I am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Move over macho men, I’m coming for ya! No longer is grilling a man’s sport, as I have recently taken the grilling into my own hands, dubbing myself a grill MASTER.

Okay, okay, maybe I am being overzealous, but the grill has been daunting me as the evil furnace did for Kevin in Home Alone. But just like Kevin, I finally conquered my fears this weekend and decided to grill…my whole ENTIRE dinner.

Being an amateur, I decided that it was probably best to grill chicken breasts, since it is hard to mess them up too badly (right??). I did, however, decide to make my favorite recipe for Hawaiian chicken, which could have been shooting myself in my own foot being that I have high expectations for it.

Luckily we have a gas grill at my parents’ house, allowing me to avoid all the manual labor of dealing with coals (this could be considered cheating to all the TRUE grill masters out there, but give me a break; I’m taking baby steps here). Therefore, all I did was light the grill, set it to medium-high heat, and let the grill do all the work.

The caramelization of the pineapple and the juiciness of the chicken from the grill cannot be recreated with any other type of cooking in my opinion. The grill even perfectly cooked the zucchini ribbons (tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper) i had as a side. Therefore, it must be said, that the grill has turned out to be my new best friend (sorry oven) and I cannot wait to try out some more complicated recipes in the future.

So for all the other people out there who are afraid of the grill, seize the day and go grill! I promise that you will not be disappointed, but if you are just remember, practice makes perfect.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderized with mallet
• 1 large can sliced pineapples in juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

Flatten chicken with mallet to 1-inch thickness. Put all ingredients in Tupperware to marinate including pineapple juice withholding actual pineapple slices. Chill for at least 4 hours in refrigerator. Turn chicken over every hour or so. Preheat grill at medium-high heat. Place chicken on fully heated grill, cooking for 6-8 minutes per side. Baste breasts often with marinate juices to create caramelized coating. Put pineapple slices on the grill when chicken almost fully cooked, flipping once. Serve pineapples on top of chicken.

Simply Southern’s Kitchen Redoes Zoe’s Kitchen

Zoe’s Kitchen is one of my favorite places to go to for a quick, healthy bite to eat. Zoe’s means “life” in Greek and I must say that my life has forever been changed since discovering Zoe’s as I have been obsessed with it ever since (I could eat it anytime of the day and still never get sick of it). I love Zoe’s so much that I have searched the internet for hours on end until I found a recipe from allrecipes.com that is similar to Zoe’s cole slaw which comes topped onto my favorite sandwich the Gruben (grilled turkey, swiss, slaw, spicy mustard, and rye: all grilled to perfection). I added to this recipe more Italian seasoning, reduced the oil, and used red wine vinegar to make it more Zoe’s-like. Since discovering this recipe, I have made this slaw as a side for shrimp boils and barbeques and am amazed how many compliments I received from it which I never can hear too often. (See my modified recipe below)

While I am constantly trying to emulate Zoe’s cooking style and recipes, here is where I must commit blasphemy: I am EXTREMELY disappointed in Zoe’s, because of their chicken salad (their most popular menu item I might add). Just to type those words make me cringe, but someone has to call out Zoe’s for the high calorie count on their chicken salad  which is 700 calories for a chicken salad sandwich alone which leads me to believe that mayo is the main ingredient (and not chicken). Don’t get me wrong, their chicken salad is moist and every bit delicious, but it doesn’t necessarily fall under the “healthy” persona that Zoe’s claims to have and falls directly into the category of salads to avoid I mention in my “All Salads Are Not Created Equal” post.

It is with this knowledge of the dangers of chicken salad that I went on the hunt for a chicken salad that would satisfy my Zoe’s chicken salad cravings (lets face it, I never am truly satisfied and keep going back for more), but wouldn’t hinder my healthy-eating life style. My goal was to find a recipe with 3 main components:

1. substitutes Greek yogurt for mayo
2. Uses cranberries instead of raisins, because I prefer the tartness of cranberries over the sweetness of raisins
3. Uses pecans (seeing them in Publix over the holidays gave me a craving for pecans as well)

The closest recipe that I found to pass my 3 requirements was Plum Pie‘s Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, but I decided to tweak the recipe and preparation a bit for my own liking. After making and scrapping the bowl of my chicken salad, I vow to never eat mayo soaked chicken salad again. Normally sequels are never as good as the original (calling The Hangover II out), but after trying this new twist on chicken salad I can promise that the original chicken salad recipe will be long forgotten and you will want to have the new recipe on repeat (even if you aren’t as strange as me and like to eat the same thing over and over again). It is tart, tangy, sweet, moist, scrumptious, delicious, and every adjective you can think of that relates to amazing food.

Okay, so here is my challenge, try to take your favorite foods from restaurants and get creative by making them healthy at home. In my personal (and bias) opinion, Emily has out done and out shined Zoe’s.

Simply Southern’s Zoe’s Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2(8 & 1/2 oz bags) angel hair cole slaw
• green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 package Italian seasoning
• 8 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

• Mix together cabbage, onions, and feta cheese. Whisk together remaining ingredients. While tossing cabbage mixture, lightly drizzle with dressing. Cover and chill for 15 minutes prior to serving. Store remaining dressing in air tight container in the fridge for future use.

 CranApple Pecan Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 granny smith apple, diced into small chunks
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1.5 tablespoons shallot, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup greek yogurt, I like to use Chobani 0% Plain
• 1 tablespoons light mayo
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, fresh rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Bake chicken for 35 to 40 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Place chicken on a dish and allow to cool completely. Shred chicken once it has completely cooled.
• In a large bowl, mix together chicken, apple, pecans, cranberries, and shallots.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, and dried rosemary. Top chicken mixture with dressing and toss. If needed, season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for one hour.

Food, Football, and Glory

First of all I would like to say congrats to the Florida Gators for breaking the banjo over the Tennessee Volunteers’ heads on Saturday by winning 33-23. I had such a great time with my family and friend in Gainesville for the football game and the silencing of “Rocky Top” was music to my ears. The night ended at Krystals for me, which if you are from Ortega you know always is the stamp of approval for a night out on the town.

Overall, this was a very successful weekend for me which started off with making a steaming bowl of Chicken Fajita Chili. With the cooling temperatures (mid-70s burrrr!) and the promise of fall in the air, I have been craving homemade soup and decided to indulge myself. I searched the net looking for a recipe to use and didn’t find one that fulfilled my few requirements: 1) it had to be spicy, 2) it had to be loaded with veggies (no, I do not consider 3 types of beans veggie approved), and 3) is had to be cheap to make (my roommates are still my parents people!). Only one type of food came to mind when thinking about spicy and cheap….

I bet you can’t guess it….

Mexican!

(I just want to note that I realize Mexican didn’t fulfill one of my requirements (VEGGIE LOADED or HEALTHY, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make it work.)

With Mexican on my mind I decided that Chicken Fajita Chili was exactly what my stomach was rumbling for. During my lunch break from work I went to Publix and grabbed all the ingredients that I needed. The best part about soup is that you can add and subtract based on personal preferences and since my parents left me and the dogs all by our lonesomes for the weekend, I put in the soup exactly what I wanted. I must note though, that getting a rotisserie chicken is on the expensive side for all the coupon lovers out there, but when in a time crunch it does the trick. On the flip side, when dealing with mostly frozen or canned items I was saving some doe. It’s a great tip to stock up on the canned items to have on hand if you want to bulk up the chili or make it spur of the moment.

I basically threw all of the ingredients in a pot, brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 1 ½ hrs. It was that simple for a gigantic pot of soup that could have feed an army or at least a unit. I may be biased, but I think that it was some of the best chili I’ve had in a long time, especially with the extra cheese and hot sauce I sprinkled on top, because who can deny more spice and cheese? Not wanting the chili to go to waste, I froze some of it and then lived off it for the rest of the weekend. You know that it was good when after 3 meals of chili I still wanted some more, but opted to eat it as a dip with Tostitos Scoops- let the chili simmer longer and you can make a great dip!

My one regret is not having a marg with it….CHEERS

The recipe to my Chicken Fajita Chili is below, but I must warn you that chili is a taste as you go affair. Don’t be afraid to add more water if the sauce is too thick or more spices if it’s too bland. Chili is one of the most forgiving meals you can make so just avoid burning it, taste as you go, and you will be fine.

Chicken Fajita Chili

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded or chopped smoked chicken (about 1 lb.)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup spinach, cooked and drained

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 (14.5-oz.) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 can red enchilada sauce

2 cups hot water

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 package of chili seasoning

Garnish (optional): Tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream

Directions:

Shred the chicken, chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Put the onion and the garlic in a large pot (or crock pot) with the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat and allow pot to simmer for 1-1 ½ hrs. Stir occasionally. Garnish with toppings.

View Recipe on Tasty Kitchen’s Website!