Chicken with Tarragon and White Wine Sauce

I don't eat meat often unless it's Organic, free range, (blah blah blah), and finding that 'out' adds another level of difficulty to my order so I forgo it completely (besides, you try asking your server where their meat comes from. Most don't have a clue). However, I do try to get incorporate either fish or meat/poultry into my diet once a week.

I made this for dinner on July 4th. Vegan/Vegetarian food just didn't scream 'AMERICA!' like Chicken did. I found the best looking Chicken Dish Photo in Giada de Laurentis' Cookbook, Weeknights with Giada and started cooking!

This recipe is wonderful! To 'health-ify' it I used coconut oil to brown the chicken (just two small spoon fulls instead of 1/4 cup),  I omitted the butter (It didn't need any help being creamy or shiny), and I halved the amount of Dijon only because i'm not a huge mustard fan.

I served this with a Mixed Green Salad with Asparagus and Baby Tomatoes, and Quinoa.

This is the original recipe directly from Food Network. Try it with Coconut Oil and Omit the butter if you want to! Enjoy it... it's seriously SO moist, SO flavorful, SO good and SO easy.

Chicken with Tarragon and White Wine Sauce

Ingredients

Chicken:1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (4 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour for dusting
Sauce:1 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) cipollini or pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
4 cloves garlic, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine, such as Riesling
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus 1/3 cup
1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

For the chicken: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and dust with flour. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

For the sauce: Heat the same pan used for the chicken over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of tarragon and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook, turning the chicken pieces over every 10 minutes, until cooked through, about 30 minutes total for the breasts and wings and 40 minutes total for the legs and thighs. Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely tent with foil while finishing the sauce.

To finish the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/3 cup chicken broth and flour. Whisk the flour mixture into the sauce until smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of tarragon.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-with-tarragon-and-white-wine-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback 

Homemade Almond Milk

We all have bittersweet memories of junior high, high school, or both (at least I hope I'm not alone, feel free to share). I started out seventh grade with a problem with school lunch. Not by choice, I couldn't keep it down. Any of it. You can imagine how awesome junior high was when every 5th or 6th period I would sprint to the bathroom. My doctor gave me Lactaid pills and I stopped vomiting and started on nausea! Good-bye Dairy.

As a boring side note... did you know that 80% of America Is Lactose Intolerant  Stunning!

Anyway, I'm a huge fan of Almond Milk and after I couldn't find a single brand that didn't include 'Careegan' (a carcinogen (something that causes cancer)), I decided to make my own.

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup almonds (soaked overnight and rinsed)
4 cups of filtered water

Place the almonds and water in a good quality blender and blend till smooth. If you have a Blendtec simply hit the 'Whole Juice' button. Strain the 'milk' through cheese cloth or a fine mesh strainer. The mixture will be foamy and you may have to help push it through or leave it to strain for an hour. Place back in your blender and pulse to combine. The almond milk will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Optional: add stevia or vanilla to get the same effect of a 'Blue Diamond Vanilla' etc. I love a shake of almond milk, vanilla, coconut flakes, and stevia. xox

Carrot Cake Smoothie

The top two questions I'm asked in regards to growing up in Utah are, 'Are you mormon?' or 'How many siblings do you have?'. (No, and three.) Despite not having 10 brothers and sisters and not being mormon we fit in quite well. My mother was quite the business woman/homemaker. Every year, she would make these beautiful birthday cakes for us. We had barbies, barney's, dinosaurs  and spice girls. My mother's above and beyond attitude to our birthdays paid off and everyone on the block knew not to miss a 'Fraser Birthday'.  My birthday usually consisted of Cooking Light's Apple Cake or Carrot Cake.

When she'd make Carrot Cake I would sit at the countertop and wait for her to walk away before sticking my finger in the batter... multiple times. I'd usually get caught and she'd ask me, 'did you use the same finger?!' I'd say, 'We are all related anyway!'. I was hooked. 

Sadly, My double dipping-finger licking days are over. Not because I wouldn't like to do it but because it's heavily frowned upon as an adult. Further, the calories in carrot cake aren't exactly waist friendly. Which is why I was delighted to discover that this recipe for a "Carrot Cake Smoothie" tastes just like the batter I remember! I drink this before or after a workout or anytime i feel like Carrot Cake! 

Photo and Recipe is from "Oh She Glows". 

Carrot Cake Smoothie

1 cup of almond milk

1/2 frozen banana (full if you want)

2 ice cubes

1 full carrot or 7 baby carrots

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

top with coconut or cinnamon

(optional) 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder. 

Place ingredients in a blender and blend till combined. If you let the smoothie sit for too long the smoothie will become VERY thick and you will have to use a spoon. I drink mine 5 minutes after if not immediately after. 

I don't like protein powders so I skip that but if you love it... go for it. I can't comment on how it tastes because i've never tried it!

Bikini Bod Asian Quinoa Salad

Hello friends...

I'm terrible at something called consistency. I'd like to say i'm too busy planning a wedding but really, i'm not. Truthfully, the 'big' things were ironed out months ago and the rest will be taken care of with the help of our amazing wedding planners. On the topic of weddings, I just read this article about being a bridesmaid. I feel like every girl should read this whether or not they are a bridesmaid right now. http://voices.yahoo.com/five-things-bridesmaid-bride-500805.html?cat=41

Anyway, in effort to get my desired wedding/bikini bod I am downing this salad. It is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan! Serve it after or alongside a green salad. Enjoy!

Asian Avocado and Corn Quinoa Salad

Dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Tamari
1.5 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil

Salad
5 spears asparagus, chopped into small-bite-size pieces
10 grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 cups cooked quinoa (soaked overnight prior to cooking if you have time)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup (or more) of sprouts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

Place the first ingredients in a bowl and whisk till combined. place the remaining ingredients in your bowl and fold into the dressing. Make sure you stir once everything is in the bowl so that the quinoa doesn't soak up the dressing before everything else is coated. The sprouts make this dish!

P.s. thanks to my lovely sisters and friends that are my bridesmaids right now. You're the sweetest. 

Raw Rolled Oat Cereal

I'm not sure when I started putting down Harry Potter and picking up self-help or nutrition books for recreational reading but I'm thankful I enjoy these things. I recently read, 'The Beauty Detox Solution' by Kimberly Snyder. One of the things I took away from the book, besides the 'Cheat Sheet' I posted earlier, was that though cooked oatmeal is great for you, they are even BETTER raw. Now, i'm not crazy about the taste yet. But I like to do things just because they are good for me, why else would anyone drink 'Wheat Grass Shots' and I know you're out there. If you're interested, here's the recipe. Its definitely filling. 

Note: I used steel cut oats because I hadn't made it to the store to buy the 'Groats'.

Raw Rolled Oat Cereal

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw organic oat groats soaked overnight and rinsed well (if you can't find oat groats, use steel cut oats instead)
• ½ avocado
• ½ tsp Stevia
• 1 to 2 Tbsp cold filtered water, as needed
• Pinch of high quality sea salt (optional)

Directions

Place the soaked oats and avocado in a food processor and blend. Add the sea salt and Stevia and mix well. If you prefer your oats thick and chunky, you can nix the water altogether. Otherwise, add one tablespoon of water to thin the mixture, and a second tablespoon as needed.

Let me know what you think. I used honey... I wouldn't recommend that combo with the avocado... maple syrup may work better if you don't have the Stevia.