Good Thyme Kitchen

You are here: Home / Archives for healthy

healthy

Guiltless Creamy Chicken Salad

by Leave a Comment

GTK Guiltless Creamy Chicken Salad As seen on Your Life A to Z on 3TV

What’s not to like about  creamy chicken salad?? Especially when you can get away with calling it guiltless!  This is one of those go-to recipes that we both make on a weekly basis. We have subbed out the mayo in our recipe for 0% Greek yogurt which  means that you still get the creamy texture without the fat.  Add in chopped chicken breast, some fresh dill, chopped green onions and celery and finish it off with a squeeze of lime juice and S&P.  That’s it…it’s that easy!  With just a few steps you too can be eating this creamy chicken salad for lunch.

Once the chicken salad is made the possibilities are endless, you have so many choices when it comes to how you can serve it up.  If you are serving it as an appetizer or at a brunch you can stuff a spoonful in a belgium endive spear.  If you want to be really fancy you can hollow out the inside of a tomato or avocado and stuff the chicken salad inside.  Otherwise, you can keep it traditional and eat it inside a pita or as a sandwich.  We have it paired with these awesome seed crackers in this photo which is another great way to enjoy it as well.  Whatever way you choose to eat it, you can’t go wrong.  There is a reason why this is one of our all-time favorite lunch recipes!!

Use your left over chicken from our Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Chicken with Purple Potatoes for this great salad.


Guiltless Creamy Chicken Salad
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: Serves 4 as a meal or fills approx 15 endive spears
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (approx 2 cups)
  • ¼ C 0% greek yogurt
  • 2 green onions, green tops only, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stock, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
  • juice of ½ lime
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp fresh ground back pepper
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
  2. Spoon chicken salad into belgium endive spears. Store remaining chicken salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Hass Avocado Party – Love One Today!

by Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today as part of an In-Home Party Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in our post are our own.

Recently, we had the opportunity to host an In-home party featuring some delicious Hass avocado recipes.  At Good Thyme Kitchen, we are obsessed with avocados so this party was a no-brainer for us.  We invited some of our avocado loving friends and their kids to enjoy the recipes we made.  We decorated the table with bright colors and chose recipes featuring avocados that both the kids and adults would love.  We had a fun afternoon filled with friends, music, laughter and lots of yummy food..and of course lots of avocados!  The recipes we chose to serve at our party were, agua fresca de aguacate, vegan avocado ceviche, avocado and mango kick-starter smoothies and a peanut butter, apple avocado wrap on a whole wheat tortilla.

We set up a buffet style table featuring all of the selected dishes. The kids were all super excited when they came running (literally) in the door after school!  We had prepared everything just before all of the guests arrived as we knew they’d be hungry. So while the kids changed out of their school clothes, we started by serving up a cold drink to the mama’s.

The agua fresca de aguacate drink was absolutely delicious!  It was so refreshing and a perfect choice for a hot August day in Arizona.  It’s made with honeydew melon, fresh Hass avocados, water, lime juice, ice and a pinch of salt.  Both the adults and kids were big fans of this one.  A drink like this aqua fresca is one that you can feel good about serving your guests because wholesome, fresh foods are less likely to contain added sugars, salt and other processed ingredients.

We also featured this amazing vegan avocado ceviche which was a total home run!  The clean fresh flavor paired perfectly with the whole grain tortilla chips we served it with. Both the adults and kids gobbled this one up!  Good thing we doubled this recipe as it went fast.  While everyone was munching on the chips and ceviche, we called the kids to the table for the smoothies.

The kids saw these fun smoothies waiting for them and they couldn’t wait to get their hands on them! The smoothies were so delicious.  They were made with frozen mango and pineapple, fresh Hass avocados, pineapple juice, almond milk and some ice.  We have been putting avocados into our kid’s smoothies ever since they were toddlers and they absolutely love them.  The avocado’s smooth, creamy consistency and mild taste makes it one the first fresh fruits a child can enjoy.

It was so fun to see these cuties enjoying all of the delicious recipes.  These kids are serious avocado lovers!

This guy takes his smoothie drinking seriously!!

They even liked chowing down on plain avocados which is guaranteed to make the parents happy.  Avocados contribute to nearly 20 nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytonutrients, that are important to infant/toddler nutrition.  As parents, we love to see our kids eating healthy foods!

I mean, how cute is she??  Our avocado poster child!

The kids were having so much fun and we loved seeing them try new things!

Like I said before, the chips and ceviche went fast!  Who doesn’t like a chip loaded with fresh avocado and tomatoes?

And another smoothie lover!!

The peanut butter, apple and avocado wrap in a whole wheat tortilla was also a favorite.  Good thing we made a bunch of these because the kids were loving them and it was the perfect after school snack for hungry kids.

The moms were definitely not missing out on the yummy food either.

Looks like this cutie needs a refill!

We’d say that our Love One Today avocado party was a huge success!!  We had so much fun making the recipes and having our friends try them out.  All of the mom’s left with recipe cards so they can make the dishes at home as well.  And, how cute are these T-shirts too?

Fresh Avocados – Love One Today

website: https://www.avocadocentral.com/?utm_source=loveoneredirect&utm_medium=loveonetoday&utm_campaign=LOT&1=1

Peanut Butter Chia Chocolate Protein Cups (Vegan & Gluten Free)

by 3 Comments

I’m a slightly obsessed with these little cups of heaven.  Chocolate mixed with peanut butter, um yes please! I will never ever turn down a chocolate peanut butter combo of anything…ever.  We added the powerhouse ingredient, cacao powder, to turn these into chocolate.  We also added rolled oats and chia seeds, these little chocolate peanut butter cups are packed with a TON of protein, they will satisfy your sweet tooth and they are filling.  Oh, and they are gluten free and vegan.  Yep, these are pretty much too good to be true.

You can prep these in 10 minutes flat, let them set in the freezer and before you know it you will be in peanut butter chocolate heaven. I know we say this all of the time but really and truly you NEED these in your life.  Friends don’t let friends miss out on something this delicious, so we are just being a good friend!


Peanut Butter Chia Chocolate Protein Cups
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
Layer 1:
  • 3 Tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp cacao powder
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • ½ C rolled oats
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds
Layer 2:
  • ¼ C natural peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat add peanut butter, maple syrup, cacao powder, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in rolled oats and chia seeds.
  2. Line mini muffin liners in a mini muffin tin. Distribute layer 1 evenly into the 10 cups. Place in the freezer.
  3. In a small saucepan over low heat add peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil, stir until melted.
  4. Remove protien cups from freezer. Add layer 2 evenly over the top of each protien cup and return to freezer. Once frozen place protein cups in tupperware and store in the freezer.

Frozen Honey-Yogurt Covered Blueberries

by Leave a Comment

This is one of those simple snacks that we thought of while munching away on yogurt covered raisins.  Frozen blueberries are another one of our favorite snacks so why not cover blueberries in Greek yogurt mixed with honey and then freeze them??

Well that seemed like a no brainer so we quickly set up the assembly line and went to work.  This 3 ingredient healthy snack can’t get any easier.  Mix some raw honey with 0% Greek yogurt, roll a blueberry through the honey yogurt and line it up on a parchment wrapped sheet pan.  Freeze the yogurt blueberries for a couple of hours and suddenly you have these perfect little frozen blueberries surrounded by a shell of naturally sweetened yogurt.

Once they are frozen transfer the blueberries to a tupperware container and store in the freezer for easy snacking.  We’ve made a few batches of these now and they rarely make it to the tupperware because everyone eats them so quickly. These are a great alternative to curb a sweet tooth craving and they are guilt free so eat up!


Frozen Honey-Yogurt Covered Blueberries
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 2 Cups
Ingredients
  • 2 C fresh blueberries, washed
  • 1 C 0% Greek yogurt - can use plain non-Greek yogurt as well
  • 2-3 Tbsp raw honey - adjust depending on sweetness
Instructions
  1. In a low bowl mix yogurt and honey to desired sweetness. In ½ C batches add blueberries and toss to coat with a spoon. Set on parchmenet lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat the process until the blueberries are gone.
  2. Transfer bluerries to the freezer and freeze for 2 hours until frozen. Remove blueberries from baking sheet and place in ziploc bags. Enjoy as a healthy snack or dessert!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Power Smoothie

by 4 Comments

The combo of peanut butter and chocolate might just be one of the best ever!  Right? It’s no surprise that our kids happen to feel the same way.  This peanut butter chocolate power smoothie is a very popular item in both of our households for the kids and the adults alike.  The reason we call it a power smoothie is simply because it is totally loaded with super healthy ingredients that also happens to taste amazingly delicious!!  Yep, another WIN!  So you need to be let in on a secret ingredient that we use often for chocolatey deliciousness…it’s called cacao powder…not cocoa powder (check out the spelling difference).  We are in love with this raw, organic, 100% cacao powder because of all of the energy boosting health benefits that it possesses.  It’s loaded with magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc and iron!  It’s literally a chocolate superfood that supports blood, heart and bone health as well as metabolic functioning.  Sounds too good to be true, huh?  Well, it’s not.  Let’s not discount the fact that this little gem also contains spinach (another powerhouse we know and love) and Greek yogurt (totally loaded with protein)…all blended with the sweetness of a banana, some almond milk and a splash of vanilla and you are good to go!

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Peanut Butter Chocolate Power Smoothie
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 C spinach, packed
  • 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
  • ¼ C 0% Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp cacao powder (can use cocoa powder instead)
  • 1 C almond milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ C crushed ice
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and sprinkle top with cacao powder.

Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins

by 1 Comment

So here’s the story on these chocolatey, sweet muffins of deliciousness.  My son had a request for “chocolate muffins” the other day.  In typical fashion, I took this request to heart but of course, I had to do something to doctor them up.  If there’s a chance that I can sneak in something green, you better believe it’s gonna happen.  And here’s the deal folks, zucchini is magical.  You heard it here today…please trust us…you can shred zucchini and throw it into so many different recipes and “the people” won’t even know!  We do it all the time in sauces, breads, muffins and all kinds of other dishes as well.

You start by simply combining the wet ingredients into a bowl.  Shred up that zucchini and add it in there too.  This recipe is really fast and easy.  That’s probably why we like it so much.  Well, that and the fact that these muffins are like outa this world!! They are so moist (yep, said it) and super chocolatey.  And don’t forget…they have zucchini so they are good for you!

After you combine the wet ingredients, just slowly add in the dry one’s and give it a stir.  Look at how good that looks!  Yum. Just don’t overmix your batter now…that will give your muffins a tuff texture.  Nobody likes a tough muffin.  Right?  So, get the batter nicely mixed and fill those muffin cups about 2/3 full…top with a few extra chocolate chips if you’re feeling crazy, and pop them in the oven for about 15 – 18 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so you don’t overcook them.  You are gonna thank us for these…we know it!


Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 banana - smashed
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ C coconut oil
  • 1 Tbs. 0% greek yogurt
  • 1½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
  • ¼ C almond milk
  • 1 C shredded zucchini
  • 1½ C flour
  • ½ C packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbs. cocoa powder
  • ⅓ C chocolate chips + more for top
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°
  2. In a medium bowl, mix egg, coconut oil, greek yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup and almond milk until combined.
  3. Add in the cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, and flour and stir thoroughly. Fold in the banana, zucchini and chocolate chips.
  4. Line muffin tin with paper liners and fill cups about ⅔ full with mixture. Sprinkle tops with a few additional chocolate chips. Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through.

Simple Cucumber with Lime

by 2 Comments

It’s usually the simplest of food that tastes the best.  I was sitting on the beach last week with my good friend, Tiffany.  She pulled out a container of sliced cucumbers with a squeeze of fresh lime juice which was perfectly seasoned with kosher salt and cracked pepper.  It’s was so simple but it tasted so good.  It’s my new favorite snack, I have a tupperware container in my fridge as I write this that I have been snacking on all day.

It’s funny because it seems like it’s the simplest of recipes on our blog that seem to be the most popular with all of you as well.  As I think of my favorite go-to snacks I think of avocado toast, or fresh heirloom tomatoes seasoned with kosher salt.  Nothing out of the ordinary, just simple, clean food.  So here it is….sliced cucumbers, freshly squeezed lime juice and kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste.  Let it chill in the fridge and you might have your new favorite snack too.  Thank you Tiffany, now we will all think of you as we eat our sliced cucumbers with lime!


5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Cucumber with Lime
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 cucumbers
  • juice of 2 medium limes
  • kosher salt
  • cracked black pepper
Instructions
  1. Slice cucumbers into approximately ¼ inch slices. Add to a medium bowl, squeeze with fresh lime juice and add S & P to taste. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chile Lime Chicken

by 5 Comments

Looking for an easy but crazy flavorful grilled chicken? Look no further, we’ve got you covered!  This chile lime chicken is ridiculously simple to make but it’s packed with flavor.  Aside from the usual suspects like organic chicken breasts and olive oil, you also need fresh cilantro, limes, honey and the secret ingredient comes in this little shaker from Trader Joe’s.

chile

This chile lime seasoning blend is one of our go to mixed spices.  If you can’t find this at your local TJ’s, it’s just a mixture of salt, chili powders and lime juice so you can improvise with some chili, cayenne, salt and extra lime juice and you should be able to get by with that to achieve the same flavor. In a freezer bag add the chicken breasts with a few shakes of the chile lime blend and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Grill and serve, it’s that easy. Pair this with our GTK Elote as a side and you are covered. Weeknight dinner made simple, weekends too!

chilelimechicken

 

 

Chile Lime Chicken
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 4 - 610
Ingredients
  • 4 organic skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 C loosely packed cilantro, chopped + more for serving
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 - 4 shakes TJ's Chile Lime seasoning blend + more for serving
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
  1. In a large ziploc freezer bag add chicken, honey, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and chile lime seasoning. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat BBQ and grill chicken approx 5 minutes per side until cooked through. Plate chicken with 1-2 more shakes of chile lime seasoning, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes

by Leave a Comment

Get out of town!! That is exactly what you will say when you take your first bite of these warm, fluffy, sweet, pancakes. Why are pancakes so fun? It’s like you can put anything in the form of a pancake and it just makes you want to eat it! Well, at least that’s how we feel. And you will too after you try these guys. We did some experimenting to try and make them more healthy than your typical buttermilk pancake without compromising the flavor. We are not gonna lie, we knocked this one out of the park!! Here’s the deal, if the kids will devour them, it’s a win win right? Our kids cannot get enough of these. We suggest making some time whenever you can make that happen (I know we all have Tons of it these days) but seriously, set aside like 45 minutes one day and make up a big batch, let them cool and then put them in a large freezer bag to have for future days. They freeze and reheat very well and you will be so happy on those busy mornings to just grab one and heat it up. Drizzle with fresh maple syrup and you are done. Delish!

sweetpotatobananapancakes

Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup oats
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk (dairy or nut milk of your choice, we used cashew milk)
  • ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes
  • ¼ cup ripe mashed banana
  • butter for greasing griddle
Instructions
  1. Peel sweet potato and dice into small cubes. In a medium saucepan, boil until tender. About 10-15 minutes. Drain and smash in a bowl. (Reserve any leftover potatoes in a ziploc bag in freezer for future use)
  2. Smash one half banana with fork and set aside
  3. In a blender, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, eggs and milk and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the smashed sweet potatoes and banana.
  4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter and pour about ¼ cup per pancake and cook until fluffy and slightly golden around edges. Flip and continue cooking other side. About 3-4 minutes per side. Continue with remaining batter.
  5. Serve with warm maple syrup
Good Thyme Tip: These pancakes freeze very well. We suggest making a large batch and storing them in freezer for those busy mornings.