Have Chicken? Clean Eating's Buffalo Chicken Salad and My Own Spicy Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Who says dinner has to be a huge production? I grew up in a househouse where "frozen meal of your choice" was the dinner plan about two days out of seven.  I didn't mind it at all, but I'd much prefer a very simple, homemade dinner, such as this one I came up with when we had leftover grilled chicken not too long ago.

The price for this entire meal was under $2.50/person (including the frozen green beans and corn.  Frozen veggies, I love them.  They are healthy and often very cheap!).  Not only was the price right on par, but the time to prepare this meal was too; including steaming the vegetables, this took about 10 minutes to get on a plate and ready for some devouring.

Spicy Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Serves 1

Ingredients

4 ounces grilled chicken, seasoned with pepper

1.5 Tbsp. olive oil mayo

2 tsp. dijon mustard

More pepper, and a dash of cayenne

1 whole wheat English Muffin (or bread of your choice)**

Directions

Cut the grilled chicken into medium sized chunks.  Add the chicken to a medium bowl and mix in the mayo and dijon.  Mix well to combine and distribute sauces evenly.  Add cayenne and pepper (as much or as little as you'd like, I added 1 tsp. of each!  I like SPICE!)

**NOTE:  If you follow a low FODMAPs diet be sure to use a gluten-free English muffin.

Estimated Nutrition Facts, with the English Muffin
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights: Good source of calcium and iron

So this next recipe is one of those that a good food blogger would have made again, just to make sure there was a decent picture to show her readers.  I guess I'm not a good food blogger because I'm using an old picture, and I'm not turning back. Last summer I was preparing dinners for my mom, dad, and brother, along with their neighbors who had three kids, about two days a week.  Both families really enjoyed this recipe (including all of the young kids!), so while the picture doesn't do it and justice, I sitll wanted to provide you with the recipe. While it may not quality as food porn, and least you get an idea of what it's supposed to look like (I've gotten better at making food look really tasty since last summer, right?!  Please say yes).

The total price per family (family of 4) for this meal was fifteen dollars.  That's not bad considering I used organic chicken breasts and whole wheat tortillas to make the salad into a wrap!  Who said eating healthier has to be expensive?!  The total time to prepare and clean-up this meal was an hour. You can't beat that.

Buffalo Chicken Salad Wraps

Source: Clean Eating Magazine, June 2012 Issue

(Serves 4)

Directions

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Olive oil cooking spray

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 sweet onion, chopped **

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt **

5 Tbsp. low-fat buttermilk **

1-1.5 Tbsp. hot sauce **

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped

1 yellow or green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup peeled and shredded carrots

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

4 whole wheat tortillas **

Directions

1.  Preheat broiler to high. Place chickenon a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Lightly mist chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly on both sides with paprika, chile powder, and salt. Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until center of chicken is no longer pink, about 6 minute sper side.  Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting into small chunks (~1/4 inches).

2.  In a blender, puree onion, buttermilk, greek yogurt,  and hot sauce.  Taste and add more hot sauce if you want.

3.  Heat tortillas in oven if you want them hot.  Place a hot tortilla on each plate and divide romaine and red leaf lettuces among 4 tortillas and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and chicken, dividing each evenly.  Serve yogurt mixture on the side and drizzle on top of wraps.  Sprinkle each with blue cheese and serve immediately!

**NOTE:  If you follow a low FODMAPs diet this is not the best recipe for you.  Two integral parts of the sauce are onion, hot sauce, and milk.  It's hard to modify and still keep that buffalo flavor!

Note:  If you want to reduce the sodium, you can always reduce the amount of hot sauce or omit the added sea salt. Most of the sodium from this estimate came from the tortilla, the hot sauce, the obvious sea salt, and the blue cheese.  You do have control over all of these, so modify to your needs.

Nutrition Highlights: Excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, good source of iron.

I remember getting a call from the family for whom I made this recipe, the day after I had prepared it for them, and they said it was their favorite meal so far.  So, you know, considering it was a "Clean Eating" recipe, I was pretty happy about that.  

I hope everyone has a lovely Tuesday.  I've got a big demo at work today and we're making two different burgers (one turkey and one cod), plus grilled vegetables and a grilled peach and apricot dish with ricotta cheese.  Sound good???  Yeah, I know!  :)

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd

Two Step, Six Ingredient Slow Cooker Pork Chops

You'll probably notice that I post a lot of pork on this blog.  I mean, I love it.  It's not like I'm posting sausage and bacon pork, or pork butt, it's pork chops usually.  They only contain about 50 mg cholesterol in one chop, and 3.5 grams of saturated fat. That aint bad my friends!  Some might argue that the fact that pork chops are so lean, compared to other pork, is what makes them tend to be on the dry side. I agree, which is why I figured a slow cooked pork chop would be a great way to soak up moisture and create a succulent and juicy pork chop.  I was right.

Two Step, Six Ingredient Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Modified slightly from an  AllRecipes.com recipe

Serves:  6

Ingredients

6 boneless pork chops, trimmed of some of the excess fat on the edges (leave some...)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/4th cup ketchup

2 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Place pork chops in slow cooker.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.

2.  Cook on low setting for 6 hours, until internal temperature of pork has reached 145 degrees F.

Estimated nutrition facts for 1-serving

Nutrition Highlights: Despite the high sodium (yeah, sometimes and RD has to post a higher sodium recipe....oh well, make sure you pair this with very low sodium sides seasoned with a no-salt added herb and spice blend!), this recipe is an excellent source of protein, less than 100 mg cholesterol, and very close to being considered low-fat.

HINT:  This recipe is not great for leftovers.  Pork doesn't reheat well.  Make this recipe and get rid of it in one day. It's best right out of the slow cooker, topped with extra juices and deliciousness.  Also, This is not a low FODMAPs recipe.

We made this meal into the "perfect plate" by including some sauteed broccolini and brown rice. (delicious with a bit of olive oil and no-salt-added spices)

Nick made the suggestion of making this chops into a sandwich.  I thought that sounded pretty delicious.  Maybe next time....

QUESTION:  Have you ever slow cooked pork chops before?    How else would you eat these slow-cooked pork chops?  Please share your creative ideas!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Crunchy Ramen Snack Mix (Thrifty Thursday)

Nick and I like to go on mini vacations.  And when I say mini, I mean one or two nights.  We both have busy work schedules and one of us is typically working on the weekends, so longer vacations don't happen more than once a year (even that is a stretch).  When we do have time to hop in the car for a short trip, or long one, I always try to have healthy snacks on hand so we don't waste money stopping somewhere to eat, and because let's face it, healthier snacks and other foods are not abundant on the road.  Last September we traveled to North Carolina, by car, to get married.  I brought this Crunchy Ramen Snack Mix and now it will forever remind me of our wonderful trip to Bald Head Island, where we tied the knot and became bonded for life!

I wasn't a ramen noodle girl in college, but as a young child I loved it (maybe because I was naive when it came to nutrition back then?). I can remember my mom only allowing me to use half of the seasoning packet whenever I made ramen noodles.  She's so smart, making sure my sodium intake was limited, even as a young girl. It's really no wonder I became a dietitian! Thanks mom ;)

Last year I was miraculously recieving Everyday Food Magazine in the mail, which is apparently one of Martha Stewart's magazines. I found this recipe for Crunchy Ramen Snack Mix and thought it sounded, in one word, FANTASTIC.  When I went shopping to buy the ingredients (at the grocery store where I work) I was slightly embarrassed to be seen with ramen noodles in my cart (the dietitian is eating ramen noodles?!) so I was sure to carry the recipe with me to show people that I was just using the noodles, not the days-worth-of-sodium seasoning packet. And of course I was adding some quality protein and healthy fats. 

Crunchy Ramen Snack Mix

Modified from a Martha Stewart Living recipe

Makes Six Cups

Serves: 18 (1/3 cup per serving)

Estimated total cost: $4.00

Ingredients

2 packages ramen, broken into small pieces

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup raw peanuts

1 cup cornflakes

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used canola)

4 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1/2 cup freeze dried wasabi peas

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet toss ramen, cashews, peanuts, and cornflakes with oil until coated.  Spread mixture in an even layer.  Combine curry powder, cayenne, and salt in a separate small bowl; sprinkle over ramen mixture.  Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring 2 times in between.  Stir in wasabi peas and let cool completely before serving.

TIP:  Unless you are planning on using the peanuts and cashews later, shop for these ingredients in the bulk department so you only have to buy what the recipe calls for.

Serving size: 1/3 cup

Nutrition Highlights: Under 150 calories, 4 grams of protein, packed with unsaturated poly- and mono-unsaturated fats.

Yes, part of the mix got slightly burned, but....I liked it!

While I was definitely that annoying person who kept eating my favorite parts of this snack (the cashews and the wasabi peas) the combination of flavors tasted wonderful all together. It truly acted as a delicious snack the entire week of our trip, and we even had some leftover to enjoy for snacks in our lunches for weeks after.   It was delicious, and much cheaper than any trail or snack mix you could buy at the store.

             QUESTION:  What's your favorite snack to bring with you on road trips?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

One-Pot Chicken With White Beans and Rosemary (Thrifty Thursday)

You probably wouldn't know this from reading my blog, but my favorite type of bean is the white bean (ie: cannellini beans).  I'd add them to everything if they didn't give me so much gas (sorry, but seriously, they do).  If I was able, I'd add these beans to all salads, soups, pasta dishes, whatever.  They are just so good! Anyway, you get it, I love them, so when I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's "Food" Magazine (which I sadly stopped getting for free, perhaps I should order it?!) I knew I had to make it (and of course I also knew to arm myself with some Beano). 

This recipe was thrifty in terms of money and time.  As far as the money, it cost about $2.50 a serving, and while the time to actually make the recipe wasn't necessarily short, the clean-up was a breeze because it was a one-pot meal.  

INSTAGRAM!
The Candid RD

Of course, my experience with this recipe wasn't as "thrifty" as it should have been.....

I was a complete idiot and put the chicken in my Le Creuset cassserole dish instead of the appropriate "French Oven" (see below).

Don't you worry, I brought that broken dish right into Bed, Bath and Beyond, where I had received it as a wedding present just 3 weeks before, and they gave me a new one. So kind (seriously, that was awesome).  But that wasn't the only "oops" moment on this particular day.   I was clearly not thinking straight because not only did I use a casserole dish for a direct heat application, but I also failed to follow the directions of the recipe.  Take note, I did not cut the whole chicken into ten pieces as the recipe suggests.  Martha would not be happy.  So, when you make this recipe, follow the directions, don't be like me.  Thankfully, either way, the recipe turned out to be fantastic.

"One-Pot" Chicken with White Beans and Rosemary

Serves 4

Source: Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3.5-4 pounds) cut into 10 pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced**

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained**

1 sprig rosemary

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and seasons with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy pot, place chicken skin side down and cook over medium until pieces release easily from pot and are browned, about 10 minutes.  Flip and cook until browned, 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate.

2.  Add onion to pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring until fragrant and dark red, about 4 minutes.  Stir in 2 cups water, beans, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a rapid simmer.  Return chicken to pot, skin side up.  Transfer to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

3.  Serve

**NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the onion and be sure to take a Beano (or similar product) for the galactans (GOS) in the beans.  Keep in mind, however, products like Beano only help you digest the GOS not the fructans.  So if you are really sensitive to fructans (part of the "O" in FODMAPs) I wouldn't make this dish (or just eat a very small amount of the beans)

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of recipe
Yes, it's a high calorie meal, but this filled me up for hours.  I would say this recipe could easily serve up to 6 people, if you want to reduce your serving and calories (it's still very, very filling)

Nutrition Highlights:  Lower in sodium (just above 300 mg, not bad at all!), excellent source of fiber vitamin C, calcium and iron, good source of vitamin A

QUESTION:    I told you my favorite bean, what's yours?  I also really love lentils (that's a new love for me, stay tuned for a lentil hummus recipe coming soon!)

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Thrifty Thursday; Grilled Cod Sandwiches with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Today's recipe is not only thrifty in terms of price, but also time.  When I get home after a long day of work (working around food, no less), I like to have options for quick dinner recipes.  I know I'm not alone in this desire.  You agree, right?  I also like to have options that I can provide to Nick, just in case one night he decides he wants to make dinner.  This recipe would definitely be something Nick could prepare (I hope he's reading this....hint hint Nick!)

Grilled Cod Sandwiches

Serves 4 

Time: ~20 minutes total

Price per serving: ~$3.00

Ingredients

1/4th cup light mayonnaise

1/4th cup plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice, divided

2 tsp. finely chopped dill pickle

2 tsp. finely chopped red onion**

2 tsp. chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

4 6-ounce cod fillets

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning**

4 sandwich rolls, split and toasted

Toppings (optional):  Spinach, Tomato, Red Onion

Directions

1.  Make the tartar sauce by combining mayo, 2 tsp lime juice, pickle, onion and parsley in a small bowl.  Set aside

2.  Place fillets in a shallow dish; drizzle with oil and remaining 1/4th cup lime juice.  Season with lemon pepper, and salt to taste

3.  Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat grill to medium (300 degrees or 350 degrees F).  Grill fillets, covered, 4 to 5 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

4.  Spread cut sides of rolls with tartar sauce.  Place 1 fillet on each roll, top with your optional toppings.

NOTE: If you would like to make this a Low FODMAPs "cod-wich", use a lemon pepper seasoning without onion or garlic (or, since I am not aware of one that exists, use fresh pepper and some lemon zest).  Also, omit the red onion.  And, of course, use a wheat-free bun.

NOTE:  You can reduce the calories by only doing 3-4 ounces of cod, and using less oil to cook the cod.  This can easily cut the calories by 100 or more.  That's exactly what I did when I made my sandwich.  I used less oil and only ate about 4 ounces of cod (Nick, on the other hand, ate his double decker-style with the full 6-ounce pieces cut in half and topped on top of one another).

Homemade tartar sauce.  So easy!  And it was great on a simple grilled piece of cod, even without the bun.

Nick gave this sandwich two thumbs up (and that was amazing, considering it's seafood and Nick isn't a huge fan of seafood!).

We had our sandwiches with a side of vegetables, of course.  The entire meal was very filling.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 sandwich, with 6-ounces fish and a 100-calorie whole grain sandwich roll/bun

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of protein and fiber (from the particular rolls we chose).  A good source of calcium, iron, and vitamin C.  Not seen on the nutrition facts are the Omega-3 fatty acids, which would be about 350 mg/6-ounces of cod.  Not bad!



QUESTION:  What's your favorite fish to eat as a sandwich?  Mine is definitely cod, but I also like turning fish/seafood into burgers!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Clean Eating's Ginger-Infused Pulled Pork (Thrifty Thursday: Why Eat Out?!)

I love a good BBQ pulled pork.  I know it's not a very lean or healthy dish, but I'm a realistic dietitian and I know that having it every once in a while isn't a problem, especially if you make sure to pair your BBQ with some type of vegetable (I like mine with greens and beans!).  Since getting a slow-cooker I've been dreaming of making pulled pork sandwiches for dinner.  The other day I found a great recipe for Ginger-Infused Pork in my Clean Eating Magazine, and "pinned it" (on my fridge, that is) so I could gather the ingredients at the store, ASAP.

This recipe was so easy, and cheap, it's a wonder why anyone would ever go to a BBQ restaurant ever again!  haha, jk.  But seriously, the price was just right, and the slow-cooker did all the work.

Ginger-Infused Pork

Slightly modified from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Serves: 10

Total Price: ~$.80/serving (not including the bun and toppings)

Ingredients

1 tsp sesame oil (or safflower oil)

1 1/2 lb. trimmed lean pork shoulder

2 jalapeno chile peppers, thinly sliced into rounds (keep the seeds in if you like spice!)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup diced yellow onion

1/4th cup tomato paste (made with just tomatoes, nothing else added)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/3 cup maple syrup (or evaporated can juice)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

Optional: Fresh buns

Directions

1.  Add the pork to your slow cooker, followed by all the ingredients, minus the maple syrup, vinegar, Worchestershire and ginger.

2.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours (depending on your slow cooker, you may need more or less time.  The pork should fall apart easily with a fork when it's cooked appropriately).

3.  Once cooked, turn off the slow-cooker and add the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worchestershire and grated ginger.  Allow to sit for about 30 minutes to let flavors infuse.

4.  Pull apart the pork and enjoy the pork however you wish (ie: on buns, on a bed of brown rice, on a salad, wrapped in a taco shell, etc.)

NOTE:  If you are following a Low FODMAPs diet, make sure to cut your onion into LARGE chunks so they can easily be avoided when you are scooping out your pork, but you still get the flavor of the onion immersed into your pork as it's cooking (although if you are really sensitive to galactans and fructans, beware you will still get some if you use the onion, as FOS and GOS are water soluble).  If you are very sensitive keep in mind the Worchestershire sauce also contains FODMAPs.  This recipe only calls for a small amount, so it could be eliminated if you wish.  It didn't seem to bother me, just an FYI.  Also, the high amount of tomatoes might cause you problems, so be sure to avoid the excess juices and stick to just the pork if you are really sensitive to a lot of tomatoes (some are more than others).

Instagram!

When I first added all the ingredients to the slow-cooker, I thought there wasn't enough liquid. Don't be fooled. Those tomatoes are filled with liquid!  

About 7 hours later.....

I pulled the pork apart outside of the slow cooker, so I could get minimal amounts of the juices on my pork.  The juices were delicious, yes, but see my note above about FODMAPs and you will see why I tried to minimize them.  Nick, however, added extra ginger-and syrupy juices to his sandwich!

All that hard labor.......  really paid off ;)

No, we didn't use whole wheat buns (and to be honest, because of FODMAPs and because of all the refined carbs, I only ate half of my bun, but I reallllly enjoyed that half!).

QUESTION:  Do you like pulled pork? Have you ever made it in the slow-cooker?  Do you have any favorite recipes you'd like to share?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd