Food: Healthy Chicken Salad

Hi MadebyGirl readers, it is Alison here from Heart of Gold & Luxury, sharing with you one of my favorite lunch meals - healthy chicken salad. 
There are many foods in life that are well-worth the indulgence like a rich, velvety chocolate layer cake, truffled french fries and lobster macaroni and cheese and must never be deviated from, but then there are those dishes that you can play with and make lighter and healthier. One of my favorite recipes to transform is homemade chicken salad that is equal parts delicious and creamy but without the added fat. 

In this recipe, I swapped out mayonnaise and added tangy non-fat Greek yogurt.  Initially, I was unsure if poultry would mix with yogurt, but it does, it does and has left me preferring this variety over the other.  I also added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to make it a bit richer and added some chopped shallots and celery, which I then served atop a bed of red leaf lettuce. 

Healthy Chicken Salad:

2 chicken breasts

1 cup of water

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Place chicken breasts, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Allow for chicken breasts to poach in water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once chicken is fully cooked allow to cool.  In the meantime, chop celery and shallot and place into a bowl.  Dice chicken into small pieces, add yogurt, remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bibs of lettuce or on top of bread.  

*post &  photographs by Alison 

 

Read More

FOOD: Heart-Shaped Napoleon with Raspberries

Hi everyone! Alison from Heart of Gold & Luxury blog! I'm here with my first post for MadeByGirl!  I am excited to share with you an impossibly romantic dessert to enjoy with your sweetie this Valentine’s day.  The Napoleon is a classic dessert that combines layers of flaky puff pastry, luxuriously rich pastry cream scented with almond and vanilla, topped with plump ruby red raspberries and finished with a dusting of confectioners sugar.

This dessert might look intimidating but it is incredibly easy - you just have to use your creative eye to assemble this confection. This is one recipe that will impress your other half, not to mention your friends and family. In fact, you just might have them wishing that this day filled with roses and chocolates would come around more than once a year.

Ingredients:
16 ounces puff pastry, dethawed
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, diced
½ pint fresh raspberries or strawberries

Equipment: Heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)

 
For the Pastry Cream:
Combine 2 cups milk, ¼ cup sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract and pinch of salt in a small pan. With stovetop on medium heat, allow for mixture to come to a simmer. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine 4 egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture to combine.  Pour mixture back into pan and return to medium heat, stirring constantly.  Pastry cream will begin to thicken rapidly.  Once mixture is thickened remove from heat, add butter and stir until combined.  Pour into a heat-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Be sure to coat the top of the pastry cream with the wrap, otherwise you will have a film that forms on the top.  Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

  For Napoleon Assembly:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Unroll puff pastry and place on lined baking sheet.  Pierce holes with a fork all over the dough.  Place a heavier baking sheet on top (a Pyrex pan is perfect) and allow to cook for approximately 25 minutes. Pastry is done with it is golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.  Once cooled, cut out pastry into hearts if desired.  Place pastry cream into a sealed plastic ziplock bag.  Cut the tip off and fill one side of the pastry with cream, top with raspberries and then place another piece of pastry on top. Finish with a dusting of confectioners sugar. 

*Makes about 3 to 4 servings depending on size of cookie-cutter

*Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Read More