Brussels Sprout and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Posted on November 20, 2012 by


It is that time of year again…time for the office potluck Thanksgiving Dinner.  Ever year the cooks in our mist pull out the stops and create carb-heavy, delicious, tempting dishes while the non-cooks at the office bring in  bags of rolls straight from the supermarket deli.  We always end up with way too much of both.

This year I decided to break the rules and bring something unique, healthy and totally low carb.  I found a fantastic looking recipe for a Brussels Sprouts Salad on the cover of Whole Living Magazine this month and decided to go for it.

I changed the recipe slightly from what was featured in the magazine by adding red cabbage for color and modifying the dressing recipe slightly.  The result was a tasty fresh salad that was a refreshing accompaniment to all the typical rich Thanksgiving fare.  The salad was really easy to make though pealing apart all those brussels sprouts did take a little more time than I expected.  (If you are pressed for time you could just shred them like the red cabbage instead of taking the time to peal off the leaves.)

I am happy to report that the salad was a hit at lunch.    Give it a try and see if you gain  a new appreciation for these little cruciferous vegetables as well.

 

Brussels Sprout and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Prep: 15 minutes  - Makes: 6-8 side salads

  • 1 to 1.25 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed and leaves separated
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 avocado, pealed and pit removed
  • 2/3 cup toasted pecans
  • Lemon Dijon Dressing (recipe below)

Toss together brussels sprouts, red cabbage, avocado and pecans and Lemon Dijon Dressing.  Serve and enjoy.

Lemon Dijon Dressing

Prep: 5 minutes + 4 hours to chill (to allow flavors to meld together)

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon country Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic, pressed through a garlic press
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper

Whisk together olive oil, Dijon, country Dijon, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to allow flavors to meld together.  Whisk again before tossing with the salad.

 

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy!

 

 

 Spicy Sesame Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup with Wild Rice 

 

Posted in low carb, salad, seasonal recipes, vegetarian | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Chicken Burgers with Chipotle Guacamole

Posted on November 18, 2012 by

I am 3 weeks in on my low carb diet and so far so good….well except for the fact I am reeeeaaaallly missing my morning waffles and OJ.  Oh well, at least I am making slow and steady progress to my goal of being fit and extra fabulous for the holidays!

This weekend I made low fat chicken burgers on the grill (no bun of course).  I skipped my usual usual condiment choice (mayo) and topped the burgers with my kicked-up guacamole.  This is a quick food processor guacamole that boasts a nice chipotle kick.  You can easily make it a little more or less hot by how much chipotle pepper you add.

   

Since my usual burger side, Sweet Potato Fries, were out of the question for a low carb meal so I served my burgers up with a small side salad and some Roasted Asparagus.  This is definitely one of my healthier meals.  The meal was delish and my diet remains intact to heading into week four.

Chicken Burgers with Chipotle Guacamole

Prep time – 5 minutes  -  Cook time: 10 minutes  -  Makes: 4 burgers or 8 mini burgers

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • soy sauce
  • olive oil spray
  • Kicked-Up Guacamole (recipe below)

Preheat grill on medium high heat.

Form ground chicken  into 4 burgers or 8 mini burgers.  Sprinkle both sides lightly with soy sauce.  Spray both sides with olive oil.

Place burgers on hot grill.  Grill burgers for roughly 4 -5 minutes per side (more or less depending on the thickness of the burgers).  Fully cooked chicken burgers should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

Remove from grill.  Top with Chipotle Guacamole plus any other burger  toppings of your choice.

 

Chipotle Guacamole

Prep time: 8 minutes  - Cook time: 10 minutes –  Makes: approx  3/4 cup

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1/2 medium sized sweet onion, diced
  • juice from 1 fresh lime
  • 4 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 large avocado, pealed with bit removed
  • salt and pepper

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to large skillet and heat on medium high.  Add 1/2 diced onion and saute for 8-10 minutes.

Place cooked onion, lime juice, chipotle and water into a small food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Add avocado and give a quick pulse.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

 Other Recipes You Might Enjoy!

 

 

Roasted Garlic Mayo

 

 

Cornmeal Zucchini Fritters 

Posted in chicken, Chipotle, grilling, low carb | Tagged | Leave a comment

Pistachio Encrusted Chicken

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

I am not sure how it happened but Thanksgiving is officially around the corner.  Given that Christmas stuff has been out in the stores since before Halloween, you wouldn’t think that I would not be in such denial about the impending holiday season….but I am none the less.

About a month ago (when the holidays still seemed much farther off) I had set a goal to loose that last stubborn few pounds of leftover baby weight, ditch the frumpy clothes that have been creeping into my wardrobe since becoming a mom and emerge at the holiday parties this year looking totally fabulous.

My plan has been to give up the majority of white carbs (flour and sugar) for 7 weeks  and pump up my gym routine with some new workout classes.  So goodbye Kashi waffles and OJ for breakfast… hello cycle class!

   

   

In keeping with my new low carb diet plan I came up with Pistachio Encrusted Chicken.  It mimics what I love about encrusted chicken but offers lower carbs by using pistachio nuts instead of flour or breadcrumbs.  This encrusted chicken is excellent yet very simple with very few ingredients!  You won’t miss the breadcrumbs at all.  You can serve Pistachio Encrusted Chicken Breasts either as a center of the plate entree as well as over a salad.  Either will be equally delicious!

Pistachio Encrusted Chicken

Prep time: 5 minutes  -  Cook time: 20 minutes  -  Makes: 4

  • 4 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2/3 cup roasted and shelled pistachio nuts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Prepare a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Place pistachio nuts in a mini food processor and pulse to grind nuts.  Pour ground nuts onto a plate.

Crack egg into a bowl and whisk.

Lightly season 4 chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Dip into egg mixture.  Shake lightly to remove excess egg.

Place chicken breast onto ground nuts.  Press into nuts to coat the chicken.  Flip chicken over and repeat.

Preheat large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add olive oil to the pan.  When pan is hot add nut coated chicken breast to the pan.  Cook two minutes per side.

Place chicken breasts on prepared baking pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.  Remove fully cooked chicken from the oven, serve and enjoy!

 

Other Meals You Might Enjoy!

 

Spicy Sesame Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

 

 

 

Tex Mex Slow Cooker Shredded Pork

Posted in chicken, low carb, nuts | Tagged , | Leave a comment