asian chicken curried salad

Posted on January 30, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

So, my grandma?

Not only is this woman adorable and funny and kind, she is also a fabulous cook! {Check out her recipes for curried butternut squash & apple soup, apple cake with brown sugar glaze, and vegetable salad with honey-apple vinaigrette.}

Last week she tried out a new recipe for asian chicken salad that was an instant hit in our little household. Grandpap and I both went back for seconds — I think Grandpap may have even gone back for thirds! I took photos because I knew immediately that I wanted to share the recipe with all of you. So here it is:

grandma’s asian chicken salad
– 2-3 cups cubed chicken
– 4 oz can of water chestnuts, drained & sliced
– 1 lb. seedless green grapes, halved
– 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
– 14 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
– 1 cup toasted almonds
– 1 cup chopped celery

for the dressing:
– 3/4 cup greek yogurt
– 1 tsp. curry powder
– 2 tsp. soy sauce
– 2 tsp. lemon juice
– salt & pepper to taste

1. In a big bowl, combine chicken, water chestnuts, grapes, oranges, pineapple, almonds, and celery.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined.

3. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing until everything is well-coated.

4. Chill several hours, or even overnight.

5. Serve on lettuce for a salad, or on a roll as a sandwich.

At first Grandma made different versions with either the pineapple or the oranges, but we decided we liked it best with all the ingredients!

Question of the evening:

What are some of your favorite recipes lately?

eggnog cookies w/buttercream frosting

Posted on November 30, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is officially beginning to feel like the Christmas season! I saw eggnog at the grocery store yesterday. I am not a straight-up eggnog fan … but eggnog frosting is a different story!

When I saw this recipe on Sweat Pea’s Kitchen for eggnog cookies, I immediately printed it out. Don’t let the cookie-and-frosting combo fool you: these cookies look fancy, but they are super easy to make. And I was blown away by how good they are! Even though I do not consider myself an eggnog drinker, I do now admit to being an eggnog consumer — in cookie form! 🙂

eggnog cookies {yields one dozen}

for the cookies:
1 & 1/8 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup eggnog
1-2 tablespoons rum {optional}

for the eggnog buttercream frosting:

1/8 cup softened butter
1/4 cup eggnog {I used pumpkin flavored eggnog}
1 & 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1-2 teaspoons rum {optional}

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat well. Finally, add the eggnog. Batter will be fairly thin.

4. Add the dry ingredients in increments and mix until well-combined.

5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between the cookies. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

6. Allow to cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

7. While cookies are baking, make the frosting: butter, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmet and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add more eggnog if needed to reach the desired consistency.

8. After cookies are completely cool, ice them with a small spatula or butter knife and sprinkle with ground nutmeg if desired.

These cookies are the perfect holiday treat!

you might also enjoy these holiday cookie recipes:
– two-ingredient pumpkin spice cookies
– aunt elaine’s peanut butter blossoms
– mom’s classic chocolate-chip cookies

grandpap’s favorite cherry-cheese pie

Posted on November 12, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

For my Grandpap’s birthday this past weekend, we made him his favorite dessert: cherry-cheese pie! It was a big hit with my family, and I was surprised at how simple it was to make. This would be a great holiday dessert alternative to pumpkin or pecan pie!

grandpap’s favorite cherry-cheese pie
– 2 eggs
– 1/2 cup sugar
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
– 2 packages {8 oz each} cream cheese, softened {I used one regular package and one package of reduced-fat}
– 2 tbsp melted butter
– graham cracker crumb crust
– 1 can {21 oz} cherry pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream.

3. Cut cream cheese into small pieces. Gradually add the cream cheese to the sour-cream mixture, beating well.

4. Beat in melted butter.

5. Pour cheese mixture into 9-inch graham cracker crust. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set in center. Will firm up as it cools.

6. Top with cherry pie filling; chill cherry cheesecake pie thoroughly before serving.

Hope you enjoy as much as Grandpap did! 🙂

you might also enjoy these recipes:
– perfect pumpkin pie
– blueberry pie
– gluten-free apple pie bites

oven-roasted pumpkin seeds

Posted on October 29, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Tuesday! As promised in an earlier post, I have a quick & easy recipe to share with you today: oven-roasted pumpkin seeds. If you are someone like me who does not like to waste anything, this is a great way to get the most bang for your buck out of your carved Halloween pumpkins!

After you’ve scooped out all those slimy pumpkin guts, why not roast up the pumpkin seeds for a healthy and delicious snack or salad-topper? Pumpkin seeds are a terrific source of zinc, vitamin e, and a wealth of antioxidants!

oven-roasted pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Rinse the seeds clean of all pumpkin goop.

3. Dry the seeds on a paper towel.

4. In a small bowl, stir 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil with the seeds until they are well-greased.

5. Spread out the seeds in one layer on the baking sheet. {We had enough pumpkin seeds to do two separate batches.}

6. Season however your heart desires! We did one sweet batch {pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon} and one savory batch {garlic salt + ground pepper.}

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until seeds begin to turn golden brown at edges. Be careful not to overcook the seeds, because they burn quickly! Roasting pumpkin seeds reminded me a lot of cooking popcorn, where things can go from delicious –> disastrous in a very short time frame.

ENJOY! 🙂

curried butternut squash & apple soup

Posted on October 24, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Oh my goodness you guys. This soup. My grandma pulled out the recipe the other day and I was thinking, “Are we really going to try to make this??” I was intimidated by the blender part of the process. But it really wasn’t difficult at all. The toughest part of the whole recipe was cutting up the butternut squash! Next time we are definitely going for the easy pre-cut packaged option … definitely worth the extra couple bucks, in my opinion.

Anyway … I highly recommend this soup! Healthy, hearty, creamy, the slight spice of the curry mingling with the sweetness of the apples and squash … YUM. This soup = autumn in a bowl. Enjoy!

curried butternut squash and apple soup

– 3 lbs butternut squash, cubed
– 2 apples, peeled and chopped {we used gala apples}
– 2 cups onions, diced
– 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
– 4 or 5 tbsp curry powder {depending on your taste for curry}
– 1 cup apple juice
– salt & pepper to taste
– green apple for garnish, if desired

1. Peel and chop your squash and apples. As mentioned previously, I would highly recommend using pre-packaged chopped butternut squash for this recipe, but if not I’d recommend baking the squash in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until soft. That will make it much easier to peel and chop!

2. Saute the diced onions in a little bit of butter or olive oil. Add curry powder and cook until onions are translucent.

3. Add the squash, apples and chicken broth and bring to a boil.

4. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, half-covered, for approximately 25 minutes, until the squash and apples are soft.

5. Pour soup through a strainer, reserving the liquid. Blend the squash/apple/onion mixture in a blender or food processor until creamy.

6. Transfer blended soup back into the pot. Add the apple juice. Gradually stir in the reserved liquid until the soup reaches desired consistency.

7. Heat the soup on the stove until warmed through.

8. If desired, garnish with grated green apple. Serve warm.

I paired mine with a grilled cheese sandwich and it was the perfect dinner on a crisp autumn night!

Question of the morning:

What are some of your favorite apple recipes? #appleweek

if you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:
– creamy blended potato & cauliflower soup
– savory pumpkin & kale stew
– shrimp & sausage stew

gluten-free apple pie bites

Posted on October 23, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi friends! Apple Week continues today with a recipe for apple pie bites, adapted from one I came across at The Washington Post online. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of these babies … you’ll just have to trust me on this. They’re: 1) delicious; 2) easy to make; and 3) gluten-free! In other words, these apple pie bites are the bomb dot com.

For the crust:
– 1/2 cup gluten-free flour {I used coconut flour, which turned out very well}
– 1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– 2 tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
– 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
– 1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
– 1 cup finely diced, skin-on apple
– 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tsp agave syrup or maple syrup
– 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan and set it aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup, applesauce and water; stir to form a soft dough.

3. Divide the dough evenly among the wells of the mini-muffin pan. Use your fingers to press down the dough so that it lines the bottom and sides of each well.

4. Now make the filling: stir together the apple, applesauce, vanilla extract, maple syrup and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Divide evenly among the dough-lined muffin pan wells, pressing down the filling so it is firmly packed.

5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes; the edges of the tarts will be lightly browned and the filling will have settled a bit. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a fork to gently dislodge and transfer each tart to a wire rack to cool.

These are the perfect light dessert or portable snack! Happy baking!

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you might also enjoy these recipes:
– apple cake with crumb topping and a brown sugar glaze
– baked sugar & cinnamon donut holes
– melinda’s vegetable salad with apples, bacon & honey-apple vinaigrette

melinda’s vegetable salad with apples, bacon & honey apple vinaigrette

Posted on October 3, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

My grandma taught me how to make a wonderful salad last week that is perfect for autumn! She got the recipe from her friend Melinda, who she plays bridge with at the senior center every week. 🙂 This salad makes a perfect side dish, but is also hearty enough for a main course. I brought the leftovers to my writing “office” {i.e. the local library} for lunch the next day and they were terrific!

for the salad:
– cauliflower*
– broccoli*
– brussels sprouts*
– 1 tbsp minced garlic
– 1 package baby spinach
– 1 apple {we used a granny smith}
– 4 slices bacon
– 1 cup chopped walnuts
– 1 cup dried cranberries
– 1/2 cup feta cheese
* Feel free to use a combination of your favorite vegetables, and the amounts can vary of each. We used an equal amount of cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, about 2-3 cups chopped of each.

for the dressing:
– 1/4 cup apple juice
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp honey

1. In the oven or on the stovetop, cook the bacon until it is very crispy. Set aside.

2. Finely chop the cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Thinly slice the apple.

3. Saute the minced garlic in a bit of olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped vegetables and cook 8-10 minutes, until tender.

4. Add the sliced apple and baby spinach and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Then remove the salad from heat.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: apple juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and honey, until well combined.

6. Toss the salad with the dressing, crumbled bacon, walnuts, dried cranberries and feta cheese. Serve warm, with salt and pepper to taste.

Hope you enjoy!

shrimp + sausage stew

Posted on August 16, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Before I leave for my new adventure up north, I asked my mom to teach me how to make one of my favorite dishes of hers: shrimp + sausage stew! This soup is healthy, hearty, veggie-filled, and light enough that it works as well for dinner in the summer as it does in the winter. And turns out it’s not as tough to make as I would have guessed! Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

my mom’s shrimp + sausage stew
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1 lb potatoes {my mom uses Yukon golds}
– 3 carrots
– 2 tsp minced garlic
– 1 medium onion
– 1 pkg {approx. 4-5 links} Italian-style chicken sausage
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 2 tbsp flour
– 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
– 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
– 1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Scrub the potatoes. Peel the carrots. Thinly slice the potatoes, carrots and onions. {According to my mom, this is the most intensive step of the entire recipe!}

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and saute the minced garlic, potatoes, onions and carrots. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to your own taste. {Side note: your kitchen will smell AMAZING!}

3. Cook potato mixture for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp-tender. You might have to keep stirring fairly frequently to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. {If needed, you can always add a little water or chicken broth to unstick.}

4. In a separate pan, cook the sausage over medium heat, turning occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove from pan and allow to cool on a paper towel before slicing.

5. Sprinkle flour over potato-and-veggie mixture. Add chicken broth and sausage. Bring to a boil.

6. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5-8 more minutes.

7. If needed, clean and de-vein the shrimp!

8. Add shrimp, cover and simmer 3-4 more minutes, until the shrimp are pink. {Mom’s tip: be careful not to overcook the shrimp!}

9. Top with chopped parsley and serve. Ta da!

Optional: In my house, we love to serve this stew with freshly baked corn muffins! Yum!

Hope your weekend is filled with rest, relaxation, sunshine, and of course delicious eats! 🙂

What do you have on tap for this weekend?

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if you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
– potato, sausage & veggie bake
– california white chicken chili & corn muffins
– blended cauliflower and potato soup

my 3 favorite ways to use sauteed spinach

Posted on August 6, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Spinach is SO good for us. This superfood is high in fiber, antioxidants, cancer-fighting flavonoids, vitamin A and vitamin K — promoting healthy bones, skin, vision, brain and nerve function. {Read more here.}

I always put a handful of raw spinach into my smoothies {I promise, you can’t taste it!} and lately I’ve started sauteeing spinach and using it in many of my favorite recipes. To sautee baby spinach, simply spray a frying pan with a bit of olive oil, add minced garlic if desired, and cook the spinach for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-low heat, until the leaves are wilted.

Here are my top 3 favorite ways to use sauteed spinach {other than as a side by itself, which is also de.li.cious!}

1. Atop a veggie pasta bowl. I love to layer a bit of brown rice pasta, some roasted veggies {zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, yum!}, sauteed spinach, and then top the whole she-bang with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of feta cheese. NOM!

2. Wrapped up inside an enchilada. This would be the perfect way to sneak more veggies into a non-veggie-lover’s diet. I layer some sauteed spinach on top of the ground turkey mixture, pour on some sauce, wrap it up and pop it in the oven to bake.

3. In my morning scrambled eggs. One of my favorite combos of the moment is sauteed spinach, avocado, onion and chicken sausage. A great power-breakfast to get your day off on the right foot!

Do you eat spinach regularly? If so, I’d love to hear some of your favorite recipes! Any other superfoods you can’t get enough of lately?

goals for the week of 7/21

Posted on July 21, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

This past week was go-go-go! I didn’t cross off every goal on my list, but I made progress on all of them. And the week was busy with fun social events: my brother and I took my Gramps to see a museum exhibit about Lincoln & the Civil War; I went with my family to a fundraiser and movie screening of the amazing Academy-Award-winning short film Inocente; and last night we all went to the local Art Walk downtown.

I also taught another session of my summer writing camp during the weekend. Such a great group of young writers!

Here’s how I did on my goals last week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {!!!}
– ~~complete the #yearofkindness challenge~~
– ~~volunteer at the Food Pantry~~
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– ~~take donations to Goodwill~~
– ~~have a “sibling date”: go out to brunch with Greg~~

Here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– finish YA manuscript first draft {!!!}
– complete the #yearofkindness challenge
– help Greg move into his new apartment
– volunteer at the Food Pantry
– read & respond to all submissions in my queue for Sycamore Review
– get in touch with 3 friends and make plans to get together

And here are some recipes I’m hoping to make this week:
– kale pesto pasta via The Pajama Chef
– creamy quinoa salad via A Happy Lass
– coconut ginger curry brown rice bowl via Peanut Butter Fingers
– chocolate spice zucchini muffins
– baked mango with brown sugar & cinnamon

What are your goals & menu plans for this week?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

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