Moroccan Carrot Salad

Using carrots as the star of the show, this is a fresh take on a regular salad.  This delicious tender-crisp salad is packed full of Moroccan flavors and colors.  I made this for Thanksgiving day and it was a hit.  The best part is that you can make it up to 2 days in advance, without the pistachios or the cilantro, and then throw the rest of it together right before serving.  It also makes great leftovers.  Fun for adults and kids alike, I think everyone will enjoy a bowlful of this on the table.  Try it and let me know what you think!

A bright colorful salad.  Perfect for the holidays or family dinners at home.

Ingredients:
2lb baby carrots, cut in half
1/2c craisins
3tbs fresh lemon juice
2tbs orange juice
1 cloves garlic, mashed (or use a bit of garlic powder instead)
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp paprika
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp cayenne
3tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/3c chopped cilantro
1/2c roasted and salted pistachios, shelled

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, boil water.  Then add carrots and boil until crisp-tender, or about 5 minutes.  Add craisins during the last few minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse.
2. In a bowl, mix together lemon juice, orange juice, garlic paste, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne.  Season with salt and pepper then slowly whisk in olive oil.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Can be kept in the fridge a few days ahead.
3. Toss salad with cilantro and pistachios just before serving.

Coconut Chicken & Carrot Curry

This meal combines two of my favorite things: chicken thighs and coconut curry.  I added some cooked carrots for sweetness and garnished the whole thing with cilantro and pistachios.  Simple & inexpensive dinners don't have to be boring! 

Crispy chicken thighs and sweet carrots in a rich coconut broth:  yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 large servings):
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (antibiotic free and no added water)
2tbs organic virgin coconut oil
sea salt to taste
1 onion, diced
1tsp minced garlic
1-15oz package baby carrots
1/2tsp cayenne pepper (less or omit if you don't like it spicy!)
1/2tsp cumin
1/4tsp dry mustard
1/2tsp sea salt
2tsp red curry paste
1/2tsp coriander
1tsp orange zest
1/4c chicken stock (gluten, msg, and added sugar free: try Rachael Ray's brand!)
1c coconut milk
1/2c pistachios, chopped
1/4c chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.  In a large saute pan heat 1tbs coconut oil over medium high heat.  Add chicken, skin side down and cook until deep brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.  Flip over and cook a few mintues more.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, place baby carrots with 1tbs water in a large glass dish.  Cover and microwave for 5 minutes.
2. Pour out fat.  Add the other tbs coconut oil and saute onions and garlic until soft.  Add all of your spices, red curry paste, and chicken stock.  Stir well and cook a few minutes.  Add your coconut milk and carrots, give it a good stir and turn off heat.
3. In a large casserole or glass baking dish, pour the onion, carrot, curry mixture.  Add your chicken on top, crispy skin side up.  Place in the oven and bake until the chicken thighs reach 170F, about 25 minutes for large thighs.
4. Serve some sauce and carrots with chicken.  Top with chopped pistachios and cilantro.  Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:
1 serving = 2 chicken thighs with skin, 1/4 portion of coconut sauce and carrots with 2tbs pistacios
Calories: 602
Protein: 33g
Fat: 33g
Carbs: 15g
Salt ~ 300mg
-

Pistachio Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt

I set out to make a simple, easy, elegant dessert and it turned out fabulous.  With only 3 ingredients you can make this lovely treat in less than 30 minutes!  It is absolutely amazing and looks fantastic.  Set this out at a holiday party, wrap it up as gifts to your friends, or make a big batch and indulge yourself!  I know I will be making this again this again... and again... and again.  This recipe is sure to make anyone's holiday season bright:  Happy candy making!

A great holiday idea!

Ingredients:
8oz dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips, 70% cocoa)
1/4c roasted pistachios (I didn't measure but I used a few small handfuls; enough to cover the chocolate)
a pinch or two coarse sea salt

Directions:
1. In a microwavable bowl, melt your chocolate by cooking it 1 minute at a time, stirring between each minute until melted.  This ensures your chocolate won't burn.  Also, I used 10oz of chocolate but my bark was a little too thick and difficult to break so I recommend only using 8oz for this recipe.
2. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper and grease (cooking spray is fine).  Pour your melted chocolate into the pan, spreading evenly to fill all the sides.
3. Take a handful or two of pistachios and sprinkle all over the top of the chocolate.  Take a pinch or two of coarse sea salt and sprinkle over the top.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, or until the chocolate is hard and set.  Take out of the pan and break into pieces.  Enjoy!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Coconut Ginger Sauce and Lemon Rice

I love nut crusted anything.  Especially pistachio crusted chicken.  This is an easy do it yourself recipe with a little twist:  a rich coconut drizzle that is out of this world!  This dish is so packed with flavor that when I made it, everyone stuffed themselves silly.  I hope you find a place for this rich decedent meal at your dinner table.

Crunchy chicken over a citrus cilantro rice drizzled with coconut sauce:  to die for!

Sauce Ingredients:
1tbs butter
1tsp lemongrass (I use Gourmet Garden Lemon Grass Paste found in the refrigerated section)
1 heaping tbs ginger, minced
1c white wine
2c chicken stock (I use Rachael Ray because it's gluten free)
2tbs Red Thai Curry Paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1 can coconut milk
3tbs packed brown sugar

Chicken Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out for even thickness
1c buttermilk
8oz roasted and salted pistachios
1/2c parmesan cheese
1tsp dried thyme
1/2c white rice flour (use regular flour if you aren't gluten free)
Olive oil or grapeseed oil

Rice Ingredients:
4c cooked white rice
2-3tbs butter
juice of 1 lemon
large handful cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter, lemongrass, and ginger.  Cook until fragrant and sizzling.  Add wine and reduce by half.  Add broth and curry paste and reduce by half again.  Add coconut milk and reduce by half a third time.  Add brown sugar and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (Can make ahead of time and refrigerate - warm before serving)
2. For the chicken, marinate in buttermilk for an hour in the refrigerator.  Meanwhile, grind pistachios, thyme and parmesan in a food processor until finely ground.  Place in a large bowl. 
3. Preheat oven to 400F.  Place a large skillet with some grapeseed oil in it and turn to medium high.  Place flour into a bowl and dredge chicken into the flour.  Then dip one side of the chicken back into the buttermilk and top generously with pistachio mixture.  Cook pistachio-side down in a saute pan until browned on both sides.   Remove and place on a baking sheet.  Repeat with each of the chicken breasts.
4. Finish cooking in the oven until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  (TIP:  If your pistachio chicken starts to fall apart in the pan or if you don't want to pan fry it:  Don't panic!  Just move it to the baking sheet and cook in the oven for longer.  Make sure you spray or drizzle the top of the chicken with oil to help it brown in the oven since you won't be doing it in the pan.  Your chicken will take 20-25 minutes to cook).
5. While your chicken is in the oven, prepare the rice:  Warm rice with butter and lemon in a dish in the microwave.  Stir and add chopped cilantro.  Season with salt.
6. Serve chicken over rice.  Drizzle with amazing coconut sauce.  Enjoy this little piece of heaven!

No Bake Fruit & Nut Bars

I love LARABAR's.  Love them.  Best of all, they are so simple:  their only ingredients are fruit and nuts.  This was my inspiration to make my own fruit and nut bar.  The result was a moist chewy bar that was slightly sweet but also a little salty too.  They are the perfect snack at home or away.  In fact, I am snacking on one right now as I type.

Mix and match the nuts and fruits to suit your tastes

Sweet chewy bar with all natural ingredients:  the perfect snack on the go

Ingredients:
1c roasted and shelled pistachios
2c raw almonds
1c macadamia nuts
1c dried apricots
1c dried cherries
1c dried mango
1/2c dried mixed berries
1/3c grapeseed oil (mine came out a little too oily... I would maybe try 3-4tbs and then add more as needed)
1/3c organic agave nectar

Press firmly into a pan prior to chilling

Directions:
1. Place pistachios in a food processor and grind until coarsely chopped.  Repeat with almonds and macadamia nuts.
2. In a food processor (if you have a small one, do this in batches), combine nuts and fruit and pulse until it starts to come together into a sticky ball.  Add oil and nectar and continue to pulse until combined.
3. Press into a 9x13" cake pan lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil.  Press mixture firmly and evenly into the pan.  Refrigerate 1 hour before cutting into bars.  Then refrigerate overnight to set.

Homemade Granola Bars

These rich chewy treats are so delicious and satisfying, you will be so glad you didn't buy the generic one's at the grocery store.  This recipe is extremely versatile, if you don't like an ingredient, you just add a different one.  Basically, you add the dried fruit and nuts that you like best and leave it at that.  I must make a note here that I did use butter because I really don't think there is anything better than oats cooking in butter and honey.  However, that being said, feel free to use a healthier oil if you like.  I think coconut oil would make a great substitute.  For this recipe, I used a variety of nuts and berries  but by all means do not feel obligated to follow my choices.  Explore your own taste buds.  After all, variety is the spice of life!

Chunky, chewy, sweet and salty:  this is the best granola bar you will ever eat

A stack of granola bars with a rich glass of milk makes the perfect breakfast

Ingredients:
1 2/3c quick rolled oats (If gluten free, use gluten free oats like me such as Bob's Red Mill)
1/2c granulated sugar
1/3c oat flour (I put 1/3c oats into a food processor until finely ground)
1/2tsp fine sea salt
1/2tsp cinnamon
3c dried fruit and nuts (I used 2c dried fruit and 1c nuts: specifically, I used 2c dried mixed berries including cranberries, cherries and blueberries as well as 1c of a mix of nuts including sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, slivered almonds and pistachios.  Feel free to experiment here!  Add in some chocolate or coconut if you like, make this bar your own!)
1/3c nut butter (I used creamy raw almond butter from Trader Joe's)
2tsp vanilla extract
6tbs melted butter
1/4c honey
2tbs light corn syrup
1tbs water

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment and grease the paper.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, butter, liquid sweeteners, nut butter and water.

Store them in a single layer between parchment sheets

3. Toss the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix until well combined and sticky.  Spread into the prepared pan, pressing firmly down so that the mix is molded to the shape of the pan and compacted.
4. Bake the bars 30-40 minutes, or until they are brown at the edges, browning at the top, and are still soft and under-baked in the center.
5. Cool the bars COMPLETELY before cutting or they will fall apart.  I chilled mine to room temperature on the counter and then again in the refrigerator until cold and then cut them into bars with a serrated knife.
6. To store, place them on parchment paper and in an airtight container.  I store mine in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.