Tag Archives: food

Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo

What is it about buffalo sauce?  Why is it that it took me years to find out the I loved it and now I can’t seem to live without it?  The first several times I tried it, I didn’t like it.  But back then, I was happy having mild, bland, and boring tasting food.  Now, I put spice in everything.  Granted, sometimes I’ll come across a buffalo dish that is so spicy that I can barely get through it.  But Frank’s is spot-on perfect.  So the fact that the bottle of Frank’s in my fridge is almost empty is nearly sending me in a panic.  I put in on chicken, I put it in pasta, I toss it on veggies.  It’s my go-to.  And this time, I even put it in my soup – Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo.

Chicken, carrot, onion and cooked orzo are mixed together with chicken broth, buffalo sauce, and cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  With some added flavor from green onions, ranch seasoning, and cilantro, this soup is not short on flavor.  You really need to be a buffalo sauce lover like me to appreciate this soup.  But you could also use as much or as little as you want if you just want a slight buffalo taste.  I’d wait to add any cilantro until the end rather than at the beginning because heated cilantro, once it turns almost black, is pretty unappealing and almost tasteless.  Throwing some at the end will add a huge punch of freshness which tastes so good with warm soup.  This is a good soup which I think would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top or with a splash of light cream mixed in.  If you like buffalo chicken, you’ll like this soup.

The ingredients:

Cook orzo according to package directions, cooking halfway (I cooked mine about 5 minutes) to allow for more cooking later.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onion, garlic and green onions until opaque and fragrant.

Add carrots and ranch seasoning.

Add broth, buffalo sauce, cheeses and precooked chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Return soup to a boil and add the orzo and cook until al dente.

Top with green onions, cilantro and blue cheese crumbles (if desired).

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Blue cheese

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Bake Your Day

Curried Chicken Salad

I don’t know about you but I feel like I post a lot about egg salad or chicken salad but the fact of the matter is that I grew up in central Illinois where mayonnaise was always in my house and a mayonnaise sandwich wasn’t necessarily out of the question when no one was looking.  But since mayo is bad, bad, bad, I’m not willing to give up on egg salad and chicken salad, two of my favorite loves.  I keep trying to make it healthy and whether I’m satisfied enough or not, I’m always willing to try it a different way.  So there you go.  I was curious about a Curried Chicken Salad recipe from Martha Stewart but it required a lot of chicken prep which I wasn’t into.  So this is my version of Martha’s version and it turned out pretty darn good.

Precooked chicken is mixed with a combination of Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, curry powder and scallions before being tossed with toasted almonds and Granny Smith apple.  Using precooked chicken makes this dish come together fast and the combination of yogurt and light mayonnaise keeps it creamy.  The curry adds a bold flavor punch (but not too much) and the almonds and apple provide a fun crunch.  Since I typically like a bit of sweetness in my chicken salad, either from grapes or dried fruit, I love the addition of the Granny Smith apple which not only adds a little sweetness but also a tart edge.

Curried Chicken Salad (makes 4 servings) – adapted from Martha Stewart

  •  9 oz precooked chicken, chopped (such as PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Original Roasted)
  • 6 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lettuce or baby spinach

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in chicken until combined.  Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

The ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in chicken until combined.

Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

Green Curry Fritters

I feel like I’m becoming tight with the ethnic foods aisle in my grocery store. For someone who used to only peruse said aisle to buy soy sauce, my refrigerator is now filled with all kinds of Asian condiments like Sriracha, coconut milk, hoisin sauce, peanut sauce, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and sambal oelek. These flavorful items have become my best friends in a pinch. I throw no less than two or three of them into a bowl of ground turkey for making burgers and when my cupboard is growing scarce, my go-to dinner is usually a bowl of whole-wheat thin spaghetti swirled with a mixture of several Asian sauces – the hotter the better. Despite comfort with my expanding pallet, there was something about the small, unassuming bottle of green curry paste that had my knees shaking when I opened it. With an unappealing smell and an even more unappealing appearance, I questioned my judgement in deciding to try these Green Curry Fritters. What was I getting myself into? Had I finally gone too far?

Ground chicken is mixed with panko crumbs and scallions before being smothered in a mixture of mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger and egg. The mixture is flattened into patties and cooked in a hot pan with canola oil until browned and fully cooked. These fritters are salty, spicy and get a bite from the scallions. Don’t be confused by the name of these fritters because they are basically Asian-flavored sliders. And don’t be intimidated by the green curry paste. These fritters are packed with bold flavor and don’t have an overwhelming curry flavor which comes with curry powder. In fact, I didn’t taste curry at all, just bold tasty flavors. I ate my fritters with a simple side salad but these would be great with cabbage slaw as the recipe suggests because the cool cabbage would help to tone down the heat from the sambal oelek. Of course, my tongue was loving every second of the heat making me a big fan of these. I’m eating these fritters for lunch this week and getting compliments on how good my lunch smells. Whether you like curry or not, I suggest giving these a try. You just mind find a new condiment to like. Even if it’s kind of ugly-looking.

The ingredients:

Place panko, scallions, and ground chicken in a large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, salt, ginger and egg in another bowl.

Add green curry mixture to chicken mixture; mix lightly until combined. Divide into 12 equal portions; gently shape each portion into a small patty (do not pack).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl. Add 6 patties to pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

Serve with salad or cabbage slaw.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Ground ginger

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

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