onions until very slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add ¼ cup of the water and stir to deglaze pan.
Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Lower to a simmer and let cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes in room temp or in fridge for faster cool down. Transfer to a blender, and blend until smooth.
Trim Fat from chicken thighs, coat with 3/4 of bbq sauce and let marinate for 15 min. Transfer to pan and bake at 375F for 30-40 min until internal temp of 175. Remove and coat with reserved BBQ sauce.
Easy Chicken Salad
My husband does not like celery so I leave it out, sometimes for additional sweetness, you can add in raisins or dried cranberries. The nice thing about deli salads in general, is that you can add what is left in your pantry. I like to use something sweet, something crunch and some fresh herb. Toasting the nuts in a pan really enhances the flavor and also adds a stronger crunch. Using plain yogurt also increases the protein and reduces the amount of fat because you can decrease the mayo. Herbs like parsley, dill or tarragon are a great way to bring in freshness as well as additional phytonutrients.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb cooked chicken 3 cups cubed
- 3/4 cup 3 large celery stalks diced
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped 1/4 cup parsley or dill finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup pecans or almonds
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2+% fat
- 1/4 cup mayo I used avocado oil mayo
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp any vinegar except balsamic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions: In a small skillet, add pecans and toast on low-medium heat until fragrant and brown-ish, stirring often. You’ll know they are done because the will start to smell fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool a bit and chop coarsely. In a medium bowl, add toasted pecans, chicken, celery, onion, parsley, yogurt, mayo, mustard, vinegar. Then give the salad a taste, depending on the herbs and onion you may want less salt or even none. Then add pepper also to taste. Stir gently to mix. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours as salad tastes best cold. Serve with greens, quinoa, brown rice or make a chicken salad sandwich with whole wheat bread. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, and when taking to the pool or a picnic be sure to pack in a chilled cooler.
Chocolate Dipped Almond Horn Cookies
Dear reader, I apologize for this article being chicken heavy. Please accept these naturally gluten free cookies as a penance. I learned to ride a horse when I was 42 years old, thanks to the editor of this paper - Mike Hillman, then I joined some other middle aged women on a dude ranch a few years later to ride mustangs and try our hand a cattle driving. I only survived because of Ibuprofen and these cookies that were served every lunch and dinner, and I would grab extra off the buffet to eat around the ranch. It took some detective work, but I found the recipe. Almond paste is not always in all grocery stores, so you may have to hunt and gather for it - but I promise they are worth it.
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces almond paste torn into 1" chunks
- 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- pinch salt
- 1 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chop
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet baking wafers or chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the almond paste, almond flour, granulated sugar, egg white and pinch of salt. Beat on low just until the mixture comes together a bit, then beat on medium low until well combined. Place the sliced almonds in a bowl. Using a 1 1/2" cookie scoop, form the dough into balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie) and place into the bowl with the sliced almonds.
The dough is sticky, so roll in the sliced almonds until the dough is coated with almonds so it will keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Roll the dough into a log between your hands until it's about 4" long. If necessary, roll the dough in the sliced almonds once again to coat and place on the prepared baking sheet and shape into a crescent. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing cookies 1-2" apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time, until golden brown.
Remove from heat and cool completely on a wire rack. Place the chocolate chips or baking wafers and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 20-30 second increments, stirring well each time until the chocolate is completely melted, or use a double boiler if you prefer. Dip the ends of each cookie in the chocolate and place on the silicone or parchment line d baking sheet until the chocolate has set. Store cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
