Chicken Salad

I am not really sure that a salad deserves a recipe- but you might not eat one for dinner regularly.  If not, I highly recommend you do!  So yummy and you can pretty much top it with whatever veggies you have on hand.  As a treat, I will buy chicken tenders to put on my chicken salad.  This one has mushrooms, cheese, hard boiled egg, cucumbers, and carrots.  Great for a mid-week meal!

Enjoy!

Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake

We had some of my husband's friends over for dinner the other night.  I had no idea what to make, but after scrounging around, I adapted this recipe.  It didn't change much from the original recipe which was given to me by a friend, however was forced to become a little more healthy since I had only healthier alternatives on hand.  I think the single best secret towards eating better is to keep only healthy options on hand.  Then when you have a craving, you have the option of either learning to love alternatives, or going out of your way to pick up something else.

Without further ado, Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup*
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or whatever is on sale will work well enough, too)
1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt (or use [sea] salt, garlic, onion, and paprika.  Or whatever you have on hand.)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine rice, water, soup, and seasonings, and stir.  Place chicken breasts on top.  Sprinkle additional seasoning salt and pepper, and top with sliced mushrooms.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour and a half, or until rice is tender and cooked through.

*I realize that I am not making the healthiest choice here with canned cream of mushroom soup.  Next time, I am going to try this recipe for making my own, using coconut oil.  I just haven't been convinced until seeing this recipe that I could make a healthy enough alternative, one that was worth the time spent making it from scratch.  I am glad to have finally found one that seems simple AND healthy (not using pure cream, butter, etc.).

I recently learned how healthy mushrooms really are.  They boost your immune system and have high levels of vitamin D.  In researching, I found out that they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in.  Learning this, I am going to make more of an effort to buy organic mushrooms.  I don't buy all organic produce, but try to pick and choose where I will get the most bang for my buck.

Easy Coconut Green Curry

Just got back from a weekend in Las Vegas, where we hiked during the day and dined at night.  We went away for our two year wedding anniversary, and had the fanciest meal we have ever had.  It was a great celebration!  We were both feeling the effects of eating so much rich food, however, so I was happy to return home and cook one of my go-to meals: easy coconut green curry.  What follows is the recipe I used tonight, but feel free to add whatever veggies or meat (or even tofu) sound good to you.  What's really great is fresh sweet basil, of which I usually do not have on hand (regrettably).  My husband loves it when I add bamboo shoots, which my local grocery store sells canned.  I eat it covered in Sriracha and sea salt.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste (or other curry paste)
1 can coconut milk
1 garlic clove, diced
1 carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup frozen vegetable mix
1 orange bell pepper
Dash of basil
3 chicken breasts

Simmer the coconut milk in a pan.  Add the curry paste, basil, and garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then add the potatoes and veggies, and then everything else.  Allow to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.  Serve over brown rice.

I haven't tried it yet in a crock pot, but I have been meaning to try.  Does anyone have a recipe they like for curry in the crock pot?