Figgy Walnut Bars

Though these are quite similar to Larabars, the orange extract used in them makes them delightfully different from any of the available Larabar flavors. I made these based on a recipe from Whole Foods.

Dates and figs are naturally very sweet, so they are great for us folks with the occasional sweet tooth, but, as fruits, they are also healthy for you! (Certainly more nutritious than plain ol' table sugar! Blech).

Ingredients

10 oz medjool dates, pitted

10 oz Turkish figs (hard stem part removed)

1 cup walnuts

1/4 tsp orange extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Process until you get a small crumb.

Remove half of the mixture. Set aside. 

Process the rest until it looks close to a paste, and sticks together easily. 

Now. Press it into a baking pan lined with wax paper. 

Once it's all smooshed evenly, cover it with plastic, and set in in the fridge to firm up, about 2 hours. Lift out with wax paper, and cut into bars. Wrap individually or separate with sheets of wax paper for storage. Keep refrigerated so they keep their shape. 

I'm sure there are many fruit/nut combos we all could come up with for these bars... So I look forward to using my own creativity and hopefully hearing from you about what you did too! 

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Toasted Pecans

Chicken Salad
TMP Adaptation
Serves 4

½ cup eggless light mayo
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 packets of Truvia or Stevia zero-calorie sweetener
⅓ cup diced celery
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked, cubed
⅓ cup pecans, toasted, chopped
2 tsp chia seeds
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

Directions:
What directions? Mix these goodies up in a bowl, cover & chill in the fridge for a while, and enjoy!

Nutrition data for adapted version (from MyFitnessPal.com), per serving:
283 kcal
17 g fat
25 g protein
11 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber
6 g sugar

Whole Foods Sonoma Chicken Salad
Serves 4-6

“This chicken salad is one of our classic Whole Foods Market dishes. The tender chicken breast, crunchy pecans and sweet grapes in each bite are hard to top.” -From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Ingredients

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Directions

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer on a baking pan. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through (Juices should run clear; no pink in the center) Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan; let cool for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.

When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

Dill pepperoncini tuna salad

This was such a pleasant change from the common mayo & celery type tuna salad! I will definitely be making this again, since it's so easy and quick to put together!

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Makes about 2 cups, or four 1/2 cup servings 

10 min prep. time

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces (white solid albacore) tuna in water, well drained
• 2 scallions washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 6 pepperoncini peppers, stems and seeds removed,  julienne-cut
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I used 3 tsp dried)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts*
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil **
• 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
• 1/4 (to 1/2 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Whisk olive oil, Dijon and whole grain mustards, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, lemon juice, and dill together in bowl. Toss with tuna, scallions, pepperoncini, and pine nuts in a non-reactive bowl. 

Serving suggestions: Wrap in butter or Bibb lettuce, in whole wheat pits pocket, or whatever other cracker, bread, etc you prefer! 

Original recipe notes: This can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.

Other notes:

*To toast pine nuts:

Heat nuts in single layer in small pan on the stove top, over medium high heat. Watch closely, stir/toss every 30 sec or more if needed, to avoid burning the nuts. Remove from heat when golden. 

**original recipe used 1/4 cup EVOO