Creamy Chicken Salad

In an effort to make sure Benjamin doesn't go to school every day with a cheese sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I found some fun meal ideas through Cooking Light. This particular recipe is from their suggested "The Pita Pocketeer" menu. I'm thinking I may substitute the pita for some Wheat Thins since I'm fairly certain Benjamin would make a giant mess trying to eat this chicken salad in a pita. But I'll have to make sure to add the Hershey's Kisses to his lunchbox when I pack this chicken salad... I made the mistaken of telling him before I made the chicken salad that the suggested menu included the Kisses and then forgot to get some. You can imagine his disappointment and insistence that they be included next time...

This recipe is indeed very creamy. But the addition of the Greek yogurt helps to make sure you don't feel like you're just drowning in mayo. I didn't change anything about the ingredients in the salad, but I did use a different poaching method. For some reason, thinking about poaching chicken in plastic wrap just gives me the heebie jeebies, so I went with Alton Brown's method.

First more interesting option added to the school lunch menu! Woot!

Creamy Chicken Salad
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, poached and shredded
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
7 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) coarsely chopped smoked almonds
6 cups mixed salad greens

Combine mayonnaise and the next 7 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until combined. Add chicken, 1/3 cup celery, cranberries, and almonds; toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve over salad greens.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Another tasty Summer meal. The only things I did differently was use plain yogurt instead of sour cream in the dressing, I used ground chipotle instead of canned, and I didn't add the avocado because I didn't have a good one. I'll post the original recipe though since all of the short-cuts were, I imagine, just as good as the original ingredients.

I used homemade corn tortilla chips, which were definitely a wonderful crunchy addition to this dish.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
Courtesy of Cooking Light



Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

I'm so glad I tried this. I'm usually not a huge fan of peanut dressings/sauces, but this one was fresh and light but still had a nice peanut flavor. So many other ones I've tried are so heavy and intense that the peanut flavor just overpowers everything else. This had a great flavor balance. And it's a perfect summer dish because it can be eaten cold. You could also cut down on the cooking time and avoid heating up your kitchen by buying a rotisserie chicken and using the meat from there (I used the leftover meat from the roast chicken I made).

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad with Ginger-Peanut Dressing
Courtesy of seriouseats.com



For the chicken:
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (or 2 cups of cooked shredded meat)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
10 ounces soba noodles (or spaghetti)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the dressing:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
1-1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the chicken breasts on a foil lined sheet pan. Rub the skin with vegetable oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package instructions, stirring occasionally so they don't stick. Drain and rinse well under cold water.

Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small food processor or blender. Blitz until mixture is smooth. (Alternatively, you can whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl; just be sure to mince the garlic and stir until peanut butter is completely dissolved.)

Remove skin from chicken breasts and shred meat into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss shredded chicken with noodles, dressing, bell peppers, peanuts, scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins

I had a lot of leftover rotisserie chicken from making the Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken, so I thought I'd try out this recipe. It's super tasty and a lovely alternative to my normal chicken salad.

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons water
1 cup chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
3/4 cup chopped apple (about 1 small)
1/3 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons raisins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, and water in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add the chicken, chopped apple, celery, raisins, and salt; stir mixture well to combine. Cover and chill.

Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken

This is a great summer dish for a lighter dinner or a super contribution to a picnic. Using rotisserie chicken makes the prep really easy.

Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken
Courtesy of Cooking Light



3/4 cup uncooked orzo
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup English cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.

While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.

Tuna Cakes and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Spinach and Arugula Salad

YUM! This was so so tasty. All the components of the dish complimented each other beautifully and also tasted wonderful on their own. I couldn't believe how especially great the salad tasted.

I did make a change to the original recipe that helped save some money though... Cod is ridiculously expensive, so I used tuna instead. I don't know if I've had cod recently, so I'm not sure how different it made the dish, but it was lovely the way I made it. Try this as soon as possible.

Edited to add (3/24/2015): I tried this again, the first time since I originally made it, and it was a disaster. The cakes wouldn't stay together and ended up making a kind of fried tuna stuffing-type pile. The oil also kept spitting at me, which has left some pretty marks on my arms. Then there's the gargantuan amount of dishes and lovely lingering tuna stink it creates. It still tasted good, but man, what a pain in the ass. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to try it again. 

Tuna Cakes and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
A variation on this recipe by Rachael Ray



4 5-ounce cans tuna, drained
Grated peel of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
A few dashes hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons grated onion and its juice
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced, divided
2 cups cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs, divided
2 eggs, beaten
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
3 roasted red peppers, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Put tuna in a large bowl. Season with the lemon peel, half of the lemon juice, the parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, marjoram/oregano and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and two-thirds of the garlic, then add half of the cracker crumbs and the eggs; stir to combine. Divide the mixture into quarters and form 3 patties from each quarter (12 patties total), about 3 1/2 inches wide. Coat the patties in the remaining cracker crumbs.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch olive oil over medium heat. Add 5-6 patties at a time and cook, turning once, for 6 minutes.

Using a food processor, mix together the roasted red peppers, yogurt, dill and remaining lemon juice and garlic; season with pepper. Serve 3 patties per person, with the sauce and salad.

Spinach and Arugula Salad

4 cups spinach and arugula mix
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges

Dress greens with salt, pepper, and lemon.

Spring Salad with Grapes and Pistachio-Crusted Goat Cheese

This is fantastic salad. I will definitely be making this a lot this summer.

The only thing I did differently was use extra-virgin olive oil in the dressing rather than the canola oil that it called for. I think it probably made it a little sweeter of a dressing, but it was very very tasty, nonetheless.

Spring Salad with Grapes and Pistachio-Crusted Goat Cheese
Courtesy of Cooking Light



1/4 cup shelled dry-roasted pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese
1/4 cup Easy Herb Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)
1 (5-ounce) package gourmet salad greens or spring lettuce mix
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place pistachios in a shallow dish. Divide cheese into 12 equal portions, rolling to form 12 balls. Roll each ball in the pistachios until well coated. Set pistachio-crusted cheese balls aside.

Combine Easy Herb Vinaigrette and greens in a large mixing bowl, and toss gently to coat evenly. Divide greens mixture evenly among 4 salad plates. Top each serving with 1/4 cup grapes and 3 cheese balls. Sprinkle salads evenly with pepper, and serve immediately.

Easy Herb Vinaigrette

9 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons wildflower honey
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup oil (canola oil, olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, whatever you prefer)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; slowly whisk in oil until combined. Stir in basil and chives. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Pumpkin Pasta with Spinach Salad and Pumpkin Waffles A La Mode

Another night with my brother-in-law over for dinner, so I decided to go a little Iron Chef on him and have a secret ingredient running throughout the meal... PUMPKIN! (If you've seen the show, just imagine me arching my eyebrow and presenting you with a table full of pumpkins in a overly dramatic fashion. If you haven't seen the show, I promise, I'm not completely insane.)

I've tried the variation on the pumpkin pasta recipe I made last night from Rachael Ray's 365 Repeats. The big difference between the two is that the recipe from the book has mushrooms added to it, whereas the one I found online does not. I can't decide which one I like better since they're both really delicious. And the accompanying salad from the recipe I found online is one of my favorites. The dressing is the one I always make when I have salads at home.

And pumpkin waffles... How could you go wrong with that? I made a double batch and have the extras in my freezer for future breakfasts. But last night, we had them for dessert with some of my vanilla ice cream on top. Yum!



Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
Courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

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Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion
Courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 pound triple-washed spinach, de-stemmed
1 small Golden Delicious apple, quartered, cored, and sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Coarse salt and black pepper

Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Pumpkin Waffles
Courtesy of Taste of Home



1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, pumpkin and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until combined.

Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.

Oregano Roasted Chicken, Chicken Salad, Homemade Chicken Stock, and Tortilla Soup

Like everyone else, I'm looking to save some money. So I thought maybe using one whole chicken to make 4 things would be helpful. So here's what I did...

Oregano Roasted Chicken
A variation on this Taste of Home recipe

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 lemon
1 head of garlic
1 roasting chicken (6-7 lbs)
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Combine butter, salad dressing mix and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cut head of garlic in half; place it and the lemon halves in the chicken cavity. Place chicken on a rack in an ungreased roasting pan. Spoon butter mixture over chicken.

Cover and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with oregano. Bake, uncovered, for 1.5 to 1.75 hours or until meat thermometer reads 165ºF.

Remove chicken from roasting pan; let stand for 5 minutes. Strain drippings. Cut one chicken breast half into 1-inch cubes (should be about 2 cups). Cover and refrigerate cubed chicken breast and 1/4 cup drippings for Tortilla-Vegetable Chicken Soup. Remove the rest of the chicken from the carcass and set aside for Chicken Salad. Save carcass for Chicken Broth.

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Chicken Salad

Leftover roasted chicken (about 3-4 cups)
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1/4-1/2 cup red onion, diced
Thyme leaves from 2-3 springs, stripped from stems and chopped
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Stone-ground or Dijon mustard (depending on your preference)
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

This is a very loose recipe, as it really depends on your preferences, and I've just included mine. I add as much of the mayonnaise and mustard as will make it a moist enough chicken salad.

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Crockpot Chicken Broth
A variation on this recipe

1 chicken carcass, stripped of meat and fat
2 small onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, separated and peeled
1 celery bunch, roughly chopped
4-5 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4-5 thyme sprigs
2 bays leaves
6-8 cups water

You can use any leftover raw vegetables you have on hand. I've found that the ones I listed give the flavor that I like the best, but it's obviously up to you what you want to add.

Place chicken carcass in bottom of crockpot stoneware. Place vegetables and herbs around chicken. Fill stoneware 3/4 of the way full with water. Set crockpot to Low and cook for 10 hours.

Strain contents of stoneware. Let broth chill completely in the refrigerator. Skim off any fat that rises to the top and package for storage in refrigerator or freezer.

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Tortilla-Vegetable Chicken Soup
Courtesy of Taste of Home

3 flour tortillas (fajita-sized), cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup chicken drippings, optional
1 cup chopped celerty
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade from the chicken carcass)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups beef broth
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups frozen corn
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, skim fat from drippings. In a Dutch oven, sauté celery, carrot and onion in oil until tender. Stir in the chicken broth, black beans, beef broth, tomatoes, chicken, corn, seasonings and drippings if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Serve with cheese if desired and tortilla strips.