of the loaf with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake the bread in your oven for 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes are up, remove the loaf from the oven, it will have started rising and browning, and brush it again with the second tablespoon of olive oil.

*Second Brushing of Olive Oil then Back in the Oven* – *Grain Free, Gluten Free Bread Baking*

Bake in the oven an additional 45 minutes, tenting it with foil the last 15 minutes if it is browned nicely to prevent it from overbrowning. Check it after 30 minutes (one hour after initial start of baking). If it is brown, tent it for the final 15 minutes. The bread needs the full 45 minutes to make sure it is completely baked. The total baking time is one hour and fifteen minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven after the baking time, and set it on a wire rack. After 5 minutes of cooling in the pan, remove it from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack before slicing.

If you enjoy this recipe, don’t forget to share it! I hope you Enjoy! 🙂

*Cooled Grain Free Homemade Bread Loaf, Ready to Slice (Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free)*

Pin it! Thank you!

Sheet Pan Salsa Chicken

Two words…chicken and salsa! They just go together in a palate pleasing way, and sheet pan meals are some of my favorite weeknight ways to cook for the family!

When I am roasting boneless chicken, thighs are my go to, because they never disappoint! I do love a juicy chicken breast, but honestly you need to be right on top of it to get the chicken out right when it reaches 165 degrees F. and not a minute after to get a really juicy breast, and the best flavor for chicken breasts is bone in. I had seven chicken thighs, but this will vary depending on the size.

Back to this utterly delicious Salsa Chicken recipe! It’s on my rotation menu based on all the Mmmm’s I am getting from the kids and hubby. Choose your favorite salsa for this. I used Fody Foods Low FodMap Salsa in this recipe which was surprisingly delicious since it didn’t have the traditional onion and garlic in it. But use your favorite, and your favorite heat level! The salsa is a vessel for the fresh tangy lime juice and green onion. Another spring favorite addition to meals. Greens onions are lovely sprinkled on savory dishes in general. They are exceptional on salads too. If you are eating Low FodMap, Fody Foods is a great choice. You will also need a can of black beans. My favorite canned beans brand is Eden which is headquartered in my home state of Michigan. They are non-gmo, soaked (very important for digestion), organic, and in BPA free cans. I always rinse my beans under cold running water before using them.

I have never in my recent memory been so glad for Spring to be here. The winter seemed longer than usual, and I love the promises of Spring with renewal all around us and new growth! When I saw this blue sheet pan I’m using at my local Marshall’s I had to grab it. The color was so gorgeous! It is so good to go outside for a walk and hear so many birds singing, and best of all, wearing tennis shoes instead of boots. There is a feeling of freedom not being bundled up against the cold. I am not one to stay inside all winter, I need to be outdoors because the fresh air just feels good, and it boosts my mood. I’m just starting to get out into my gardens and do some clean up! I see the deer are out and about too. They are very hungry, even eating out of my bird feeder, so I forgive them for digging up a couple of my tulip bulbs.

*Mexican Seasoned Chicken for Sheet Pan Salsa Chicken*

In this chicken recipe I have two colors of peppers. Did you know peppers are higher in Vitamin C than oranges? They are a perfect addition to this salsa chicken. Feel free to substitute any colored peppers you have on hand. Green would be good too.

I mixed up a Low FodMap Mexican Spice blend to coat the chicken that is delectable. Cumin gives the chicken a smoky flavor, and it is not hot, so it won’t blow your socks off! If you are into that, you can use a hot salsa and your favorite hot sauce at the table like my son, Jeff. 🙂

I’d like to add that if you are having digestive problems, a gut health and microbiome test can be very helpful, and balancing your gut can be a huge help in overcoming FodMap intolerance. FodMaps are very beneficial to feeding the good bacteria in your gut, which you want. Low FodMap eating can help alleviate symptoms, but it is always good to get to the root cause. I highly recommend this Gut Health Test from Thorne which is surprisingly reasonable, I just took it myself, you can do it at home and the report is extensive and very helpful with recommendations based on your results and a deep dive into your gut.

To make this dish very Low FodMap, omit the black beans which are a moderate fodmap. Beans do have a lot of health benefits, and soaked beans are easier to digest.

Sheet Pan Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs

1 16 oz. jar of salsa

2 large bell peppers, one yellow one red

1 can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed under water (I always use Eden in my recipes)

3 green onions, sliced (green parts only for Low FodMap)

Juice of 1 Lime (A juicy one. Limes can be finnicky)

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Mexican Spice Blend:

1 Tablespoon of Cumin

2 Teaspoons of Chili Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Directions: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large sheet pan. I used Avocado Oil spray. Put your chicken thighs in a medium bowl. Add a tablespoon of garlic olive and toss to coat the chicken.

Mix together the Mexican Spice Blend. Sprinkle it over your chicken, and toss again until the chicken is evenly coated. Place the chicken thighs evenly spaced on your large sheet pan. Put the chicken in the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting. Put your salsa in a bowl. Add the can of drained and rinsed beans, sliced green onion, and the juice of a lime. Stir it together. Mmm. It’s looking good!

Wash, seed and slice your peppers into long strips. In a bowl, toss the peppers with an additional Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

When the 20 minutes are up for the chicken roasting in the oven, pull it out and nestle the peppers around the chicken thighs, not on top of them. That’s for the salsa. Now, mound the black bean salsa mixture over each of the thighs evenly. Place the sheet pan back in the oven and continue roasting for 20 more minutes until the peppers are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Your house is going to smell amazing by the way.

It is ready to serve. You can serve this over cauliflower rice or a rice of your choice. It is absolutely delicious. Don’t forget the pan juices. Spoon them up too. If you love Mexican food, you and your family will love this meal. It is a wonderful, healthy and delicious sheet pan chicken meal! Leftovers are not a problem either, unless you don’t have any. Guess what I’m having for lunch today? 😉 Please leave any comments below. I love to hear from you. Are you enjoying Spring? What is blooming in your area, and what is your favorite Spring meal lately? Have a wonderful day!