Adopt a Blogger: Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom

This is my first time participating in this month’s Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger event typically hosted by Sea of Book of Yum. But this time it’s Wendy over at Celiacs in the House who has taken on this month! Basically, one blogger chooses another, picks a recipe to make and share, and then there is a wonderful round-up at the end of the month. As a recipe developer, I don’t spend nearly enough time following others. Usually, it’s just the inspiration I steal (and credit!!) but when I saw Heidi’s Mayo-Free Chicken Salad, I had to try it.

Heidi went gluten-free after a long battle with health issues identified that she had atypical celiac, the detailed backstory to which you can find here. But in addition to her, she has been dedicated to keeping her family’s health intact by following an organic, naturally gluten-free lifestyle (sound familair?). She works closely with Dr. Vikki Petersen of HealthNOW Medical Center and shares really great and informative interviews with a doctor who is a true pioneer in the Gluten-Free Medical Community.

I was lucky enough to meet Heidi in person at the Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo in Chicago this past spring and I instantly fell in love with her. She’s spunky, quick-witted, and such a great soul without taking herself seriously. She’s the kind of person you instantly feel comfortable around like you’ve known each other for years. We spent most of the weekend texting each other over where the best food was. That’s my kind of girl.

Okay, back to the recipe.

I actually left this comment on the original post: “I love mayonnaise like Hugh Heffner loves blondes, but this looks AMAZING.” Seriously. I love mayo. It’s actually gross how much I love it. Mike used to make me homemade grapeseed mayo and he had to stop because I would stand in the kitchen eating it with a spoon. So, it wasn’t the “mayo-free” claim that snagged me. It was the use of a macadamia nut dressing mixed with scallions and dried cherries. I’m a sucker for dueling flavors – sweet and savory, tart and spicy – so it made the top of my new recipe-to-try list.

With their low Omega-6 content, macadamia nuts are one of, if not THE, healthiest nut you can eat. And Heidi pairs it with olive oil and salt to make a quick dressing, making it even healthier if that’s possible. I followed Heidi’s directions to make the dressing using my Vitamix. I also used her suggestion of grilling the chicken first, which I think made it perfect. This really couldn’t have been simpler and we had the chicken salad over a bed of mixed greens for dinner with a side of sweet potato and it was such a nice dinner. I loved the way the tart cherries tasted with the scallions and the creamy macadamia dressing brought it home. I will definitely make this again.

To see her whole recipe, step-by-step instructions and lovely photos, click through.

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