Zesty Chicken Salad

I'm coming in clutch for your lunch game. This chicken salad is zesty, fierce and Barre3 approved. I found the recipe in Barre3 founder, Sadie Lincoln's book, Love Your Lower Body. Not only is my lower body loving this recipe, so are my taste buds. 

It takes the traditional idea of chicken salad, but gives it a little kick in the tush. Pickles? I love. Paprika? Zesty. Apple? Why not. Best part is it only uses a little bit of greek yogurt and dijon mustard. Traditional chicken salad calls for mayonnaise, but mayonnaise gives me the heebie jeebies. I watched a video in 10th grade chemistry on how mayonnaise was made and that was pretty much it for me. 

One of my roommates and I got into a chat about chicken salad after I made this and we love how versatile it is. It can be a salad, a wrap, a sandwich, even a dip. Add some curry powder and you've got an Indian spin on. So many options with this zesty lunch!

Zesty Chicken Salad adapted from
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked chicken breasts*
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Spinach, kale, arugala, or whatever your favorite greens are; for serving

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, mix together all ingredients. Done, that's it. To serve, place about a cup of greens on a plate with equal portions of the chicken salad on top. 

*My favorite way to cook chicken breasts is by placing them in the crock pot with 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper and let them go on low for 3-5 hours. You can even do this with frozen chicken breasts they will just take a little longer. 

Annie

Work Snack Hacks

Recently some of my friends and I were talking about the downsides of work. You sit all day, you feel crippled from hunching over your keyboard, I personally get headaches from staring at the computer screen and there are constantly food and treats lurking in the office just haunting you.

I swear it is someone's birthday everyday, or someone decided to pick up donuts on their way in, or someone (me) was in a baking mood and brought all the leftovers to work. Not to mention I work in a place with a full service restaurant so random plates of queso and nachos just show up in our office from time to time. Hello trying to eat healthy over here, please stop with the nonsense food!!

It's too easy to get un-healthy while in the working world. The best way I have tried to stay on track at work is to 1. always be stocked with a drawer of healthy snacks 2. keep a full bottle of water nearby and 3. get up at least once every hour to walk around and stretch my legs. These are tips we hear a lot, but having healthy snacks on hand has really worked for me. Chances are if some kind of food appears I'm going to want to eat it or chances are I may just get stressed mid-day and need a little pick me up. In the end I feel so much better when I reach for one of my healthy snacks instead of a piece of cookie cake.

As far as snacks go, the most important thing for me is to pre-portion everything out. I make little baggies of nuts, air popped popcorn and granola so that I don't end up finding myself elbow deep in a bag of Purely Elizabeth. 

Below are some of my favorite desk drawer snacks!

Almonds or Cashews
Cutie clementines
Trail Mix (this is my favorite)
Homemade Granola
Quest Bars
Granny Smith Apples and Almond Butter Packs
Air Popped Popcorn
Rice Cakes
Almond Butter Balls
Hot Tea ( I drink so much tea at work!!)

If you want more ideas check out this list of healthy snacks, or more specific, healthy snacks for work. I'm dying to try this cranberry nut kale granola! Any favorite work snacks you care to share? I'm always in for a good snack!

Annie

P.S. Thank you to my desk at home for making my snack hacks look pretty, because let's be honest, my desk at work is a complete disaster. 

Bites of My Life

Not a bad week, but not a stand out week. just kind of came and went. A little Bachelor, a little food, and a little trip up to Tulsa to add a some umph to the week. Dinner, brunch, Barre3 and an art exhibit all done in under 24 hours. 

-It's all about presentation, Cranberry Orange Holiday Detox Smoothie. 
-The cutest kitchen fashion.
-Bachelor nights and enchilada soup!
-PSA, go try Oak & Ore's new menu items. 
-Tik Tik Tik Tikka Masala, you can't miss this recipe!
-On Tulsa Time.
-Barre3 Challenge in Tulsa!
-Hello Mr. Warhol.
-Saturday nights be like.

Annie

Barre3 Chicken Tikka Masala

We are now halfway through week 2 of the Barre3 challenge. I'm feeling so good so far. Good food flowing inside my body and good vibes outside of it. Easily the best part of the Barre3 challenge is the "nourishment" component. The Barre3 website is full of amazing healthy recipes. I've always coveted this tikka masala recipe, so I knew I would be making it during the challenge. 

I have a soft spot for any kind of food outside American. Thai, Ethiopian, Latin, India etc. Tikka Masala is a traditional indian dish made with chunks of chicken in a creamy spicy sauce with tomatoes and indian spices. The original recipe was developed by Andrea of Dishing up the Dirt. No cream just coconut milk, brown rice instead of basmati and skipping the naan help to keep this version of masala a little more health friendly. 

There is no skimp on flavor and it's incredibly satisfying. The tikka masala was last week's B3 recipe, Kathleen made their pistachio crusted tilapia this week, and next week it's my turn again!  

Barre3 Chicken Tikka Masala
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch piece of whole ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbs. garam masala
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk (from the can)
1 Tbsp. corn starch (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups brown rice, cooked (1 cup dry)

Directions:
In a medium-size deep saute pan or heavy bottom pan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the it is tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the chicken and cook until the it begins to brown on all sides, about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, garam masala, paprika, salt, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, checking often to make sure the curry doesn't dry out (add water if necessary). Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender and the masala is thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. I struggled with my masala being really brothy and not thickening up properly so I added a corn starch slurry. Combine 1 Tbsp. corn starch and a 3 Tbsp. water then pour into your sauce. This thickened my dish perfectly!

Serve with cooked brown rice and garnish with cilantro.

Annie

Cranberry Orange Holiday Detox Smoothie

If you don't have the Timehop app on your phone, please download it. It's the first thing and my favorite thing I check in the morning. It pulls your photos, Instagrams, Facebook posts, tweets and more from that exact day over the past few years. Downside is it can be extremely embarrassing when it shows you tragic Facebook statuses from freshman year of high school. Annie Tucker is...so pumped for winter formal with my girls!!

According to Timehop, a year ago today I had just gotten home from skiing, two years ago I was posting about my favorite things, three years ago I made parmesan baked eggs for breakfast and ate at The Mule for the first time, and 8 years ago I tweeted "has no hair." No idea what that meant. 

The real point of this whole Timehop rant is that it brought this holiday detox smoothie back to my attention. I screenshot recipes all the time, and since Timehop pulls your iPhotos too I'm also reminded of recipes that sometimes get forgotten. My recipe was adapted by an original post from Free People. 

Cranberry Orange Holiday Detox Smoothie
yields 1 smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. almond butter
1/2 cup frozen cranberries (I buy fresh then freeze them)
1 clementine, segmented
1/2 frozen banana
cinnamon

Directions:
Smoothies are always better if you use frozen fruit! You then avoid having to add ice which waters down your smoothie. That being said, keep all of your fruit in the freezer. Add everything to your blender and blend blend blend! It will be a pretty shade of pink with little bright redish pink specs from the cranberries. I only use half of a banana because I'm not a banana girl, but you can add more if you choose. 

This smoothie still has a few tastes of the holidays from the cranberries and orange, but it's refreshing and bright to get you through dreary January mornings. 

Who says copper mugs are only for Moscow Mules?

Annie