Almond Butter Chicken Salad

This is for all of you who are scared, loathe or despise mayo.  It might also be paleo (I am no expert since we certainly aren't at our house :).   Even though this recipe might be different than the all-time, most popular recipe Julie and I created...I love it just as much!  

This recipe is from my friend, Ashley.  It's the same Ashley where I got the amazing ice cream recipe I use monthly to this day.

Recipe:

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped (~1 lb)

Granny smith apple, chopped

Clump red grapes, quartered

1/2 Red onion, diced

1 T almond butter

squeeze of lemon or lime juice (just enough to get it to mix)

I struggle when preparing chicken but for this recipe I had success with the thin sliced, hand trimmed chicken breasts from Albertstons.  I placed the salt and peppered chicken slices in the oven at 350 (pan covered with foil) for 18 minutes.  They were moist and cooked to perfection.

The rest of the recipe is a lot of chopping and dicing of the ingredients you see above.  The lighting was so pretty I had to snap a picture.  

Mix all together using just enough of the lemon or lime juice to help the almond butter mix.  Work through it for awhile.   Enjoy.  Hope you love it as much as I do!

Suzie's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

We are in week 2 of an inversion.  Typically I wait for sunny days for betters pictures but of all days to make soup, today is the day!  This recipe is from my wonderful coworker, Suzie.  She made it for a work shower and I had no less than 3 servings. I had her write it down because it was in her head. Tweak it to your liking.  You cannot go wrong!

Suzie's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup:

Ingredients:

4 (3/4 to 1 lb) thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
Chives to taste (I use freeze dried ~2T)
Parsley flakes (I omit)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pint half and half
Carrots (1/2 lb matchstick or baby carrots sliced...like I do)
2 T onion
8 oz fine egg noodles

Serves: 5+

Directions:

-Place chicken breasts in a dutch oven.  Add water to cover the chicken (plus some).  Salt and pepper.  Simmer until chicken is tender.  Remove the chicken and let it cool.  When it cools, chop or shred.  

Albertsons spoils me.  I cannot imagine trimming chicken anymore!

-Add the can of cream of chicken to the broth/water in the dutch oven.  

-Add can of chicken broth, pint of half and half, parsley (I omit), onion and carrots.  

-Simmer until carrots become tender.

-Add the egg noodles and continue to simmer.  When noodles start to look done, add the chopped/shredded chicken. 

-If it’s not “soupy” enough, add more water and stir to heat.  The longer the soup sits, the more chunky it will become. 

Enjoy.  Hope you love it as much as we do!

*Note: For a lower-fat version you can certainly use less half and half and more broth.  This recipe online looks like another similar and good alternative:   http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/08/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup/

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

I first posted this recipe January 2011 and, 3 years later, still love it.  Every time I make it I cannot believe I don't have it on a regular rotation.  It now has 151 ratings and 5 stars.  It deserves its own post and notes so I am adding my alteration and tips.

The original recipe from allrecipes is here.  The version below has my alterations.

Ingredients

• Breading:
• 2/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, halved
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I increased it to be sure I had enough breading)
•  (I leave out parsley...we don't care for it.)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten 
• 2 chicken breasts*
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 
  
• Sauce:
• 1 jar bottled tomato-basil mushroom pasta sauce (I love sauce so I make it a large jar!)
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 slices of provolone cheese
• * Albertsons has the hand trimmed chicken...thank you Albertsons.  Trimming is my least favorite part of baking chicken.  I slice them in half so they are thin and positioned well for tenderizing.  It makes it into 4 breast pieces that cook easily through as well
• 
  
• Combine parmesan, breadcrumbs, basil, and salt in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in an additional  shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.   Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.   Add chicken.
• 
  
• I didn't take a picture.  You know, salmonella and cell phones don't mix.  
• 
  
• But this picture is after the chicken is breaded.  See how well they fit in our large frying pan.  It is one of our amazing wedding gifts and I use the mess out of it. 

1. 
   
2. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Take off heat.

Combine sauce ingredients and microwave until hot.   Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. 

Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese slices. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil until the cheese melts.

And here it is!  It easily feeds us for 2 nights!

*I love my new placemats.