Poached Chicken = Lunch for a Week

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Said by my fellow Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin. Okay, so he's THE Philadelphian. At any rate, I dig his advice.

For the past several months, I've made time to plan my lunches for the upcoming work week. This has helped me to 1) save money, 2) save time each night trying to throw something together for lunch the next day, and 3) eat healthier. All desirable things!

One of the most efficient ways I've found to get a week's worth of lunch is to cook a large portion of something. Recently I began making a whole poached chicken on the weekend, and it's been a great source of easy meals during the week!

Poaching a whole chicken is low maintenance, so easy, and inexpensive (you can even splurge on an organic chicken). And it leaves me with a ton of healthy meal options for the week and a couple quarts of flavorful chicken stock that can be used for soups, cooking rice/quinoa, or braising veggies.

Once the chicken is cooked, you just pull all of the meat off the bones and store it in an airtight container (I like to scoop a few spoonfuls of the broth over top to keep it moist). There are a lot of things you can do with the shredded chicken:

• Add to a salad of mixed greens and veggies to make it a meal. 
• Make a chicken sandwich or wrap (the husband enjoys this). You can dress it up with whatever you like: avocado, mustards, roasted red peppers, arugula, etc. 
• Add to a quesadilla or a burrito (so easy to whip up one of these on a griddle!).
• Use in soups or casseroles.
• Mix it with your fav BBQ sauce, heat, and serve on top of a salt/peppered baked potato with a little cilantro sprinkled on top (seriously, this is so good).
• Add to stuffed peppers.
• Add at the very end to a stir-fry or noodle dish.
• Make chicken salad.

I'm sure there are more ideas — share if you have them!

Even though I have a recipe posted below, keep in mind that this is less of a recipe and more of a concept. If you don't have certain ingredients, don't fret! I tend to use what I have on hand. What you really want to be sure to add is things that will impart flavor: aromatics, herbs, spices. And as for the measurements, they are estimates. I tend to just toss stuff in and trust my gut on how much to add.


Whole Poached Chicken (makes about 1 cup shredded chicken per pound)

Ingredients:
4-6 lb. whole chicken (preferably free range, organic, or both)
1 tsp. peppercorns (or a good pinch)
2 tsp. kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, sliced into thick chunks
1 lemon, sliced
Several stems of parsley, whole
2 slices ginger (adds a lovely fragrance, totally optional)

Directions:
Rinse your chicken and remove any parts from inside. Trim the skin around the opening of the chicken to reduce the amount of fat in your broth. Place the chicken in a very large stockpot and add all ingredients. Fill the pot with water, about an inch above the surface of the chicken, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 75-90 minutes (on the longer end if your chicken is on the large side).

Then turn off the heat and allow your chicken to mellow in its stock. You want the chicken/stock to cool somewhat so that it's not scorching hot. This may take a couple of hours and is a very important step — it's what keeps the chicken moist and yummy.

Once cool enough to handle, carefully remove the chicken from the stock and place on a cutting board with a well. Remove all of the skin and discard. Pull the chicken off the bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces.

Place in an airtight container and spoon about 1/2 cup of the stock on top (skim the fat first so you're not adding any to your healthy chicken).

If you plan to use the broth, you can store it in airtight containers. Either skim the fat before storing, or refrigerate the broth and remove the fat that rises to the top once chilled.


Print this recipe! 

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I've finished my fourth month of Project Health. I'm down 20 pounds, have tons of energy, and feel stronger than ever (strong is the new skinny). All of this afforded me the opportunity to go shopping in my own closet — clothes from my pre-Katy days are no longer zipped up in a bag on the top shelf. My pre-baby jeans finally fit, and some are actually loose! Most of all, it's been great to feel like myself again.

All that said, I haven't deprived myself for the past four months — I hardly feel deprived at all in fact. I eat tons of veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. And for the times when I know I need something sweet, I try to plan ahead to have something made in the fridge so I don't go scrummaging for treats.

Enter the ch-ch-ch-chia seed.

I know I'm probably a little slow on the uptake of this wonderful ingredient (I never claimed to be current!). Just recently, I discovered chia pudding, and it's been a favorite sweet treat of mine since. The texture is a lot like tapioca pudding, which I love.

Touted a super food, chia delivers a load of nutrition (e.g., fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants, protein) for not a lot of calories. Plus, chia can absorb up to 12 times their own weight and expand — making for a more satisfying treat compared to something full of carbs/sugar.

I've experimented with both chocolate (recipe below) and vanilla chia pudding, and they both have their place. For both I used the same foundation of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever flavor unsweetened almond milk you prefer). For the vanilla version, I added a little cinnamon and sweetened it a little less. Play. Experiment. Enjoy!

If you're interested in trying Shakeology, please contact me (see "Contact" tab). I would love to tell you more about it!


Chocolate chia pudding (makes 2 servings)
Adapted from Free People blog

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice)
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. honey (or use sweetener of choice and sweeten to taste)
Dash kosher or sea salt
Garnish (optional, I loved crystallized ginger)

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, stir to combine, and then put the lid on. Shake the jar for about 20 seconds to mix everything up. Refrigerate until thickened (at least 4 hours or overnight), shaking or stirring occasionally. Serve chilled w/garnish of choice (e.g., crystallized ginger, pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate shavings).


Click here for a printable recipe! 

Avocado Toast

So far, 2014 has been a year of recommitment for me. Recommitment to good health and positive thoughts. Big on the positive thoughts!

The one thing that I'm trying to remember throughout it all is this phrase: small consistent changes.

Small consistent changes…
Small consistent changes…

I've challenged myself to consistently eat a clean and balanced diet and to exercise regularly. As a full-time working mama, this means a lot of meal planning on the weekends and organization during the week. It means prepping my snacks and lunch each evening, even when all I want to do is vegetate and watch the shenanigans of Real Housewives. I've been drinking Shakeology each day for breakfast too, and I love it! It's easy, it's tasty, it's nutritious, and it's really helped me to work towards my goals.

I've also been waking up at 4:45am a couple days a week to go to the gym and keeping up with my weekly kickboxing class. And then a little yoga sprinkled in between for good mental health.

Have you ever had avocado toast? I was in need of a good, hearty snack, and I thought I would give it a try.

I had heard mentions of avocado toast here and there and couldn't quite picture how it would taste. Well let me tell you — it's so good!

Here's what you do…

Into a small bowl add the following:

• 1/3 of an avocado
• pinch of kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• juice squeezed from about 1/4 of a lemon

Mash it together with a fork (I highly recommend leaving some chunks). Then use your fork to spread the avocado mixture on a toasted piece of good whole wheat or whole grain bread (something with a backbone). Lately I'm loving Vermont Bread Company bread — no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.

This is a feel-good snack, thanks to the healthy fat from the avocado, the whole wheat, and the satisfying combo of creamy avocado and hearty toast.

White Bean Turkey Chili

Not only is there the momentum of the New Year, but I also have a serious desire to lose my remaining "baby weight." You know how there are those lucky b!$%*es women who seem to lose all of their baby weight without trying? Well, I am definitely not one of those women!

As a result, this mama is on a mission. I have been on the prowl for recipes that meet the following criteria: calorie conscious, WW-friendly, easily transportable and reheatable, and flavorful. This recipe for White Bean Turkey Chili is one of the healthy lunch recipes that I recently added to my repertoire.

I liked the list of ingredients and appreciated a chili that wasn't tomato-based. It also reheats nicely and tastes great with a spoonful of sour cream and a little fresh lime.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

If the idea of cooking salmon makes you nervous, wait! Don't touch that dial! Keep reading! You really should give this one a try. I love making salmon this way...it might actually be my favorite way to prepare it. It's fast, easy, and so tasty. And don't forget healthy — that's important too!

I even taught Brad how to make this dish. Typically, I'm the cook of the family (though Brad mans the grill), but he nailed this one! Here's a dimly lit cell phone shot of him in action!

Cherry Almond Granola

Having a stash of homemade granola in the pantry is a beautiful thing. First of all, it makes for a great snack, is perfect for mixing in with yogurt/fruit for breakfast, and is good enough to sprinkle on top of vanilla ice cream. (So far this is sounding a lot like my post about Rhubarb Strawberry Sauce.)

Secondly, it's so easy to make — can you stir and do you have 30 minutes? And finally, it keeps for weeks in an airtight container/ziploc bag, so there's no feeling harried to finish it off.

The beauty of granola is that, once you have the basic technique down, you can really experiment as much as you want with the ingredient list. Like cashews? Great! Throw them in or sub out one of the other ingredients. Want dried cranberries instead? Cool — make it happen! Just beware that if you add more ingredients (as opposed to substituting something out), you'll need to up your quantities of honey and oil to make sure everything has a nice coating while baking.

Baked Berry Oatmeal

Breakfast is important! We all know that. You know what else is important? Not feeling like you're eating the same boring thing for breakfast all the time. And how about not feeling like you're having a carb fest to the tune of pancakes, bagels, waffles, or toast. That's important too.

You want protein? Check! Fruit? Check! Dairy? Check! A little fat (everyone needs a little fat!)? Check! And grains? Check, friends! It's a well-rounded breakfast delight that shouldn't send you into a carb coma an hour later.

I am in love with this recipe for baked berry oatmeal — something I found on Pinterest, my other new love. It's easy to throw together, and likely with items you already have in the pantry/freezer (assuming you have a bag of frozen berries lying around). I made mine with cranberries I had lingering in the freezer from the holiday season, but the original recipe called for raspberries. I think this is the kind of thing you can experiment with — I suspect any frozen berry will do!

Enjoy this item warm on the weekends or serve at a brunch. Or eat it leftover, as I did this morning at work, and enjoy it at room temp.

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time for us to be reminded of all that we have to be thankful for. And this year in particular, I have so much gratitude. I'm so very thankful for:

• My wonderful husband, who I have so enjoyed being married to. Even though we lived together for a few years, there's just something that's a little different now. After all, we put a ring on it!
• Family and friends, especially after seeing the outpour of love and support for our wedding. Our hearts are so full!
• Employment. Enough said.
• My health and my family's health. May we always feel so great.
• Having a well-equipped kitchen! And it might sound funny, but I'm thankful for having the curiosity to continue experimenting and cooking. It's nice having a hobby that will nourish my family! 
• Gingersnap pumpkin pie. It's just so simple; and so good! 

Too obvious of a transition there? Anyway, let's talk about this pie. There is about a month's time each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas where pumpkin pie is relevant. So you've got to maximize on it while you have the opportunity.  

But PIE. Pie can be a little daunting. If you start to get hung up on crust and fillings that need to "set up", you might talk yourself out of making one. But this pie? This pie is a beginner's pie if there ever was such a thing — namely because I've eliminated the traditional dough crust (I was never a huge fan anyway) and replaced it with a gingersnap crust. That means you get a little dose of spicy goodness with each bite you take. (And it also lowers the calories, which is always welcome in my book!) 

Lowfat Baked Potato Soup

Fall has arrived, friends! And in its honor, I decided to start making some of the seasonal recipes that I've been printing and stacking. Excitement! For some reason Because I would be insane to heat up the house with my oven with any frequency in the summertime, I tend to eat very simply when it's warm out. Lots of fresh protein and veggies, often cooked outside on the roofdeck grill — which means not too much in the way of recipe experimentation.

But I'm back, baby. The windows are open and I can preheat the oven without sweating. Definitely a big part of why it's my favorite time of year.

Taking my wifely duties very seriously (ha!) I wanted to experiment with potato soup, which my husband loves. His mom, who is truly a champ at making delicious hot lunches, makes a potato soup that he loves. So I decided to work towards making one myself, and hopefully one that was low in fat — read: guilt-free!

This soup is also very economical, with potatoes running at around $0.69/pound. Throw in some aromatics, bacon slices, milk, and toppings, and you have yourself a hearty lunch or dinner that pairs great with a nice field greens salad with some kind of vinaigrette (I whisked together a fresh balsamic dressing).

Pickled Cucumber Salad

During the work week, there's little that's more enjoyable than having dinner on the roof deck as the sun sets for the evening. For nights like these, we love to make something simple on the grill with a refreshing salad on the side. Easy, and it all fits on a tray that I can carry upstairs to the deck.

This pickled cucumber salad is a great summer alternative to a traditional green salad. And it's so easy that you can throw it together in minutes while the grill heats up.

And lately our favorite way to enjoy this salad is on the side of a delicious delmonico steak from Martin's in Reading Terminal. We share the steak and get our salad on — a super-easy meal in a snap!

We recently had a furry houseguest for a couple of weeks — Rosie agreed that this meal was fab!

Fresh Corn and Zucchini Cakes

I know. Zucchini again. But this stuff grows like a weed during the summer, and I can't seem to help buying a couple of pounds of it every weekend. And for your amusement the record, Brad doesn't like zucchini, and I don't like it by itself. But I really like it in stuff, so I actively seek ways to use it.

These savory little pancakes are so tasty and a snap to make. And they're a perfect snack or side for a summer dinner, either warm or at room temp. (They're 1 Point+ each if you're a Weight Watcher-er.)

Jersey corn was on sale at the produce stand. The sign said "bi-color" corn, but you be the judge...

Ahem. Two yellow kernels, huh? Fortunately it was still fresh, sweet, and delicious!

Banana Zucchini Walnut Bread

I spent a lot of time this past weekend bunkered up at home, hiding from the extreme heat that's been hanging around Philly. I know it's not the most logical thing to heat up the oven during a heat wave, but you have to go with it when the baking urge strikes!

I had an abundance of Jersey Fresh zucchini and some leftover bananas — have I mentioned that I can't eat bananas with any brown spots on them? They're just too...banana-y. Anyway, I was tossing around the idea of whether to make banana bread or zucchini bread when I thought to myself, "Self! Would it be possible to make a bread that uses both?" (FYI: Self said, "Try it!")

So I gave it a shot and really love the results! Maybe even more than your average zucchini or banana bread. With both of the ingredients thrown into one recipe, it has a nice balance of flavors without any one being too strong. I tried to limit the amount of oil and threw in some fiber for good measure too. All good things! (If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, you can substitute regular white flour.)

Simple Rice Salad

I admit it. This sounds like a post that belongs on SNL's The Delicious Dish. I like rice. Rice is my favorite. But hear me out, people!

As you may know, it's July. As you may also know, it's not always enjoyable to eat piping hot food in the middle of summer. It's the perfect time for fresh salads, and this easy rice salad is great for summer meals.

Before I go on, I just want to note that I'm not really a big rice eater. In sushi or on the side of delicious Thai food, of course! But it's not really something that I consume much otherwise. However, I think I could get used to this salad being in the rotation!

Low-fat Papaya Coconut Muffins

With the wedding around the corner, I haven't been baking much. Maybe it's a little cliche, but I'm trying to watch my figure and also detox a bit from "the white stuff." I came across this tasty recipe when I was poking around Gina's Skinny Recipes and loved that it was so low in fat, lower in sugar, and used whole wheat flour.

Plus, let's be honest. I was thrilled to have an excuse to purchase a papaya.

They're not much to look at from the outside, but they're beautiful on the inside! Never judge a papaya buy it's cover! Isn't that what they always say?

The batter for these muffins was the loveliest shade of pink thanks to the papaya puree. They were good warm out of the oven and for a day or two beyond.

Lime Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Let's just say that if cranberries are the ninja fruit, then quinoa (keen-wah) is the ninja grain! Oh, except it's not a grain — it's actually a seed. But it sure seems like a grain. Anyway, it's a great base for making salads that you can either serve as a main or side dish. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, in fact!

Quinoa is great for vegans and vegetarians because it packs a lot of nutritional punch (protein, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus). It's also a nice change of pace for carnivores like me, and you can take a lot of liberty with the dressing you use and ingredients you add. It's a very customizable base for whatever you can think up!

I adapted a recipe I saw on RadMegan's blog. It has nice flavor and will be a great salad for summer, when the herbs and tomatoes are growing in the garden and corn is fresh and local at farm stands! Furthermore, this recipe is quick to make and keeps nicely in the fridge for a few days.

On Carrots

I fell in love last weekend. Don't worry, Brad didn't mind.

I stumbled across the most beautiful, organic, rainbow carrots at Reading Terminal Market (Iovine Brothers). Had to have them.

To maintain the integrity of these beauties, I simply chopped them into thick strips, tossed them with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, and roasted them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

They made a fab side dish for braised short ribs!

Sesame Orange Shrimp

This technique is a must try if you like shrimp. It is a pretty healthful dish, speedy quick to make, and most importantly so tasty! It's even worth me suffering through one of my least favorite cooking chores — peeling and deveining shrimp.

Usually I grill shrimp or add them to a stir fry, but I was in the mood for something new. After some thoughtful Googling, I came across a few recipes (one from Martha, another from Eating Well) that used similar ingredients and techniques. And it's surprisingly light for how fried the shrimp taste!

Serve this shrimp over brown or white rice with a nice side of something green to get a little veg in. Brad and I both loved this dish — B said that it tasted like really high-quality Chinese food (i.e., from a good restaurant). And you don't have to worry about consuming any excess oil a la deep-fry, breading the shrimp, or any of that mess. Eat up, people! 

Not-To-Be-Forgotta Veggie Frittata

Thanks to the unusual amounts of snow we've had so far this winter, I've had a few weekdays spent at home. My favorite part about breakfast at home is that you have an opportunity to make something really delicious, easy, and — most importantly — healthful!

I just don't find packets of oatmeal, yogurts, and other portable breakfast items to be nearly as satisfying. But with this frittata, I often just snack on some fruit mid-day and don't eat again until dinner!

This easy frittata is another great and simple idea for breakfast for one. It's especially great for when you're flying solo and want something filling, healthy, and full of veg! It can also be made for two or more — just double the ingredients and use a medium pan instead.

Lowfat Banana Oatmeal Bread

I don't know about you, but I can't eat a banana once any spots have made their appearance — it's just too sweet for my taste. Bananas in such a state, however, are perfect for baking and don't necessarily need to end up in the trash!

They have a lot more character with their spots too, don't they?

For our last monthly staff meeting (which turned into a breakfast meeting), I wanted to bake up a couple of things to add to the spread. I decided to make something naughty and something nice — the bananas were used for the nice recipe, of course.

Chilly Charlie's Chili

Year after year, my (very awesome) dad (whose birthday happens to be today — happy birthday Dad!) would throw together a ginormous batch of chili and cornbread before Christmas to bring into work as his holiday gesture to his co-workers.

I can still picture the huge white stock pot on the stove with delicious splatters everywhere. And we had dinner out of the pot the night before the rest of the chili made its way to his office.

Over the years I've modified his base recipe to make my own version. It's surprisingly healthy, very tasty, and simple to boot — a perfect recipe to put together on a Sunday morning. Just throw everything in the slow cooker, let it all percolate for a few hours, and it'll be ready in time for the Playoff games Sunday afternoon!

The line-up of ingredients is pretty long, but everything is flexible depending on your personal preferences and the audience that you're feeding.