Jul 19, 2014 | Gluten-Free, Healthful Eats, Quick and Easy Meals
When you’re working out, you want the right combination of energy to see you through. Bodybuilders tend to drink a lot of protein shakes and eat a LOT of baked chicken and sweet potatoes. This is because they want lean muscle — not extra fat. With grains off-limits and sugar a no-no, many Paleo enthusiasts avidly participating in the cross-fit craze, also turn to their fair share of chicken and sweet potatoes. In fact, so do other low carb dieters like diabetics, “It girl” actresses, and generally anyone with belly fat stores (NOTE: Having excess belly fat puts you at a greater risk for health issues and may be a sign of estrogen dominance or insulin resistance.) (more…)
Jun 25, 2014 | Healthful Eats, Salads, Seasonal Recipes, Spring & Summer Recipes
In the summer, we eat lighter, fresher, brighter tasting foods. Seasonal eating for summer is a wonderful way to take pleasure in the moment and to give your body a break from so much of the rich heaviness that brings comfort in the cold in winter. There are many dishes I like to make and equate instantly with summer (like zucchini patties topped with lime, greek yogurt and mint; chicken and lamb kebabs; BBQ short ribs; grilled flank steak served with Fuul topped with diced tomato and feta, sliced avocado, and corn, red pepper and jalapeno; and watermelon, cucumber and red onion salad with orange champagne vinaigrette — mmmmm, soooo many!) But one of my favorites is Thai Larb Salad. (more…)
Jul 19, 2012 | Healthful Eats, Low or No Sugar
As part our family’s commitment to Build A Better Me this year, we have eliminated gluten in our diets, reduced the overall carbs in our family’s food choices, and adopted a mostly Paleo style diet. But the most compelling change in our household came for my husband. It was over a year ago now, that he drank his last soda and he did it with some help from a little herb called Stevia. (more…)
Jun 16, 2012 | Healthful Eats, Quick and Easy Meals, Spring & Summer Recipes
Just another lunch at Casa de Groovy
For our daily lunch over here at Casa de Groovy, we often eat a variety of green salads or things like tuna, salmon or chicken salad on brown rice cake, served with assorted fresh veggies and humus. These lunches are always extremely satisfying, never weigh us down and also help us to avoid that dreaded mid-afternoon slump most folks get after filling up on starchy carbs. But the other day, the hubby felt like chicken salad and we had all the ingredients, except the red grapes we usually use and we had no apples or pears for substitution — what to do? Run to the store? — No way!
Be Inventive!
What we did have was a nest of ripe, red and juicy organic strawberries in the fridge. Would strawberries work? Would their sweetness be overwhelmed by the sharp vinegar of the mayo? I decided to forage through our staples and find this salad’s perfect partners. This is what I came up with:
Greek yogurt, mayo, orange muscat champagne vinegar, bleu cheese, green onions and hazelnuts!
Not only would it work — this might just be the best summer chicken salad ever!
Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Markets
That’s what I’m hoping the folks over at Whole Foods will think. They’re celebrating berry season over there and as part of it, yours truly entered a Whole Foods Berry Recipe contest with this recipe (Yay! I hope I win!) Besides that though, I get to take part in the celebration by hosting a berry party for friends (pics and recipes to come!) during the month of June — Coming soon!
Have you ever been out of a key ingredient and found a substitution that blew your socks off? Share your story in the comments below.
Summer Strawberry-Hazelnut Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- About 8 to 10 medium-sized ripe strawberries (chopped)
- 2 medium chicken breasts (fully cooked)
- 1/8 cup chopped (or smashed) hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1/8 cup mild bleu cheese
Dressing
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or Veganaise
- 2 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Orange-Muscat Champagne Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Squeeze of lemon to make the strawberry’s flavor pop!
- Salt to taste
Prep
Cook the chicken breast, in the oven, skillet or by boiling, and set aside to cool. Chop the strawberries, hazelnuts and green onions and crumble the bleu cheese, setting each aside, in a separate bowl. When chicken has cooled cut it into small, bite size pieces.
Whisk together the yogurt, mayo, vinegar and cinnamon to make the dressing, adjust seasoning to taste.
Mix all ingredients together with the dressing in a medium-sized bowl and chill for 15 to 20 minutes or up to 1 day. Serve on a rice cake, baguette, flaky croissant or a bed of fresh spinach or mixed greens for the perfect summer chicken salad.
Enjoy!
Perfect with fresh veggies and humus
Jun 7, 2012 | Healthful Eats, World Cuisine
A homemade Ethiopian meal: Kitfo, Raafu, Fuul on freshly made Injera
After my last post, many of my readers voiced that they had never had or heard of Injera bread. This was so exciting to me (I love introducing folks to new things and Ethiopian food is one of my favs.) If you like Indian food, Arabic food or are the least bit adventurous, you will find Ethiopian food to be sensual, aromatic, and richly flavored. But, for those of you who have never had the pleasure, I had to ask myself, “What good is Injera (“the Ethiopian bread-and-plate-in-one”) if you have nothing to put on top of it?
That’s why today, I am giving you the keys to the kingdom — or at least to that platter pictured in the Injera post. An authentic Ethiopian meal. (more…)
May 12, 2012 | Grilling, Healthful Eats, Holiday Fare, Quick and Easy Meals
“Surprise Mama! Happy Mother’s Day”
SURPRISE!! Well, at least to me — my hubby and son planned a surprise Mother’s Day getaway. It’s been a long time since we had a vacation and even eight long, wet Portland months since our last weekend getaway. So, they decided momma needed a camping trip (one of our favorite things to do) and on a wonderfully sunny weekend like this, I couldn’t have agreed more. But it also came at the end of a VERY busy writing and speaking schedule and I still needed to post a blog here on The Groovy Foody — especially because I needed to introduce you to a new partner on the blog. (more…)
When you’re working out, you want the right combination of energy to see you through. Bodybuilders tend to drink a lot of protein shakes and eat a LOT of baked chicken and sweet potatoes. This is because they want lean muscle — not extra fat. With grains off-limits and sugar a no-no, many Paleo enthusiasts avidly participating in the cross-fit craze, also turn to their fair share of chicken and sweet potatoes. In fact, so do other low carb dieters like diabetics, “It girl” actresses, and generally anyone with belly fat stores (NOTE: Having excess belly fat puts you at a greater risk for health issues and may be a sign of estrogen dominance or insulin resistance.) (more…)
