Curry Chicken Salad

You cannot go wrong with this chicken salad. It is the perfect go-to weekday lunch, weekend at the lake/beach sustenance or appetizer.

This Curry Chicken Salad is one those recipes that Julia, my mom, and I have been making for years. Tried and true. 

Our recipe can be made Dairy Free if you remove Greek yogurt and add more mayonnaise. It can also be Gluten Free depending on the chicken you use. While it’s very easy to use a rotisserie (most of these cannot be trusted to be completely gluten free unless it specifically says so), you can also use leftover roasted or grilled chicken or you could bake some of your own.

   

Curry Chicken Salad

1 Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded

2 Tbs Mayonnaise

2 Tbs F Free Plain Greek Yogurt

4 Chopped Green Onions

1/3 c. Chopped Cilantro

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/3 c. Chopped Golden Raisins

1/3 c. Shredded, Toasted Coconut

1 Tbs. Curry Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Black Pepper

2 Tbs Mango Chutney (optional)

Combine. Refrigerate for two hours before serving.

Excellent served over greens, on pita or tortilla chips, on top of baby romaine leaves, or with crackers, etc. Yum.

Enjoy!!

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Favorite Hair Products for In-Between Shampoos

One of my favorite games to play with myself is how many days I can go without washing my hair… I can safely go three days. Wash, wear, wear, wash. Any longer for me is really pushing it. Realistically I end up washing my hair a little bit more than this.. Like four times a week.

I have learned that the only way I can really get away with any between shampoo days is with the help of a few essential products. Not to mention these products help give texture and volume for all different types of hairstyles – Hello, messy bun and tousled waves!

Our essentials:

Dove Dry Shampoo – At first I was not a believer in this until Julia showed me how she flips her head over and sprays all over. It smells nice, has no white residue, and gives a little boost to your whole head of hair – not just your roots.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/dove-style%2bcare-volume-dry-shampoo/ID=prod6098217-product?ext=gooBeauty_PLA_No_Rinse_Hair_Cleansers_prod6098217_pla&adtype=pla&kpid=sku6087961&sst=55263a87-d4f0-447d-9538-096004ac9f40&kpid=sku6087961

Triple Sec 3-in-1 by Drybar – Is my all time favorite. It is too expensive to use as much as I would like, but I use it on a few sections of my roots and Dove all over have proven to be the perfect combo. Triple Sec serves as a volumizer, texturizer, and dry shampoo.

http://www.sephora.com/triple-sec-3-in-1-P388515

These next two products are great with freshly washed and dried hair as well as in between washes.

This Amped Up teasing brush is key for giving an additional bit of staying lift to my fine tresses. I have tried a couple of different types but this has been the front runner for several years now. Plus it’s about $5 and the perfect size to throw in your purse and go. (This can be found at Cosmetic Market, Ulta, Sally’s, etc.)

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6500871

TRESemme Extra Firm Control Hairspray is my all time favorite hairspray. I have tried and tried again to get behind Elnett but not only is it three times the price, but it just does not hold my hair as well as I need it to do so. It’s not like I am ever aiming for helmet head, but at the same time with the humidity we have in the South I need something that will really hold. I am always looking for volume so the last thing I need is to actually achieve it with the above mentioned products then for it to fall the second I walk outside and get where I am going, do ya feel me?

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=142026&catid=183515&aid=338666&aparam=142026&kpid=142026&CAWELAID=120142990000050702&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=142026

Runners Up in the Dry Shampoo Department:

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/not-your-mother%27s-clean-freak-refreshing-dry-shampoo/ID=prod6193600-product

The original.. Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/psssst!-instant-dry-shampoo/ID=prod6042671-product

How often do you wash your hair?

What are your favorite in between products? Always looking for new things to try!

Spicy Beef Bowls with Miso Dressing

It’s starting to heat up in Atlanta, which is definitely putting me in the mood for tropical flavors…or maybe I’m just jealous of Caroline’s trip to Jamaica!  Either way, a dish full of fresh mangoes, cooling avocados, and spicy marinated beef is sure to satisfy…and an ice cold rum cocktail on the side doesn’t hurt either!

Spicy Beef Bowls with Miso Dressing

The Beef:

-1 lb thinly sliced sirloin

-3 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce

-3 Tbsp brown sugar

-2 Tbsp rice vinegar

-2 Tbsp canola oil

-1/4 tsp garlic powder

-1/4 tsp ground ginger

-1/4 cayenne pepper

The Miso Dressing:

-2 Tbsp brown miso

-3 Tbsp canola oil

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar

-juice of 1/2 a lemon

-3 cloves of garlic

-1 inch of ginger

-1 Tbsp honey

-2 tsp tamari/soy sauce

The Add Ons:

-green onions

-mango

-cucumbers

-avocado

-cashews

-rice

Add all of the ingredients for the beef into a large Ziploc bag and wiggle it around until it’s well mixed.  Then let it marinate for several hours or preferably overnight.  Remove it from the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature while you get everything else ready before cooking it in a piping hot cast iron skillet.  The key to caramelizing your beef is to not over crowd your pan–you may need to cook it in stages.  You don’t want your meat to steam!

For the miso dressing, just combine everything in a blender.  Done.

   

 

Chop everything else and layer it all in a bowl.  This dressing can certainly be used for salad dressing, but why waste this dressing on lettuce when you can layer it on white rice and red meat instead?

-Julia

Refreshing Green Smoothie

While in Jamaica I had the best green smoothie. It was called an Island Blast Smoothie and contained cucumber, parsley, ginger, celery, banana and coconut water.

I decided to give my normal smoothie a reboot and make my spin on Round Hill’s Island Blast Smoothie. If only my “smoothie bar” resembled Round Hill’s.

Ingredients:

1/2 banana, frozen

1/2 cucumber, partially peeled (peeling cuke is probably not necessary)

1 c. spinach (one handful)

1/2 inch piece of raw ginger, peeled

Parsley

1 celery stalk (not necessary)

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1 c. coconut water

Next time I will probably add chia seeds for a bit of protein. But this smoothie makes a delicious and healthy breakfast or snack!

Enjoy!! 

Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa and Mexican Slaw

Fish tacos are always one of my favorite things. I feel like I make them throughout the Spring and Summer. Honestly should starting making them in the middle of January when I am wishing for any taste of Summer (will try to remember this next year).

You can make so many different variations making these an easy dish depending on what you already have at home.

  

  

Mango Salsa:

Mango

Avocado

Lime

Red Onion

Cilantro

Salt

Peel mango with vegetable peeler. Hold mango carefully as you slice away from the pit as it will be quite slippery once peeled; then dice and add to small bowl

Chop avocado. Add to mango.

Finely dice 1/2 of a red onion, add to bowl.

Add the juice AND zest of one lime

Add freshly washed, chopped cilantro (I LOVE cilantro so I use a lot but even just a little bit will do the trick)

Sprinkle sea salt on top and stir. Set aside until ready to top your fish tacos.

  

 

Mexican-y Slaw:

Cabbage – Either one bag of store bought angel hair slaw or 1/2 of a cabbage thrown in the food processor

Chopped Cilantro

1 Tbs. Mayonnaise

1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

Juice AND Zest of 1/2 of a lime (for this whole meal buy two limes; one for mango salsa; 1/2 for this; 1/2 to squeeze on tacos before serving or in your water.. or beer)

1 Tbs. Sea Salt

Pinch of Sugar (1/2 tsp. ish)

Cumin

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Combine bottom 9 ingredients in a bowl to create a dressing, season with cumin, red pepper and paprika according to your taste. It will be a strong flavor but is needed to give a boost to the cabbage.

Toss the cabbage with the dressing, cover and place in the fridge to season. Could be made ahead of time.

  

  

Regardless of which white fish I find at the grocery or have in my freezer I use the same seasoning before I saute/grill the fish.

Fish Taco Seasoning:

2 tsp – Paprika

1 tsp – Cumin

1 tsp – Garlic Powder

1/4 – 1/2 tsp – Red Pepper (depending on the level of heat you like)

Salt and Pepper

Once fish is patted dry and seasoned on both sides, heat a small bit of vegetable oil in a skillet (or send these outside to be grilled). Add fish and cook for 3 minutes per side, until the fish is white and you cannot see through it.

  
For a more traditional tacos use corn tortillas, for an Americanized version use flour tortillas. Or really just use whatever you have. If you have a gas range run the tortillas over the flame to char them a bit, if not place them on a plate, dampen a paper towel and put on top of tortillas; place in microwave for 20 seconds. Both of these if just to add some warmth to the tortilla and neither of these are necessary.

This is all best served with a cerveza or a marg. 

Enjoy!!