White Chicken Chili Salad

Growing up in the Midwest, and immersed in a very homogeneous culture, I was not exposed to many new flavors, foods or meals outside the American classics like meatloaf, breaded chicken, mashed potatoes and pot pies. While I still find these childhood classics comforting and inspiring nostalgia when I think of them, they do not fit in with my style of cooking today. Cooking a meal that lacks in vegetables is just not appealing and the nutrition is seriously lacking. I do find myself drawn to traditional meals like chili, quiche, and chicken noodle soup. I have experimented with updating them and trying to draw in more nutrition if I can. In previous Wake Up Your Palate articles, I've made quiches with a squash crust, chicken noodle soup with spinach and peas, and this week I'm going to re-invent white chicken chili. This chili is typically as white as you would imagine it would be based on the name. The problem with this is other than cauliflower, butter beans, garlic and onions, most food that is lacking pigment, often times is lacking nutrients especially the powerful antioxidants from the plant's natural defense system (phytonutrients). I went out on a limb and created a new take on a traditional family favorite and created a white chicken chili salad. I added tons of vegetables like spinach, micro bok choy, and other mixed greens for the base, topped the salad with cherry tomato es and added a pop of healthy fats and a little crunch with sunflower seeds.      Remember the article on eating the rainbow? We added so many new colors to a previously two color spectrum. Green (baby greens, chilies), red (tomatoes), orange (butter beans) and blue/purple (sunflower seeds).

So, how did I end up replacing the iconic white sauce found in white chicken chili? Easy, a salad dressing of Greek yogurt, the green chilies found in the regular recipe, ground cumin, ground coriander and a little splash of vinegar. It's a fun weeknight salad that comforts and fills you just as well as the original but with a healthy dose of nutrition from the added veggies.  White Chicken Chili Salad 4 cups of mixed baby greens 1 lb. boiled chicken breast 1 tsp. cumin Salt and Pepper to taste ½ cup water 1 15 oz. can of butter beans, drained and rinsed well ½ cup of sliced cherry tomatoes ¼ cup of raw sunflower seeds Dressing 1 cup Greek yogurt 1 4 oz. can of green chilies 1 TBSP rice wine vinegar (or any light vinegar you have on hand) 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground coriander 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese Method Shred the chicken and add to a small pot with the water, spice, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer, uncovered, and stir often. Continue until the water is evaporated, then add the butter beans, stir to combine, cover and remove from heat. Meanwhile, mix the Greek yogurt, vinegar, chilies, spice and feta cheese in a small bowl and keep cold until ready to use. Assemble each salad in this order: 2 cups of mixed greens, a handful of sunflower seeds, 1 cup of chicken and bean mixture, half of the cherry tomatoes. Top with dressing to taste. Serves 2 .

Seared Venison, Brown Rice and Baby Bok Choy

The holidays are here and although you might be finding yourself at a few more gatherings, in reality it's time to think New Year's resolutions. I hope this year's list includes cleaning up your nutrition and learning how to cook!  To help you, I've decided for this Week's Wake Up Your Palate to showcase the "Big Three" of healthy cooking; seared protein, brown rice and vegetables.  Don't tune out, just yet!  We are going to make them delish so you crave the healthy stuff. With a little planning, and reading this entire article all the way through before you start cooking (remember your mise en place?) , you will be able to master the art of a well-rounded dinner and perhaps even start adding in flourishes of your own.  More than a one-time recipe, this is a how to guide for cooking and the actual ingredients can vary based on what is available to you. I've ordered the meal elements based on how much time they will take you, so start at the top and go from there. The cooking tips are built right into the recipe. Enjoy!

Seared Venison, Brown Rice and Baby Bok Choy  Protein -8 oz. Venison steak, chopped into 1 inch pieces (substitute flat iron cut of beef or chicken breast) -1/3 cup olive oil -¼ cup Worcestershire  sauce -1 TBSP fresh Rosemary -1 clove garlic, minced Combine above ingredients in a glass bowl and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, overnight preferred.  10 minutes before you are ready to eat, heat a skillet with a small amount of cooking oil over medium high heat.  Alternate where you scatter the protein around the hot skillet to keep the temperature up in the pan and cook on one side for 4 minutes or until a nice brown sear appears. Flip each piece and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and get ready to plate your dish. Whole Grain -1 cup brown rice -3 cups water or broth -1 bay leaf -Black pepper and salt This is the ultimate way to make rice! After years of crunchy, burnt on the bottom or overdone rice, I was about to give up until one day, I started making rice and had to stop about 20 minutes into the cooking time. I came back from the store, about 20 minutes later and resumed cooking...best rice ever! One hour before dinner is to be served, or the night before, place the above ingredients in a sauce pan over medium high heat, uncovered. Bring to a bowl, reduce heat to very low and cover. Continue to cook for 20 minutes and then turn off heat. Wait 20 minutes before returning heat to high. Once you see steam, turn the heat down to very low one last time and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to eat. Vegetable -2 Baby Bok Choy stalks, cut in half, lengthwise and rinse well (substitute any dark leafy greens if these cannot be found) -1 cup frozen peas -1 clove garlic, chopped While the meat is searing, In a non-stick skillet, over medium high heat add oil and garlic. Heat for one minute then toss the greens into the pan, continually stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the peas to the pan and cook until they are hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let's plate! Layer one hot dinner plate with 1 cup brown rice, 4 ounces of protein and one half of the vegetables. Suggested garnish: a squeeze of a lime and a dash of Sriracha. Serves two.

Cleanse Your Body after Thanksgiving Festivities!

I hope you have the mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing out of your system by now, but I bet there's a chance you are still feeling bogged down from the heavy feast.  This week I'd thought it'd be a great idea share some cleansing solutions that I have used myself. Once the last of the turkey sandwiches are eaten, follow these steps to feel lighter and healthier. 1. Drink water. Go to the tap, fill it up. Drink. Repeat all day. Get in at least 64 ounces of water. Your body actually uses water to flush waste from your cells and it is imperative for healthy digestion and a reved up metabolism. 2. Garlic. Chop it into avocados for a wonderful healthful spread or dip. Pop it into any recipe you can tolerate. Why? Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage and aid it in the detoxification process. 3. Grapefruit.  Eat them up and especially now, they are in season! Grapefruits are rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers.  Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes.  It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it. Nobody wants a fatty liver.

While creating the big meal of the year is very fun for me, I really am quite tired of the flavor profile by the time the weekend is over. I crave the clean crisp flavor of scallions, lime and fresh greens.  By combining these elements with rich broth and the other white meat, pork, you'll feel satisfied but not weighed down. I hope you'll enjoy this quick and interesting weeknight noodle dish.  Brothy Bok Choy and Pork Noodles ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup rice wine vinegar ¼ cup oil 1 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. coriander 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 TBSP. oil 6 to 8 oz. pork, chopped 64. oz. vegetable stock (unsalted) 1 head of Bok Choy 2 cups of sugar snap peas, sliced in half 6 to 8 oz. Chinese noodles 1 lime, sliced 2 scallions, green and white, sliced and divided In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce, vinegar, oil, ginger, coriander and pepper together and set aside. Chop the bok choy into large chunks with the all-white section discarded.  In a large pot add the 1 TBSP. oil, garlic and pork. Cook until the pork is browned. Deglaze the pot with the fish sauce mixture, stirring well. Add the broth and bring to boil. Add the bok choy and peas to the pot and return to a boil. Add the Chinese noodles to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Serve in large bowls and garnish with scallions and lime. Squeeze the lime on right before eating to give a kick of freshness to the broth. Serves 4.

Kelly Bowlin