Chicken Salad Veronique

I don't know where the name came from, but that's what my mom always called it when we were growing up, so that's what I'm going to call it. 
It is pronounced 'vair-oh-neek', but Peter looks at the name and calls it "chicken salad very unique". Haha! That makes me smile :)

Whatever you choose to call it, this is a great seasonal, summer salad. So seasonal in fact, that the ingredients showed up in a cardboard box on my doorstep this morning. I subscribed to a farm fresh produce box delivery, and this was my first delivery! It is so exciting when the box shows up! It's like Christmas morning... I have no idea what's inside and I just get to rip it open and dig through to find which fresh fruits and veggies were harvested this week :) As I dug through the box, I started registering all the ingredients in my head like puzzle pieces, so that I could play with them in my mind throughout the day to figure out what I could make for dinner.


After I had my fun with the produce box, I went for a run. Though it was only 8:30  in the morning, it was already so sunny and HOT! Days like these remind me of my dad when I was a kid; he would always ask my mom to make 'chicken salad veronique' whenever it was a hot summer day. That's when it clicked for me this morning- I had most of the ingredients in my produce box already! My puzzle pieces were all put together and dinner was solved :)


This salad is cool and refreshing with its lemony dressing and juicy grapes, yet crunchy and hearty with the slivered almonds and the crisp celery.


The recipe below isn't the exact original, I altered it a bit to fit what I already had in my kitchen and to fit what I like. I get asked a lot how I come up with my recipes... this is usually how they start;  just swapping for healthier ingredients, what I have on hand in my kitchen already, and adding other flavors I think would be good complements to the dish. A lot of times I also research about a billion-gajillion other recipes and take bits and pieces that I like and put them together to come up with my own version. At the end of this post, I will outline some of the differences that I made to this original recipe in case you would like to play around with it for your own preferences as well. It's a very adaptable recipe, so feel free to experiment with some of your own changes too!


Ingredients (4 small servings):

• 2-3 cups Chicken, cooked, cubed, & cooled (about 4-5 chicken breasts)
• 1 cup seedless Grapes, halved
• 1 cup Celery, sliced (about 4 stalks)
• 1/2 cup Almonds, sliced or slivered
• 1/3 cup Craisins
• 1/2 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Low Fat Mayo
• 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Honey
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice (about 2 large, or 3 small lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Mustard Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon Curry Powder

You want to cook your chicken first so that it has time to cool before you assemble your salad (or use cooled leftover chicken).
*Helpful Tip: If you are cooking chicken breast for dinner earlier in the week, just cook some extra and set it aside for this salad for another day's lunch or dinner.*


Prepare the grapes and celery that you need to chop for the salad. And get the rest of the ingredients ready.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, LF mayo, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, ground mustard, and curry. This is your hearty dressing for the salad.

Now, just simply add all your prepared chicken, grapes, celery, almonds, and craisins to the dressing in the bowl and stir to coat. It is ready to eat right away or it is perfectly happy sitting in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Isn't it pretty plated on a bed or ruffly red leaf lettuce :) 
I also garnished it with a little celery leaf and a few craisins for some bright polka dots of color. I always like to garnish with something that actually hints at the flavors that are within the dish. You could also garnish with a little lemon zest too! That could be fun :)

This recipe is great for brunches, for women's teas, wedding showers, for making ahead when you won't have much time later to prepare dinner, or just for those hot summer days :)


Free free to alter and swap ingredients as you please... this is a very 'swapppable' recipe :)
Also, here are the swaps I made from from the original recipe that I told you I would outline to give you some other ideas:

• Instead of the lemon yogurt that the original recipe calls for, I substituted in real fresh lemon juice and fat free greek yogurt sweetened with a little natural honey
• Instead of a lemon-lime alcohol bitter, I used a splash of white wine vinegar to get that same bite in the flavor. 
• It also calls for some diced raw onion, that I omitted completely
• I used low fat mayo instead of regular
• I added the craisins- there's no swap here, just added it 'cuz I felt like it, plus I thought it would be nice to add just for the punch of color contrast. 
• ...Same with the curry. No sub. Just added it entirely. The flavor works VERY well in this dish.
• It called for deli mustart, but I just used a bit of ground mustard instead
• I didn't do this, but you could add a little lemon zest into your salad if you really like that fresh lemon flavor, or you can just sprinkle a little zest on top for garnish. 

Lime-Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I absolutely LOVE the crock pot. It is a working woman's best friend (besides her loving husband of course :). But this dish is unlike any other crock pot meal; if you just ate these tacos, you would never believe me that it was done in a crock pot! Usually the crock pot yields a yummy warming stew or a moist roast, but these taste just like Mexican street tacos. Who'd of thunk it!

We love getting tacos in Mexico from the sketchy little carts on the side of the road. Just make sure you choose the ones that have the most people hovering around 'em. Lots of people means GOOD FOOD... and it also means that if it's everyone else's favorite, they haven't gotten sick there so you probably won't either :) But still- take a peek and make sure their food looks safe, their cart looks (at least somewhat) clean, and that no one is sticking fingers in the toppings or double dipping into salsa or anything. 

ANYWAY, these crock pot 'street tacos' taste JUST like the ones we get in Mexico or from our hole in the wall Taco Tuesday joints around here.  'Street taco' refers to the way your taco is dressed up- which typically means your meat is stuffed into a warmed corn tortilla with ONLY Cilantro y Cebolla ("Cilantro and Onions"). I added a few extra topping options to our taco night, but you can pick and choose what you like to personalize your own 'Taco Tuesday' party :)

Ingredients (makes about 18 little corn tacos):

• 4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
• 1 generous cup of Salsa
• 1 cup roughly chopped Cilantro
• 1 minced Jalapeno
• 2 Limes (or more if you like)
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Mexican Seasoning Blend or Taco Seasoning or your own mix of Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, etc.
• plus extra Chili Powder for seasoning the chicken breast
• about 18 little taco-sized Corn Tortillas
• Toppings!

In a bowl, mix together the salsa, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, mexican seasoning blend, and the juice of ONE lime:

Spray your crock pot with a nonstick spray and place your chicken inside. Sprinkle chicken with chili powder, flip and cover other side as well:

Top chicken breasts with your cilantro/lime/salsa mixture:

Cook on low for 6 hours (if it goes much longer you might need to add a little more liquid later- either a little bit of chicken broth, or a little extra salsa, or even just a little plain water)

After it has slow cooked all day, it will just FALL APART at the touch of your utensil:

Break up your all your chicken and mix together with all the sauce & flavors in the pot until your left with a big pot of beautiful and tasty pulled chicken. Now squeeze the juice of the second lime into your chicken and stir in until all the chicken is well coated.

Prepare your taco toppings. I have chopped cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and a smorgasborg of salsas and hot sauces:

Warm your corn tortillas, about 6 at a time, by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and warming in the microwave for about 30 seconds:

True street taco style is simply with 'cilantro y cebolla' (cilantro and onion):

I started with a street taco base, and added hot sauce and avocado to mine: 

Here, Peter is reminding you to not forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice into each taco... to die for! 

 ...aaaaand, Pete added some hot sauce and avocado to his too :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

*(Download the app "Tortilla Soup Surfer"...see story at bottom of this blog :)

When I made this big pot of soup, I served Peter a hot bowl and then ladled myself a bowl to photograph for this blog. I took my photo, but when I came back to sit with him he was already slurping up his last little bit! He headed over to the stove to fill his bowl again, and was quite excited to see that there was such a big pot for more servings. Needless to say, I think I scored points with him tonight :)

For the new year, Peter's work is offering a new company wellness campaign. Now Peter is actually going out of his way to count how many cups of fruits and veggies he is eating daily!!! I am so stoked- I have our produce bowls FULL of options for him :) In addition to being SO delicious, this tortilla soup has got a ton of good veggies for you too! It is definitely 'new year resolution approved' :)


I have been dying to make Chicken Tortilla Soup soup lately and this soup was absolutely what I was hoping it would be. It was so satisfying. This soup has it all; it's substantial yet light... it has got the hardy nutrition in all of it's ingredients yet it's all steeped in a light broth. Even though it's perfect to warm up with soup in the wintertime, this one would be appropriate no matter the season or the weather since it includes lots of refreshing elements as well. Lime juice, cilantro, and sweet corn inside the soup offer a light complement to the hardiness of the meat and beans, while the avocado, onion, and other toppings add additional coolness to contrast the warmth of the mexican flavors.


Ingredients (yields 5 big bowls):

• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced Garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 4 Chicken Breasts (or about 3 cups shredded from a whole chicken)
• 6 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos, NOT drained
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 can low sodium whole kernel Corn, drained
• 1 can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Lime Juice
• 5 corn tortillas, cut into little strips
• Olive Oil
• 3 teaspoons Mexican Seasoning (you can use my seasoning blend *(see below), or a Taco Seasoning Packet, or just plain Chili Powder or WHATEVER Mexican seasoning you like) 

Topping Ideas: 

• Chopped Cilantro, Diced Avocado, Diced Tomatoes, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Queso Fresco, Sour Cream (or NF Plain Greek Yogurt), Lime Wedges, Diced Red Onion, Crumbled Tortilla Chips

*My Mexican Seasoning Blend: 1 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1/4 tsp McCormicks Seasoning Salt, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Cumin, 1/2 tsp Onion Powder, 1/8 tsp *Cayenne (*optional if you don't like spicy) 
...this will make enough for this recipe, plus some leftovers to use for tacos or for the next time you make this tortilla soup

(If you are using a whole cooked or rotisserie chicken, you can disregard this step and skip straight to sautéing the veggies).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag with a healthy drizzle of olive oil- seal bag and work with hands to coat chicken with oil. Use tongs to place chicken breasts out on a foil-covered baking pan. Sprinkle tops with 1 tsp seasoning. Bake 10 minutes, then flip chickens and sprinkle other side with 1 tsp seasoning- return to oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Shred chicken with 2 forks- pulling with the grain of the chicken fibers.

Sauté Veggies: 

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat to sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic until onion is translucent and slightly browned (about 5 minutes or so). Then add 1 tsp of seasoning, continue to sauté for another minute or so.

Add the seasoned shredded chicken breasts (or 1-2 tsps seasoning with shredded chicken from a whole cooked chicken). Stir together in pot.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, one can of tomatoes w/ jalapenos (plus all liquid from can), tomato paste, drained corn, and drained black beans. Stir and allow to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

After your soup has simmered. Turn off heat, stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Serve hot

And don't forget the toppings! 

The avocado adds a cool creaminess -both in texture and flavor- that is superb with the warmth of other flavors in this soup. A topping of cilantro adds a sharp freshness. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt could also add some coolness to compliment this soup and could be stirred in with some cheese to make your bowl creamier and thicker if desired. Red onion would also add some fresh crispness, and crumbled crunchy tortilla chips are an absolute must!

'Tortilla Soup Surfer' story: 
I'm sure every boy who plays video games has dreamed up his own game. Well our friend, Trevor, actually got that dream to come to life. He works for a creative design & development company called 'JLoop'.  Recently, JLoop decided to develop their employee's dream into a real game. Trevor's game is called "Tortilla Soup Surfer". Search for it in the app store of your smartphone or iPad/tablet. The object of the game is for you to help the veggie 'surfers' in the bowl of tortilla soup to score as many points as possible before they have to escape from the bowl... or else they are slurped up for dinner!  :)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

THIS is the family favorite. My mom made this for our fam when we were growing up. It makes a large casserole, but there were hardly ever any leftovers. Even if there were a little bit of leftovers, they definitely didn't last past lunchtime the next day. To this day, this is the most requested birthday item from everyone in my family. 
In fact, this time that I made it, it was per request from my brother and sister-in-law when they came home from the hospital with their new baby boy. 


Rather than the traditional chicken enchilada which has individual rolled enchiladas, this one is a layered chicken enchilada casserole. I love casseroles because they are easy to assemble, all the flavor is trapped together in one dish, and they are great for feeding a crowd.  
This recipe makes a large 9x13 casserole, however I made two 8x8 casseroles this time; one for Peter and I, and one to take over to Cullen and Ashley's when they got home from the hospital.


For this enchilada, there are only 3 parts that get layered together: tortillas, chicken, and sauce:


The chicken is as easy as plain cooked chicken that is chopped or shredded. In a pinch, a rotisserie chicken works VERY well for this recipe. This time, I cooked a whole chicken and shredded all of its meat for this casserole.


Some enchiladas allow you to use corn or flour tortillas, but I would urge you NOT to use flour for this one. I've made it with flour tortillas once and I will never make that mistake again. It came out too soggy :( Besides, corn is healthier anyway :) For these enchiladas, just stick to corn tortillas.


Recipe (makes a large 9x13 casserole dish):

• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• one 24 oz jar Salsa, I use 'medium' spice (the 'La Victoria' style of salsa)
• 16 oz Shredded Cheddar, plus 8 oz Shredded Cheddar; divided
• 1/2 to 1 cup Milk (I use fat free)... not necessary for flavor, so if you don't have the milk, don't stress; it just helps to thin and stretch the sauce so that you have enough for the top (which is pretty important)
• 24 Corn Tortillas
• about 4 cups Chicken, cooked & shredded (4 large Chicken Breasts or the meat of one Whole Cooked Chicken)
• For serving: Sour Cream, or a healthier option- Guacamole!

First, mix together the can of Cream of Chicken soup, the can of Cream of Mushroom soup, the jar of Salsa (reserve a few spoonfuls for the bottom of the baking dish), and 16 oz shredded cheddar, and the milk. 

(The cup of milk does not affect the cooking or flavor of this dish, but if you have a cup of milk it helps to make this sauce stretch a little further; it's important that you have enough of this sauce as you layer because this needs to be the top layer covering the casserole.) 

It makes a great looking pink sauce... Peter always sneaks over with a bag of tortilla chips at this point and starts dipping into this sauce- until I whack him with my spoon :)

  

Now slice your tortillas into 1 inch strips (they already have lines baked into them, so I just pile a handful at a time and slice the stacks all at once along the guide lines.)

I roasted a whole chicken and shredded it for this dish, so I used some of the chicken broth juices from the roasting pan to cover the bottom of the enchilada dish. If you do not have the cooked chicken broth, then you can use a few spoonfuls of salsa, or even spread a bit of your cheesy-pink enchilada sauce. 

(If you do not put something down there, the dry tortilla strips might bake hard onto the casserole dish)

Lay out your tortilla strips to cover the bottom of the pan:

Then layer 1/3 of your shredded chicken:

Then 1/3 of your sauce:

Repeat, ENDING WITH THE SAUCE. This is important. If you end with a layer of tortillas or chicken, it will bake all hard and dried out. No es bueno!

Then cover the top layer of sauce with 8 ounces or so of shredded cheddar (my favorite part- the ooey gooey cheesy crust :)

Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese bakes golden brown and bubbly (about 45 minutes): 

Let is sit for about 10-15 minutes before you cut into it. This will allow it to cool slightly, and to firm up. Otherwise, you will cut a serving and it will ooze off the spatula and all over the plate. It will taste great, but it won't look as appetizing. So let it sit for a little!

Delicious served with a healthy side of yummy guacamole!

This is one meal that gets even better the day after because all the flavors marry together even better as they sit. Unfortunately, leftovers (if any) hardly last long enough. 

...A good solution to this could actually be even easier for you; make it ahead of time! When you are ready to bake it, pull it from the fridge, bring it to room temp, and then pop it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. A flavorful, filling meal that's ready when you are! That's why I love casseroles :)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is a quick and easy version of chicken enchiladas that packs a lot of flavor punch. I've seen recipes for 'creamy chicken enchiladas' that use either cream cheese or sour cream in the filling. To lower the calories and fat, I used nonfat plain greek yogurt instead of the other creamy ingredients that are higher in calories and fat. You still get all the cool, creamy refreshing flavor of the sour cream, but without the calories and fat. 
The nonfat, plain greek yogurt is one item that seems to always be on my grocery list nowadays. It substitutes SO WELL in place of sour cream in any recipe... it's unreal.

This recipe was a weeknight inspiration when I got home late from work and needed to whip up a quick dinner... before heading out again to see our new baby nephew that had just been born! Usually when these rushed evenings happen, I get a flood of 'oh crud' feelings and my adrenaline pumps, but some of my most creative and successful recipes come from those moments on the fly. On this particular night, I opened the fridge and saw a big bundle of cilantro. "That's it" I thought, "I'm going to use that cilantro and I'm going to use the greek yogurt to make quick, creamy, healthy mexican enchiladas". The rest of the ingredients I needed to make the enchiladas are just staples that I almost always have on hand (so you likely will too). It was a no brainer; boil the chicken. assemble enchiladas. bake. done. out the door. We even got to pack some up and take it to the hospital to share with the new parents!

Ingredients (makes one 9x13 casserole dish):

• 3 cups cooked Chicken, shredded or cubed
• 12 oz. plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt 
• 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
• One 4-oz. can of diced Ortega Chiles, drained
• 2 cups shredded Cheese, divided (I used a 4 cheese mexican blend, but you can use mozzarella, pepperjack, anything you like)
• 1/2 cup diced Tomato, (or 1/4 cup Salsa)
• 8 medium sized Flour Tortillas, OR 10 small Corn Tortillas
• One 28-oz. can of Green Enchilada Sauce

Mix your 3 cups chicken, 12 oz. yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro, ortega chiles, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup tomatoes all together in a bowl.

In the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish, spread 1 large spoonful of the green sauce. This will keep the tortillas from baking onto to the dish.


Warm tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and steaming them in the microwave for a few minutes. This will make them pliable, so that they won't crack when you try to roll them up.


Stuff the warmed tortillas with as much of the creamy chicken filling mix as you can inside each tortilla. 

Roll them up and place seam side down in your sauced baking dish.

Once all your tortillas are rolled and nestled into the baking dish, pour the remainder of the green sauce over your little enchilada rolls.


Top with the other cup of shredded cheese (or more if you like) and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is golden brown and bubbly on top. 

You can add or omit any ingredients you please. You really can't mess these up. It can even be as simple as just a little cheese and the chicken inside the tortillas and it will still be delicious and filling! Cover anything with sauce and cheese and you can't go wrong :)

Chicken Divine

Chicken Divine (pronounced Chicken 'Divan'), is a casserole made with chicken and brocoli, and it is a great and super easy weeknight meal! In fact, this time that I made it, I worked a 9 hour day, then picked up my car from the mechanic shop, and STILL had time to make this easy and delicious dinner.

This time, I tried something new-- I actually replaced some of the original ingredients with healthier options and the end result tasted EXACTLY THE SAME as the original recipe!! Though it sounds healthy, being a chicken and broccoli dinner, some of the ingredients in the sauce could be made healthier. I was nervous because it makes a large casserole dish worth of food and if this healthy makeover didn't turn out well.... it would have been a loooong week of forcing leftovers :) But you would never know that some of the original calorie and fat laden ingredients had been omitted! Peter wanted it again for dinner the next night AND he wanted me to pack it for lunch to take to work with him! This was a successful healthy makeover. 


I have underlined just a couple of the BIG changes in the recipes below so you can have both the original recipe as well as the healthier version so that you can be able see where some of the ingredients were altered:

Serves 6-8:

Healthy-Makeover Recipe:

2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cooked & cubed

2 lbs fresh Broccoli, chopped (or 2 bags frozen broccoli)

1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

1 cup shredded Longhorn Cheese (or a mild white cheddar)

1/4 tsp Curry Powder

One 8oz. container of Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

2/3 cup light Mayonnaise

1 can low sodium Cream of Celery Soup

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

2 Tbsps Butter, melted (I know this part isn't healthy, but it is optional... necessary in my opinion though :)

Original Recipe:

2 lbs Chicken, cooked & cubed

2 packages frozen Broccoli

1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

1 cup shredded Longhorn Cheese

1/4 tsp Curry Powder

One 8oz. container of Sour Cream

2/3 cup Mayonnaise

1 can Cream of Celery Soup

2-3 cups bread crumbs

4 Tbsps Butter 

Just by switching...

1. sour cream to nonfat plain greek yogurt you will save: 334 calories, 45 g fat, & 26 g saturated fat
2. regular mayo to light mayo you will save: 534 calories, 64 g. fat, & 6 g. saturated fat
3. 2 tbsps of butter less for the crumb topping, you will save: 200 calories, 22 g. fat, & 14 g. sat. fat

...Cutting a grand total of 1,068 calories, 131 grams of fat, & 46 grams of saturated fat

Okay, now down to business... Start by making the sauce; mix the cheeses, cream of celery soup, greek yogurt, light mayo, and curry powder. 

 In a large casserole dish lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray, layer the chopped broccoli...

 ...then the cooked/chopped chicken...

 ...then top with the sauce mixture.

 Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until the top just starts to turn golden...

While the casserole is baking in the oven, make the bread crumb mixing the bread crumbs (I pulsed together some seasoned bread cubes and panko) and the melted butter.

After the casserole has been cooking for about 25-30 minutes and the top just starts to turn golden...

 Pull it out of the oven, top it with the buttered bread crumbs, and return it to the oven for just enough time to allow the bread crumbs to turn golden brown (about 10 minutes)

After about 10 minutes: 

It is HOT, so let it sit for a few minutes to cool down, and also to let it set up or else it will run all over your plate if you try to serve it before it has set.

It doesn't exactly serve in a typical, perfect, casserole-like square serving size... In fact it is easier to scoop servings with a large serving spoon rather than a spatula.