Hi MadebyGirl readers, it is Alison here from Heart of Gold & Luxury, sharing with you one of my favorite lunch meals - healthy chicken salad. 
There are many foods in life that are well-worth the indulgence like a rich, velvety chocolate layer cake, truffled french fries and lobster macaroni and cheese and must never be deviated from, but then there are those dishes that you can play with and make lighter and healthier. One of my favorite recipes to transform is homemade chicken salad that is equal parts delicious and creamy but without the added fat. 

In this recipe, I swapped out mayonnaise and added tangy non-fat Greek yogurt.  Initially, I was unsure if poultry would mix with yogurt, but it does, it does and has left me preferring this variety over the other.  I also added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to make it a bit richer and added some chopped shallots and celery, which I then served atop a bed of red leaf lettuce. 

Healthy Chicken Salad:

2 chicken breasts

1 cup of water

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Place chicken breasts, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Allow for chicken breasts to poach in water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once chicken is fully cooked allow to cool.  In the meantime, chop celery and shallot and place into a bowl.  Dice chicken into small pieces, add yogurt, remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bibs of lettuce or on top of bread.  

*post &  photographs by Alison 

 
https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2013/07/food-healthy-chicken-salad.html

There are sooooo many cute Holiday recipes all over Pinterest - have you noticed?  Total inspiration! I pin a bunch on my own Pinterest if you'd like to follow along.  
 

Below are a few of my recent favorites! The peppermint eggnog is high on my 'to make' list. 

Have you ever made any of these below??

images via:

mocha / oh she glows

peppermint s'mores / culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody

peppermint eggnog / sugar and cloth

glittering cookie sandwiches / sugar and cloth

marshmallow candy canes

white chocolate popcorn / eat good 4 life

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/11/holiday-treats.html

Hey everyone! We're pretty busy doing stuff around the apartment this weekend....but I recall several people had asked about the recipe for some of the delicious Thanksgiving plates my guy made last year. Yea, last year...I know. It was so delicious though! So, who better to explain than the Mr. himself. So, here he is with his first post ever!

Hello, I'm Mr. M.

I love Thanksgiving but I don't love turkey, so in 2011 we decided to twist it a bit, serving sweet-stuffed Cornish game hens with blackberry-merlot sauce, sundried tomato mash with crisped leeks, grilled asparagus, and artichoke with hollandaise. You can see all the pictures of the food in this post. 
 

Sweet stuffing

Cinnamon raisin bread, cubed and slow-toasted (about 2/3 loaf)

Celery, finely chopped (1 cup)

Onion or shallot, finely chopped (1 cup)

Raisins

Shelled, unsalted pistachios

Butter (3 Tb)

Chicken or vegetable stock

Fresh herbs - thyme, basil, rosemary

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt & pepper

I used Ezekiel bread because some of the family had gluten allergies and it worked surprisingly well because it toasted quicker.  Make sure the cubes are totally dry.  You might consider just staling them over a few days on a baking sheet with a cheesecloth over them.  Saute the celery and onion in small amount of oil then add the stock.  Bring the stock to a boil, add the butter, raisins, nuts, herbs and seasoning.  Simmer for 5 minutes then pour over bread and mix well.  Use what you need for the hens, then bake the rest in a casserole covered with foil while the hens roast.

Blackberry-merlot sauce

This is a complex sauce - primarily because cranberry sauce is so blah (unless you're talking Bobby sandwiches).  Use 1 pint of blackberries (they dont even need to be totally ripe), 2 cups of merlot, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar.  Put 1 Tb merlot in a saucepan with the sugar and blackberries until the sugar begins to caramelize.  Add 1 cup of merlot and bring to hard boil and reduce to thick sauce.  Add the remaining merlot and vinegar, turn heat down, and slow boil until reduced to a watery jelly.  If you like smooth, blend it, but the chunkiness is also a nice sauce.

Cornish game hens

De-bone the game hens (both breast and back) being careful not to tear the skin.  Stuff the hen to fill, then truss the legs (you might also truss the body if there is any sign of tearing).  Roast breast down at 400 degrees F with some crumpled foil to stabilize it upright.  When the back starts to crisp, turn them over and roast until the breast starts to crisp.  Add a pat of butter to the juices for drizzling to keep the birds moist.  Serve on a bed of remaining stuffing.

Sundried tomato mash

I cheat on this...I nuke the potatoes, but you can boil them (more traditional).  I use russets despite the dryness because they get fluffier.  I use 1 1/2 potatoes per person.  Use a masher or ricer but then smooth them out by adding LOTS of butter (with mash, don't ever be shy on the butter) - about 2-3 Tb per potato, whole milk (we use almond milk due to lactose intolerance), and sundried tomatoes (we use dry, but the oiled ones work well drained).  Add salt to taste.

To crisp leeks, heat oil in a deep fryer or saucepan until very hot.  Slice the leeks very thin across the grain  into small circles.  Dust with flour and then deep fry until golden.  Drain well. Garnish the mash with the leeks.

The Flourless chocolate cake with whip & berries I made that day, was a a favorite of Jen's.  You can find a similar recipe I made here. For those who don't know, I also have my own food blog called Made for Jen.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

-images by jen ramos

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-recipe-by-mr-made-by-girl.html