Tropical Paradise Salad

I'm sick of winter.  I was hopeful that if I made a wild and springy salad, it would warm up outside, but I found myself eating the leftovers as I watched snow flakes flutter down.  It was delicious anyway :).  The dressing is something that I haphazardly threw together, tasting and adjusting as I went.  It's very likely that I'll come up with a different version in the future, but the basic bones of it were good.  Light and citrusy, which is what I was going for.  I made this for a crowd, and was able to prepare everything in advance and assemble it at the last minute.

Tropical Paradise Salad

1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 t. freshly ground sea salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

2 chicken breasts
3 T. honey
2 T. butter
freshly ground sea salt and pepper
1/2 t. dried tarragon

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup sliced sweet bell peppers (I used mini colorful sweet peppers found at Costco)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 bag prewashed baby salad green mix
1 avocado, diced (and with a splash of lime juice if you're not going to eat it right away)

Dressing:
1/2 cup coconut milk
zest and juice of one lime
one orange, zested, and juice sqeezed out of half of it, fruit removed from the other half and added to the mix
2 T. honey
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup pineapple juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make the almonds, heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add the almonds, cooking for 3-5 minutes and stirring a few times until they begin to toast.  Meanwhile, mix the sugar, cayenne, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle 3/4 of that mix evenly over the nuts, then wait until the sugar starts to liquify.  Stir gently until most of the sugar is melted and coating the nuts.  Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle the remaining sugar over them and stir until it's evenly distributed.  Immediately dump out onto a piece of parchment to let them cool.

You may certainly use prepared grilled chicken strips or diced rotisserie chicken as a time saver.  To prepare it the way I did (though I always prefer to grill - it was just too cold), add two chicken breasts right from the freezer into a large nonstick skillet with a tightly fitting lid.  Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and season the breasts with the salt, pepper and tarragon.  Put the lid on and simmer over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.  Remove the lid, put a pat of butter on each breast and a generous squirt of honey, put the lid back on for another 2-3 minutes until the juices begin to caramelize, then flip the breasts over and again put the lid on for another 2-3 minutes.  Remove the lid for the last 2-3 minutes to allow the juices to reduce into a lovely syrup.  Pull the pan off the burner and let the chicken rest for several minutes before dicing.

Assemble the salad by laying down the bed of lettuce on the bottom, then sprinkling the fruit, veggies, chicken, nuts and cheese on top.  Prepare the dressing by processing all of the ingredients but the oil in the blender.  Once the blender is spinning, add the oil in a thin stream.  This will help it emulsify nicely so that it won't separate later.  If you want a little bit of a kick, a couple drops of tabasco or a dash of cayenne will do the trick nicely.  A dab of dijon mustard would add a nice tang as well.

If you are not going to serve immediately, I recommend having the dressing separate.  This quantity will serve 4 main dish salads.

Perfect Sugared Pecans with a kick

I am often asked how to sugar coat nuts for salads. I have tried many methods, with varying levels of success. After lots of fiddling, this has become my favorite and most reliable way to do it. First, mix 2/3 cup of sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne and a dash of salt.

Next, toast your nuts (a generous 2 cups worth) in a single layer in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to smell fragrant and turn slightly more golden.

Sprinkle all but about 3 T. of sugar mixture over the nuts.

Let it sit for about 30 seconds, until the sugar starts to melt, then stir well until all of the nuts are coated and cook for about 60 seconds more until the sugar is mostly melted. Pull off the burner, and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over, tossing well until all the nuts are coated. Pour out onto parchment paper to cool, carefully breaking apart any that happen to still stick together.

This yields a nut that is glazed, but has a nice crystallized exterior, which also means that you don't get enormous globs of nuts cemented permanently together. Not that there's anything wrong with that...perfectly snitch-worthy, but not as pretty on a salad.

Tami's Southwest Rice and Bean Salad

I found this recipe at From My Kitchen Cafe. These days make one or two dishes a week and eat them for multiple meals. I have changed the recipe to suit what was in my pantry. Here's my version of Tami's Southwest Rice and Bean Salad.

5 cups cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
I added some chopped Roma tomatoes for color and sweetness. LOVELY.
1 (16-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I only had black beans, but I'm sure pinto would be great)
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (rotisserie or I also like to put a couple chicken breasts in my crockpot before I leave for work and then just cut them up for this salad when I get home).
1 (12-oz.) can corn, drained (frozen corn would work great, too)
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
4 pickled jalepeno pepper rounds (found in the glass jars next to the olives, usually)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until peppers are finely minced. Toss with salad. Serve warm or at room temperature. The second day my salad had dried out a bit. It was perfect to wrap up in a fresh tortilla.

Simple summer caprese salad

One of my absolute favorite things in the world is a home grown fresh tomato. One year my hubby went nuts and planted about a dozen different varieties of heirloom tomatoes (aka Frankenmatoes), and we spent the summer reveling in the flavors and colors. I prefer varieties that are on the sweeter side, not the acidic kinds. Besides a hefty BLT sandwich, or open face toasted cheese sandwich with a fat slice on top, a caprese salad is probably my most preferred way to eat them. I used to buy the big hunks of fresh mozarella, the ones that are plum size or larger, until I discovered these little beauties. Why deal with trying to manage a slippery chunk if you can get it already nicely portioned out? I got these ones at Costco, and have seen them at many other stores as well.

I am not going to give amounts for this. It's not that kind of a salad. It's an eyeball-it-and-make-it-the-way-you-want salad.

Baby greens
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh mozarella balls (the marble size balls, preferably)
Fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Coarsely ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

Lay down a thin layer of the baby greens on a serving plate. They're mostly for color contrast and to catch the excess liquid. Cut the tomatoes either into wedges or fat slices and scatter them evenly over the greens. Add an even layer of the mozarella balls. Sprinkle salt and pepper on, then drizzle with olive oil then balsamic vinegar. Stack the basil leaves, then roll them up all together so that you can slice thin strips off easily to add as a garnish. This is best when served within 30 minutes or so of putting together.

Summer Salad

First of all, I'm Michelle (not Heidi). Secondly, I'm on a diet. Okay. I said it. Sausage and pasta are not on my diet. So, this is my most current healthy and simple summer dish. It's called Michelle's Famous Chop & Chomp (yes, I just made that up--culinary creativity oozes from my being).

Here's what I do.

1. I go to Costco (any day BUT Saturday--because that's shopping suicide) and purchase some vine ripened tomatoes & some of those baby cucumbers that come in a bag.
2. I wash and chop the tomatoes and cucumbers (I don't want a worm--though it might be easier than a diet).
3. With a dash of olive oil and a helping of balsamic vinegar, I dress my veggies to perfection.
4. Add a little salt and pepper and a pretty dish and you're ready to dine on a most lovely summer dish.

NO oven. Healthy. Lovely to look at. Filling (kind of). Size 6 jeans--HERE I COME (or 8--I'm not picky).

Special thanks to Annette & Aubri for the inspiration for this now daily dish. I can feel my thighs shrinking already.

This is another wonderful recipe found on dietrecipesblog.com. I'm going to try this version just as soon as I get sick of my own. It's ONLY 44 calories, people. 44 calories. Do I need to say it one more time 44 calories. Praise be!

Fresh Tomato And Cucumber Salad recipe - 44 calories

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 large cucumbers, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced green pepper
1 (8 ounce) bottle fat-free Italian salad dressing
sugar substitute, to equal 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation:
1. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl.
2. Combine the dressing and sugar substitute.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables.
4. Chill before serving.

Servings: 8

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 44
Calories from fat: 4
Total fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Total carbs: 9.9g
Fiber: 1.7g
Protein: 1.5g
WW points: 1

Photo credit: Loves2Teach

Tart and tangy broccoli salad

Like most salads, everyone has their favorite way to do this one. I have a few particular biases about salads in general. I like flavor and texture contrasts, lots of color, a high ratio of goodies to the salad base, and not overwhelming amounts of dressing. Broccoli salad is one of my favorites because it is a perfect marriage of sweet, salty, crunchy, and tangy. Plus it's a feast for the eyes with all of the rich colors and absolutely loaded with nutrition. It's best if it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors mingle. I personally don't like to put onions in it, because they can overpower the other flavors, but if I did, I'd use shallots because they are more mild. I know that some people like to run the ingredients through a food processor to save time, but I just can't do it. You lose so much in the way of texture when you do it, plus it's reminiscent of baby food that way.

Here's what I stirred up today for a dinner at church. As always, every time I make something, it comes out differently because I'm terrible at following even my own recipes. This batch was too my liking.

8 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup red grapes, cut in half
1 cup craisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup real shredded bacon
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (may substitute rice wine vinegar)
2 T. sugar

Mix together the florets, grapes, craisins, sunflower seeds and bacon in a medium mixing bowel. In a small mixing bowel, mix the mayo, vinegar and sugar. If it is too tangy, add a little more sugar to taste or back off on the vinegar by a couple of tablespoons. Stir the dressing into the veggies and allow to marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

**I have substituted cashews for the sunflower seeds with good results, and have also added shredded swiss cheese.

Simple and amazing salad

This is a salad that is so tasty and filling that even Alan will eat it for dinner. And it's easy! I grilled my own chicken breasts, but if you were feeling lazy you could certainly shred rotisserie chicken or buy precooked chicken breast strips.

First up, you need to candy your pecans. Mine aren't the prettiest, but they taste good. Good enough that I have to make double the amount because Ethan snitches them. I spread an even layer of sugar, about 1/4-1/3 cup across the bottom of a nonstick skillet and turn it on to medium. Once the sugar begins to melt and become liquidy in a few spots like the above picture, I add a pinch of salt, a dash of cinnamon and a cup of nuts to the pan and stir to coat. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes, until all the sugar is melted and the nuts are coated, then remove to a parchment lined plate to cool. Resist the temptation to snitch them before they are cooled or you'll burn the daylights out of your tongue. Once cool, break them apart.

Now for the rest of the salad:

2 chicken breasts

coarsely ground salt and pepper

1 t. minced fresh rosemary

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 T. honey

1 bag spring mix greens

1 large jonagold apple, thinly sliced

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Brianna's blush wine vinagrette dressing

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon zest. Spray your grill rack with PAM, then turn the grill on to medium heat. Grill for 10 minutes on the first side. Make a glaze out of the lemon juice and honey, and brush on the tops, then flip over and grill for 5 minutes on the second side. Brush the glaze on the side that's facing up and flip over again for three minutes, basting with the remaining glaze. Remove to a plate and cover with another plate for at least 10 minutes before slicing in to thin strips.

In a large, shallow serving bowl, layer the spring mix greens, sliced apples, nuts, chicken and blue cheese. Serve with dressing on the side. If you add the dressing and then it sits for a while before serving, the candied nut coating will begin to dissolve.

What's for dinner?

Last night I made dinner for our good friends and neighbors since the hubby decided it was in his best interests to get his inflamed appendix out. For some reason, I always feel compelled to try out new recipes when I'm cooking for other people. Sometimes it comes out really well (like last night), and sometimes not so much. Murphy always hangs around my kitchen and it seems like at least one element of the dinner has to flop - last night it was my fool proof rolls. Oh well. The rest of it was really tasty, so I'm going to share my recipe finds with you.

The main dish was Spicy Honey Chicken, courtesy of Sara and Kate at The Daily Bite (please note that they've changed their address due to some crabby copyright laws - update your bookmarks accordingly). I actually purchased boneless skinless chicken thighs for the first time in my life for this recipe. Raw meat grosses me out, so I typically stick with the frozen pucks of chicken breast that don't resemble the actual bird. I was pleasantly surprised at how forgiving thighs are to barbecue. One of my big stresses in barbecuing chicken breasts is getting them cooked but not overcooked. Seems like the thin part of the breast is always dry and the thick part is still pink. The thighs cooked through nicely and were juicy and moist with a nicely caramelized exterior. Very worth the purchase, and I'm grateful to the fine fellas in the Harmon's butcher shop that took care of all the messy business for me. I cooked up 12 pieces of meat thinking mistakenly that I'd have leftovers to use later this week, but alas, they all got gobbled up. Ethan commented that it was a little "hot" for him, so I should probably go even easier on the cayenne next time I make it just for the kids' sake, but I thought it was just right.

Here's the recipe for you:

Spicy Honey Chicken

Rub:
2 t Garlic Powder
2 t Chili Powder
1 t Salt
1 t Ground Cumin
1 t paprika
1/4-1/2 t Cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

*Just a quick note about the chicken. Even though I told you to use thighs, and it tastes better with thighs, I know some of you will ignore my advice and make it with breasts anyway because you’re afraid of chicken thighs. If you must, for best results pound the breasts thin, or butterfly them. Also you may want to drizzle with a bit of olive oil just before grilling. But seriously peeps, try the thighs.

Glaze:
6 T Honey
2 t Cider Vinegar

Combine first 6 ingredients (all the spices) in bowl and mix well. Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Toss chicken with spice rub to coat all sides well. Brush grill surface lightly with oil. Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Combine Honey and Vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well until combined. Brush mixture on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling. Now because the glaze is sugar-based, you’ll want to turn the heat down so it doesn’t burn, but let it cook for a few minutes to caramelize.

If you don’t have a bbq, or just want to make it inside, cook it under the broiler and follow the same directions.

*****

What goes with chicken? Potatoes! Leigh Ann pointed me to this recipe on Pioneer Woman Cooks. I've bopped over to that site before, and found that she has some fabulous recipes. However, I get bogged down in her 30 photographs per recipe. My internet connection can't hack it. And it's difficult to sift all the way through it to get the actual recipe. Oh well. In any case, I haven't gotten over there on my own for a while, but when I saw Leigh Ann's posting about Crash Hot Potatoes, I just had to try them. I'm a total sucker for crispy tasty tidbits. These were fabulous! Even my I-only-like-my-potatoes-as-chips-or-fries boy liked them.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Baby new potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Minced fresh rosemary

Boil as many potatoes as you want in salted water until they are fork tender. I found that I could fit 20 golf ball sized potatoes on one baking sheet. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on a jelly roll pan (I brushed mine around with a pastry brush to make sure I wouldn't have any sticking spuds). Drain the potatoes and space them evenly on the pan. Use a potato masher to crush each potato. It doesn't have to be super flat. The more texture the better. I just did one mash, and left them about 1/2-3/4" thick. Brush olive oil over the top surface of each potato (again, be generous), and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown around the edges. These are so awesome you'll find yourself snitching them right off the pan!

***
My kids' very favorite side dish is super simple. When they see me putting it together, I get to hear all sorts of compliments on my wonderful cooking and how much they love me. Therefore, I make it often.

Ethan and Rachel's Favorite Fruit Salad

6-7 cups cut up fresh fruit. Our favorite combination is pineapple, bananas, oranges, nectarines, mangos, strawberries and blueberries.
1 carton Yoplait vanilla yogurt

Toss it in a bowl and stir it all together. Yep, it's that simple.

Asian Crunch Salad

My friend, Tasha, is on an Asian Crunch Salad diet. Let's face it, she is always on a funny diet. Anyway, we've fallen in love with the Asian Salads by Dole--you know the ones that are already to mix with the dressing, etc. Well, I've figured out how to make my own and it's even BETTER!

Toss together:
Bag of mixed greens.
Bag of shredded cabbage.
3 chopped green onions.
1 can drained mandarin oranges.
4-6 grilled chicken tenders (I like to do mine on the Foreman grill)
Sliced cucumber or celery.
Chow mein noodles (the crunchy kind you buy in a bag)
1/2 slivered almonds.

The best dressing is the GOOD SEASONS Asian Sesame with Ginger Dressing.

Oh, such a lovely summer treat. Seriously--I could eat it every night for dinner & be perfectly happy. . .yes, perfectly.

Deliciousness on a plate

My buddy Andrea posted a recipe a couple of weeks ago that she borrowed from the Pioneer Woman, who adapted it from Jamie Oliver. I figure that by this point there aren't too many truly original recipes out there, just a whole heck of a lot of adaptations of someone else's idea. Anyway, I of course couldn't leave well enough alone either, and made a couple of modifications myself last night when I made it for dinner. I'm posting it the way I made it rather than the "original" version. I neglected to take a picture of it so let me just describe it as an explosion of color and flavor. I'm so sick of all the stinkin' snow that I had to make something summery. My kids even ate several bites of it without complaint, which is remarkable considering how many different kinds of veggies there are in it. I love that it's so packed with nutrients. Enough rambling - here you go:

Asian Noodle Salad

1/2 package of either thin spaghetti or linguini, cooked, rinsed and cooled**
1/2 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 bag baby spinach, lightly wilted**
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
generous handful of bean sprouts
3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, coarsley chopped
1/2 can of salted whole cashews
3 chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
8 T. olive oil
2 T. sesame oil
6 T. soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 T. fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
generous dash of sriracha (Thai hot sauce)

I prefer Barilla brand "Plus" pasta. It's got a vastly improved nutritional profile over regular white pasta, but isn't quite as heavy as whole wheat. I used it last night with good results. I also lightly oiled the noodles immediately after draining and rinsing so that they wouldn't turn into a sticky glob while I got the rest of the stuff ready. I wilted the spinach by nuking it for 45 seconds in my Pampered Chef micro-cooker. You could just eat it raw too.

Get the biggest bowl in your kitchen and dump all the salad ingredients in. Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over all the salad ingredients. Using tongs or big salad forks mix mix mix away until everything is thoroughly coated. I think it'd be easier to mix if I had broken the noodles in half before I cooked them.

Either serve immediately or else refrigerate for an hour for further mixing of the flavors. Invite a couple of friends over, because this makes a LOT! The original recipe calls for a whole package of pasta and no chicken, but I prefer a higher ratio of "goodies" to noodles, and I felt like adding the chicken made it a more robust main dish salad.

Frog Eye Salad

1 1/3 c. acini de pepe, uncooked

1 can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve ¼ c. juice)

1 ¾ c. milk

¼ c. sugar

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

2 cans mandarin orange segments, drained

2 c. Cool Whip

Cook pasta 11 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain well. In large bowl, beat reserved pineapple juice, milk, sugar, and pudding 2 minutes. Gently stir in pasta and remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate at least 5 hours. 12 servings.

I love this salad. Sometimes we eat it for dessert. I think it is perfect for spring. I think the recipe originally came from the back of a Ronzoni brand box of acini de pepe although I leave out the marshmallows and coconut that they had included. I usually leave out the crushed pineapple as well.

Broccoli Salad

1 head cauliflower cut up small
1 bunch of broccolii cut up small
2 lbs frozen peas, uncooked (I used 1 lbs and thought it was too much)
1 can water chestnuts, raw and sliced
2 bunches green onions, chopped or sliced
1 pkg Italian Good Seasoning Dressing, use dry
1 pint sour cream
1/2 to 1 cup Miracle Whip

Mix all ingredients and chill for 3 or 4 hours before serving. (I sprinkled salted cashews and a few craisens on the top before I served it too.)

What to do with leftover turkey...

I'm already anticipating the good leftovers from tomorrow. I like to find interesting ways to use leftover turkey so that it's not just like eating Thanksgiving dinner over and over and over again. Here's a recipe I got from one of Alan's coworkers a couple of years ago. It's a very different taste for a chicken or turkey salad (you can use either), and one that I enjoy a couple times a year.

Curry Turkey Salad with Toasted Coconut

3 lbs cooked and diced turkey breast
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup apricot preserves (orange marmalade can also be used)
2 stalks celery, medium diced
1/2 cup coconut, toasted*
1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans
2 dozen red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
2 T. curry powder

In a large bowl, mix the mayo, preserves and curry powder together until well blended. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until everything is coated thoroughly. Refrigerate one hour, then serve. This works well as a filling for croissants, wraps or pitas.

*To toast the coconut, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes then add the coconut. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the coconut just begins to turn golden.

____

What do the rest of you do with your turkey?

Chicken Salad

One of my favorite classes at BYU was basic food prep. It was basically a glorified high school home economics class. I LOVED It. I loved the cooking, the recipes, the friends I had in class, the experiments, and the sampling. There is something wonderful about cooking with others that brings people together. I have fond memories of those fall days learning how to bake bread, the dangers of using too much nutmeg, and the hours of laughter. Perhaps the greatest thing to come from that semester was this recipe for Chicken Salad. It's quite wonderful. In fact, my friend Melissa loved this salad so much that we'd plan RS board meetings around it.

Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts, finely chopped

1 c sliced red grapes

1 cup finely chopped celery

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

4 Tbsp pickle relish

2 Tbsp lemon juice

4 tsp mustard

¼ tsp pepper

Combine chicken, celery, onions, lemon juice and pepper. Stir in mayonnaise, relish and mustard until well blended. Add grapes and stir lightly. Cover and chill. Fill cream puff. I love it in a Costco croissant! I figure if you're going to eat all that mayo, you might as well go the whole way by stuffing a flaky pastry.