Chicken Salad with Yogurt-Dill Dessing

We all know how much I LOVE mason jars. And that I put anything and everything in them, as often as I can. It was recently brought to my attention that apparently I'm doing something right because there was a feature about layered salads in mason jars in some magazine that someone got. Which doesn't surprise me because it's literally the best thing ever.

SO- I am always looking for new ideas instead of the hum drum arugula salad with tuna on top, and when I find a stackable salad, I fall hard. Like this one, for example, has a ton of amazing ingredients, and really makes for a satisfying little meal because it has both chicken AND greek yogurt for protein. You know you're ready for this.

Recipe of the Day

Chicken Salad with Yogurt-Dill Dressing

{in a mason jar!}

adapted from foodandwine.com 

Ingredients:

For the dressing...
   1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt
   1 tablespoon chopped dill
   1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed {I used ground}
   1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   Kosher salt & Freshly ground pepper

For the salad...
   4 roasted red bell peppers from a jar, drained and sliced
   1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
   2 Hass avocados, diced {+ drizzle lemon juice}
   One rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded

   One decent sized cucumber, seeds removed and chopped
   1 cup mixed fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, tarragon and dill

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, dill, coriander and add 3 tablespoons of water; whisk until smooth, and then whisk in the oil in a steady stream. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
2. Layer the remaining ingredients in 4 jars. I did it in the order shown above: peppers, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, then herbs. I didn't use cucumbers but have deemed them 100% necessary to this salad, and so you need to add them in.
3. Serve the salads with the yogurt dressing.

Notes: 

• These measurements are from the actual recipe, I did not follow the measurements at all!! I ended up making 6 mason jar salads with appx what it says above.
• DEFINITELY use cucumbers. I didn't this time, and the salad was missing a little something. 
• If you are making ahead, make sure to add in the lemon juice on the avocado. Not a lot, but enough to keep it from browning. 
• I find that everything kept very well. I might make half the dressing in the first half of the week and then make more the second half of the week. It started to get a little oily as it separated. Not sure if maybe re-mixing it each day would help with this.

Get the original recipe by clicking here.

Chia Seed Pudding | Spiced Blueberry

So, I've been pretty intrigued by these trendy little black seeds. I've heard all sorts of things about the health benefits... they're full of fiber, are great for weight loss, give you energy. The whole nine. So finally I broke down and bought a bag at Target, not really knowing what I would do with them. As I was holding the bag in my hand, I noticed that there was a recipe on the back: PUDDING! {insert the sound of angels singing here, and please also picture a white light streaming down on me standing in the middle of the aisle in Target}

You probably know by now, that the girls and I have started a weight loss challenge. I'm super excited about this, as we are all such competitive people, and I think the best way to successfully diet/exercise is when you have people to push you. SO finding this healthy little dessert type item was pretty exciting for me. I made it, loved it, and am sharing it. Hopefully, I will have more flavor combinations to share!

Recipe of the day

Chia Seed Pudding | Spiced Blueberry

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Chia seeds
1 cup milk {I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk}
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbl Honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Instructions:

1. Blend everything but the seeds in blender until smooth - pour into serving bowls 
2. Stir in half the Chia seeds into each bowl. Wait 10 minutes, and stir again.
3. Put in refrigerator for 30+ minutes. The longer they are in the fridge, the thicker your pudding will become. 
4. Stir once more, and serve chilled. 

Notes:

• The base of the pudding is made from the milk + seeds. The rest of this recipe is all for flavor. 
• Different milks will of course make different puddings. I read a few recipes that used coconut milk which I would think might be a little creamier and a little sweeter, especially than unsweetened almond milk.
• I might use something sweeter than honey next time, i.e. agave nectar, especially if I use unsweetened milk again, and/or decide to use less spice for a vanilla or chocolate version. It definitely could have been a little sweeter than the honey made it. 

Roasted Cauliflower

So, being on this diet thing, I'm trying to focus on vegetables. That being said, eating a ton of veggies is not always the easiest task, especially when you're not smothering them in melted butter. So, I have tried to find different ways to make my veggies taste good, while not adding in a ton of calories. This recipe is one of those tricks... It's adapted from a Paula Deen recipe that isn't as sinful as most of her recipes are. 

Recipe of the day

Roasted Cauliflower

Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe {link below}

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

2 leeks, green parts sliced 

3 red bell peppers, sliced into strips

and for the dressing...

   1/4 cup EVOO

   2 Tbl lemon juice

   2 Tbl Dijon mustard

   1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme 

   1 Tbl chopped fresh basil

   1 tsp minced garlic

   Salt + Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the dressing. 
3. In a large bowl, toss veggies with dressing and mix well {I use my hands to mix- get in there and give it some love}
4. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray, and pour veggies and dressing into dish.
5. Bake in the oven for appx 40 minutes. I typically will stir it around at least twice to ensure the dressing re-coats the veggies. 

Get the original recipe by clicking here.