Chicken Caprese Salad

I realized recently I don’t have enough salad recipes on here. Mostly because I don’t eat enough salad, which I’ve been trying to change. I do love a good salad but I often find myself too lazy to get out all the ingredients and chop them up – which is silly because I usually spend 30 minutes preparing most of my meals anyway.

Whenever I see the word “Caprese” on a menu at a restaurant, I get excited. Caprese is the classic Italian combination of fresh mozzerella, fresh basil, and tomatoes. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations and is always sure to satisfy. A traditional Insalata Caprese doesn’t involve lettuce or greens of any type, but I decided to throw some into this salad for extra heartiness and some crunch, and chicken for protein of course. This salad is so light and fresh tasting  – perfect for summer.

I also threw together a simple homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette for this salad. You can find balsamic vinegar near the other vinegars or olive oil in your grocery store and it’s relatively inexpensive. I used Greek yogurt (my staple) for the “creamy” aspect of the dressing, but you could alternatively use mayonnaise or heavy cream for a more authentic version.

Chicken Caprese Salad
serves 1

Ingredients:

• For the dressing:
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
  • 2-3 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
• one small stalk of romaine lettuce (about 3-4 cups), chopped and rinsed
• 1 small breast of chicken, grilled and sliced
• 1/4 cup of cubed fresh mozzerella
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

To prepare the dressing, simply whisk all of the ingredients for it together in a small bowl. Set aside. Place lettuce in a salad bowl, and layer remaining ingredients on top. Drizzle dressing over the salad and enjoy.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

That’s right. Greek yogurt pancakes. Two awesome things combined into one.

I was excited when I found this recipe for Greek Yogurt Pancakes on Everyday Belle because I had been looking for a slightly healthier pancake that still tasted like the real thing. When it comes to breakfast, I’m normally more into savory food such as eggs, omelettes, hash browns, bagels, etc. This morning, however, I woke up with a strange craving for something sweet and decided it was time to put these pancakes to the test. This was actually my first time making pancakes on my own and from scratch, and while they came out tasty, I do admit my flipping skills need work…

These Greek Yogurt Pancakes are incredibly fluffy, chewy, and only 4 ingredients. The flavor of the yogurt isn’t as strong as you might think, but instead gives the pancakes extra moisture and a super thick texture. The protein in the yogurt will also help to keep you full, which is always a perk in my book.

The pancake batter is pretty thick, so after reading through the comments on the original recipe, I added about 2 Tbsp of milk. If you’re using unflavored Greek yogurt, I would recommend adding some honey or sugar to sweeten the batter as well. A few commenters said whole wheat flour didn’t work very well with the recipe as is, but feel free to play around with it and see what you come up with. Next time I think I’ll add some chocolate chips or fruit!

Greek Yogurt Pancakes
adapted from Everyday Belle

Ingredients:
makes 1 large or 2 small servings

• 6 oz. (or a little less than 3/4 cup) Greek yogurt – vanilla recommended!
• 1 egg
• scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• optional: 2-3 Tbsp milk to thin out the batter, dash of cinnamon, 2-3 Tbsp sugar or honey to sweeten the batter if unsweetened yogurt
• toppings of choice: maple syrup, fruit, honey, yogurt, etc.

Your ingredients, plus optional milk and cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a bowl small, combine Greek yogurt and your egg. Whisk to combine, until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, stir flour and baking soda together until well-incorporated. Add to yogurt-egg mixture and stir well. Also add the milk and/or cinnamon if using.
3. Lightly spray a large frying pan or griddle with cooking spray and heat to medium. Once your pan is hot, use a ladle or large spoon to drop the batter onto the pan. I got 3 medium-large pancakes out of the batter.
4. When pancakes start to bubble on the surface and the edges have firmed up a bit, flip onto the other side. Once they’re finished cooking, serve with desired toppings and enjoy

Begin by whisking together your yogurt and egg until smooth

Add your flour and baking soda to the yogurt mixture. The photo on the left is the batter without milk – very thick – and the photo on the right is after 2 Tbsp of milk is added.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased hot griddle or pan. Once the surface bubbles and edges are firm, carefully flip your pancakes.

So… like I said, my flipping skills still need some work. But on the second try…

BOOM. Nailed it.

And voila! Fluffy and delicious Greek yogurt pancakes.

I served mine with maple syrup and sliced banana.

Lentil Chickpea Coconut Curry

Since trying lentils for the first time last summer, I’ve become mildly obsessed with them and usually cook them anywhere from one to three times a month. I love lentils with brown rice, or with sausage, but my favorite way to eat lentils is in a delicious curry. I was originally going to post a recipe for Chana Masala (chickpea curry), but decided I needed to include my beloved lentils and also some greens.

If you enjoy curry, I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try. Hearty lentils and chickpeas are simmered in a flavorful tomato-curry sauce with kale and coconut milk, served over rice. This meal is so filling and satisfying, I bet most wouldn’t guess that it’s vegan. I admit I sometimes miss meat in a vegetarian or vegan meal, but this isn’t one of them. Lentils and chickpeas are both packed with protein, very low in fat and diet superfoods in my book. I’ve been making this meal in some variation or another for months now, and it really has become one of my favorites. This is the first time I made it with coconut milk and I love the way it mellows out the strong flavors a bit. The amount of spices are based off my personal preferences, so you may find you want more or less of something – just have fun playing around with it!

Lentil Chickpea Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
serves 5-6

• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups of water, veggie stock or chicken stock
• 1 cup dry brown or green lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
• 5-6 stalks kale, torn into small pieces or 4-5 cups spinach (I used both)
• 1 Tbsp yellow curry powder
• 1 tsp red curry powder or garam masala
• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp coriander (or 2 tsp cumin if coriander is not available)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained (feel free to use the whole can if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
• fresh cilantro and scallions to garnish, warmed Naan to serve

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, cook rice according to box directions. You can do this step in advance, or let the rice cook while you’re preparing the rest of the meal.
2. In a 3-4 quart cooking pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over low heat. Add diced onion and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and continue cooking.
3. Once veggies have softened and browned a bit (about 15-20 minutes), add water or stock to the pot, along with your lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then return to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomato sauce or diced tomato to the pot and stir in kale. (If using spinach, don’t add it until later – see step number 5.) Season with all of the spices (yellow curry powder through red pepper flakes) and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until kale is tender and the curry has thickened.
5. Stir in chickpeas, coconut milk, and lime juice (and spinach, if using) and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve curry over rice, with a garnish of fresh cilantro, scallions, and warmed Naan.

Start by sauteing your veggies

Once veggies are tender, add 3 cups of water or stock to the pot, along with lentils and 1 bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce, kale and spices and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Once kale is tender, add chickpeas, coconut milk, and lime juice to the curry. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

The finished product!

Maple Roasted Chickpeas

I had a brownie recipe that I was excited to share with you guys today, but unfortunately the batter just did not come together and I had to add a bunch of extra ingredients to get it to the right consistency. The brownies ended up coming out okay, but I didn’t feel confident about posting the recipe on here when I wasn’t exactly sure what went wrong. They were Zucchini Brownies, which I was excited about because I had never used zucchini in a dessert recipe before and they looked surprisingly fudgy and delicious. Oh well, better luck next time.

Luckily I had a back-up recipe in mind. Lately I’ve been seeing recipes for roasted chickpeas floating around the internet. I was skeptical at first, thinking the idea of roasting canned chickpeas didn’t sound appealing at all but many blogs claimed they were crunchy and addictive. I decided to give them a try and I admit I ate them all by myself in one night.. oops. Luckily they are a healthy snack, low-fat and packed with protein, so you don’t have to feel guilty about eating so much.

These Maple Roasted Chickpeas are a simple 4-ingredient recipe that makes a quick and healthy snack. I chose to use maple syrup because I’ve become quite fond of it over the past few months, but you could alternatively use honey or brown sugar. For a more savory flavor, you could use garlic, cumin, or cayenne pepper for extra heat. There are endless possibilities to how you can prepare them and they are incredibly inexpensive to make. My house smelled like french toast as these were roasting in the oven – mmm.

Maple Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (I used the fake kind, but if you have the real stuff then go for it!)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. After draining and rinsing chickpeas, lay out on a paper towel and pat dry as much as you can.
2. Pour chickpeas into a small mixing bowl, along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
3. Spread chickpeas out on a baking sheet lined with foil in a single layer and cook for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until they are crisp and browned. Let cool and enjoy

After rinsing and drying your chickpeas, add them to a bowl with maple syrup, oil, and brown sugar and stir to combine.

Arrange chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring every 10. I didn’t line my baking sheet with foil, but I recommend it because the maple syrup gets pretty sticky.

Chickpeas will look something like this when they’re finished

Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap

After a crazy few days last week, I’m ready to get back on track with my posts.

This recipe was inspired by my sister-in-law, Mirva. Mirva, my brother Chris, and my niece Naomi live only a few miles away from me so I’m often over their house spending time with them or watching the little one. Mirva often likes to experiment with cooking and she is nice enough to share her creations with me, which I always enjoy. Recently when I was over, she made chicken baked in honey mustard sauce. It was so tasty and reminded me of how much I enjoy honey mustard.

In typical Hannah fashion, I thought of how I could re-create this recipe in a slightly healthier way. That thick, creamy honey mustard sauce you’re used to being served in restaurants is typically made with lots of mayonnaise. I do eat mayo every once in a while, but I thought a good substitute for this recipe would be – you guessed it – Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is fat-free or low-fat and loaded with protein, compared to mayonnaise, which is fatty and has less nutritional value. Making this simple swap gives you honey mustard sauce that is still thick and creamy, but a bit tangier and much healthier.

This Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap includes tender chicken, fresh tomatoes, spinach, a sprinkle of cheese, and is finished off with a light and super easy-to-make 3-ingredient honey mustard sauce. It’s a filling and flavorful wrap that you can feel good about eating, and the sauce could be used for a number of other recipes.

Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
makes one wrap

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 3/4 tsp honey
• 1 whole wheat wrap
• 1 small breast grilled or baked chicken
• 2 slices of tomato
• small handful of fresh spinach (or lettuce)
• 1-2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Directions:

 To prepare the honey mustard sauce, whisk together the Greek yogurt, yellow mustard, and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Lay out your wrap on a flat surface and layer with chicken, tomato, spinach, and cheese. Pour honey mustard sauce on top and roll up your wrap tightly. Enjoy with a salad or some sweet potato fries

Prepare the honey mustard sauce by combing mustard, honey, and Greek yogurt.

Lay out your wrap and place chicken on first

Pile up with your toppings: honey mustard sauce, cheese (optional), tomato, and spinach or lettuce

Roll up your wrap and enjoy