Chicken Sandwich Spread {Dairy-Free!}

September 9, 2013 By

This post contains affiliate links because every little bit helps! Chicken Sandwich Spread Chicken salad - especially one with cranberries, apples, and walnuts in it - is one of my favorite uses for leftover chicken. Unfortunately, I don’t get the chance to make it very often due to my Certain Little Someone’s dairy and egg allergies. I’ve tried making it with dairy-free products like coconut milk yogurt and the like, but it just doesn’t taste the same.

A while back, though, I hit upon a unique solution that offers up the chicken salad taste but doesn’t require any dairy whatsoever: instead of binding the salad together with a mayonnaise or yogurt based dressing, all you have to do is blend the chicken with a little bit of broth to create a consistency perfect for sandwiches or crackers! Whether or not you have a dairy allergy or sensitivity, you’ll love this delicious take on the traditional chicken salad. Chicken Sandwich Spread

While this particular recipe is more of a spread than a typical chunky salad, you can control how smooth it is by how long you process or blend the ingredients together. Alternatively, you could divide the amount of chicken in half and stir in the second portion after the first has been processed.

I make mine in the Vitamix, but I would assume you can accomplish the same thing in a food processor. Chicken Salad Spread

Recipe: Chicken Sandwich Spread

Ingredients

  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2″ rounds
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 3/4 t. Herbes de Provence (or your favorite herb/spice blend)
  • 1/4 t. garlic powder (or one garlic clove)
  • 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the lid on your Vitamix, but remove the stopper. Turn the dial up to “3″ or “4″ and drop the carrot and celery pieces in one or two at a time.
  2. Turn the Vitamix off and add the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Insert the tamper and turn the Vitamix on to “10″ and then to “High”. Blend until you have reached the desired consistency (it won’t take long at all), using the tamper as necessary to keep the mixture flowing through the blades.
  3. Remove from the blender and spread on sandwiches or crackers, or use as a dip for crudites.

This makes a great addition to your child’s lunchbox… or even your own lunchbox at work! For more great lunchbox ideas, read my recent post, “No More Boring Lunches!”

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Toasty Salmon Melts

January 13, 2013 By

I’m always looking for great recipes that make use of canned salmon because it’s an inexpensive way to incorporate more of that healthy wild-caught fish into our diets. I don’t really love canned salmon, to be honest, but along the way I’ve discovered some great ways to cook it that are truly delicious. Our whole family enjoys eating fish, which I love!

I stumbled across this recipe for grilled salmon and cheese when searching for more canned salmon inspiration. I changed it up a little bit and turned it into these hot and toasty open-faced sandwiches that are great for lunch or dinner, served with a green salad and/or some fresh fruit. Easy, quick, and healthy. (There’s a reason my blog used to be called Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy!)


Toasty Salmon Melts

Ingredients

  • 8 slices whole grain sourdough bread
  • 1 14.5oz can salmon, drained
  • 1 D’Anjou pear, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp. dried dill weed
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Set the slices of bread on a stone or cookie sheet.
  2. Remove the skin and bones from the salmon, if desired. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  3. Scoop a generous spoonful of the mixture onto each slice of bread, and spread it to the edges in an even layer.
  4. Bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes, or until bread is toasty and cheese is melty.


You could also eat this fresh and raw, without baking, but please don’t tell me if you do. Blech.

What’s your favorite way to prepare canned salmon?

 

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BBQ Chicken Sliders with My Favorite Barbecue Sauce

September 1, 2011 By

And it’s no surprise to my faithful readers to learn that the recipe for my favorite barbecue sauce originally came from my favorite cookbook, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Love that girl!

This is my favorite barbecue recipe, not only because it came from my favorite cookbook, but because it’s easy, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, and is easily adaptable. I’ve probably never made it exactly the same way twice.

The last time I made it, I combined it with 2 cups shredded chicken (pulled from the freezer; originally was part of a whole chicken I had cooked for another meal), and served it on my artisan bread sliders.

Anne’s Favorite Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from Fannie Farmer
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup ketchup (I like Hunt’s because it has no HFCS)
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar (any kind)
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar or honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp celery seed

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until fragrant and lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients; stir together. Heat until it just starts to bubble; then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about half an hour. It will thicken and reduce slightly.

Of course, you can use this barbecue sauce for anything you’d like, even as a dip!

We actually ate our Barbecue Chicken Sliders on a picnic, so in order to keep them piping hot while in transition, here’s what I did:

  • I used pre-cooked shredded chicken, as I mentioned earlier, and stirred it into the barbecue sauce, coating it completely. I stored it in the fridge until about half an hour before we left for our picnic.
  • I placed about 1/4 cup of the chicken onto each slider and topped them with pickles (you can also add cheese).
  • I wrapped each slider individually in a small sheet of foil and placed in a glass baking dish.
  • I popped the whole thing in the oven and heated it at 350-ish for 15-20 minutes, then I packaged the whole dish in my handy casserole-carrier that my mom made. If you don’t have something similar, just place it in a cardboard box and cover it liberally with towels.

This can be such a super QUICK weeknight meal - really! All you have to do is make it beforehand and reheat it in the oven like I did (whether or not you’re going on a picnic. These also can be frozen intact to serve in lunches (my DH enjoyed quite a few of them this way!)

Homemade barbecue sauce is so EASY - there’s no reason to buy it!

And making your own is considerably CHEAPer than purchasing a bottle of it, that’s for sure.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it’s also much HEALTHY-er to make your own barbecue sauce. Minimal sugar, no preservatives or artificial flavors or colors. Just the good stuff!

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Better than Fast Food: Waffle Breakfast Sandwiches

July 8, 2011 By

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of fast food breakfast. Besides the fact that fast food is terribly bad for you anyway, I find most fast food breakfasts to be either too sweet, too fluffy, or too chicken-y. (Chicken for breakfast? No, thank you.) Give me a home-cooked breakfast any day!

This breakfast takes the best of both worlds: the brain-child of the fast-food industry, seeking to lure customers with ever newer and more creative ideas, with the goodness of homemade, healthy ingredients.

I’m talking about the waffle sandwich. Take three favorite breakfast entrees -waffles, sausage, and eggs - and combine them into one whopper of a sandwich! Filling and delicious.

There’s no real recipe here, more of a procedure:


Waffle Breakfast Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 batch waffles
  • 1 package sausage patties (or easy homemade sausage), cooked
  • 4-6 eggs, fried over hard
  • 4-6 slices cheese

Instructions

  1. Divide the waffles into quarters. Place one sausage patty on one quarter, then top with an egg, a slice of cheese, and another waffle quarter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.


This can be QUICK if you have the waffles and sausage pre-cooked and ready in your freezer. Here’s a tip: make a double batch of waffles next time, and buy extra sausage; cook them all up, and freeze the extra. Now you have the makings of another meal ready to go at a moment’s notice.

This is super EASY! And very kid-friendly, too.

Considering that there are 3 entrees in one, I suppose it’s not the CHEAP-est breakfast around. That’s why I save it for holidays or an occasional dinner.

HEALTHY? All depends on the ingredients you use, really! If you use a waffle mix, sausage with unknown additives, and processed American cheese, then no, it’s not healthy. Make your own waffles with whole grains, fry up your own sausage with the easy recipe I linked to above, choose pastured eggs and healthy cheese… THEN it’s healthy! A little indulgent, but healthy.

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The Great Chicken Breast Adventure: Pocket Sandwiches

March 30, 2011 By

This is the second installment in my “The Great Chicken Breast Adventure” series.

To start at the beginning, read “Prepping the Chicken”.

Pocket sandwiches are not a new idea by any means; in fact, they go way back. You can find a variety of them in almost any culture: pasties from England, calzones from Italy, empanadas from Spain, pierogies from the Eastern block, and the list goes on and on and on. It seems that everybody needs a delicious portable food on occasion.

Mine are the purely American kind: you know, the kind that break all the rules and defy definition. The good ol’ American way! They follow the basic procedure of all the aforementioned - bread dough of some sort wrapped around a filling of some sort - but the type of bread and the type of filling don’t fit into any one category. So pocket sandwiches it is. If you can think of a better moniker, please let me know!

I used the shredded chicken I removed from the cooked chicken rib bones to make these chicken pocket sandwiches. Simply by changing the sauce and the cheese, you can create two very distinct tastes, as I will show you. I’m sure you can come up with a million different versions of your own once you have the basics down.

{Scroll down for a printable version of the recipe.}

To make your pocket sandwiches, you will need a pound of bread dough of some kind. Try the 5 Minute Artisan Bread, or a pizza dough. For Chicken Ranch Pockets, you will need ranch dressing , mozzarella cheese, and of course cooked chicken. Fresh parsley or other herbs are a delicious addition. For the Barbecue Chicken Pockets, you will need barbecue sauce, chicken, and cheddar or monterey jack cheese. In either case, a sprinkle of flour is also helpful to keep the cheese from disappearing into the bread, and additional seasonings or herbs are always tasty.

Here’s how to assemble and cook them:

Divide your pound of dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 5″ circle. Spread 1 TBSP of sauce on the circle, and place the chicken cheese and any other seasonings on one side of the circle.

Fold the other half of dough over, and seal the edges. You can crimp them like a pie crust or the like and leave it at that…

…or you can work the seam until it smooths and practically disappears, which is my preference. Place the pockets on a pizza stone or cast iron pan. Brush the tops with water, and then use a knife to slash a line through the top. Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes, until bottom crust is golden and cheese is melted.

Chicken Ranch Pocket Sandwiches

1 lb bread dough or pizza dough

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 TBSP flour

6 TBSP ranch dressing

fresh chopped parsley

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 5″ circle. Spread 1 TBSP of ranch dressing on each circle. Top with 1/3 cup chicken. Place the cheese in a medium bowl, and sprinkle with the flour, stirring with a fork until all the cheese is coated. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese on each circle. Top with fresh parsley. Fold the remaining dough over and seal the edge. Place on a pizza stone or cast iron pan. Brush the tops with water, and use a knife to make a slash on the top. Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes or until bottom crust is golden and cheese is melted.


Barbecue Chicken Pocket Sandwiches

1 lb bread dough or pizza dough

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey or cheddar cheese

1/2 TBSP flour

6 TBSP barbecue sauce

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 5″ circle. Spread 1 TBSP of barbecue sauce on each circle. Top with 1/3 cup chicken. Place the cheese in a medium bowl, and sprinkle with the flour, stirring with a fork until all the cheese is coated. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese on each circle. Fold the remaining dough over and seal the edge. Place on a pizza stone or cast iron pan. Brush the tops with water, and use a knife to make a slash on the top. Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes or until bottom crust is golden and cheese is melted.

 

Provided you have all the ingredients in place (i.e. bread dough at the ready, chicken cooked and cheese shredded), this is a very QUICK recipe. It was quick for me because I had the artisan bread dough in the fridge and had previously prepped the chicken. Shredding the cheese took only a couple minutes.

It’s certainly EASY! And it makes a great easy lunch: fix up a batch of these to store in the freezer for an easy lunch option.

It’s definitely CHEAPer than buying a similar item at the store in the freezer section. Save some moula and make it yourself!

It’s also a good HEALTHY option, even healthier if you add some vegetables like chopped green peppers or tomatoes, or even broccoli. I like to serve it with fresh fruit for a well-rounded meal.

 

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Spring Into Fall

September 12, 2010 By

Cucumber sandwiches may seem an odd choice for a social function this time of year, when it’s almost fall. However, it’s technically still summer, cucumbers are still readily available at farmer’s markets around here, and they’re so delicious, they make great little nibblers no matter the season! Have I convinced you? Well, at any rate, I convinced myself! I made them for a ladies’ event at my church this afternoon, the perfect excuse to pull out a dainty little recipe like this.

These cute little sandwiches are particularly perfect for ladies’ events, at least according to my DH, who considers them “frou-frou” food. I don’t know exactly what “frou-frou” food is, but apparently it is not manly enough for him to even consider consuming, even if he could eat cucumbers. Lucky for him, I wouldn’t even consider putting this on the menu for dinner, but it’s the perfect choice for a “frou-frou” social function: it’s inexpensive but elegant, easy to make, and quite delicious!

I’ve had all kinds of cucumber sandwiches in my life: they vary tremendously depending on the type of bread that’s used and the spread, as well as the way the cucumbers are sliced and/or presented. They’re always tasty little morsels, no matter what, but I’ve settled on the following method because I like it and it works for me! Other people seem to enjoy them too, and I think it’s the flavor in the cream cheese spread, which, incidentally makes a great spread for bagels or wraps, too! For the freshest and most delicious flavor, use fresh herbs, but don’t be afraid to use dried if that’s all you have. I forgot to pick up some fresh dill when making these, so I just use dried and they were still very good.

You can use any bread for this recipe, including strong flavored bread like pumpernickel or rye. I used a freshly baked loaf of artisan bread in the ones I made today, but pretty much anything except store-bought sandwich bread will work.

Frou-Frou Cucumber Sandwiches
1 loaf bread
1 medium cucumber, sliced fairly thin
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBSP plain yogurt
2 TBSP chopped spring onion
1 TBSP fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley (or 1 dried)
1/2-1 clove garlic, minced (adjust to taste)

Slice the bread and cut into small shapes (bite-size or a little larger - I used a small biscuit cutter). Soften the cream cheese and blend it well with the yogurt, using an electric mixer. Add onion, garlic and herbs and mix until well blended. If you have time, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to blend flavors. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading a small amount of the cream cheese spread on each piece of bread (about a teaspoon should do it). Cut the cucumber to fit on the bread and press lightly into the cream cheese spread. Top with a sprig of dill or parsley for an extra-special elegant touch. These are best served right away, so assemble them as close as possible to serving time.

There are a lot of things you can do with the cucumber, depending on the size of your cucumber and the size of your bread pieces. Simple rounds or half moons work well, and my personal favorite is the twist, which you can see here. As you can see in the picture above, I made little bow ties, or “butterflies” as my DH called them (still on the frou-frou kick…). Check out this link for some super innovative and creative cucumber garnishes.

Unless you make the bread from scratch, this recipe comes together very QUICKly. Even if you do make the bread, each separate item in this recipe (bread, cucumber, spread) can be made in your spare time during the days ahead of your planned event. For example, I made the bread one afternoon and sliced it, then one night before I went to bed I mixed up the spread and sliced the cucumbers. I kept the spread and cucumbers in the fridge and then assembled them just before leaving for the gathering.

I love EASY recipes that still look elegant and taste delicious, and this is one of them! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef or know your way around the kitchen blindfolded to be able to make these tasty little nibbles.

It’s very CHEAP, too, IF you buy the cucumber in season and buy the cream cheese on sale. I’ve found that Trader Joe’s has the cheapest regular price ($1.50/8oz) for cream cheese in the area, so if it’s not on sale and I don’t have any on hand, that’s where I buy it. Considering I only used part of the cucumber and part of the cream cheese, and the rest of the ingredients came from my pantry, I would say I spent a dollar or less on the entire platter of appetizers. Pretty cheap!

It’s HEALTHY, too, if the bread is a healthy whole-grain bread. Cream cheese is not high on the list of healthiest foods, but it’s not high on the list of evil foods, either, at least in small quantities like this. The cucumbers and fresh herbs and vegetables certainly add some nutritional benefit as well, so you don’t have to feel guilty about eating a few of these little morsels.

Cucumber Sandwiches on Foodista

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What’s in YOUR Lunchbox? Let’s Get Creative! Pt 1

August 24, 2010 By

When I was in elementary school, there was a girl in my class who brought the same exact lunch to school every day. I still remember what she ate at each and every lunch hour: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut in half; apple, cut in quarters. Yep, that was her lunch. I can’t even remember exactly what I would pack in my own lunch, but I can clearly remember what she ate every day. As I look back on it, I sort of feel a little sorry for her. I mean, how boring was that?

That’s definitely an extreme example, but perhaps you often find yourself in a rut when it comes to making lunch. I’m here to help! I’ve got some great ideas to make lunches creative and fun, so that your child looks forward to - and doesn’t dread - opening his lunchbox.

Today we’ll focus specifically on building a better sandwich. PB&J is great, but there are a lot of other options out there. And really, all it takes is a little switch here and a tiny change there, and presto, you have a whole new sandwich!

*Change the bread.
Thanks to our ever increasing exposure to ethnic foods and diets, there is a whole wide world of breads out there, each one slightly different from the next, each one creating a little variety, each one delicious, each one capable of becoming a sandwich in one form or another. Most of them can easily be made at home with a bread machine or the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes method. Or purchase them at a store, but make sure whatever kind you purchase has whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup (or other excess sugar) or hydrogenated oils (tortillas are particularly notorious for the latter).

Consider what fun sandwiches you can make out of the following breads:
-wraps (really just large, soft tortillas)
-flat bread, like naan
-foccaccia
-rolls (dinner, sandwich, hamburger, sub)
-bagels
-English muffins
-tortillas
-biscuits

The possibilities are almost endless! In addition, you can forego the bread altogether, and send along some healthy whole-grain crackers instead for a homemade “lunchables” kit. Kids love this idea, and I have to admit I’m fairly fond of crackers spread with tuna salad myself. I don’t know what it is, but the combination is just delicious! Of course, crackers and cheese are a perennial favorite.

*Change the shape.
You’ve heard this one before; you probably already do it, at least on occasion. Get some fun, large cookie cutters and cut out cute little sandwich shapes for the little ones.

A few other shape-changing ideas:
-Sandwich Pinwheels: Place sandwich filling on top of a wrap or soft tortilla. Roll entire sandwich up and secure with a toothpick. It helps to refrigerate or freeze it for a while to maintain its shape. Then, slice off about 1″ portions, and you’ll have little sandwich pinwheels.
-Triangles: One of the easiest things to do is simply cut the sandwich bread in a diagonal instead of straight direction. You would be amazed at how it generates conversation in a kindergarten classroom!
-Sandwich Rolls: This is a recent discovery of mine and one I’m excited to share. It’s a little more complicated, but totally worth it, at least once in a while.

Take about 2 lbs of any kind of bread dough (artisan bread, bread machine dough, or store-bought frozen bread dough). Roll it out to about a 1/4″ or 1/2″ thickness. Spread your sandwich filling (I used 2 cups diced cooked chicken, 1 cup shredded zucchini, 1 cup shredded cheese and a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt to hold it all together, as well as a few tablespoons of chopped fresh basil and a dash of fresh ground black pepper) all over the dough, leaving a 1/2″ border along the edge. Roll up, starting on the long side. Seal edges with your fingers, then slice cinnamon-roll style. Place cut side up on baking sheet and allow to rest for about 1/2 an hour. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

You can fill these with just about anything. I would love to try a pizza version with pepperoni and mozzarella, served with pizza sauce for dipping.

*Change the filling.
There are plenty of options besides lunchmeat or PB&J. For example, take leftover tuna, turkey or chicken, chop them up and add some seasoning and plain yogurt. Voila! A perfect sandwich salad. The same can be done with boiled eggs.

If you do go the lunchmeat route, consider adding a little variety with some extra, fun ingredients. For example:
-thinly sliced pear or apple
-thinly sliced avocado
-tomato, lettuce, pickle (I know these aren’t extraordinarily original, but they don’t often find their way into kids’ lunchboxes. Maybe you think kids won’t like it, but have they tried it?)

As for peanut butter and jelly, shake it up a little in the following ways:
-Cream Cheese and jelly instead of PB, or with PB
-PB & Bananas instead of jelly
-Or PB & Strawberries instead of jelly
-PB & Honey (a sprinkle of cinnamon is delicious, too)
-Please oh please don’t send your child to school with PB and marshmallow fluff! A great snack, perhaps… not so great a lunch!

*Change the condiments.
Ketchup, mustard and mayo are classics for a reason. But try some other creative options, too:
-guacamole
-hummus (You’d be surprised at how many kids love it!)
-honey mustard (easy to make your own by stirring some honey into mustard)
-Ranch dressing
-BBQ sauce (homemade or high fructose corn syrup-free)

Just a tiny little change once a week or once every couple days will keep your child’s lunch from sinking into a boring rut. Get Creative!

Sharing at Ultimate Recipe Swap

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Fresh from the Garden

July 7, 2010 By

Not fresh from my garden, since I wouldn’t exactly call my random assortment of wilting potted plants a garden (well wouldn’t you wilt in over 100F weather? I know I do!), but fresh from somebody’s garden! In this case, the garden in question is actually a farm about an hour away from here, one in the same town I lived in as a child and went to every summer until I moved away. I still occasionally go, but not as often as I’d like. I had a chance to go there this past weekend, and was amazed at the excellent prices at their produce stand. I snatched up everything I could, and am now busily putting it to good use.

This chicken salad was definitely a good use of that fresh produce bounty! You might perhaps balk at chicken salad, thinking it’s way too high in calories and fat to be worth it, but read on. This chicken salad is healthy enough for any dieter! Delicious, too: slightly tangy, very flavorful, a bit crunchy, and smooth all at the same time. Definitely worth including in your summer lunch rotation.

My chicken salad turns out a little differently every time, depending on what I have on hand, but I usually use a base made of the same ingredients: chicken, plain yogurt, dill relish, and occasionally a splash or two of Ranch dressing. Did you notice what was missing? You’re right: no mayo! which is why you can eat it guilt-free for any occasion. You can replace the chicken with tuna, boiled eggs or turkey and it will be just as delicious.

After those main ingredients, I play around a lot. And I mean a lot. The possibilities are truly endless, limited only by one’s pantry contents, imagination, and taste preferences. Here are a few ideas that might tickle your fancy:

*dried cranberries
*grapes
*chopped or grated apples
*cucumber
*grated zucchini
*shredded or finely diced carrot
*walnuts (or other nuts)
*pumpkin or other seeds
*sweet peas
*fresh or dried herbs
*celery

See what I mean by endless possibilities? If you need a little more structure, here’s the exact combination I used today:

Garden Fresh Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1 TBSP dill relish (or one small finely chopped pickle)
1 tsp dry dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded

Mix the yogurt, relish and seasonings thoroughly in a medium sized bowl. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Add the chicken and vegetables and stir until well combined. Refrigerate until serving.

The possibilities for serving are also endless. Chicken salad is equally delicious on almost any kind of bread (any flavor, any shape, such as flatbread, wrap, sliced, or pita), or on crackers, or even on a bed of lettuce. On this particular occasion, I served it in a homemade pita with homemade pickles, Monterey cheese, and Romaine lettuce.

This is a great QUICK lunch or even summertime dinner, particularly if you have some leftover cooked chicken that needs to be eaten. If the weather is as swelteringly hot where you are as it is where I am, well, then, you’ll be wanting something as quick and cool as this meal!

It’s very EASY, too. If your chicken’s not already shredded, though, you’ll have to do that, as well as the zucchini and vegetables. A food processor will make quick work of the last two.

It’s CHEAP, too: a great way to use up leftovers. Buy produce in season, or use it fresh from your garden for an inexpensive healthy meal.

It’s very HEALTHY! Instead of heavily processed and very fatty mayo, use plain yogurt that adds useful nutrients and probiotics along with its significantly fewer calories. The more veggies you throw in, the more nutrients you’ll have. If you serve it with bread, make sure the bread is at least partially whole grain to add fiber and other additional nutrients into the mix for a well rounded meal.

Check out Life as Mom for more fresh no-bake no-cook recipes:

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New Year’s Brunch

January 1, 2010 By
After staying up late to usher in the new year, New Year’s Day is the perfect day for a brunch. And since you will probably be rolling out of bed at 10:00am (or later), you won’t want to spend the whole day fixing a gorgeous brunch. This is an all-in-one, easy to make, breakfast and lunch in one fell swoop, being equal parts French toast, grilled cheese, and scrambled eggs. Oh, yeah, with bacon thrown in. It’s a twist on the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich, which is made of French fried bread with turkey meat and cheese inside.
I have made regular Monte Cristos before, but my DH mentioned the other day that he really enjoyed the Monte Cristos he had eaten at a local restaurant his co-workers love. When he was describing the sandwich as being filled with eggs and cheese, I was curious because I’d never heard of such a thing before. Since he only worked until 11:00am today (New Year’s Eve), I wanted to surprise him with a yummy brunch when he came home from work, so I tried my hand at my own version of Monte Cristo Breakfast Sandwiches. Yum!
This recipe makes 2, but you can easily double it for larger quantities.
Monte Cristo Breakfast Sandwiches
3 eggs, divided (not separated)
4 TBSP milk (divided)
1/2 tsp Garlic and Herb seasoning blend
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked
4 slices bread (a thick, heavy bread is best)
Beat 2 eggs together with 2 TBSP of milk, the seasoning blend and pepper. Fry in a small frying pan until thoroughly cooked. Set aside.
Beat the remaining egg together with 2 more TBSP of milk until thoroughly blended. Heat a greased griddle or frying pan over medium heat. While pan is heating, collect your ingredients near the stove, because you will have to move quickly to assemble the sandwiches: bread, cheese, bacon and eggs should all be nearby.
Soak the bread slices in the egg/milk mixture like French toast. Lay them in the frying pan for about 30 seconds or less, just long enough to cook the egg on one side. Flip them over and layer the cheese, bacon and eggs on two of the slices. Top with the remaining slices. Flip once or twice more (carefully) until thoroughly cooked and warmed through.
Remove to serving plates, and if desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar (I opted out of the powdered sugar on mine, for obvious reasons!)
It’s slightly more involved than French Toast or scrambled eggs would be by themselves, but it’s still QUICK.
It’s very EASY, too. The hardest part is working quickly enough to assemble the sandwiches before you burn the French toast, but if you have everything handy, even that is easy.
It’s more expensive than French toast, grilled cheese or scrambled eggs would be on their own, but for a special brunch, it’s a pretty CHEAP yet hearty option.
It packs a LOT of calories but it’s still pretty HEALTHY. If you eat it as a brunch, that’s two meals together, so you can afford the extra calories. If you prefer, you can use turkey bacon to reduce the calorie and fat count even further. If you really wanted to, you could scramble the eggs with water instead of milk, but as you know, I don’t consider milk (even whole milk) to be unhealthy. Be sure to use healthy whole grain bread, also (I used homemade whole wheat bread). And serve it with a sizable portion of fresh fruit to make a complete and balanced meal.

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Blessed are the Flexible…

November 3, 2009 By

… For they shall never be bent out of shape. Nope, you won’t find that in the Bible anywhere, but there’s some truth to it. Life is full of twists and turns and if we don’t learn to bend with them, we’ll end up breaking in pieces. Growing up, “flexibility” was one of the most commonly used catch-phrases in my family, right up there with obedience and respect. It might not seem worthy of such stature, but it’s actually necessary with a large family like mine. You have to learn to go with the flow or you’ll be left on your own in the dark!

So I’ve learned some flexibility in my time (could definitely use a little more, for sure), and I like recipes that can be flexible, too. Don’t have XYZ ingredient? No problem; use ABC instead. Going to a down-home country-style potluck? It’ll fit right in. Having guests for a fancy dinner party and need some hors d’oeuvres (Why do we feel like we need to speak French when anything is fancy, by the way? Where does that come from?)? Got it!

Here’s one of those recipes that can morph to be whatever you want it to be for whatever occasion you require. And no matter, how you make it, it will be delicious! That’s what I call flexible!

We’ll start with the kind that’s featured in the pictures, then I’ll show you how you can change it up in a million (at least) different ways.

Flexible Toasty Melts
6 slices of bread
1 cup shredded cooked turkey
2 TBSP Ranch dressing
1 TBSP pickle relish
1/2 tsp dill
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 TBSP shredded parmesan

Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet (baking stones also work well). In a medium bowl, mix the turkey meat, dressing, relish, dill, salt and pepper until well blended. Divide the turkey mixture evenly between the slices of bread and spread to cover the surface of the bread. Top with the crumbled goat cheese and shredded Parmesan. Cook in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes or until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Now here’s how you can change it up:

Bread
~Use any type of bread you have on hand. It’s even better if it’s slightly stale. I used rye bread for this particular occasion, but you can use slices of regular sandwich bread, English muffins, bagels, or even biscuits. For a fancier occasion, create a canape by using small slices of toasted breads. You can make your own, or purchase them at the grocery store.

Meat
~Turkey is definitely not the only option. Chicken is an obvious substitute, tuna and salmon work well also. For more of a down-home style, try a thick hamburger or sausage gravy. For breakfast, you can even use scrambled eggs.

Dressing
~I didn’t have yogurt on hand the day I made these, so I used the Ranch dressing, but usually I use 3 TBSP of plain yogurt. You can combine the yogurt and the Ranch dressing as well. Mayonnaise is another possibility to maintain the creamy texture, but it doesn’t even have to be creamy: olive oil and lemon juice make a great dressing also, and are very flavorful. For a more elegant approach, try red wine or balsamic vinegar.

Seasonings
~I almost always use the dill and pickle relish approach, but other seasonings work just as well. In fact, the spice mixtures sold at the grocery store are perfect for this type of dish (for example, Garlic & Herb or Lemon Pepper). Go for Italian with a mixture of basil and oregano, or try spicy with red pepper, garlic and cumin.

Cheese
~Seriously, you can use whatever cheese you have on hand to make these. Certainly, it depends somewhat on the other ingredients you use, but by and large, you can’t go wrong with the cheese. I often use cheddar or mozzarrella, but I’ve used provolone too. It all depends on the occasion, the purpose and what you have in your refrigerator. The goat cheese and parmesan are more elegant, but grated cheddar is great for an at-home meal.

Other Add-Ins
~It doesn’t end here: you can add in whatever you want to make it even tastier and/or healthier. I like to increase the produce content by adding in shredded zucchini, carrots or apple. You could also add in tiny chopped up vegetables, such as broccoli, peppers and tomatos. Chopped nuts, seasoned or unseasoned, also make a nice addition.

If you want to make it extra special, top it off with some freshly ground black pepper, a dash of paprika, or parsley. Fresh-cut herbs of almost any kind make a nice garnish, or you can slice up cherry tomatoes or boiled eggs.

See what I mean? The possibilities are endless.

The best part is, it’s QUICK, especially if you don’t have to cook the meat. Whenever I cook up a whole chicken or turkey breast, I save some meat and freeze it for quick meals like this. I do the same with ground beef/chicken/turkey: I make extra and freeze it to pull out when I need it. Cans of tuna, chicken and salmon (even crab or shrimp) can also be used for this recipe.

So EASY, a monkey could do it. And you are MUCH more intelligent than a monkey, so it should be a no-brainer for you.

Using up leftovers? CHEAP! A few tablespoons of dressing, a bit of cheese, leftover bread and meat? Definitely cheap.

HEALTHY, too, depending on what you put in it. Please, no processed cheese food, please. No lunchmeat, either: definitely not healthy. Bread made with whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils is best. Add some vegetables to the mix and you’ve practically got a whole meal in your hand.

And now just for fun: Stephanie at The Silly Nutrition Undergrad passed along this “Over the Top” award to me. Thanks, Stephanie! I’m thrilled you like my blog! (By the way, you should check out her blog; great recipes there!) According to the rules of this award, I need to pass it on to 6 of my favorite blogs, and also answer the following questions with just one word. Let’s do the easy part first:

. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your hair? Fine
3. Your mother? Far
4. Your father? Bald
5. Your favorite food? Pasta
6. Your dream last night? None
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Your dream/goal? Excellence
9. What room are you in? Dining
10. Your hobby? Lots
11. Your fear? Future
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Family
13. Where were you last night? Here
14. Something that you aren’t? Gorgeous
15. Muffins? Nothankyou
16. Wish list item? House
17. Where did you grow up? Maryland
18. Last thing you did? Bake
19. What are you wearing? Shirt
20. Your TV? Adequate
21. Your pets? None
22. Friends? Wonderful
23. Your life? Contented
24. Your mood? Relaxed
25. Missing someone? Husband
26. Vehicle? Cruiser
27. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
28. Your favorite store? Superfresh
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When was the last time you laughed? Earlier
31. Last time you cried? Recently
32. Your best friend? Husband
33. One place that I go to over and over? Church
34. One person who emails me regularly? Family
35. Favorite place to eat? Out!

As for 6 of my favorite blogs, that’s the hard part. There are so many wonderful blogs out there, it’s hard to choose some of the best! If I haven’t mentioned a blog, it’s not because I don’t like it: it’s because I could only choose six!!

1. Life as Mom is probably the blog I visit most often. “FishMama” does a great job of covering all the ground SAHM’s like me go over every day, in a relevant and very real way.

2. I like to read Heavenly Homemakers because Laura, the blogger, is just so funny. I always get a good laugh when I read her blogs, even about the most mundane thing.

3. Feeding Little Foodies is a great site for moms of little ones: Mama Milieu shows you how easy it is to fix healthy, natural foods for infants and toddlers. I’ve found some great recipes for my Certain Little Someone there.

4. Kitchen Stewardship’s stated focus is a lot like mine: to find the balance between nutrition, environment, time, money and faith. I had a lot of fun joining in for a couple weeks of her October Super Foods Carnival.

5. Money Saving Mom has probably gotten one of these awards before (they’ve been circulating the net for a while now), because really: it’s over the top! There’s so much information every day about great deals on food, toiletries, household items, clothing and more. She also has lots of information about making money online and how to blog successfully. So much info I’ll never work through it all!

6. I like Cuizoo because not only does it have healthy foods (and her concept of healthy coincides with my own “philosophy of healthy” which you’ll find on the sidebar), it has some allergy-conscious recipes as well, which is nice, considering my Certain Little Someone’s multiple food allergies.

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