Meat

Stone Fruit Chicken-Rice Salad

I don’t know why it doesn’t occur to me to always have precooked rice, lots of fruits and/veggies, and chicken on hand to make a hodge podge rice bowl. These kinds of meals are always exactly what tastes so good to me and what leaves me feeling satisfied. I do have a ridiculous love for rice so I try not to eat too much of it (hence why it’s never in the house). If I could figure out how to control myself, maybe I could actual have certain foods on standby. But rice with chicken and fruits or veggies along with an Asian flavored sauce or a light vinaigrette is usually my perfect little meal. Which explains why I was so drawn to this Stone Fruit Chicken-Rice Salad.

Grilled chicken, nectarines, brown rice, cherries, scallions, almonds, and mint are mixed together before being tossed with a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon and Dijon. Served with whatever kind of green you like (I used arugula), this salad is a perfect lunch or even a light which takes advantage of summer’s fruits. I look forward to nectarines, peaches, berries and especially cherries each year so as soon as I saw cherries in the store, I grabbed a huge bag no matter the cost. Substitute this salad with rotisserie chicken, turkey, blueberries, corn, spinach, zucchini, basil, tomatoes or whatever your heart desires. No matter what you throw in, you won’t go wrong.

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Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 5 minutes. Chop chicken.

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Combine oil, rind, juice, and mustard in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

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Add chopped, cooked chicken, nectarines, and remaining ingredients; toss well.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Arugula
  • Sliced almonds

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I hope your weekend was a little better than mine! The sky was perfectly blue and sunny and all I wanted was to enjoy the beautiful weather by either going to the beach or a baseball game. Instead, I spent my entire weekend indoors at my house because I had car problems and didn’t do much of anything but sit home alone watching several baseball games go into extra innings on Friday, and again on Saturday, and again on Sunday. Luckily, on Sunday morning I was able to get to the grocery store because I was really looking forward to making these Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps all weekend.

An Asian-inspired sauce made up of soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar and sherry is added to garlic, ginger, rotisserie chicken and packaged coleslaw and heated briefly before being spooned into lettuce cups and topped with scallions and nuts. I used broccoli slaw instead of regular coleslaw which stayed pretty crunchy even after being heated and the scallions add a fresh mild onion flavor. I also used peanuts instead of cashews because I had peanuts on hand but any nut will work or you can leave it out altogether. Because this dish uses precooked chicken, it comes together really quickly making this an easy weeknight dinner. If you are looking for something light, fast, low-carb and very tasty, this is a dish for you.

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Combine soy sauce, sherry, hoisin, and rice vinegar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic and ginger to pan; sauté 30 seconds.

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Add soy sauce mixture and coleslaw; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add chicken and 1/4 cup onions to pan; cook 1 minute or until coleslaw just begins to wilt.

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Divide chicken mixture evenly among lettuce leaves; sprinkle evenly with remaining scallions and nuts.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Boston lettuce
  • Broccoli slaw
  • Peanuts

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

I have a confession to make.  My heart hasn’t really been into my blog lately.  You may have noticed by my lack of posts (or maybe not since I’m very sporadic with my posts anyway). I still love to find new recipes, love to make them and even more, love to eat them but I really feel way out on left field when I look at other food blogs. I don’t understand how people have so much time to dedicate to their blog (I have a full-time office job) or how they are able to make so much unhealthy food without gaining weight (I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life).  It gets frustrating and it’s hard to stay motivated.  But I try to remember that I started this blog not for any other reason than because I like to cook and because I have tons of recipes to make.  So, my kind readers, I’m sorry if I don’t post everyday like I did when I started this blog in 2011.  But it’s too much for me to cook so much food and is another reason why I’m on a serious diet right now.  It stinks but this is real life.  So, shocker, today I bring you even more chicken and vegetables with this recipe for Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers.

Chicken is coated with a tasty mixture of salt, fennel seeds, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano before being roasted in the oven until tender and juicy.  Meanwhile, a mixture of multi-colored peppers, shallots and fresh rosemary are simmered in some broth and hit with a tangy shot of balsamic vinegar. I love chicken and especially love chicken when it’s baked with herbs (dried or fresh) so the fennel seed, garlic powder and oregano really provide a serious bolt of flavor.  I’ve become slightly obsessed with fennel seed as of late and also have developed a little obsession with peppers so this dish is perfect for me.  I didn’t eat peppers or fennel seeds as a kid so the idea of this dish would have caused me to frown and pout if it would have been put in front of me.  Now, it’s exactly what I look forward too.  Diet and all.

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Preheat oven to 450°F.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken.

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Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute.

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Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes or until done.  Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes.

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Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

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Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

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