Grilled Summer Salad with Apricot Poppy Seed Dressing

I love apricots!  I grew up in the small central California valley town of Patterson.  At one time, it was the world's largest producing area of apricots.  Times have changed and now almond orchards are abundant, but there are still many apricot orchards in the area. Each year I make multiple batches of apricot jam, as well as apricot pies and crisps (I currently have a box of apricots in my fridge that I am working my way through!)  Apricots have a short season and I try to get in as much of the fruit into my diet as I can while they are in-season. They are a great source of nutrition, especially Vitamin A! I recently ran across a recipe for an apricot poppyseed dressing and knew I needed to try it. We loved it.  Since making this grilled salad I also used the dressing on a spinach salad. It's summertime and we eat a lot of salads this time of year!

The salad is just a mish-mash of grilled ingredients; chicken, corn and apricot halves. To grill the apricots, I brush lightly with olive oil and grilled for just a few minutes, until they are just softened.

Grilled Summer Salad with Apricot Poppy Seed Dressing

3 apricots, pits removed
4 tablespoons sweet yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons poppyseeds

In the jar of a blender, combine the apricots, onion, olive oil, vinegar and honey.  Puree the ingredients until you have a smooth mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the poppy seeds until fully incorporated.

To make the salad, on a bowl or platter, arrange romaine lettuce and top it with grilled chicken, grilled corn, avocado slices, and grilled apricots. Drizzle with the apricot poppy seed dressing.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

I confess that there hasn't been much going on in my kitchen lately. Most of the dishes in my dishwasher are cereal bowls. There are dairy products with expired dates in my refrigerator. I think about cooking, but planning a menu and going to the grocery store is too much strain on my already-tired brain.  The bright side is that there is less than a month of tax season left.  The business returns deadline is behind us, I only have 2 more weeks of client interviews left. Soon another tax season will be behind me and I'll be back in the kitchen again!

All this past week we've grabbed dinner on the way home or ate cereal (mini shredded wheat is the cereal of choice these days). I so crave a homemade meal. This easy and flavorful pasta dish met the criteria. I found this recipe online but tweaked it to our tastes, adding spinach and artichoke hearts. Of course, the sun-dried tomatoes provide so much flavor, due to the concentration of flavor during the drying process. This recipe uses the oil from tomatoes left in olive oil and has no cream, it thickens with milk and a little cornstarch. Both of these cut down the calorie ratio in this dish.  After sitting at my desk 12 hours a day we don't need a meal laden with calories!  I served it over pasta because that's how my Hubbers likes it. It could easily be served over vegetables for even less calories.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

1 pound chicken fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
7-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (reserve liquid)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated), sliced in half
4 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and set the pieces aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Cook the chicken until golden on each side, cooked through and no longer pink (about 12 minutes).  Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet; saute the garlic one minute.  Add the sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms; cook until the mushrooms are softened.

Reduce heat to medium-low heat, add the milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the center of the pan.  Continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture until the sauce thickens.

Add in the spinach and parmesan cheese, allow sauce to simmer until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted.  Add the chicken back in the pan and heat through. Serve over pasta or vegetables, if desired.

Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken

I keep perusing Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa) new cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey and finding things I want to try.  Jeffrey is Ina's husband and he is on her food television show quite often.  His favorite meal is roast chicken and that seems to be a Friday night tradition with them. Well, Jeffrey and I have a lot in common as I love roast chicken, too. It's so easy to make and, with veggies and potatoes added to the dish, you have a one-pot nutritious meal. I wasn't surprised that she had a roast chicken recipe in this new book.

This skillet chicken dish calls for the backbone to be removed from the chicken so that it lays flat (known as "butterflying"). Doing so allows the chicken to cook quicker and more evenly. Now working with raw poultry isn't one of my favorite things to do so I had my butcher do the bone removal.  (I've done it before and it's not difficult, just cut out the back bone with a sharp knife or poultry shears.)

This chicken was very easy to put together, with very little mess, which is great for a busy work night. While it baked I made a veggie and some rice. I also drank a little wine as the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of white wine.  No need in wasting the rest of the bottle!  The beauty of this dish is the luscious lemon-wine sauce that develops.  It's great not only drizzled over the chicken, but I also drizzled it on my sides.  My Hubby kept dipping his bread in the skillet!

If you like roast chicken this is a good dish to have in your repertoire.

Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (4-pound) chicken, backbone removed and butterflied
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground.  Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup, stir in the herb mixture, and set aside.

Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top.  Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture.  Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (very important!) and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.  Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the  breast registers 155-160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut the chicken into quarters or eighths, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.

The recipe calls for the spices to be ground in a mini food processor.  I have a coffee grinder that I use for spice grinding.  Using it means I don't have to wash the mini food processor.  I get tired of washing dishes!

 

Blueberry BBQ Chicken

It's blueberry picking time at the local U-pick blueberry farms in our area.  Last Saturday my granddaughter and I spent about an hour picking blueberries (and cherries!)  This was our second year to do so and she was quite enthused about going. We laughed and chatted, while getting a bounty for the freezer. It was very good Nana-granddaughter bonding time!

 

 

 
I made a pie with the cherries and froze most of the blueberries.  With the remainder I made this blueberry BBQ sauce that we used for chicken.  I found the recipe on the Big Green Egg website. We don't have a Big Green Egg but the chicken was easily cooked on our BBQ grill.

Oh, the sauce is so good!  It's very thick, sweet, with a slight touch of acidity, due to the vinegar.  According to the website, the sauce keeps for months when refrigerated.  I can't wait to have some on ribs!

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

3 cups blueberries
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine the blueberries and a little of the vinegar in a food processor.  Pulse the berries just to break them up.  You're not trying to achieve smooth berries at this point; you just want to get some blue juice flowing. In a Dutch oven or 4-quart saucepan, combine the pulsed blueberries and the remainder of the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for one hour, covered.  Give it a stir from time to time to avoid scorching the bottom.

Remove bay leaf and cinnamon and carefully transfer the sauce to a blender.  Pull the little knob off the top of the lid and cover it with a dish towel to prevent a mess. (This resulted in a blueberry sauce-infested towel for me.  Next time I will process the mixture in batches to avoid overflow!) Blend the sauce to get it as smooth as you can, then strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Transfer strained mixture back to pan.  Cook to reduce the sauce by one-third.  The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and have the viscosity of maple syrup. Refrigerate overnight.

For the chicken, I had my butcher "spatchcock" the chicken.  This cuts out the backbone and sternum so that the chicken can be flattened.  (This can be done at home but cutting chicken isn't my favorite thing to do!)  Bring the chicken to room temperature and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill and roast for 20 minutes, then begin basting with the blueberry sauce every 5 minutes for an additional 20 minutes of cooking.  After 40 minutes of total cooking time, turn the chicken over the caramelize the skin and baste the other side 10 more minutes. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the thigh.  Once it's at 165 degrees, remove the chicken.  Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut the chicken into pieces.  Serve with additional sauce, if desired.

Chicken Stew With Biscuits

We're finally getting some winter weather in my part of California; it's winter to us when the morning temps are in the 40's and we have to wear socks instead of flip flops! We've even had some rain (and snow in the mountains) to help our drought situation. With cold weather, comes spending nights by the fire and comfort food. One of my favorite cold-weather dishes is Chicken Stew With Biscuits from the Barefoot Contessa.  Chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce and veggies, all topped with biscuits, what's not to like about that?  It's a one-bowl dinner, perfect on a cold and rainy night!

The recipe is here. It's very versatile and can be modified for your tastes.  I've tweaked it a little and make it with the following changes:

I like dark meat, my hubby likes white, so I cook a whole chicken, rather than using just chicken breasts

I omit the frozen onions, finding that the sautéed onions are plenty for our taste

I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables, preferring a variety of vegetables, not just carrots

The dish can easily be made ahead.  On the day I made it, I cooked the chicken in the morning.  Once cool, I cut the meat into bite-size pieces.  I made the sauce and assembled the dish in a baking pan and refrigerated until later.  All I did before dinner was make the biscuits, it's really an easy dinner!

Honey Sriracha Orange Chicken

Even though it's almost November, we are still grilling in central California. For those of you that are already confined to indoor cooking, this chicken dish can easily been done on a grill pan on your stove.  You must try it, it is so good!

The sauce is the star of this dish. It's got a little heat, a little sweet. I love hoisin sauce and never thought to pair it with Sriracha. Yum!   Though it has quite a few ingredients, the dish is easy to put together, takes just minutes to mix it all up.  The marinade doubles as the glaze by the addition of some cornstarch.  Twice the flavor with no extra work! I'll take that!  We loved the glaze.  In fact, we liked it so much, we were dipping each bite of chicken in it.  I could have drank it, it was so good!

So many wonderful flavors in this glaze!

Honey Sriracha Orange Chicken
(adapted from RecipeGirl.com)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Marinade/Glaze:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (found in Asian section of grocery store)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha (Asian hot red chili sauce)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the marinade to a large Ziploc bag; whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate 60 minutes, up to overnight in the refrigerator. Refrigerate the reserved marinade separately.

When ready to grill, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat.

Separate 3 tablespoons from reserved glaze into a small bowl. Add the remaining glaze to a small saucepan and whisk with 2 teaspoons cornstarch; set aside.

Drain the chicken from the marinade.  Grill the chicken, 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F), basting with the 3 tablespoons separated marinade.

While the chicken is grilling, bring ingredients in saucepan to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Brush glaze on cooked chicken and/or serve glaze on the side for dipping.

Garnish the chicken with orange zest and green onions, if desired.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

My Hubber's favorite salad is a Caesar salad, usually with chicken.  Me?  I find them rather mundane. Lettuce, dressing, some croutons, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  I like more "stuff" in my salads! A few weeks back my sister and I were pondering what to make for our Mother's Day lunch. I found this recipe online (who needs cookbooks anymore?) and knew it would appeal to most everyone in attendance.  They all like Caesar salad and this version had a little more "stuff" in it, including pasta. How can a salad be bad when it's got pasta in it? It was a hit with all our guests and I made it for dinner a few nights ago where it got rave reviews from my resident Caesar salad lover.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

3 cups grilled chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 oz. penne pasta, cooked and cooled
4 cups Romaine lettuce, cut into small pieces
1 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Caesar salad dressing, either bottled or homemade
Croutons

Mix together all ingredients except for the dressing.  Pour desired amount of dressing on top (we used about half a bottle), toss.  Top with croutons, if desired (I'm not a crouton fan, so omitted).

Makes 4 large servings.

Orange Chicken with Sriracha

With the exception of In 'n Out Burger (I'm a California girl after all!), I'm not a big fast food fan. Every now and then, however, I'll run to Panda Express and get their orange chicken. Bite-size chunks of fried chicken in an orange sauce, what's not to love about that? When I found this recipe I knew I had to try it, the addition of the spicy Sriracha sauce appealed to my taste buds. I was not disappointed. The orange sauce was amazing, so flavorful, with just a slight spicy aftertaste. It was so good I think I could pour it over pound cake and devour it!

My husband complains that I don't serve the same meal twice, or there are long spaces between rotations.  What can I say?  I get bored cooking the same things! If he likes a new recipe he will tell me it's a "keeper". He proclaimed this recipe a keeper but then complained that he probably wouldn't get served it again for three years.  I promised him I would make it again before then!

Orange Chicken with Sriracha

For the marinade:
1 cup regular chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha, depending on desired heat level
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolve with 2 tablespoons water

For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1 cup cornstarch, in a pie pan
2 large eggs beaten, in a pie pan
1 cup oil for frying

Optional: sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to incorporate well.  In a separate bowl, combine chicken with 1/2 cup of the marinade, making sure that all pieces are thoroughly covered with the marinade.  Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring remaining marinade to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken as it gets to a boil.  Once sauce is thickened, turn heat off.  Keep sauce warm while you fry the chicken.

Drain chicken and discard used marinade.

Dip chicken pieces, a few at a time, into the pan of beaten eggs. Let excess eggs drip off, and dredge chicken pieces in the pan of cornstarch.  Press to coat well. Repeat until all pieces are coated.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high to high heat, until oil is very hot.  Add chicken pieces, taking care not to overcrowd, and fry until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Place fried chicken on paper towels, and work in batches until all chicken is fried.

Toss chicken with warm sauce and serve immediately.  Serve over rice and garnish as desired.

Recipe adapted from www.chewoutloud.com.

Honey-Orange Roast Chicken

I survived another tax season, hallelujah! Now it's time to catch up on work that got put on the back burner during our crazy time and catch up on household chores.  I have some sewing projects lined up, two cross-stitched pieces to get finished, gardening to do, and an outdoor patio furniture piece to be constructed/painted that involves an old door. So many projects, so little time!

I've longed to be in the kitchen and to have a home-cooked meal.  My first day off after April 15 involved hopping on a flight to Las Vegas and meeting up with my son for a divisional drag race.  Home-cooked meals were not a happening there; we ate turkey sandwiches from an ice chest and had to find a restaurant each night for dinner. Once home I had so many things to do that I knew spending a lot of time in the kitchen just wasn't going to fit into my timeline.  So I went to what always works in a pinch, a good old-fashioned roast chicken with vegetables. I adapted this recipe from two that I found online and it worked very well.  I love anything with orange in it and the addition of honey added a nice sweetness to it.  I especially liked the carrots with the orange/honey flavor. This recipe will definitely be made again!

Honey-Orange Roast Chicken

1 3/12 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 shallot, sliced
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
8 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1/2 pound green beans
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Rinse chicken cavity; pat chicken dry with paper towels. Skewer neck skin to back; tie legs to tail.  Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan.  Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.  Distribute carrots in pan; roast another 1/4 to 3/4 hour or until drumsticks move easily in sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees F).  Combine honey and orange zest; brush chicken with half the mixture.  Roast about 5 minutes more or until the chicken has a golden brown glaze.

Remove chicken from pan and tent with foil.  Transfer roasting pan to stove top. Add shallots, orange juice, 1/4 cup chicken broth, remaining honey, and green beans. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until juices thicken slightly and the vegetables are tender. Add lemon slices to pan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes more or until heated through.

Remove vegetables from pan.  Combine cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth.  Stir into liquid mixture; stir until thickened.  Serve the thickened sauce with the chicken.

Citrus-Roasted Chicken With Grand Marnier

I was doing so good, hadn't bought any new cookbooks in over a year.  I've bought two the last two months so I've fallen off the bandwagon! The latest purchase was once again recommended by the women who belong to our food board. The Pollan Family Table is an excellent cookbook. The recipes are family recipes, recipes that use fresh, local ingredients.  The main theme of the book is the importance of the family dinner, of cooking and baking together.  One of the authors, Tracy Pollan, is married to the actor Michael J. Fox.  I'm glad I purchased the book, I have many recipes earmarked to try. 

This chicken dish was a winner. The addition of the Grand Marnier to the citrus-based marinade gave it an amazing flavor. The recipe calls for a honey tangerine.  I found nothing like that in our locale so used a few Cutie tangerines. This dish makes a pretty presentation, too, would be nice to serve for company.

Next time I make this I will line the baking pan with aluminum foil.  Broiling the sugary mixture left for a very hard-to-clean pan!

Citrus-Roasted Chicken With Grand Marnier

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh honey tangerine (Murcott orange) juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 medium red onion, cut lengthwise, then cut into thin half-moon slices
7 or 8 twigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 or 9 pieces chicken (breasts, thighs and legs; about 4 pounds)
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon washed, thinly sliced, and seeded
1 honey tangerine (Murcott orange), washed, thinly sliced, and seeded

For the marinade, in a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the oil, the lemon and tangerine juices, the wine, mustard, grand Marnier, brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, onion, 2 of the thyme springs, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the chicken in a large plastic bag.  Pour in the marinade, seal, and turn to coat completely. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, ideally 1 hour before cooking if you have marinated it overnight. Set racks in the middle and upper third of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place a colander over a large mixing bowl and drain the chicken, reserving the marinade along with the onion and thyme.  Remove the chicken and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Pour the marinade, onion, and thyme into a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add half the chicken pieces skin side down (do not crowd them) and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, undisturbed, until a dark golden crust forms. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on the baking sheet, skin side up, on top of the marinade.

Wipe the skillet clean. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining chicken. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet, reserving the oil in the skillet.  Turn off the heat and let the skillet cool for 1 minute.

Add the garlic to the oil in the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the garlic for 3 minutes, flipping it halfway through until the garlic is lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the garlic to the baking sheet with the chicken.

Arrange the lemon and tangerine slices around and under the chicken.  Lay 3 springs of thyme on top and season with salt and pepper.  Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear.

Remove the  baking sheet from the oven and raise the temperature to broil. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter, leaving the marinade, citrus, onion, and garlic on the sheet. Broil on the upper rack for 4 to 5 minutes, until the citrus slices caramelize. Remove the sheet from the oven and arrange the citrus, garlic, and onion under, on, and around the chicken. Garnish with a few sprigs of thyme.

Pour the liquid from the baking sheet into a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce reduces by a third, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve the chicken warm with the sauce passed separately (I just served over the chicken).

Chinese Chicken Salad

Only three weeks left and the grind of tax season 2014 will be over. We are tired and cranky. Our living room is getting no use, we get home and head straight to bed. I've not cooked dinner in a week now. My refrigerator has a half-gallon of milk and some eggs. Have I said there are only three more weeks left?!!

Though we're not doing much for dinner, we are eating well for lunch. Most of us in the office are taking turns bringing lunch in. We've had lasagna, grilled sandwiches, sloppy joes, quiche, tuna sandwiches, soup, to name a few. It's a good arrangement as we're not running out for junk food and we usually are only responsible for bringing something in every 4-5 days. 

Last week I brought in this Chinese Chicken salad.  I was introduced to this salad when my son was in the first grade.  The school had a luncheon for past parents and I was a volunteer worker.  This salad was on the menu.  I've made it numerous times over the years. It's got salty (soy sauce), sweet (pineapple and mandarin oranges) as well as crunch (water chestnuts and chow mein noodles). I always get requests for this recipe when I serve it. Most of it is done the night before so it makes very easy to put together for lunch.

Once again, not the prettiest picture but just keeping it real.  We don't have fine china and linen at work!

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

 

1 whole chicken (or use equivalent in chicken breasts)

1 can pineapple chunks (16 oz.)

1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz.)

1 can sliced water chestnuts (8 oz.)

4 ribs of celery

4 green onions

1 can chow mein noodles (5 oz.)

Salad greens

 

       DRESSING

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

 

1.       Remove fat from chicken; cook in boiling water; drain; cool and bone; chop into bite-sized pieces. (This was the directions in the original recipe. I usually bake bone-in chicken breasts).

2.       Drain pineapple, mandarin oranges and water chestnuts well.

3.       Chop celery and green onions.

4.       Mix together the chicken, pineapple, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, celery and green onions; cover and refrigerate overnight.

5.       For dressing, mix together the ingredients; may be done in morning.

6.       Just before serving, mix salad greens and  chicken mixture with dressing (make sure there is no extra juice from fruit in chicken mixture before tossing).  Top with chow mein noodles.

Caribbean Chicken Salad on a Busy Night!

We have a very busy week going on here. We leave this weekend for vacation so lots of last minute things to do. But when a client brings you a box of apricots you just have to put things aside and get to work!

After going to Pilates at 5:30 a.m. and working a full day it's overwhelming to think of making jam and dinner. So, on nights like this, dinner must be easy. We love a good chicken salad. My hubby could eat a chicken caesar salad every day of the week but I am quickly bored by repetitive meals. Chili's restaurant has a grilled chicken Caribbean salad on their menu. It's changed over the years but the basic salad is the same as this copycat recipe I've been using for a while now. It's easy to put together and my hubby grilled the chicken while I cleaned my kitchen of the apricot jam mess. I especially like the dressing, the addition of the sesame oil gives it such a nice flavor. It was a dinner without much fuss, hardly any mess to clean up and one that was pretty healthy for us!

CHILI’S GRILLED CARIBBEAN CHICKEN SALAD
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ cup teriyaki marinade (store bought or homemade)
4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce **
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce **
1 cup chopped red cabbage **
5.5 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
10.4 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
Tortilla chips, broken into small pieces

PICO DE GALLO:
2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ cup diced onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

HONEY LIME DRESSING:
¼ cup Grey Poupon dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice

Blend all the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk; cover and chill.

Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki for at least two hours. Preheat outdoor or indoor grill. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until done.

Toss the lettuces and cabbage together.

To serve, pour pico de gallo over the bowl of greens. Sprinkle pineapple and oranges on salad. Sprinkle broken tortilla chips on salad. Slice the grilled chicken into thin strips and place on salad. Serve salad with dressing. (Note: salad may be divided into individual servings.)

** Or use packaged lettuce mix.

I've made 24 jars of jam and still have half a box of apricots to deal with. Tomorrow night I'll make apricot pie filling for the freezer!

It's Foodie Friday!