Buffalo Chicken Salad

Mmm, Buffalo Chicken Salad. For when regular chicken salad just wont do! 

        On our journey to whole foods, I realized Rome couldn't be built in a day.  As much as I would love to cut out everything that has an ingredient label, I know that I wouldn't have made it this far if I went extreme so fast. I spend a lot of time online researching and learning as much as I can about the food we believe to be good for us so when shopping day does come around I know what the really ugly products are and how to avoid them. I haven't learned how to make my own Mayo but I know when I buy it, there are certain ingredients to look for. You would be amazed how many of the big "trusted quality" brands are really the worst for us all.  

       For the sauce in this chicken salad, I used Mayonnaise, FRANK'S® REDHOT® and the yoke of some hard-boiled eggs. That's it! After you see how easy it really is, why would you want to buy pre-made ever again??! I also used Chicken Thighs because they tend to be more tender and not as dry. feel free to use breasts, or even a rotisserie chicken! (just as long as its fully cooked chicken! :D


Buffalo Sauce

• 1/3 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT®
• 1 cup Mayonnaise 
• 4 Hard Boiled egg yokes 

        All you have to do here is add to a bowl and stir until the yokes have broken down into little chunks.
        (Note* measurements are not set in stone. Some might like it spicier and some milder. play around with the quantities until you have found the right spice for you! :D) 


 Chicken Salad

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cooked and diced or shredded. 
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Apple, peeled and diced
• 4 green onions cut on the diagonal
• 5 hard boiled eggs chopped with 4 yokes removed for the sauce. 
• Salt and pepper to season after mixed. 

       Prep all your ingredients and combined in a medium salad bowl and stir to get everything mixed up.Add your sauce and mix thoroughly! We want sauce on every piece of everything! Mmm, Buffalo Chicken Salad! Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and season to taste. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to let the full flavor develop!  

       As with everything thing I make, if you don't have a specific ingredient I used, feel free to substitute. Nothing in this life is set in stone so why should the way we make salad be different?!

It's a Lifestyle Change, not a Diet.

        It has been a little more than 5 months since we decided to change our eating habits and I can't imagine it any other way. So much has been brought to my attention about the food we eat. From how it is grown, where it is grown or if it is even grown to begin with. I am still learning my way and at times find it a struggle to adapt to a whole new idea of eating. Reading labels, looking out for the organic choice, telling myself I can drop some extra cash on local, better cuts of meat... the list goes on! 

      My whole attitude about food has changed. I have been trying new recipes and new foods I find so that eating doesn't just turn into that boring same 7 dinners a week. I get bored of the same recipe quickly and find myself improving upon a former idea.  

        I wanted to start this blog as a reminder to myself that the small struggles are worth it in the end. I would like to document my journey so that 6 months from now if things start to get rocky, I can look back and remember what it is all about. I also want to share information I find and all that fun stuff too! 

With that said, I am going to end with a recipe for Bacon and Onion Meatballs I have been making! It's simple, easy to make and very flavorful! I will have to post a picture at a later date seeing as my last batch got eaten before a picture was even a thought! ;) 

Bacon and Onion Meatballs

 

1 Lb ground beef, more on the leaner side                                                     

3 Slices Thick cut bacon, chopped into small pieces 

2 smaller Garlic cloves, minced and mashed

1/4 C finely chopped onion

2 tsp each fresh chopped Rosemary and Oregano

( or 1 tsp each dried) 

1 pinch of salt 

1 Egg White 

 

1/4 C Rice vinegar to de-glaze pan

Pre-heat a larger frying pan or cast iron skillet to a medium heat.

First thing I do is place the bacon in the freezer so it can firm up for 10 minutes to make chopping easier! While that's doing its thing, start chopping up your garlic, onion and herbs. Place them in a mixing bowl along with the ground beef, a pinch of salt and 1 egg white. The bacon should be ready to chop. I cut it length wise 2 times and then make a really small dice! Add to the bowl. 

Now is the fun part! There really is no substitution for mixing up meatballs so go ahead and mix everything up with your hands until well combined without over mixing. 

I use an Ice Cream scoop to help keep the balls the same when shaping. As long as they are all about the same size, they should cook evenly.  Roll mixture into balls and place in pre-heated pan leaving enough space between balls so they have room to cook. 

Fry for 5-7 minutes, you should be able to see the meat cooked about half way up from the bottom. Flip over and continue cooking for 5 minutes. At this point, you can flip it on its sides to get it more browned. Otherwise, they are done. Remove from pan to plate and keep covered. Fry the rest of the meat balls the same way.

When your second batch is done, add all meatballs back to pan and pour in 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar ( to get all the yummy pieces that are left on the bottom of the pan.) This will bubble up, move the meatballs around the pan to get a nice coating on them! Remove from pan and serve! 

These are delicious on their own, but steamed rice or mashed potatoes would be wonderful also! Let your imagine run loose!