Jillian Michael's Chicken Salad

Can you tell I'm on a health kick? I'm still crafting away, don't worry. My job, life and exercise have been taking priority over blogging. I'm okay with it! I made Jillian's chicken salad last night and it was a total success. Here's the recipe:

Makes 4 cups total. Her serving size is 1/2 cup or less if you're putting it on a sandwich. We each had a cup last night by itself with sides and it was plenty.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (poached and cooled)
1 cup halved red seedless grapes
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup non or low fat plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup chopped celery (I used cucumber because we didn't have celery)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
fresh herbs (optional) I added chives, parsley, and tarragon from my garden.

Use your fingers to shred the chicken into a large bowl. Add the grapes and pecans and toss gently to mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, celery, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss to coat. Store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

To poach chicken, place in a shallow pan with a lid. Fill the pan with water to cover the chicken by about 1 1/2 inches. If you have it, add lemon zest and a bay leaf. Cook over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so the water barely bubbles, partially cover, and cook until the meat is firm and releases clear juices when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken and transfer to a towel lined plate to drain. 

Calories per half cup: 118
Fat: 5.1g
Protein: 12.9g
Carbs: 5.6g
Sodium: 93.8mg

Jillian Michael's Banana Blueberry Muffins

I am currently doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I have become obsessed and recently purchased her cookbook. I love bread and I am so glad that Jillian approves (as long as it's whole wheat, the real whole wheat). I made her muffins and they were pretty good! Not great, cause they are super healthy, but good! I had one right out of the oven and it was decent. The next morning I warmed one up in the microwave and spread almond butter on it. Then it became amazing! I highly recommend it. This is my first time baking with whole wheat flour. They're not pretty, they're healthy. Ha!

Here's the recipe:

Olive oil spray for the tin (I used muffin liners)
3/4 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2)
3/4 cup non fat plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder (I used regular)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 generous cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
optional 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( I left these out)

Place an oven rack in the center the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin tin with olive oil or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, place the bananas, yogurt, honey, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir together until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and the nuts, if using.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Place the tin in the oven and reduce the heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (I ended up baking mine about 33) or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Serve warm. For longer storage, let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Each muffin is 218 calories without the walnuts.
Fat 6.8 g
Protein 4.5 g
Carbs 37.1 g
Sodium 234.5 mg

Baby Shower

I hosted my first baby shower on Sunday. It was really fun! I made the mom to be some burp cloths and lemon cupcakes. I used my sweet new bike stamps that Katy put in my stocking. Sometimes I like packaging a handmade gift as much as I like sewing it. I put little flags made of washi tape and tooth pics on the cupcakes. 

Eating Local

I went to the Farmer's Market on Friday and hit the jackpot. Markets can be tricky. You have to make sure that the vendor actually grew the food or you can end up buying the same thing you can get at the grocery store.  Here's what I made. Everything was local except the cheese, broth, and spices. Try it!

Stuffed 8 Ball Zucchinis

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 8 ball zucchinis (hollowed out like a pumpkin)
1/2 lb ground beef (mine was grass fed from Northstar Farms in Krum, TX)
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
1 jalapeno (seeded and diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 sprinkle of fennel seed (sprinkle means I didn't measure, just sprinkled over the skillet)
1 sprinkle of oregano
1 sprinkle of white pepper 
salt to taste
1 cup homemade bread crumbs (stale bread, salt, pepper, little olive oil chopped in food processor)
1/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook onion, jalapeno, bell pepper in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Set aside in mixing bowl.
Brown off meat, and add spices towards the end. Add garlic during last minute. Add to mixing bowl
Add bread crumbs, broth, and cheese to bowl. Stir to combine. 
Stuff zucchinis and bake in a small baking dish for 25-30 minutes until zucchini is tender.

A Cupcake Adventure

 It all started when I had a cream filled cupcake at Walton's. I'm not a huge chocolate cake fan, but I couldn't resist the Hostess knock off. I knew it would be a million times better. After we tried them, I spent the next 24 hours obsessing over them. I bought two more and had CJ (official chocolate lover/snob) try one and she agreed. They were amazing. I set out to make my own. I asked the shop girl what ingredients in their cupcakes were "different." She came back and said that the chef said vegetable oil, buttermilk, and coffee.

I did some online research and decided to try Barefoot Contessa's chocolate cupcake. I knew the ganache would work, but her cake wasn't right. It was too light in color and not chocolatey enough. I loved them, but they didn't fit. Next I combined some ideas from Smitten Kitchen and my own concoction. I used a devil's food cake mix and subbed the water for buttermilk. I also added vanilla extract and some instant coffee powder. The cake wasn't as good as Walton's, but it was close enough.

I looked up a recipe for Pastry Cream (which is what Walton's uses) and made some. It was really easy and tastes like what donut shops put in eclairs (yum). I carved out holes in the cakes and waited for the cream to firm up in the fridge. I put an ice pack around it to help it along. I spooned in the filling and then put the cap back on the cupcake. I had some trouble with my ganache though. The first time around it was awesome. This time I used dark chocolate and maybe let it cook too long, but I was unable to dip them and get that smooth glossy look. So I just smeared it on and went for that homemade artsy look. I used a ziploc bag and piped some store bought vanilla icing for the squiggle! I think they look pretty good!

I brought my cupcakes to my Photography class Baked Goods Review Board. They loved them. They even filled out some responses for me. 

One of my favorite descriptions was from Aida, one of my coworkers. She should be in advertising! 

Aida says: A moist, rich cake amuses the senses as a sublime chocolate frosting enlivens the palette. As the right cream center sends the senses dancing, one recalls tea parties from childhood that would have delighted in such an airy, light dessert. A piece to enjoy with company or in the silence of one's daily zen.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Spring Break

 Hank loves beer. Lucky for me, there's an awesome new brewery in town. 

 I baked Hank's parents a lemon cake for their birthdays. Those are blueberries, not olives. I highly recommend blueberries on a lemon cake.

 Katy and TJ made us waffle madness. TJ oven baked the bacon on racks. Best bacon I've ever had. Look into it.

 I finally got close enough to the gorgeous blooming trees. It's a shame they only look this way for a couple weeks. I snapped this on after a run on the Katy Trail.

Have I mentioned Sweet Potato Tots yet? You need to drive directly to Sonic to try them. I've been pretty obsessed with exercising and eating lately. Lucky for me they cancel each other out. I'm headed to Austin for part of spring break. I hope to test ride some new fitness bikes and eat some really good food. I hope you get a break and I hope you enjoy it! Here's my current bike in 1st place.

Oh Hey!

I haven't been crafty lately, but here's some other stuff I've been up to!  I made Hank a sampler valentine six pack. He made me French toast, took me on a hot date, and sent me flowers to school!

 I updated my clippie board.

 I tried cycling for the first time. CJ loaned me her setup. It was raining and I fell down. So I'm undecided.

 I made PW's amazing Spicy Stewed Beef with Cheddar Grits. Top notch.

 I ate at a Dallas food truck (Easy Slider). I highly recommend the burger with goat cheese, bacon, and strawberry jam!

I cleaned out my garage. I'm pretty excited about this.

The Saddest Dinner Ever

I had my heart set on tomato soup and grilled cheese. It wasn't meant to be I guess. :(

Kitchen Gifts

I love receiving kitchen gifts and handmade gifts most of all. I did pretty well this year!

Hand stitched tea towel courtesy of my Moma

Ceramic fruit crate from Anthropologie

I got this awesome elaborate tea towel from Anthropologie.

Homemade Apple/Pear butter from Brian and Misty and homemade citrus and smoked sea salts from Cathy Jo and Mark. I love my foodie friends.

Hank's mom got me this ceramic egg crate. I have want this thing for at least 5 years. I can't believe I resisted the urge for so long.

Clems!

I'm on my third box of clementines for the season. I dipped some in dark chocolate! They're chilling in the fridge right now. I can't wait to try them!

Testing!

I'm trying out my new blogger app. Here's some yummy pumpkin bread that Hank's mom sent with us to Austin.

Gingerbread Cookies

Easy Gingerbread Cookies


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


In a large bowl, with mixer at slow speed, beat flour, sugar, butter, molasses, egg, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll 1/8 inch thick. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. Using a metal spatula or pancake turner, place cookies 1/2 inch apart on greased cookie sheets (or sheets lined with parchment paper). Re-roll trimmings and continue to cut shapes. Bake 8 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.


Royal Icing
2 1/4 confectioners' sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Optional: food coloring, sprinkles


To make the royal icing, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar on high speed until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. It is best to use the icing immediately. 

Soup!

I've made this soup twice this year and have had great results. I just made up the recipe, though I'm sure there are plenty out there that are very similar. Here's mine.


Non-Tortilla Soup


1 rotisserie chicken torn into bite sized pieces
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans of Rotel
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
olive oil


1. Saute the onion and pepper in olive oil until tender (about 5-7 minutes).
2. Add remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or more. 


Serve with cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, etc. Serves 6.