Black Bean and Avocado Salsa

I love saving magazines with recipes like Southern Living and Cooking Light.  Recently I decided to go through them all and make a binder out of the recipes that I can either eat or improvise with the ingredients.  I found this salsa in Cooking Light May 2007.  Told you I've kept the magazines for a long time!!!!  It was delish!!!!

2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1 cup diced peeled avocado
1/2 cup chopped red onion (I used my Pampered Chef chopper to make it as fine as possible)
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 TBSP finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper (I omited.)
1/8 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss gently.  Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving.  Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Organic Chicken Piccata & Heirloom Tomatoes

Years ago, when Jon and I lived in Atlanta, a friend introduced me to the chicken piccata at the Cheesecake Factory.  I've been hooked every since!  Seriously, I don't think I've ever had anything else there.  For some reason I never really tried to make it until the other night.  I picked up this recipe at Whole Foods at the same time I picked up the Tarragon Chicken one.  I didn't do the tomato portion of it only because I didn't have any but I will certainly do it next time.  Again, it called for flour so this time I used Coconut Flour.  What a great flavor!!!!

Chicken Piccata & Heirloom Tomatoes
Serves 4

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup flour (I used Let's Do...Organic Coconut flour)
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 TBSP butter or butter substitute, divided
6 TBSP olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1 cup heirloom tomatoes seeded and diced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Slice the chicken breast, into 1/4 inch thick medallions. Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

Heat pan over medium-high heat, pour in 3 TBSP oil and 2 TBSP butter.  When butter has melted and stops foaming place medallions into pan and saute for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Pour lemon juice, stock, and capers into pan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in remaining butter. (I didn't use all the butter it called for.)

Return chicken to the pan to coat the chicken with sauce.

Arrange chicken on a platter.  Put tomatoes into sauce, gently stir and pour over chicken.  Garnish with parsley.

Sauteed Organic Tarragon Chicken

The only way to get Taylor to come to Whole Foods with me without complaining is the knowing that there will be samples everywhere....especially on the weekends!  That's my only saving grace!!!  This past weekend was no different.  While there we stumbled upon a lady serving some sort of chicken.  Taylor devoured it and begged for me to cook it that night.  Thankfully you'll always find recipes at these little stands!

There were a couple of things in the recipe like flour and butter that I can't have so I had to improvise with my foods.  Did you know that there are tons of different flours you can have other than "all-purpose"???  A ton!!!  (Bob's Red Mill is amazing!!!)  Donna, my health counselor, has introduced me to so much.  If it wasn't for her I would be so timid as to how to cook with all these new things like these different flours. 

Sauteed Organic Tarragon Chicken

2 pounds organic boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill White Rice flour)
1/4 vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes (Earth Balance is a great dairy free, soy free alternative)
1 TBSP fresh tarragon (I didn't have this ingredient so I used Bragg's seasoning.  Delish!!!)

Slice chicken breast, crosswise, into 1/4 inch thick medallions. (I took the easy way out and bought the chicken already cut up at Whole Foods!)  Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

Heat saute pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil and allow to heat up for 1 minute.  Put medallions into pan and saute for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Pour chicken stock into pan and stir to remove fond from bottom of pan.  Add butter one piece at a time.  Blending in after each piece.  Stir in seasoning.

Arrange medallions on a platter and pour sauce over it.

Serves 4

A New Look for the "From Jaimie's Kitchen" blog

So much time has passed and so many things are now different!!!  Let me start from the beginning and explain where my blogs have been for the past year....

Here's a little background of my "stomach" problems.  Since high school until now I've always had stomach issues.  It started with colitis as a Freshman in high school to being diagnosed with IBS and lactose intolerant at the age of 22.  While being pregnant and after my girls were born my symptoms seemed to die down which was wonderful.  Well, a little over a year ago I started with issues again. Any time I would eat something or drink something my stomach would bloat up, cramp....I will save you on the rest of the details. :-)  I was thinking that maybe a side effect of hypothyroidism was that I couldn't eat certain foods so I went to an endocrynologist and she quickly, in a nice way, told me I was nuts.  This went on for months of literally feeling like I was crazy and just dreaming that my stomach hurt. 

We all know what it's like during Thanksgiving and Christmas....yummy, rich, fattening foods.  Gosh how you dream about these holidays year round to eat the foods you only eat during these times.  Well, that backfired on me!  I was soooo sick and had no clue why.  We thought maybe a bad gall bladder but that was negative.  I went to a gastrologist and did the scope down my throat to see if I had celiac disease but that came back fine.  After getting sick one last time my PCP decided to send me to an allergist.  Low and behold we found the culprit!!!!!!  Sure enough I have TONS...I mean, TONS....of food allergies.  Ready for this???  corn, dairy, casein, soy, eggs, chocolate, peanuts, almonds, and also a sensitivity to gluten.

I know what you are thinking....WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU EAT???  Well, that's what I thought too.  I was so excited to get an answer to my problems but at the same time so scared as to what I was going to do.  My doctor recommended a dietitian who helped me get my feet a little wet on the different foods out there that I've never even heard of.  I was going to Whole Foods all the time just looking at labels, studying the foods, and determining how I was going to cook.  If you aren't a frequent WF shopper you know how overwhelming that place can be!!!  I'm now working with a health consultant who has really helped me find so many different foods and different ways to eat and get the nutrients I need.

So now I'll be posting a ton of new recipes that will make you say "what on earth is that???"  "why on earth is she putting kale is smoothies???" "quinoa, millet, lentils...what's that and how to do I cook that???".  These are all the OVERWHELMING questions I had when I had to start eating this new and improved way.  I'll be revamping recipes and explaining all the new foods I have to substitute for everyday foods.  A lot of my recipes come from Whole Foods, allergy friendly magazines, and from my health counselor who has a fabulous website Better Off Well. (go there....she has wonderful recipes and tips!)

I hope you enjoy the blog the way you did before!!!!  It's been a rollercoaster for me so I'm excited to start sharing everything I've learned!!!!

Chicken Taco Rice

This was a recipe I tried this summer that was handed down by a friend.  Super good and easy and my picky eater loved it!  (Yes, Taylor is still picky!)

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into strips
1 1/2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small strips
1 1/2 cups original minute rice, uncooked
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook and stir chicken in hot oil until lightly browned.
2. Add water, tomato sauce and seasoning mix.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Add corn and red bell pepper.  Bring to a boil.
4. Stir in rice.  Cover; remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
5. Fluff rice with a fork.
6. Sprinkle top with cheese.
7. Serve with tortilla chips or hot floured tortillas, if desired.

Maggie's Decadent Brownies

I'm back!  What a crazy, busy summer this has been.  We were non-stop when Jon was home on vacation and I just didn't have the energy to blog.  Football season is here so it's time to start trying some new tailgating foods!!!

I made these brownies last year and blogged about it but never put a picture up.  Don't they look divine!  Click here to get the recipe. 

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Here's a yummy marinade for pork chops that I found in my Weight Watchers cookbook.  Anything with honey mustard satisfies my husband so he just loved this marinade!

4 tsps honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tsp cider or wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

I mixed it all together, poured over the pork chops, and threw them in the fridge (for at least 8 hours) until Jon threw them on the grill.  They came out pretty tasty!