best gazpacho ever!

if you know me, you know i detest tomatoes. ketchup literally makes me cringe. however i have recently found a recipe (involving tomatoes) that i do love! its from my across the street neighbor, kerri, and divine (probably because it has onions in it)! it is sooooo fresh & you can taste the "healthiness" of it!

what you need:
1 28-32oz can of peeled tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 hot house cucumber
2 cloves garlic
apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper

what you do: 
wash all the veggies. peel the cucumber. take the core out of the peppers.

in a food processor put the tomatoes, peppers, onions & garlic. chop for a while (till there are no more big chunks)

add salt, pepper & a few splashes of apple cider vinegar as well as the cucumber (cut up into large chunks). chop with the processor until the cucumber is minced up. refrigerate and enjoy!

a great twist on pasta salad

if you know me, you know i dont love mayo and am always trying new ways to cut it out and get something different for pasta salads and slaws. here is a great recipe i just made for this past week's lunches. its a great side and you can take out any parts that you may not want to add for whatever reason. i left out the grapes, bacon, and nuts and it was still great!

broccoli, grape, & pasta salad
what you need...
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (optional)

what to do...

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

chutney chicken salad

a fun twist on a great favorite! i am one for eliminating mayo as much as possible from chicken salad and this is great! it has some in it but greek yogurt as well to substitute for the extra!

chutney chicken salad

what you need...

1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional...i leave out to cut down on fat)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mango chutney
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 cups diced cooked chicken
1 (8-oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained (you find these in the chinese aisle at the grocery store)
4 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)

what you do...Preheat oven to 350°. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 20 minutes.  Whisk together (in a stand mixer) mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, next 2 ingredients, and toasted almonds, and toss until well blended. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

yes i do realize it seems odd that you would put the chicken in a mixer, however if you put the chicken breasts whole in your kitchen aid stand mixer, lock the arm, and don't even bother chopping up the chicken...you can put a whole chicken breast in there on low speed and watch it pull itself apart (when warm). let it do the work for you until it reaches your desired consistency. kitchen aid=lifesaver!