I don’t think I have ever, in my 24 years, had Chicken Waldorf Salad before. Ever. Not in a restaurant, at a friend’s house, at a picnic, at a pot lock, and any other scenario you can think of. I’ve heard of it, I’ve seen it on menus, but I’ve never eaten it. I don’t know what overcame me to make it at home, but boy am I glad I did! I loved this dish. It was a nice break from all the “heavy” winter foods I’ve been eating and it was so simple to put together. I based it off a recipe I found on Eating Well. I think this will be my go-to recipe for using up leftover chicken from now on!
Chicken Waldorf Salad serves 6
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 tart apples, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup red or green seedless grapes, halved
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free mayo
2 limes, juiced
4 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste
baby spinach
Combine chicken, apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour dressing over chicken and toss to combine.
TGIF!! Even though I’m loving my rotation in school food service, I’m still so so so very happy that it’s Friday. So, here are my Friday Favorites for this week.
Favorite Fitness Must Have: Garmin Forerunner 910XT with HRM. Ok, calling this $450 fancy watch a “must have” is a bit of a stretch. Maybe I should say it’s a “Lust Have” instead. The watch is seriously awesome. The price is a little steep for a student budget, though. Eh, maybe when I get out of school and find a job I can reward myself with one of these babies with my first paycheck.
image from runningwarehouse.com
Favorite Cold Treat: Kemp’s Java Chip Ice Cream. Oh boy. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff. A bowl full of this + some espresso chocolate chip cookies = the best dinner ever.
Favorite Restaurant Meal Copy Cat: Burrito Bowls! I made these on a night where I had a craving for burritos. They were so good that we made them again the next night with different toppings. The best part? They were SO easy to make! Seriously, we put them together in the time it would have taken us to drive across town, wait in line, and drive back home. It’s an added bonus that they were so cheap to make, too! Now that’s my kind of meal – delicious, quick, and cheap.
Copy Cat Burrito Bowl
3 cups brown rice
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Other optional toppings:
Sour cream
Jalapeños
Avocado
Queso
Hot sauce
Cook brown rice according to package directions. I use a rice cooker and use a 1 cup brown rice: 2 cups water ratio. When rice is cooked, mix with 1/4 cup cilantro, lime zest and lime juice.
Meanwhile, mix chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano together and sprinkle generously over chicken breasts.
Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over high heat. Cook chicken until cooked through. Remove to cutting board and chop.
In a separate bowl, make the pico de gallo. Combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro, red onion, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
To assemble: place rice in bowl and top with black beans, chicken, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and any other toppings you desire. Enjoy!
Trust me, the dish tastes as good as it sounds. And it’s so easy that even little ol’ me, an 8-to-5-employee-turned-dietetic-intern-with-no-spare-time-in-the-world, has time to make it! The complex flavors will blow you away. I was hoping to use this recipe as a main dish for my “theme meal” during my hospital food service rotation, but I was the unlucky intern that ended up with virtually no control over my own meal [[insert sad face]].
So, if I can’t share it with the staff, patients, and visitors of the hospital, I will share it with the rest of the world! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Wok-Stirred Curry-Ginger Chicken with Zucchini serves 4
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch dice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly minced ginger, divided
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 medium onions, chopped
2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch. Mix to coat chicken completely. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Cook until ginger is fragrant. Add in 1 teaspoons curry powder and stir to combine. Increase heat to high and swirl oil in wok to coat the sides.
Add chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes.Season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken to a plate.
Repeat step 2 with remaining oil, ginger, and curry powder. Add onions and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until the zucchini is tender, about 4 – 5 minutes.
Return chicken to wok, add broth, and bring to a boil, about 30 seconds. Stir, remove from heat and taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Problem: Mike loves “Chinese” takeout. My stomach can;t handle the grease.
Solution: make it at home.
I made it this time with a lightly battered fried chicken, but I think next time I’ll skip the frying all together. It will 1) save time and 2) be just a tad bit healthier. Using low sodium chicken broth is absolutely essential. The sauce will be horribly salty if you don’t!!
So, give it a go. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up opening your own Chinese restaurant…
General Tso’s Chicken serves 4
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 large egg white
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Rice, for serving
In a medium bowl, combine sesame oil, egg white, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn starch. Add chicken, stirring to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chicken broth with chile-garlic sauce, sugar, and 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until shimmering. Carefully add the chicken, one piece at a time and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.
Remove cooked chicken to paper towels to drain and immediately add to the sauce with the scallions. Cook until just coated, about 30 seconds.
I bought a huge tub of plain, non-fat yogurt to use in some dish I planned on making. Then, I couldn’t remember what dish I wanted to make. Does this ever happen to you?? It happens to me way too frequently. I tried to fix this by writing down the meals I have planned on a piece of paper, but then I end up misplacing the paper or throwing it out. Maybe I should start writing the dishes I want to make with it on the food itself.
I looked online for a bit to find a dish that would use a good portion of yogurt and finally found one that I thought sounded pretty good. Chicken Tikka Masala. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. It’s really a lot easier than it looks, since most of the ingredients are spices! Give it a try – I loved it and will definitely be making it again!
Chicken Tikka Masala serves 4
For the marinade:
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
skewers
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons paprika
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 cups half and half
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
To make the marinade, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, and ginger in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill to high.
Thread chicken onto skewers. Discard marinade. Grill chicken until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
To make the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Stir in cumin and paprika. Pour in tomato sauce and half and half, and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Add in grilled chicken and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or naan (or both)!
1 .25 ounce package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
Pour liquid into mixer fitted with dough hook. Add in milk, egg, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Knead on low speed for 1 minute, or until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add in remaining 2 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.
Knead for 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook and place in oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise. Let rise for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
Punch down dough. Pinch off ping-pong ball sized pieces of dough. Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes, or until double in size.
Meanwhile, combine melted butter with garlic and set aside.
Roll risen dough balls into a thin circle.
Heat oil in a small pan over medium high heat. Cook dough on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Before flipping, brush uncooked side with garlic butter. Flip, and cook second side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Brush cooked side with melted butter. Continue this process until all the naan has been prepared.
I’ll admit it – I’m kind of absentminded. I make food, take pictures, and forget about them. By them time I find the pictures again, I have a hard time remembering what the dish was and what I put in it.
Today, I realized just how many of these dishes go un-posted and now I’m making an effort to be more diligent. Mike helped me identify this particular dish from 3 months ago.
This particular dish was super easy to make. I opted to make it “lighter” by using less butter and swapping out the heavy cream for half and half. The spices in this make it easy to cut fat without sacrificing flavor. Yum 🙂
Cajun Chicken Pasta adapted from allrecipes.com – serves 4
8 ounces linguine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
6 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cups half and half
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, sprinkle Cajun seasoning evenly over chicken on all sides.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until chicken is cooked, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions. Cook until peppers are tender-crisp, about 2 – 3 minutes.
Whisk together half and half and corn starch until well combined.
Reduce heat to low and add in half and half. Stir in basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Heat through.
I love spicy foods and I’ve found out that my spice tolerance is a lot higher than 99% of the people I know. That said, I try to stay away from making spicy dishes since I”m a horrible judge of spice levels. What I think is medium spiciness ends up being a light-a-normal-person’s-mouth-on-fire spiciness. Oops.
This dish turned out to be a tolerable amount of spice for Mike, though. At least I think it was. I mean, he wasn’t chugging down glasses of water, so that’s a good sign, right?
That said, if you’re not so good with heat, use a little less ginger and Sriracha. I served this dish with some steamed rice and some vegetables. It was a quick, filling meal and clean up was a breeze. Enjoy!
Sweet and Spicy Chicken serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips
whole wheat flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge in flour. Spray pan with cooking spray and cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides. Add in onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, Sriracha, ginger and garlic. Pour into pan with chicken and lower heat to medium. Cook until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with rice.
There was a Chinese restaurant in Madison that had this pepper chicken that I loved. It was spicy and I loved that the chicken wasn’t fried. I haven’t had luck finding a comparable pepper chicken in Appleton, WI. So, I decided to make my own.
It turned out pretty darn well and I know for a fact that I will never pay a restaurant to make this for me. I loved that I could make it as (not) greasy and spicy as I wanted.
Pepper Chicken serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
black pepper
white pepper
salt
Marinate chicken in soy sauce for 15 minutes.
Heat up oil in large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until aromatic. Add green bell pepper and jalapeño. Cook for 2 minutes and add in chicken strips with soy sauce. Season liberally with black and white pepper, until desired level of spiciness is reached.* Cook until chicken is cooked through.
Between working at the bank and working on the house , I find myself with little energy left at the end of the day. It was hard enough to find the energy and motivation to cook for Mike, but now I have my younger brother to feed, too! No complaints, though!* Except for the fact that he eats enough for 3 people. I made this dish thinking there would be plenty of leftovers. Boy, was I wrong. So, in my case, this dish fed 3. I think that you could easily get away with making this for a group of 4 or 5, though! But hey, at least it was easy to make!
Lemon Chicken Piccata
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole wheat all purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound pasta of choice
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Butterfly the chicken and then cut in half. Tenderize the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge through flour and shake off excess.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.**When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken to pan. Cook until browned, flip and cook until other side is golden brown and chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken to plate. Cook remaining chicken in same manner, using more butter and olive oil as needed before each.
Add lemon juice, broth and capers to pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping pan to release browned bits for more flavor. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir until melted.
Pour sauce over plated chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve immediately with pasta.
*Ok, I have one complaint – my parents didn’t take me to Italy with them. They get Italy, I get my brother.
**I have this Calphalon pan. I love love love it. It was big enough to cook 5 pieces of chicken at a time without over-crowding the pan.
I planned on making my Soy-Mirin Tofu with Peanut Sauce a few weeks ago, but a blizzard decided to blow into Wisconsin. So, change of plans to a comfort food – chicken pot pie! I hadn’t made one for a good 3 years or so and was excited to give it another try.
I spotted these adorable bowls in the cupboard and just had to use them. I love that they had little wicker bowls to go with them; they are perfect for keeping your hands from getting burned. These made eating in front of the fire pretty darn easy.
Chicken Pot Pie serves 5
1 cup carrots, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth*
1/4 cup milk
For crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or shortening, chilled
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water
Simmer carrots, celery, potatoes and chicken in 2 cups water and bouillon for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, garlic powder, celery seed, and pepper. Slowly add in chicken broth and milk. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make crust, blend flour,salt, and butter or shortening together until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Pour into a bowl and drizzle ice water over dough. Gently mix with a fork until dough comes together.
Gather dough gently into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 380°F.
Divide dough into 5 pieces. Place one piece between two sheetws of parchment paper and roll into a circle. Repeat with remaining dough. Set aside.
Divide chicken mixture between 5 oven-proof bowls. Pour sauce over chicken and place crust on top, sealing the sides. Cut slits into crust to vent steam.
Brush crust with milk and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
* I used the broth left over from boiling the chicken. It takes zero time and effort and it tastes so much better than the canned stuff!
DoughSeeDough 