Soups/Salads

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.

DSC05116

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.

DSC05111

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

DSC05112

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

DSC05113

DSC05114

DSC05117

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Arugula
  • Sliced almonds

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Sweet BBQ Chicken Salad

Happy May Day! Summer will be here before we know it so if you find yourself craving a salad, isn’t it good to embrace it? Craving salad doesn’t happen to me often but when it does, I appreciate salad so much.  I was in Tampa visiting friends last weekend and even though we didn’t go crazy with what we ate, we did manage to eat lots of Bombay chicken salad, crackers and cheese.  Oh and wine.  Lots and lots of wine.  Since I’ve been pretty much depriving my body of the food I’ve been craving lately, why not give in to the craving for a salad? This Sweet BBQ Chicken Salad satisfied my craving for salad without being too salad-y or too bad for me (like most salads are these days).

Bright green leaf lettuce, fruit, red peppers, and rotisserie chicken are tossed together for a bright dish.  A dressing made of bottled barbecue sauce, fresh orange juice, tangy mustard and red wine vinegar is drizzled to taste, making this the lightest and freshest barbecue chicken salad I’ve ever had.  My grocery store isn’t carrying peaches or nectarines just yet so I used a crisp Macintosh apple instead (use any fruit you like).  A little dusting of reduced-fat cheddar cheese tops the whole salad but you could leave it off (or load it on) if you like. The barbecue isn’t too sweet, despite the title of the recipe, and a little goes a long way. The combination of the sauce, chicken and fresh fruit and vegetables provides everything I like in a salad so I was happy this made a lot.  I ate it for days.

DSC05055

In large bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, orange juice, mustard, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

DSC05052

To same bowl, add lettuce, chicken, nectarines, and red pepper, tossing to coat and divide among 4 serving plates. Or, layer ingredients onto plates and drizzle with barbecue sauce mixture.

DSC05053

Sprinkle with cheddar.

DSC05054

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Apple for nectarine

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Good Housekeeping magazine

Mardi Gras Slaw

It’s Mardi Gras! Unfortunately, I’m not in New Orleans and instead grumpy about the latest snowfall, which I hope and pray is the last time I mention snow until next winter. I mean, it’s MARCH after all.  Anyway, I’ve never been to Mardi Gras but I have been to New Orleans so I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans are going on on this Fat Tuesday.  I figured this recipe for Mardi Gras Slaw was the most appropriate thing I could make.

Both green and red cabbage are mixed with a mayonnaise-based sauce kicked up with cayenne pepper and mustard seeds.  Shredded carrot and scallions added more layers of flavor making this a light and fresh side dish.  My first bite of this really reminded me of the kinds of summertime slaws I had at cookouts when I was growing up in Illinois and I tell you, it made me smile.  I’ve grown to appreciate cabbage much more in my adulthood so this colorful slaw was a really great find.  Something about it just screams summer to me which I really need at this point considering it was only 5 degrees outside when I woke up this morning.

DSC05012

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard seeds, salt and cayenne pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

DSC04999

Add remaining ingredients, and toss to coat.

DSC05000

DSC05001

For best results, let slaw chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

DSC05013

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Light mayonnaise

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

1 … 4 5 6 … 16
Blog at WordPress.com.