Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Although the weather has been complete garbage for the past week or two, today’s sun & heat is giving me hope for this Summer!

Now if you’re like me, Summer means light, easy meals. I find myself always on the go, and therefore spending hours in the kitchen on a week night, isn’t always ideal!

I came up with this meal in early Spring, in hope that it would save me from ordering out, on nights that I don't feel like cooking. It’s easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

·         2 cooked chicken breasts* (this makes enough for 6 wraps) season with cumin, paprika, curry, sea salt & pepper. Baked at 350 for 20-25 minutes

·         1 head of Iceberg Lettuce

·         ½ cup full fat Goat yogurt

·         1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

·         ¼ teaspoon ground Paprika

·         1 tablespoon Lemon zest

·         1 tablespoon fresh chopped Cilantro

·         2 minced Garlic cloves

·         ¼ cup chopped Cashews

·         Sea salt & Pepper

·         Coleslaw mix (Red, Green cabbage & Carrot… this is sold at Adonis or any grocery store)

*I baked the chicken the night before, I prefer the chicken to be cold in the wraps. Plus, with having the chicken already cooked, this makes this recipe even easier! Note that if you’re not a fan of curry, you can season the chicken however you like.

1)    Fry coleslaw mix with a bit of Olive oil (and if you want an extra kick, add in some dried hot chili flakes)

2)    In a small to medium sized bowl, mix yogurt, mustard, paprika, garlic and lemon zest.

3)    Chop the chicken into small cubes, chop cashews and add both ingredients to the yogurt mixture.

4)    Add the fresh chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix all together.

5)    Delicately unroll lettuce, place fried coleslaw and about ¼ cup of the chicken/ yogurt mixture.

6)    Roll & Eat!

Picture quality is pretty terrible... sorry!

Enjoy!!!

Cheers!

xo

   

Sunshine & Ginger love.

What a weekend! Are we Summer or Spring??? Beautiful weather, really makes all the difference coming back into the office after having 2 full days in the sun!

So I might have mentioned before, that Ginger, is one of my favorite root spices to use. Much like Turmeric (same family), it offers amazing health benefits! Here's a few benefits off lifehack.org!

• Maintains Normal Blood Circulation. Ginger contains chromium, magnesium and zinc which can help to improve blood flow, as well as help prevent chills, fever, and excessive sweat.
• Cold and Flu Prevention. Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for colds and flu around Asia. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that to treat cold and flu symptoms in adults, steep 2 tbsp. of freshly shredded or chopped ginger root in hot water, two to three times a day
• Combats Stomach Discomfort. Ginger is ideal in assisting digestion, thereby improving food absorption and avoiding possible stomach ache. Ginger appears to reduce inflammation in a similar way to aspirin and ibuprofen
• Reduce Pain and Inflammation. Ginger contains some of the most potent anti-inflammatory fighting substances known and is a natural powerful painkiller.
• Fights Common Respiratory Problems. If you’re suffering from common respiratory diseases such as a cough, ginger aids in expanding your lungs and loosening up phlegm because it is a natural expectorant that breaks down and removes mucus.. That way you can quickly recover from difficulty in breathing.
• Ovarian Cancer Treatment. Ginger powder induces cell death in ovarian cancer cells.
• Strengthens Immunity. Ginger helps improve the immune system. Consuming a little bit ginger a day can help foil potential risk of a stroke by inhibiting fatty deposits from the arteries. It also decreases bacterial infections in the stomach, and helps battle a bad cough and throat irritation.

Awesome right? Here's two great ways to incorporate Ginger into your daily or weekly routine.

1)  If you're a green tea lover like myself, grate about half a tablespoon of fresh Ginger and add it in to your morning tea! Super delicious!

2) I created this marinate for my chicken twice now, its super tasty & extremely easy! It works for about 4 Chicken breasts! For extra flavor, marinate the chicken overnight.

• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 large Garlic clove, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Sea Salt & Pepper

Photo Credit: mymostlyhealthylife.com

Enjoy!!

Cheers

xo

*.information on Ginger from lifehack.org

Sweet Treats that make excellent gifts!

If you're on a tight budget this year and don't have room to get gifts for all your friends, coworkers etc, here is a simple and inexpensive way to show someone how much you appreciate them during the holidays!  Last year I made a ton of sugar cookies and packaged them in cute dollar store boxes! This year I plan on doing the same, but I've decided to try a Gingerbread cookie recipe! I have a subscription for Chatelaine and they had great recipe, so it works out perfectly!


Unfortunately I haven't made these yet because I want to give them out as Christmas gifts, so pictures of my creations will follow in the next couple of weeks! I will share the recipe with you though so that if you're in a tight budget like myself, you can still make someone feel special on Christmas!


Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each allspice, salt and baking soda
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) fancy molasses

Preparation time 20 minutes
Standing Time 5 minutes
Refrigeration Time 30 minutes
Baking Time 7 minutes

Makes 50 cookies

Step 1 In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with spices and baking soda. In a medium bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat butter with sugar for 2 min. Beat in egg, then molasses. Make a well in centre of fl our mixture, then pour in molasses mixture. Stir until most of molasses is absorbed. Gently knead until dough is an even colour. Divide into 4 portions.


Step 2 Shape each into a ball, then flatten slightly into a disc . Wrap separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 min or up to a week. Or overwrap with foil and freeze up to 1 month.


Step 3 When ready to bake, remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll, 5 to 10 min. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly spray or oil a baking sheet. Place a disc of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Roll dough no thicker than ¼ in. (0.5 cm). Cut out shapes with cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet about 1 in. (2.5 cm) apart.


Step 4 Bake in centre of preheated oven just until edges begin to darken, 7 to 10 min. Remove cookies to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in an airtight container in a cool place up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.

Photo Credit: Chatelaine.com

This recipe is courtesy of Chatelaine Magazine feel free to check out the link for extra tips! http://food.chatelaine.com/recipes/view/classic-gingerbread-cookies



As promised, here is my little tree!

Cheers xo