Summer Chicken Salad

Right now, us Vancouverites have been enjoying some of the most spectacular summer weather we have seen in years! Now, if you've been following my blog for a while you know that I LOVE to cook. However, one downside to hot seasons is slaving over a hot stove. Salads, BBQs and milder temperature meals tend to be showcased during the summer and this tasty recipe is no exception!

Summer Chicken Salad

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 precooked roast chicken (store bought is fine, or you could roast your own!), shredded and diced
2/3 C mayo (check out the recipe I have for homemade mayo at the bottom of this previous post!)
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red onion, diced (or use scallions!)
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
*optional, but highly suggested* 2 T basil pesto (see recipe below for a dairy-free version!)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and toss to mix together. Make sure you mix well to incorporate all the flavors - especially if you added the pesto!

Serve on fresh Kaiser buns, or for a healthier option, serve on beds of lettuce i.e. the photo that was posted.

Homemade Basil Garlic Pesto

Yields: 1 C

Ingredients:

1 C fresh basil leaves
1 head garlic, roasted (preheat oven to 375, cut the tops off garlic head, drizzle with olive oil; salt & pepper, wrap in tin foil and bake for 30-45 minutes. Let cool and then squeeze bottom to release the sweet, garlicky goodness that you just created!)
1/4 C toasted pine nuts (toast for 1-2 minutes in a skillet over medium-high heat. You want them to turn golden brown, not burnt!)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 C EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 t Kosher salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blitz until well blended and very smooth. Fill up a mason jar (or ice cube tray for individual portions) and freeze or refrigerate!

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

Beef/Pork Chipotle Meatball Lettuce Boats

My mom and I were craving hamburgers for dinner last night, but since we've been trying to stick to a Paleo-style diet, we decided to experiment with meatballs! We used ground beef and ground pork and added chipotle chilés to add a smoky flavor. We accompanied these meatballs with a homemade chipotle mayo to top it off!

This is a wonderful meal for summer, it doesn't take a lot of work and if you make a huge batch like we did, you can freeze the remaining portions for later use.

Beef/Pork Chipotle Meatball Lettuce Boats

Yields: 42 large meatballs

Ingredients:

1lb extra lean ground beef
1lb medium ground pork

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can chipotle chilés in adobo sauce, chopped
2 large eggs
salt & pepper

Chipotle mayo:

2/3 C mayo (homemade recipe will be listed below)
3 chipotle chilés, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2-1 t smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, set aside.

In a medium bowl; mix mayo, chilés, lemon juice and paprika. Whisk to incorporate well, taste as you go and adjust the paprika for preferred smoky/spicy flavor. Cover and let stand in refrigerator.

In a large bowl; add both ground meats, parsley, onion, garlic, chilés & sauce, eggs, salt & pepper. Use hands to mix well to ensure ingredients are well incorporated, but do not over knead the meat (it will give it a mealy texture, which you absolutely do not want).

Form meatballs by rolling tablespoon sized portions into balls. Place onto baking sheet, allow for 1/4-1/2" space between each. Bake 30-40 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.

Assemble your "meatball lettuce boats" by lining the meatballs up into leaves of Romaine lettuce. Top with your chipotle mayo and/or your favorite toppings, consume and bask in the glory of delicious meatballs!

*Homemade Mayo*

Ingredients: 2 eggs, 2 C olive or avocado oil (do not use EVOO), 2 T apple cider vinegar, 1 t Dijon mustard, salt & pepper.

Directions: Add eggs, vinegar, mustard, s&p to a blender. Blend 10-20 seconds, remove the plug and slowly pour in the oil and continue to blend until mixture is emulsified and smooth. Transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate for continual use.


Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps - TDF

I just spent 8 blissful days in the beautiful West side of Maui, HI. It was my first time going to Hawaii and it was better than I'd expected. We rented a condo and spent most nights cooking for ourselves. However, I did venture down to a little town called Lahaina for happy hour and had the most delicious Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps from a restaruant on the beach called Kimo's. They were divine. Simply assembled but full of flavor and very satiating, yet the lettuce aspect kept them from being too filling. Below is my version of the same meal!

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps - To Die For

Yields: approx. 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 3lb pork butt roast, trimmed of excess fat
1.5-2 C your favorite BBQ sauce*

Butter lettuce
1/2 red onion, thickly diced
Pepper

Directions:

Place pork roast in a crockpot, pour BBQ sauce over the roast and cook on low 8-9 hours. Shred with forks and mix well with remaining sauce and liquid. *Alternatively, cook roast and sauce in a dutch oven at 350 degrees for 4-5 hours.

Lightly saute diced onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes until soft but not brown. Dust with pepper.

Wash and dry butter lettuce, place pulled pork into the middle of the wrap, top with onions and a dollop of organic ketchup* and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

*Paleo BBQ sauce recipe:

1 small can tomato paste
1 C natural apple juice
1 T chilli powder
1 T hickory smoke spice
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t paprika
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne - add more for spicier flavor

Simmer in small sauce pan for 20-30 minutes, add to glass jar and serve with anything you enjoy BBQ sauce with!

*Never buy ketchup with high-fructose cornsyrup! You can buy organic ketchup from the condiment section in your local grocery store. Organics and Heinz have great versions!