Some of you might remember last year (maybe the year before), McDonald's added the Asian salad to their menu.  When I was on the hardcore dieting wagon, I was eating these things like someone was going to take them away.  360 calories including the chicken and dressing!  Then BOOM - they did take them away.  I had no idea they were seasonal.  Lucky for me, they're back.  Lucky for YOU, McD's sent me some freebie coupons to let me eaters try them out.

Here's how I'm going to do this:
The next five people to send me one or more new fans on Facebook get the coupons. Easiest way to accomplish this is by clicking "Share" on the bottom left menu when you go to the FvF Facebook page.  Make sure you tell your pals to post on the FvF wall that you sent'em (or you won't win, dummy)!

You may be wondering how to participate if you're not a fan of FvF on Facebook.  In that event, I might be wondering what the hell your problem is.  Not on Facebook at all?  You probably have an abacus or water wheel to tend to, so don't even worry about these delicious salads.  There's no better venue for the giveaway than ol' Facebook, considering this page is what likely prompted them to bring it back in the first place.

Anycrap, after my brief match with Prednisone in October, about 8 pounds have crept back on, and I simply am not havin' that shit.  So, our lunches and dinners are going back to the lower end of the glycemic index, as to make nice with our waistlines again.  


A lot of South Beach recipes don't appeal to me that much, so sometimes I'll take Adkins recipes and cut a lot of the fat out of them.  Everyone loves the lettuce cups at PF Chang's, but i don't have the patience to dice chicken or the stomach to put it in a food processor and think it'll ever be clean enough again.  I really don't care for ground chicken, either, since I'm allergic to nasty.

This is all comprised of shit that we almost *always* have on-hand at Chez FvF.  Wicked easy, and the dude loved it.  Here's what you'll need:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, if you prefer)

 2 tsp olive oil  

 2 minced shallots 

3 tbsp dijon mustard 

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (white wine vinegar works, too)

1 tbsp butter 

7-10 oz fresh spinach 

salt and pepper

Let me preface this by saying - and you may want to sit down - but, prior to this, I'd never eaten Indian food before. I used to be a real nervous Nelly about trying new things, but once I got past that - I just never got around to trying it.  So, I really haven't a clue how authentic (or not) this recipe is.  But, aside from a few spices I needed to pick up, it was something I already had all the ingredients for and seemed easy enough. Here's what you'll need: 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 cup diced onion 

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp to 

1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

2 tsp minced fresh ginger 

2 tsp minced garlic 

2 Tbsp tomato paste 

1 can petite diced tomatoes 

3 chicken breasts, 

2 chicken breasts, diced (raw)

Mr. FvF and I have been trying to eat fairly healthy at lunch and dinner to combat all the other carb-o-riffic holiday treats that are finding their way into our faces. Last week, I was craving Italian - specifically, something swimming in a rich bolognese. Other than piling on pasta, there aren't tons of options. Then, I came across a South Beach dieter's blog with a recipe that used zucchini and squash as vessels for fillings, the same way I do my stuffed shells. Then I slapped myself for not thinking of that on my own. I started to choke myself, then I remembered that I'm not Rob Schneider. Even I was skeptical, and I was almost sure the husband wouldn't dig this, but it turned out surprisingly kick ass. Here's what you'll need:

I found this recipe on a diabetes (dy-bee-tuhs) website and it seemed strangely delicious. Too delicious to be good for you. The first time I made it, I'd had a bit too much wine and forgot to boil the potatoes before adding them in, but it was still actually pretty tasty. So, I decided to give it another whirl since I had most of the pantry staples it required leftover from previous meals. I've adapted the ingredients to the way that I made it and trust me, it's a little better this way. Because the potatoes soak up so much liquid, it can dry up like an old lady at the bingo hall.

Chicken Hash
1 lb chicken breast (you're going to cut it up, so it doesn't matter if it's boneless)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
3 cloves minced garlic
8 small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup black beans, drained & rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme (or substitute 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
1 tsp dried basil (or substitute 1 tbsp fresh basil)
1 tsp paprika
1 small can tomato sauce
salt/pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken with thyme, basil and salt and bake for 20 minutes or until done. Dice the chicken into large cubes and set aside.
Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes and drain.
Heat the oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until browned and soft. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, then the black beans and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Add chicken cubes, paprika, salt, pepper and tomato paste to skillet. Give it a good stir and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes until it's all heated through. I like to throw a little shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream on top to make it feel at least a little sinful. Second time's a charm! It's definitely better when you boil the potatoes. Don't worry, you can still have wine afterwards. It prevents heart disease...or something!