Broccoli Salad

Continuing with my holiday nostalgia, broccoli salad was one of those dishes from my past that still rocks my socks when I think about it. So how do we make it healthier? Again, ditch the mayo and go Greek!

This is lovely and tastes delicious because the cranberries add that sweet while the almonds and broccoli have that crunch. I surprised myself a bit because I actually like this flavor MORE than the past versions!

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Broccoli Salad

2+ cups broccoli florets

1/2 c. Dried cranberries

1/2 c. sliced or chopped almonds

2 strips turkey bacon - cooked and chopped

Dressing:

1/2 c. Greek yogurt

1 lemon - juiced

1/4 c. White vinegar

1 tsp. dried ground mustard

1 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1/8 honey mustard dressing

Cut stems off florets and make sure pieces are small and bite sized. Mix dry ingredient together. 

Combine dressing ingredients and pour over dry ingredients. Stir and serve or cool in fridge.

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I actually didn't want to open a package of turkey bacon his for two pieces so I chopped up some salami pieces we already had. Still tastes awesome! The honey mustard dressing I used is Brianna's Organic which I love to the money. You need the sweet of it to balance out the vinegar. You could also use Dijon and honey if you don't have the dressing around. My mouth is happy!

Challenge Friendly: Max Phase only. Y'all know I suggest going easy on the dairy during your challenge so just keep that in mind!

Chicken Chili

Buried deep, waiting on Polar Vortex Episode II, I CRAVE COMFORT FOOD! But I'm also on my first full 24-Day Challenge post-baby. Must eat clean and I sure as heck don't need to fall back into making cornbread, using cheese, or lathering sour cream on my comfort food. So the Pinterest perusing began as I looked over white chicken chili recipes. For the most part, they all had some things in common, so I took those ideas and ran with what was in my kitchen. The biggest flavor factors for this are definitely the combination of chili powder, cumin and jalapeño. And please don't leave out the jalapeño! I can't deal with a ton of heat so I only used one, but at least use a half. It just helps warm it up just a touch! I'm not calling this "white" since I had veggies and kidney beans, but dang this is good chili!

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Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts

1 1/4 c. Dried bean/lentil/veggie mix

1 can pinto beans

1 c. peppers, diced (any or all colors)

1/2 red onion, diced 

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. Extra water (add as it cooks)

1 c. corn

1 jalapeño, diced (more or less to taste)

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1-2 tbsp. oregano

2-6 cloves of garlic, diced

For chicken:

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

Throw everything but the chicken and bottom 3 spices in the pot, stir together. Take bottom 3 spices and rub on chicken. Place chicken just in the water and let cook for 2-3 hours before stirring the pot. 

Cook in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours.

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I'm in love! Better than ground turkey chili by far and lots of flavor so I didn't need toppers for it. New favorite stew by far. And it was THICK. So add more water if you need to! Why was I wasting my time trying to perfect turkey chili when this was waiting for me???

Also note: I used my no-msg chicken stock starter and 3 cups of water for the broth. But low-sodium broth should be just as flavorful!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Full of protein. Pair with a side salad or extra veggies for more natural fiber.