November 5, 2024

Broccoli Salad

August 18, 2015 by

Summertime get-togethers…how many have you gone to or hosted this summer?  This past weekend we celebrated the 80th birthday of my dad, Jack McElroy—{4 great-grandchildren, 10 grandchildren, 4 daughters, 3 sons-in-law, our stepmom, and a few others who love him}.  Our family loves to pitch in and all contribute to the meal.  But this Broccoli-Craisin Salad always seems to be requested.

Recently, I have tweaked the recipe to include (or NOT include) about half of the mayonnaise I originally have made this with and I <shhhh! not everyone knows!> substituted plain Greek yogurt.  It worked amazingly well…and lowered the calories/fat grams by approximately 650 calories (yes, you read that correctly) and 80 grams of fat.  And added a significant hit (about 10-11 grams) of healthy protein.  And, honestly, you could even further reduce the mayo/increase the yogurt because of all the flavor variations in this salad.

This is a beautiful raw salad, a very healthy but oh-so-yummy addition to the array of delicious salads on the picnic table.  It has a slightly smoky (from the bacon), slightly sweet (from the Craisins and honey), slightly tart (from the vinegar), very mellow taste.  I have had MANY supposed broccoli haters be prompted to try just one tiny taste…only to find they enjoy it and come back for more!  We enjoy this salad all year long!  Hoping that your family enjoys it, too!

Broccoli Salad

ingredients:

2 heads broccoli crowns, cut into tiny florets
1/2 pkg Craisins (dried cranberries)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, optional
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2  cup plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tablespoons honey, warmed
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup roasted/salted sunflower seeds
freshly ground pepper

directions:

  • in a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, honey, and vinegar; set aside
  • in a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. take liquid mixture and pour over broccoli mixture, tossing gently <go ahead!  use your hands!> to thoroughly coat and massage that  broccoli
  • pour the dressed mixture into a large zip-top bag to go into the fridge.  every once in a while, give the bag a flip-over and a couple of squeezes to spread the yumminess all around
  • when ready to go onto the table, pour the salad out into a serving bowl and top with sunflower seeds and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.
  • easy-peasy!

notes:

–  definitely prepare this at least 4 hours beforehand…up to 24 hours or so

–   the biggest hint I can offer to you for this salad is to cut the broccoli florets as small as you possibly can.  consider this a ‘labor of love’ and, oh, so worth it!  this will make it  MUCH more palatable to have little florets in your mouth as you munch on this salad rather than a big chunk of broccoli!  and the chopping can be done ahead of time, even a day or so, and simply stored in the fridge.  honestly, i have been known to sit in front of the television while doing it!  😉

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Please don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Homemade Chicken Meatballs

March 24, 2015 by

Y’know those fully-cooked ground chicken sausages and meatballs that you can find in almost every grocery store?  There are any number of brands that now make them…plus they come in quite a variety of flavor variations.  You can find breakfast sausages, dinner sausages, mini-sausages, and meatballs.  I have been a big fan of these for quite some time now.  Of course, there is ‘variety’ in quality amongst the different brands, too. You probably wouldn’t have to search too hard to find organic chicken sausages and meatballs.  All very helpful towards a healthy eating lifestyle! And they are so handy for those nights when your meal plan falls apart (or you forgot to take something out of the freezer)! These even defrost right in their package in a bowl of cold water for 10-15 minutes!

But recently I had the crazy thought, ‘Why can’t I do that? I should be able to make my own, right?’ And then I found it that wasn’t really so crazy!  Easy to find the ingredients…easy to throw together…easy to prepare…easy to cook!  And here’s the best part—making them from scratch in your own kitchen, the variety’s are almost endless.  But I started fairly simple…check out the recipe!  The variety I made this time lent itself well to serving with some Tzatziki (zah-d/zee-kee) Sauce (Greek yogurt cucumber sauce) alongside some spaghetti squash and steamed broccoli…yum!  I would love to hear about your version, if you decide to make them.  Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Meatballs—Greek Style

2015-03-11 20.11.51

ingredients:
meatballs:
2 (10 ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon +/- olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 heaping tablespoons chopped garlic
1 egg, lightly beaten
(2) 4 ounce pkg. crumbled feta cheese (set aside 2 ounces or so)
2# ground chicken (or ½ chicken, ½ turkey)
2 tablespoons lemon-pepper blend
1/4 cup almond flour

tzatziki sauce:
1+1/2 cups Greek-style plain yogurt
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped small
3 tablespoons fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 lemon, juiced
sea salt, freshly ground pepper (to taste)

directions:

  • mix up the tzatziki sauce and refrigerate ’til ready to serve
  • preheat oven to 400; line a baking sheet w/parchment paper
  • cook frozen spinach (stovetop or microwave) just ‘til heated through; drain excess liquid, dump out onto a clean dishtowel and squeeze dry; set aside
  • preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
  • in a large bowl combine onion and garlic; add egg
  • add the spinach, pulling it apart to separate it
  • add feta, chicken, and seasoning to the bowl
  • dust the almond flour over top
  • start combining and add a 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  • lightly mix everything ‘til well-combined
  • using a 1+1/2″ cookie scoop, or something similar, form 36-40 meatballs; they do not have to be perfectly round…I left mine fairly rustic
  • place the meatballs on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes and then turn them over
  • cook for additional 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of them) ‘til they are beginning to brown
  • I used my instant-read meat thermometer (165 degrees for poultry); you can also test them by poking one and making sure the juices run clear
  • serve with tzatziki sauce and a sprinkle of the leftover feta cheese

I know I often mention that I use ‘lemon-pepper seasoning’ in the place of salt&pepper.  Here is a link to what I use.

  ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Spiced Pumpkin Smoothie

November 17, 2014 by

2014-11-16 22.22.56 HDR

‘Tis the season for all things PUMPKIN!  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin chili, pumpkin muffins, beef stew IN a pumpkin, pumpkin in your oatmeal, pumpkin ice cream…what are some of your favorites?  Over the weekend, Robert and I took a roadtrip down to celebrate my brother’s birthday and treated ourselves to some nice large coffees to go along.  Mine was a pumpkin spice latte…deeeeee-licious!  And it got me thinking about other pumpkin-y&spicy beverages. Why not pumpkin&spicy smoothies!  So when we got back home that is exactly what I made!  The quantities below made up two big mugs-full…and about 8 ounces for me tomorrow morning  😉   (I think I am going to make these again as a healthy, hearty breakfast prior to Thanksgiving Dinner.)

This is SO in line with our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV!  Here’s a link to some of the healthy benefits and nutrition facts about pumpkin.  This smoothie is loaded with protein, fiber, low in fat, and full of flavor.  Of course, you can substitute any milk or milk alternative and your choice of yogurt.

2014-11-16 22.19.30
Also, I added a couple of smashed up graham crackers into the blender, too (and tossed a few crumbs onto the top of Robert’s smoothie.)  Hope you enjoy it, too!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree, FROZEN
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 cups almond milk
1 cup ice
1 really ripe banana (frozen, too)
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey or agave)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is superb!)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1 graham cracker (smashed up in a baggie) optional!

directions:

  • place all ingredients into your blender container
  • blend on high ‘til ice is thoroughly pulverized (this will depend on the strength of your blender)
  • pour into big mugs, add straw (or not!)

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Healthy St. Paddy’s Day Shakes

March 17, 2014 by

Sorry…breaking into our little series on spring veggies ‘cause I just have to share these healthy but-oh-so-yummy! green minty “shakes” with you!  It is tradition to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in our family…heritage and all, y’know!  (Your name can’t be coleen ann brigit mcelroy hayden…and not recognize your Irish background!)

So, I have to admit to indulging <in the past!> in a Shamrock Shake from a certain fast food place…uh-huh…you know!  But we are working on having a healthier eating lifestyle now…by God’s grace!…and so I took a little peek ‘n see about the nutrition facts (from the manufacturer) for that minty shake of my past.  Can you say “Holy Saint Paddy!”  530 calories, 86 grams of carbs (of which 73 were sugar carbs, mostly corn syrup), and 15 grams of fat in a 16 ounce cup!

healthyshamrockshake

I think you will find this healthy but-oh-so-yummy version equally satisfying and delicious. I would love to hear from you!

Ingredients:
1 scoop protein powder
2 cups almond milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 packet of stevia sweetener
2 hefty tablespoons of vanilla greek yogurt
1 ripe avocado
2 handfuls of raw spinach
2 cut-up frozen bananas
4 or 5 ice cubes

Directions:

  • Start off with all the liquid ingredients, the protein powder and stevia; blend for 10-15 seconds.
  • Layer in the balance of the ingredients. Whirl away ‘til nicely blended!
  • This made more than enough for two big servings; the glasses pictured hold more than 14 ounces each.

** Certainly can be prepared in a standard blender, too. I would suggest doing it in two batches, however, using 1/2 of the ingredients at a time.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Gluten free, Grain free Zucchini Muffins

February 3, 2014 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  This recipe fits perfectly into the category being it is low in fat (uses greek yogurt and a small amount of coconut oil or butter), is gluten-free, grain-free, and more than one cup of vegetables.

Have you ever used crystallized ginger?  I just love this product and try to always have some stored in the freezer.  (Hint: if you keep it frozen, it is super easy to grate up to put into your recipe.)  It is a great ingredient to add to many spicy dishes.  We especially enjoy it in Thai food!  Try adding a bit to any baked goodies that have cinnamon, or nutmeg, in them.  I buy mine in the grocery store; look for it either in the Asian food aisle, or the baking goods aisle.

Oh…just  a suggestion:  perhaps you might want to make a double batch!  Enjoy!

IMG_1556

Zucchini Muffins

makes one dozen regular-sized muffins

Ingredients:

topping ingredients:IMG_1553
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon sugar (I use coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into little cubes

muffin ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar (I use coconut sugar)
3 eggs
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
1+1/2 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry in a dish towel
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 cube frozen crystallized ginger*, grated fine
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1+1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Heat oven to 325
  • Place muffin cups in muffin tin
  • Make topping ingredients first: mix all dry components of topping together; then drop in the butter cubes and quickly use your fingertips to incorporate the butter; set aside
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together first 4 muffin ingredients until sugar is dissolved
  • Add zucchini (and crystallized ginger, if using) to the wet ingredients; stir well
  • In a separate large bowl, mix together the flours, spices, and baking soda
  • Add wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until incorporated
  • Divide batter into muffin cups evenly
  • Sprinkle on almond topping
  • Bake for 30- 35 minutes
  • After removing from oven, let cool for just a minute  and then remove to a cooling rack
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