Chinese Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 that I just picked up the other day because let's face it, I'm hungry!!! I thought there might be some good ideas and this is one of them!!

Dennis and I both enjoyed this tasty salad, the kids of course turned their noses up to it but what's new?

Ingredients:

10 oz. Brocoli slaw package

12 oz. baked chicken cooled and chopped

green onions chopped (how ever much you like depending on your love of onions)

slivered almonds (my personal addition, recipe called for water chestnuts) I just added what looked good about 1/3 cup.

large can mandarin oranges (drained and chopped)

Lite Ginger Sesame salad dressing

Directions:

Bake chicken in sesame dressing (I just coat and cook on 350 degrees for about 40 -60 minutes). Cool and chop. Combine all ingredients. I just added enough dressing coat. Toss and let sit for at least 2 hours (important step, don't skip). Then enjoy!

Quinoa, Fruit, Nut and Cheese Salad

I found this recipe online looking for quinoa recipes this one looked interesting and I copied and pasted the recipe but forgot to get the website, so sorry to whoever's recipe this is I am not giving you credit but it sure is yummy!!!

Quinoa is another new food to me. It's pronounced Keenwa as my sister says and is made with a 2:1 ratio, so 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and is basically made like rice. Put in pot and bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. I had my doubts but it really is a yummy food I will be using much more often.

Ingredients
2 cups quinoa (prepare as stated above, so 4 cups water. . .)
1 ½ cups green onions, sliced
1½ cups celery, thinly sliced
¾ cup pecans
½ cup walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
8oz buffalo mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
3 T olive oil
4 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
Prepare all ingredients and give time for quinoa to chill. Parsley through cumin combine as salad dressing. I used a Pampered Chef dressing mixer. When all ingredients are prepared combine and let chill or serve immediately.
Side note: I didn't have enough pecans so I added some slivered almonds as well that were perfectly yum! Dennis said he would add more of the mozzarella so next time I might do that.

My New Favorite Breakfast!

Seriously this is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth!!! I don't even know what to call it other than SOO YUMMY! I got this again from Kath Eats and she didn't fail again. Every day she posts all three meals and most mornings is some variation of this bowl of . . .Stuff! She talked about Chia Seeds and I had never heard of them and I was really curious about these breakfast bowls, they looked weird with granola, the weird seeds, and peanut butter??? This week-end I went to the whole food store and located the Chia seeds. I got a mixed version that has apples and cinnamon in it that can be sprinkled in stuff or eaten alone (after mixing with water or milk). I was really excited to try these out but I wasn't sure exactly what Kath did with her bowls so yesterday morning I thought I would just try it out. This is what I did:


1/3 cup fit and light vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup granola
1 Tbs. Chia seeds
1 Tbs. peanut butter
1/2 banana sliced


The chia seeds need to sit for a few minutes so I mixed it up, let it sit and timidly took my first bite. It was so good I couldn't believe it. It may seem overly excited but seriously this was one of the best things I have put in my mouth. Plus, I used Skippy peanut butter and Kath uses the yummy fancy variety of different nut butters that probably makes this dish even better!!! Is that possible??? I was seriously full until lunch and even then I wasn't starving and I had worked out and moved boxes and such to my new house. This is like a miracle breakfast!!



Then, I researched a little better on Kath's site and this is what I did for this morning's breakfast:


1/3 cup yogurt
1/3 cup OATS
1/3 cup granola
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 banana sliced
1 Tbs. Chia seeds
1 Tbs. peanut butter

I combined the yogurt, milk, oats, banana and Chia seeds last night and let is sit in the fridge through the night. This morning I added my granola and peanut butter and again it was so good I can hardly stand it. My stomach is so full and I feel healthy and satisfied. I love this Kath whoever she is, she is a mad genius!!!

This is after all the mix ins.

This is what it looks like out of the fridge after sitting all night.

I was curious about these Chia seeds which I have heard are some new super food and was curious to know more so this morning I looked up and found this:

Chia seeds:
7 Good Reasons To Start Eating Chia Seeds

1.Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2.Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3.Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4.Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5.Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6.Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7.They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.




NO WONDER I WAS SO FULL!!! This is no placebo, it really works to feel full for a long time. I am so happy to have discovered this yummy new food. TRY IT!!!