Author Archive: Alicia Hamilton

Green Apple Chicken Salad

Since going down the paleo/whole 30 route with my diet, I’ve been really enjoying making homemade mayonnaise. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last super long so I find ways to use it up quickly. I’ve found that chicken salad is a perfect way of using it up. I’ve been eating my chicken salad over salad greens or wrapped up in a collard green leaves. The collard green, leaf wraps are my new obsession.

Green Apple Chicken Salad

 

Green Apple Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts-see below for different ways to cook the chicken
1 green apple cut into a small died
½ red onion diced
1 rib of celery cut into a small dice
½- ¾  cup of homemade mayonnaise- check out my recipe here

  1. Start by preparing the chicken as desired.

To roast the chicken- preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub the chicken breasts with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Once cooled enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken as desired.

To poach the chicken- Place chicken breasts into a sauce pot with a lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add water into the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the level of the meat. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling place lid on top and reduce heat to low. Let the chicken simmer for 8-10 minutes. Check the internal temperature to make sure it is thoroughly cooked and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Once cooled enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken as desired.

Or to save time you could always use the breast meat off of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken then dice or shred the meat as desired.

  1. Chop the red onion, green apple and celery all into a small dice and add to a large mixing bowl with the chicken.
  2. Add the desired amount of mayonnaise to get the consistency you want and stir together well.

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Restaurant Style Salsa

During the summer, I make fresh pico de gallo. But when tomatoes are not in season I actually to use canned tomatoes to make salsa. I love the recipe for “restaurant style salsa” by the Pioneer Woman. It’s simple and delicious. She calls for adding a bit of sugar but I just leave it out to make it compliant. You can see the original recipe here. Just ignore the part where she says to eat the salsa with cheese nachos if you are doing whole 30 😛 I use this salsa on pretty much everything- eggs, carnitas, on plantain chips, or with grilled meats. It has definitely become a staple item in out home.

 

 

Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa– adapted from the Pioneer Woman’s recipe

Ingredients:
1  14.5 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
2  10 Ounce Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies- any variety depending on your preferred spice level.
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole Jalapeno, quartered and sliced thinly- I leave the seeds in too.
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 whole lime juiced
Salt to taste

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor or blender

  1. Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Refrigerate salsa for 30 minutes.

 

Guacamole

Guacamole
Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1 lime juiced
1 small red onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
A couple tablespoons of cilantro chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
A dash of ground cayenne pepper
A dash of ground cumin
Kitchen equipment needed:
Mixing bowl

  1. Prepare the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro as stated above and place in mixing bowl.
  2. Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed then make 3-4 cuts with a knife lengthwise and widthwise on each half. Use a spoon to scoop the avocados into the mixing bowl with the other vegetables.
  3. Add the lime juice, salt, cayenne and cumin. Mix everything together well. Use the back of the spoon to mash some of the avocado chunks. You can mash a lot if you want a smoother guacamole or leave chunkier if you prefer.

Tostones (fried plantains)

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Tostones
Ingredients:
1 large green plantain peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
3 Tablespoons of coconut oil
Garlic salt for seasoning

Kitchen equipment needed:
Cast iron skillet
Glass for flattening plantains

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the oil and fry on both sides; approximately 3 1/2 minutes per side.
  2. Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing a glass over the fried plantains and pressing down. You may want to brush the bottom of the glass with some coconut oil the plantains from sticking.
  3. Return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side or until crispy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste and serve immediately.

Cast-iron skillet chicken legs

 Cast-iron chicken legs

Cast-iron skillet chicken legs
6 chicken legs
Kosher salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons ghee

Kitchen equipment needed:
Large cast-iron skillet

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat the cast iron over medium-high heat. Melt the ghee in the pan.
  3. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper.
  4. Sear each chicken leg in the pan. Brown the chicken 3-4 minutes on one side, turn ¼ turn and brown turning until all sides are browned.
  5. Once all sides are browned, place the cast-iron skillet into the oven and roast the chicken for approximately 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
  6. Smother the chicken pieces in the smoky apple BBQ sauce or the sauce of your choice.
  7. Serve with “Warm vegetable slaw with apple-bacon vinaigrette” (see above) or side of choice.

 

 slaw with bbq chicken legs

Smoky Apple BBQ Sauce

I made this BBQ sauce to go with some cast iron chicken legs but it really goes great with any grilled meat or on pulled pork.

Smoky Apple BBQ Sauce

Smoky apple BBQ sauce
1 can tomato paste
1/3 cup apple sauce- you can use unsweetened, already prepared applesauce or make your own by following the directions below
1 large, dried ancho pepper
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Kitchen equipment needed:
Small sauce pan
Garlic press
Stick blender or blender

  1. Start by making applesauce- see below
  2. While the applesauce is cooking, remove the stem from the ancho pepper and soak it with some boiling water until it is soft- about 5 minutes. Drain the water.
  3. Blend the tomato paste, ancho pepper, applesauce, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and salt into a smooth paste.
  4. Heat the ghee in the saucepan on medium-high heat. Crush the garlic and fry it in the ghee for 15-20 seconds.
  5. Add in the tomato mixture into the sauce pan, mix well, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

 

For the applesauce:
1 gala apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
A dash of cinnamon

Rinse, peel, and dice the apple into small chunks. Place the apple in a small sauce pan with the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon. Simmer on medium-high heat for approximately 20 minutes. After the apples are tender use a stick blender or blender to make a smooth sauce.

Harissa (spicy chili pepper paste)

We love spicy food at our house. I fell in love with Harissa when I ate at Cava Grill- which is a Mediterranean restaurant in Maryland. I did a little more research on the spicy paste and found actually a North African condiment and there are tons of different ways of making it. I’m pretty sure there is no wrong way of making it. In my version, I added some parsley, mint, and lemon to make it a bit more complex.

 

Harissa (spicy chili pepper paste)

Harissa

4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
3 mini red bell peppers or ½ red bell pepper- seeds removed and roasted
4 ounces dried chilies- see notes below
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander
1 clove of garlic peeled
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

 

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor

 

  1. Start by roasting the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the pepper with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until softened and browned on the outside skin. Once cooled- peel and seed the pepper and place in the food processor.
  2. Place the dried chilies on a bowl. Add boiling water to cover and let peppers rehydrate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes- drain and remove the stem and seeds from the chilies and place in a food processor.
  3. Meanwhile, measure out the caraway, cumin and coriander. Dry roast the spices in a sauce pan over medium heat until slightly toasted and fragrant. Once slightly cooled- grind the spices with a mortar and pestle.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor- tomatoes, spices, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon, olive oil- and blend until you get a thick, smooth paste. You may have to stop the food processor a couple of times to scrape down the sides.
  5. Store in an airtight jar or container and top the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil.

 

Note on chilies: I’ve hear that any type of dried chili works fine for this paste. I used 2 ounces of ancho and 2 ounces of guajillo chilies to make mine. I suggest checking out this page that I found when I was making some of my own chorizo and wasn’t sure what chilies to use. It lists the chilies by heat level. I would, however, suggest staying away from super-hot peppers like habaneros or tiny hot Thai chilies. We usually buy our dried chilies in the international section of our local grocery store or at Mexican markets.

 

I’ve used this sauce in a variety of ways. As an extra sauce on salads, mixed with mayonnaise to make a sandwich spread, as a dipping sauce for parties, or brushed on grilled meats. I made an awesome Mediterranean chicken salad with harissa, marinated red onions, tahini dressing, grilled chicken, olives, and salad greens. Here’s what it looks like. I linked to all the other recipes related to this meal too so you can check them out.

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Marinated onions are awesome. The recipe is simple no matter the style you want- thinly sliced onions and marinated them in a mixture of vinegar and seasonings with just a touch of sweetness. I made some delicious marinated yellow onions to top my Vietnamese Shaking Beef Salad. I plan on playing around with the recipe a bit to make different styles. I usually use marinated onions on salads but they would be equally great on sandwiches or on a appetizer tray- think olives, pickles, meats, veggies and maybe some dips.

 

Quick Marinated Red Onion

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Date paste of 1 date
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 red onion thinly sliced into rings
Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water. Blend with a stick blender or in blender to get a smooth paste.

As a note: I usually blend a batch of dates, usually 8-10 per time and store the finished paste in an airtight container in my refrigerator. When I have a recipe that needs date paste I usually measure about a Tablespoon per date needed in the recipe. Of course you can adjust the sweetness of any recipe by either adding more or leaving a little out.

  1. Combine the date paste, vinegar, water, salt, & pepper. Mix well to incorporate the dates into the liquid.
  2. Add the onions and make sure to coat well with the vinegar.

Place into the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Here they are on a Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad.

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

As you can see if you compare the color of the onions shown on the salad versus the picture of the onions by themselves- the longer the onions marinate the more the color changes from purplish on the outside and white on the inside to a uniform pink color. The picture with just the onions had been marinating about 2-3 days before I took the picture. The onions on the salad were only marinating about 45 minutes before I took the picture. They taste great either way.

Herb Tahini Dressing

Now that the weather is getting warmer I’ve been wanting to eat more salads. I never realized before doing whole 30 how much better I feel eating seasonally. I try to eat mostly organic and in season but out of season produce is something I think we all partake in. Anyways, with salad comes dressing. I feel like having a couple of varieties of dressing on hand help me to consume a larger amount of veggies.  I made this tahini dressing to go with a Mediterranean chicken salad but it can really go on anything if you ask me.

 

Herb tahini dressing

Herb Tahini dressing
3 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 clove of garlic- crushed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Paste of 1 date
4 fresh mint leaves
A small handful of parsley- chopped
Olive oil for drizzling

  1. Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water and place in a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor.
  2. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, date, garlic, salt, mint and parsley into a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor. Blend until you get a smooth dressing.
  3. Drizzle a little olive oil in and blend once more to incorporate.

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Mediterranean food is awesome to me because there is so much flavor and usually a fair amount of sauces that go with it. I have been making more salads recently and have already made this three times since making the sauces. I hope you like this salad as much as I do.

*If you want to make it vegetarian- make some spiced chickpeas instead. I’m not eating chickpeas right now but I have made similar recipes to this one from bon appetit. Instead of making them spicy (since the harissa is spicy enough) you can saute the chickpeas like in the Bon Appetit recipe but use the same marinate ingredients I used on the chicken as listed below. So basically saute rinsed chickpeas in 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Salt and pepper to taste over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until warmed and chickpeas start to blister.

 

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Chicken breast- 1 per person
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Mixed greens- I used baby kale, spinach, baby arugula, and shredded collard greens
Grated carrots
Thin slices of raw, red cabbage
Cucumber- sliced
Grape tomatoes
Olives- I used a mixture of Kalamata and Greek green olives.
Harissa- recipe below
Herb tahini dressing- recipe below
Marinated red onions- recipe below

 

  1. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper together and pour over the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. While chicken is marinating, prepare the harissa, herb tahini dressing and the marinated red onions.
  3. Prepare the salad greens, carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes and olives and plate on individual dishes or in a large serving bowl.
  4. Grill the chicken breasts on a preheated grill for 3-5 minutes each side- depending on the thickness of the breasts. Cook until the chicken is cooked thoroughly or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  5. Cool the chicken slightly then cut into cubes and serve with the salad and a side of harissa and herb tahini dressing.

 

 

Harissa

Harissa

4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
3 mini red bell peppers or ½ red bell pepper- seeds removed and roasted
4 ounces dried chilies- see notes below
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander
1 clove of garlic peeled
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor

  1. Start by roasting the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the pepper with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until softened and browned on the outside skin. Once cooled- peel and seed the pepper and place in the food processor.
  2. Place the dried chilies on a bowl. Add boiling water to cover and let peppers rehydrate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes- drain and remove the stem and seeds from the chilies and place in a food processor.
  3. Meanwhile, measure out the caraway, cumin and coriander. Dry roast the spices in a sauce pan over medium heat until slightly toasted and fragrant. Once slightly cooled- grind the spices with a mortar and pestle.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor- tomatoes, spices, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon, olive oil- and blend until you get a thick, smooth paste. You may have to stop the food processor a couple of times to scrape down the sides.
  5. Store in an airtight jar or container and top the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil.

 

 

Herb tahini dressing

Herb Tahini dressing

3 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 clove of garlic- crushed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Paste of 1 date
4 fresh mint leaves
A small handful of parsley- chopped
Olive oil for drizzling

  1. Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water and place in a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor.
  2. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, date, garlic, salt, mint and parsley into a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor. Blend until you get a smooth dressing.
  3. Drizzle a little olive oil in and blend once more to incorporate.

 

Marinated Red Onion

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Date paste of 1 date
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 red onion thinly sliced into rings
Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water. Blend with a stick blender or in blender to get a smooth paste.

As a note: I usually blend a batch of dates, usually 8-10 per time and store the finished paste in an airtight container in my refrigerator. When I have a recipe that needs date paste I usually measure about a Tablespoon per date needed in the recipe. Of course you can adjust the sweetness of any recipe by either adding more or leaving a little out.

  1. Combine the date paste, vinegar, water, salt, & pepper. Mix well to incorporate the dates into the liquid.
  2. Add the onions and make sure to coat well with the vinegar.
  3. Place into the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

As you can see if you compare the color of the onions shown on the salad versus the picture of the onions by themselves- the longer the onions marinate the more the color changes from purplish on the outside and white on the inside to a uniform pink color. The picture with just the onions had been marinating about 2-3 days before I took the picture. The onions on the salad were only marinating about 45 minutes before I took the picture. They taste great either way.