Chicken Salad with Pecans and Grapes

Hi friends! Today I am excited to share an easy recipe that I have been really been enjoying. I got this inspiration for this recipe from my husband’s aunt. She made a similar dish for a girl’s lunch one day last fall and I couldn’t stop thinking about how delish it was, so I had to try it myself. Now, I have been making my chicken salad with pecans and grapes on repeat for months. It’s great over salad, on a sandwich or with crackers.

If you follow me over on Instagram, you know that I have love-hate relationship with my slow cooker. After many attempted recipes, I think I finally found the best use for this common kitchen appliance – pulled chicken! It’s a great base for a variety of seasonings and marinades. Now that I have figured that out, the slow cooker is my go-to for easy meal prep. The slow cooker I have is on the smaller side and pretty basic, but it gets the job done. I also like that it easily fits in one of my lower kitchen cabinets (click here).

The trick to making chicken in the slow cooker is to let the chicken and seasonings be the star of the show. No need for extra ingredients or tons of liquid. That being said, other than when I used the slow cooker for chili, I rarely use it for a complete meal. For this recipe, I stuck with the basic ingredients for the chicken because I wanted a neutral flavored base for the chicken salad. I am not a huge fan of mayo, but I love Primal Kitchen’s classic Avocado Oil Mayo. According to their website, they pride themselves on offering products, “that contain no dairy, gluten, grain, refined sugar or soy” (source: Primal Kitchen). A huge plus for a gluten-free gal like me! You’ll also notice that their products are paleo and whole 30 friendly. I am definitely going to be trying more products from Primal Kitchen.

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Gluten Free Chicken Salad with Pecans and Grapes

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
The inspiration for this recipe comes my husband’s aunt and memories of a nice girl’s day in her backyard. Enjoy!

Ingredients

    For the chicken:
  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 c unsalted chicken broth (water works fine too)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion power
  • For the chicken salad
  • 1/2 c mayo (or more to your liking)
  • 1 c red grapes, halved
  • 1/4 c pecans, chopped
  • Fresh cracked s/p to taste
  • For the Dressing
  • Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
  • Drizzle of EVOO

Directions

  1. In your slow cooker, combine chicken with liquid and dry seasonings and cook for 4 hours on high.
  2. Once chicken is done, carefully transfer chicken to a clean bowl and discard extra liquid.
  3. Use two forks to shred chicken.
  4. Add mayo, grapes and pecans. Mix together throughly.
  5. Place the chicken salad over greens or on sandwich bread. Drizzle with EVOO, a little fresh lemon juice and fresh s/p.
  6. Tip: If you don’t need to completely meal prep, wait to add the grapes, pecans, EVOO, lemon juice, s/p until you’re about ready to eat. I think this helps the grapes and pecans from getting soggy.

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Gluten Free Tarragon Chicken Salad

Disclaimer: I am participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. All opinions/recommendations are my own.

Hi friends! Welcome back to the blog. For today’s post I am excited to share an easy recipe and new product find with you all! If you follow me over on Instagram, you know that I have love-hate relationship with my slow cooker. After many attempted recipes, I think I finally found the best use for this common kitchen appliance – pulled chicken! It’s a great base for a variety of seasonings and marinades. Now that I have figured that out, the slow cooker is my go-to for work week lunch meal prep. I have been making pulled chicken every Sunday for months.

The trick to making chicken in the slow cooker is to let the chicken and seasonings be the star of the show. No need for extra ingredients or tons of liquid. That being said, other than when I used the slow cooker for chili, I rarely use it for a complete meal. To round out my lunch, I will also make rice and roasted veggies or a salad. I like to pack my lunch in Pyrex containers (linking my exact set here).

For this recipe, I stuck with the basic ingredients for the chicken because I wanted a neutral flavored base for the chicken salad. I have been following Primal Kitchen for a while and finally decided to try their classic Avocado Oil Mayo. I am not a huge fan of mayo, but I actually think this one has a very mild taste. According to their website, they pride themselves on offering products, “that contain no dairy, gluten, grain, refined sugar or soy” (source: Primal Kitchen). A huge plus for a gluten-free gal like me! You’ll also notice that their products are paleo and whole 30 friendly. I am definitely going to be trying more products from Primal Kitchen.

To prep 4-5 lunches for myself I will use about 1.5lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breast. If I am also making lunch for my husband then I will double this recipe.

Gluten Free Tarragon Chicken Salad

  • Servings: 4-5
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
The inspiration for this recipe is a chicken salad that was sold at Starbucks during my non-gluten-free days. My mom and I have been recreating our own version for years. Enjoy!

Ingredients

    For the chicken:
  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 c unsalted chicken brother (water works fine too)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion power
  • For the chicken salad
  • 1/2 c mayo
  • 1/2 c chopped celery
  • 1/4 c dried cranberries
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon
  • s/p to taste

Directions

  1. In your slow cooker, combine chicken with liquid and dry seasonings and cook for 4 hours on high.
  2. Once chicken is done, carefully transfer chicken to a clean bowl and discard extra liquid.
  3. Use two forks to shred chicken.
  4. Add mayo, dried cranberries, celery, tarragon and s/p (if needed). Mix together throughly.

If you would like me to share more easy pulled chicken recipes, let me know in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!

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Maui Travel Guide: Part 2

Are you thinking of traveling to Maui? If the answer to that question is yes, then you’re in the right place. This post will be the last of my Hawaiian honeymoon travel guide and recap. We started our trip on Oahu and ended in Maui. Although Hawaiian honeymoons sound a bit cliche at the start, I assure you that ours did not feel that way and was nothing short of amazing. We ended our trip at the Andaz Hotel for a few days of pure relaxation.

After leaving Paia, we headed to Wailea where we stayed at the Andaz Hotel. From the moment we arrived at the resort we were amazed with its beauty and all it had to offer. The hospitality of the staff at the Andaz was top notch. The resort provides free shuttle service {most of which are luxury SUVs} to all guests traveling in the Wailea area. Although we rented a car, we did not need it while in Wailea thanks to this service. When we were ready for dinner, we walked outside the lobby and told the bell hops which restaurant we were going to. After a short wait, we would be driven to dinner. When we were ready to be picked up, we just called the bell hops and they came to get us. It was really such a wonderful service. The men working during our stay were terrific. All the staff was very friendly and provided tons of restaurant recommendations. Although we did not sign-up for any tours while in Wailea, the hotel does provide tour guide services for its guests as well.

The grounds of the Andaz are beautiful. The main lobby overlooks the beach and a three tiered deck each featuring an infinity edge pool. Around the corner, guests can find an adult-only pool in close proximity to the spa. We spent most of our time at this pool partly because it was closer to our room. Throughout the all pool areas the Andaz provided towel carts for fresh towels throughout the day. On these carts they also offered a variety of complementary flavored ice water {lemon, cucumber, mint, cantaloupe and strawberry, just to name a few} and Sun Bum SPF. In the afternoon, Andaz staff would walk around the pools offering a complementary refreshing treat such as a mochi or and ice pop. All of these small touches really made our stay feel extra special.

I booked our stay at the Andaz directly through their website because it was a better price than through third party sites. I was really happy I was able to get us an ocean view room. When we were escorted to our room, the hallways reminded us of the 90s show Legends of the Hidden Temple. The room was spacious, included a balcony, modern furnishings and a spacious bathroom. The bathroom included a large rain shower with a window that actually allowed you to overlook the room and balcony. Any drinks or snacks in the bar area were also complementary and were replenished daily. My favorite touch may have been the speciality Maui Lays’ chips. During our stay we also ordered lunch and snacks poolside. The bar menu had a decent amount of GF options, but as with everything in Hawaii, the poolside menus were very pricey.

For breakfast and snacks we went to the Mokapu Market on the grounds of the Andaz. I was overly happy when we realized the market had a gluten-free section including homemade baked goods and our favorite GF pretzels. We would grab breakfast, coffee and head to the adult pool early or take it back up to our room to be enjoyed on the balcony. I love having a balcony with a great view on vacation. I think it’s so relaxing.

My husband made us a reservation at Monkey Pod based on a recommendation he caught by an ESPN news anchor; Monkey Pod is known for its Mai Tais! While we were on Oahu I tried a Mai Tai, but it definitely was thought it would be a drink I would order again. That being said, I am not much of a liquor drinker. My experience was a totally different story at Monkey Pod. Their Mai Tais were delicious! As I type this, I am wondering why we haven’t tried to recreate these at home. To make our experience at Monkey Pod even more enjoyable, the food at this restaurant was as good as the drinks. I had no problem finding a gluten-free options. I went with the Organic Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi. Our server was super knowledgeable of the menu and provided helpful recommends. I highly recommend adding MP to your list of ‘musts’ while visiting Maui.

Monkey Pod Mai Tai

On our last night in Maui, we went to Matteo’s for another memorable evening. Many of the staff at Andaz recommended Matteos as the best Italian food in the area. We were totally on board when we looked through the menu and saw plenty of gluten-free options. For starters, we shared gluten-free turkey meatballs in red sauce with a side of fresh garlic bread. Naturally, I ordered a second round of bread (#twoplease). I tend to over analyze my dinner selections. My husband will vouch for me when I say, I am not always good at ordering food for dinner, but at Matteo’s my choice was a winner. I had the Fettuccine {sub GF penne} Frutti di Mare. For me personally, seafood dishes can be a real hit or miss, but this one was a home run my friends. Matteo’s is another restaurant I highly recommend while on your visit to Maui.

We also had dinner at Gannon’s in Wailea. It is known for its view and atmosphere. We caught the tail end of happy hour and got to chatting with a local semi-retired couple. These types of encounters are always our favorite. They were originally from California and decided to move to Maui after making frequent visits. The husband’s name was also Mike and he was a physical therapist. I cannot remember the wife’s name, but she was the cutest and a bit of a Jane Fonda look alike. They were so sweet. Talking with them at the bar was the highlight of the night. As for our meal, I can’t say either of us were blown away, but Gannon’s got brownie points in my book for having my favorite Prosecco, La Marca.