Cabbage Chicken Salad (aka Chinese Chicken Salad)

I used to love this kind of salad.  It was always present at all the missionary farewells we would go to.  That was pretty much the only time I ate it.  I've tried different recipes in the past, and it always seemed like one of those dishes that were better when someone else made it.  Then my friend gave me this recipe and I love it!  And it's pretty simple. 

Cabbage Chicken Salad
Half a head of cabbage chopped (red or green or a combination)
1/2 C. Green onions
Small bag slivered almonds
1 T. Sesame seeds
1 bag Ramen Noodles (just the noodles- not cooked- broken up, I only use like 1/2 - 2/3 of the package)
2 Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped
Teriaki marinade (I use Maui Mountain Teriyaki Marinade, but you could also use KC Masterpeice honey teriyaki)

Dressing:
1/2 C. oil (I just olive oil, and a little less than 1/2 C)
3 T. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 T. Sugar
Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Chop up the cabbage and put in a large bowl. Add the Green onions, almonds, and sesame seeds. (I like to toast the almonds and sesame seeds- it actually adds alot of flavor- I just toss them around in the saute pan on the oven before I cook the chicken). Cut up the chicken and cook. Then saute in the marinade. Add to the cabbage. Then pour on your dressing. Lastly add the broken up Ramen noodles!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

If you are like me, you have your favorite recipe for the basic foods and you rarely go searching for anything different because why change something that's just fine, right?  We had a neighbor bring us some banana bread when I had my last baby and she mentioned that the recipe called for sour cream.  The bread was so moist and delicious I thought maybe I should try and find a recipe like that.  Well, I found one and I love it!

I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and I cut the sugar to 1 cup because it was really sweet.  Also, you could easily replace the sour cream with nonfat plain yogurt.  But here's the original recipe.  The recipe was for four loaves so I cut it in half.  This recipe makes two loaves.

Banana Sour Cream Bread
6 T butter, soft
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 small eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
*2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I don't like nuts in bread)
*cinnamon-sugar mixture (2 T white sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease two 7x3 inch loaf pans.  Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture around bottom and sides of pan.  This is optional, but makes it delicious!

Sift together in small bowl flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt.  In larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Then add eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla and mix well.  Add flour mix to banana mix and stir until just combined.  Fold in nuts if using them.

Divide into the prepared pans and back for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

--------This recipe came from Allrecipes.com, and the picture was from Google Images.-------

Quinoa Fried Rice

This is a super easy recipe and for some reason my kids LOVE quinoa and they eat this up without even picking around the vegetables.  All three of them.  I love it too and it's super easy (except that you have to chop a bunch of veggies, I guess).

I got this picture on Google Images because I've given up on trying to be a food photographer :)  This is basically what mine looks like, though.

Quinoa Fried Rice

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
2 tsp soy sauce
any veggies you want, I use:
carrots
broccoli
zucchini
red pepper
garlic
onion (white or green)
peas
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa, then add water and quinoa to a medium pot.  Bring to boil and cook on medium for 15 minutes or until liquid is gone (like rice).

Meanwhile, chop veggies small and saute with olive oil in a wok or large skillet.  Start with carrots first since they take a little longer, then add everything else.  Season with garlic salt and pepper (or however you like to season your veggies).  When veggies are cooked and quinoa is done, add quinoa to veggie skillet.  Then add soy sauce (you don't need a lot, but you can add more if you want) and stir.

Quinoa is a complete protein so this is a good vegetarian dish, but it would also be good with some grilled teriyaki chicken or something.

Cookies- The More Natural Way!

In my attempt to eat more whole foods and less processed foods, I put together this recipe. I can't avoid sweets altogether. But there are sweeteners that are in their pure form, unlike high-fructose corn syrup and white, refined sugar. These aren't necessarily low calorie (about 98 calories per cookie, if you make 24 with this batch), but they use natural foods that are easier on your body. And I'm sure they have some fiber from the wheat flour and oats, and some antioxidants from the dark chocolate :) They really are yummy. But then again, I am used to whole wheat so if you aren't, they might seem a little off. I look at it as something healthy, then I'm pleasantly surprised that they are sweet and chewy. If you look at it as a normal cookie, you might be a little disappointed.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Healthy!
Cream together:
½ C unsalted butter, at room temp
½ C peanut butter (organic, smooth)
1/3 C organic sucanat
¼ C honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together:
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Then add to cream mixture.

Stir in:
½ C oats (I used quick oats)
½ C dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I made smaller cookies, 12 to a cookie sheet, and baked them for about 9 minutes a piece. I like that this recipe makes only two sheets of cookies, because then you don't have them taunting you for days.