Cashew Chicken

This recipe is a little more cultural than my usual creations. But I feel that's a good thing - we all need to switch it up and get a little crazy every now and again!

So this chicken is great in a wrap (obviously *hence* picture) 

But also delicious on rice, in a taco or even just by itself with some delicious sides to round out the meal

It's a spicy blend of flavors complimented by the crunch of the cashews and tender chicken pieces. You can adjust the spice to fit your likings (just add more/less red pepper flakes)

The original recipe came from my sister who is doing an awesome job this year at making all her meals for the upcoming two weeks on a Sunday... brilliant! And this was one of those meals - so FYI it freezes beautifully! 

INGREDIENTS: 

-4 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)

-2 TBSP soy sauce

-1/2 TBSP olive oil

-1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to your liking)

-1 onion - minced

-1 TBSP. minced garlic (or garlic salt)

-1/2 cup cashews

For Sauce:

-4 TBSP. soy sauce

-1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch

-1 TBSP sugar

-2 tsp. white vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine 1 TBSP. soy sauce and olive oil in a bowl, add diced chicken and let marinate while you prepare the other ingredients

2. Whisk 4 TBSP soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and vinegar - set aside

3. Add chicken, onions, garlic and red pepper to a pan set on medium heat

4. Cook until chicken is golden - about 3 or 4 minutes

5. Add cashews and cook another minute

6. Add the sauce and let it simmer until thickened, around 5 more minutes

7. Serve HOT over rice, in a tortilla, any which way your little tummy desires!

Grandy Oats

What time is it?! Product Review time!

And today's winner is.... 

Grandy Oats

...oh don't act surprised, it was in the title people :P

Anyways- Grandy Oats was created in 1979 by two friends, and then passed onto another set of friends - Nat and Aaron that now run the company we have today.

They are a certified organic company that sells many 'oat products' as in-

granola

trail mix

roasted nuts

hot cereal

I was grateful to receive some samples of the granola (seen above) 

They were pretty good, I have to be honest with you - this isn't my absolute favorite granola. But it is very good! Don't get me wrong, I just didn't think the texture was crunchy enough for my likings. 

The Honey Apple Crisp was my favorite about of the bunch!

But now onto the Hot Cereal... 

WOAH!

Loved it. 

All you do is add 6-7 ounces of hot water and put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple minutes. 

I was very skeptical about it thickening, but it did! And it was divine! 

I loved how the only real sweetener was the natural sweetness from the dried fruits (there was a little sweetener on the dried fruits, but very minimal) 

Is this any indication of how much I liked it?!

All their products are made with real, wholesome ingredients and therefore have some great nutritional stats! 

If you're looking for a new granola company to try out - definitely give Grandy Oats a try - especially if you don't like the more crispy/crunchy granola and prefer a more chewy texture. 

Also-the little cups of granola are perfect for 'on the go' breakfast - how easy would it be to throw a couple in your suitcase next time you'll be traveling a few days? 

*All opinions are solely my own, I was not compensated in any way - the only thing I received from Grandy Oats was the samples.

Broccoli Raisin Salad

As I was beginning to write this recipe post, I kind of felt bad... I don't really understand why this salad has always been called 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' ..what? Did the other ingredients get the short straws and not get the recipe named after them? (I am aware this is extremely neurotic-but still!) I mean, the cashews are probably my favorite part, and the cauliflower is awesome too! So I think they should get a part in the name, but alas...since most people know it by this name I will keep it!

Alright, on to the actual recipe-I am a HUUUUGE fan of this amazing salad... but I pulled up the first recipe I found when I googled 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' and the nutritional stats were jaw-dropping! 1 serving had 447 calories and 33 grams of fat!!! :O I couldn't believe it, I mean I know salads aren't always the figure friendly food some people assume them to be but really... calling something a salad and then having over 400 calories in it?! That should be a felony somewhere!

So I set off to create something a bit more "Blissful" on the nutritional front-and not to brag, but Boy Oh Boy did I succeed! This salad really does have it all: crunch, sweetness, creamy, and just a hint of salty flavor... and the best part- not even 100 calories per serving (and believe me, it's a BIG serving!)

If that wasn't enough to get you to make this, it also has over 130% of you recommended intake of vitamin C, some fiber and a healthy dose of protein!

What are you waiting for?! Go make this delicious side dish!

and there ya have it! Simple, delicious and healthy... what more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

Dressing:

-1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

-1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

-1 TBSP. vinegar

-1 TBSP. Ranch dressing mix

Salad:

-6 cups broccoli/cauliflower (chopped)

-1/4 cup cashews

-1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl

2. Chop broccoli, cauliflower and cashews

3. Add chopped veggies, cashews and raisins to your bowl with dressing and stir to coat

4. Let refrigerate at least 2 hours for dressing's flavors to mature

~Makes 6 (GOOD sized) servings

Nutritional Info (about 1 cup)

Cake Batter Butter

What is better than cake batter?! In my opinion.... umm NOTHING! I love trying to recreate the cake batter taste in just about everything! (recipes coming soon!) I love cake batter ice cream, cake batter shakes, cake batter oatmeal...everything! So I figured I would try my hand at created a version of a nut butter that tastes like cake batter... crazy I know!

After trying a few different variations, I came up with a recipe that any cake batter lover will appreciate! It's great to put on toast, bagels, apple slices, and crackers! (Just to name a few...)

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup of butter) :
-2 cups cashews (I used salted, but if you use unsalted you can always add a little pinch of salt)
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 tsp. butter extract
-1/2 tsp. almond extract
-Sprinkles ...now some people here would put "optional" but NO-this is not optional in any way shape or form.... to get the legit cake batter experience you must add sprinkles to the end result-but then again, how will I ever know :)

Directions
1. Roast cashews on a baking sheet in a 350* oven until they become fragrant.
2. Let cashews cool
3. When they are just warm, put cashews in food processor or high powered blender and blend away! (the warmth from the cashews helps their oils come out a bit easier)
4. Keep scrapping sides of blender/processor until you reach the consistency you like
5. Pour into your jar of choice and fold in sprinkles!

Sooooo good with some crackers! Mmmm Mmm!

Nutritional Info: (2 TBSP of cake batter butter)