Tag Archives: easy

Curried Chicken Salad

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Curried Chicken Salad

I make amazing curried chicken salad!

It’s wonderful stuffed in pita pockets, scooped out on a pile of lettuce for a salad, stuffed in a whole wheat tortilla wrap or even served at a party as an appetizer in puff pastry cups or as a dip with tortilla chips. It’s so versatile.

And it has everything from dried cranberries to shredded coconut, it’s wonderful.

When I serve it as a salad, I like to add chopped green apples on the side and sometimes red bell pepper.

Curried Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken

2/3 cup sliced green grapes

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2 stalks celery

1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1 cup Light Miracle Whip

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

De-skin and de-bone your chicken. I save the skin and bones for stock. You can freeze them for that if you don’t plan to make stock any time soon. Then tear all the meat off the bird and chop it. I use everything, down to the wings.

Place in a bowl. Take about 20 grapes and slice them in thirds. Add the grapes to the chicken. Chop cilantro, red onion and celery and add it. Top with shredded coconut and dried cranberries.

In another bowl, mix mayo and Light Miracle Whip. Stir in curry powder and add a little salt and pepper. I use 1 1/2 teaspoons but if you have a poor quality curry powder, you may need as much as a tablespoon. Taste as you go so you don’t ruin it.

Then stir mayo mixture into chicken mixture. Cover and refrigerate an hour before serving to let the flavors marry.

This chicken salad is so creamy and delicious! If you have a better recipe, please post it. I want to try it.

Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad- my brother-in-law says It’s the bomb.

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Does this salad look good, or what? It’s fabulous.

This restaurant quality salad is amazing and serves two as a main course or up to six as a side dish.

I call it restaurant quality because it’s really a restaurant rip off. The Cheesecake Factory serves an amazing salad like this, which was my inspiration for this recipe. That is one of my favorite things on the menu.

Salads don’t often “wow” people, but this one usually does.

Directions:

1 head of romaine lettuce

2/3 cup of canned corn, drained

2/3 cup black beans, drained

1 1/4 cups chopped chicken

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

3 slices of bacon or 1/3 cup real bacon pieces

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

French’s Fried Onion rings (like you use for the green bean casserole at Thanksgiving)

 

 

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Dressing:

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

1 1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon salsa

Get a large serving bowl for this recipe. For the photo, I made this look pretty by stacking the ingredients, but you will need to toss this together with the dressing before you serve it.

Chop lettuce and place in bowl. Add corn, black beans, chicken, tomatoes, bacon and cheese,

Mix ingredients for the dressing together then pour dressing over salad and thoroughly toss to distribute ingredients and the dressing. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then serve.

Awesome, Chicken and Artichoke Sandwich

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Awesome Chicken, Artichoke Sandwich

This chicken sandwich is crusty on the outside, gooey on the inside and packed with flavor. If you love artichoke dip at parties, you will LOVE this.

This recipe can easily be doubled and you will want to once you taste it. It’s one of my favorites.

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoon your favorite olive tapenade (I like green olive for this)

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1 cup shredded, fresh parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Half a loaf of French or Italian bread (not baguette)

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir together chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, olive tapenade, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Set aside.

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Cut the bread in half and then cut it horizontally. Fill the bread with chicken mixture. If desired, add a tiny sprinkle of more Italian seasoning.

Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and pop in the oven for 18-20 minutes. When it’s done, cut into four servings.

Yes, it’s THAT EASY!!

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Serve with a salad.

Asian Chicken Salad (three ways)

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I love, love, love chicken salad and am constantly creating different versions.

My top three recipes are this one, my rosemary chicken salad and my curried chicken salad.

My Asian version always wows people and I think it’s because it’s so unique. I love it because it’s easy, delicious and I can serve it three ways.

. I have served this on Ritz crackers at parties and it’s a huge hit;

I have piled it in the middle of a salad and devoured it for lunch (pictured here).\;

And I have served it on French bread as a sandwich and that’s pretty fantastic, too. I recommend topping the sandwich with thinly sliced cucumbers.

Every version is fantastic. In my recipe, I recommend using celery OR water chestnuts. I prefer celery but have made it both ways.

They key to this salad is you must have Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce. If you’ve never used that sauce, you should. It’s one of my favorite kitchen condiments.

It’s AMAZING on stir fried vegetables, soba noodles, on chicken. The great thing is, it’s a complete sauce so you don’t need to add other sauces.  I have used it for dipping sauce, as a marinade, etc, etc. It’s so versatile. Once you try it, you will ask that bottle: “Where have you been all my life?”

If you can’t find it on your local store, you can order it online: https://www.soyvay.com

You can search stores in your area on the website to see if they carry it.

This salad is perfect for entertaining or enjoying at home. Take it on a picnic or out on the boat. It’s lovely. Enjoy.

Asian Chicken Salad

3 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, skin removed

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki

2 stalks of celery OR 5 ounces water chestnuts, minced

3 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Pepper to taste (you don’t need salt)

2 tablespoons shredded carrot (optional) I add carrots when serving as a salad

Ritz crackers to serve, or bread, or a bed of lettuce

Dark meat is great in this dish, so if you’re not crazy about legs and thighs, try adding the meat to this. It makes a wonderful appetizer. A buttery Ritz is a wonderful complement, or serve it on a slice of cucumber when it’s hot outside for a refreshing appetizer.

While I am not an iceberg lettuce fan, if you are serving this on lettuce, iceberg is the way to go. It’s so crisp and light and is a beautiful compliment to the salad.

Directions:

In a large bow, mix mayonnaise and Soy Vay sauce together. Then add chicken, celery or water chestnuts, onion and cilantro. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add pepper to taste.

If serving as a salad, serve it over lettuce with cucumbers and topped with carrots.

In serving for a party, you an sit it out surrounded by crackers or plate each individual cracker. Cucumber slices are a nice addition if it’s self serve. You an also use cucumber slices to serve the salad if you are avoiding extra carbs. You can garnish with extra cilantro, if desired. I did it more for aesthetics for the photo.

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Or serve on bread.

Quick Chicken Marsala (with rotisserie chicken)

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One of the beauties of the rotisserie chicken, is its amazing versatility. You can shred the meat and use it for quick enchiladas, chop it for salads, or make something a little more sophisticated like chicken Marsala.

If you’ve never attempted chicken Marsala, you have to try my easy recipe. Now I admit, this isn’t as good as what you’d order in a restaurant, but it’s also on the table in 15 to 20 minutes so there isn’t as much time for the flavor to infuse, but it’s still delicious. For an at-home version using rotisserie chicken, it’s pretty impressive.

I’ve been tweaking this quick Marsala for a while and am finally happy with this dish.

This week, I am focusing on the chicken’s versatility.

I have insanely easy Southwest style stuffed bell peppers. I

Quick Chicken Marsala

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Half a large red onion

1 tablespoon flour

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 cup chicken stock

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 rotisserie chicken breasts

2/3 cup Marsala wine

¼ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Couscous or rice for serving

Parsley or basil to garnish (optional)

Place onion in food processor and chop.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Then add flour and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to the vegetables as they cook.

While that cooks, remove chicken breasts from rotisserie chicken and cut into four pieces.

Add stock, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning and chicken breasts and increase heat to medium-high. Cook 4 minutes until stock reduces and thickens. Add Marsala and heavy cream and cook 2 minutes. Serve over couscous or rice. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

Serve over rice or couscous.

Southwest Style Stuffed Peppers

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I’ve always loved stuffed peppers, but making one can be quite an affair and take hours. This is one of the easiest versions of stuffed peppers I’ve come up with. Instead of rice, I use hominy and puree it in the food processor. I add bulk, holds the dish together and offers a delicious, deep corn flavor.

Then, I use rotisserie chicken, cumin and picante sauce. Of course, a good dose of cilantro and cheese is wonderful, too.

These peppers are assembled in about 10 minutes and then baked for 15-20. The peppers are still crisp, which I love. I hate mushy vegetables. And vegetables retain more nutrients when they are not cooked too much.

This is a perfect dinner for a busy night. I hope you enjoy it.

Southwest Style Stuffed Peppers

1 can hominy

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 cup picante sauce

1 rotisserie chicken, chopped and de-skinned

2/3 cup canned black beans, drained

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexi-blend cheese

Garlic salt to taste

4 bell peppers of assorted colors (red and yellow are my favorite)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Drain hominy and place it in the food processor with cumin seed. Pulse until semi-smooth. Then pour in a large bowl. Add picante sauce, chicken, black beans and cilantro. Add 1 cup of cheese. Stir to thoroughly combine the mixture. Set aside.

Cut bell peppers in half and remove seeds and any veins. Stuff each half with the mixture. Then top with remaining cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15-20 minutes. Peppers will still be crisp.

Mock Muffaletta

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I have never been a huge fan of Muffaletta sandwiches because they are overly salty and taste really fatty. My version of the muffaletta is scrumptious. I omit the ham, add chicken, use the mayo to add a creamy flavor and temper the saltiness of olives.  Instead of chopping olives, I simply open a jar of olive tapenade. I prefer green olive tapenade in this recipe.

The chicken adds lean protein to this sandwich and I use less salami than a traditional Muffaletta, so it has less fat. I enjoy this toasted, which makes the bread crusty, cheese gooey and sweats some of the fat off the salami. But you can eat this cold and if you do, it becomes one my “10 minute” recipes. It’s a great, easy sandwich either way. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 hoagies or Italian bread sliced into sandwich portions

1/3 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup green olive tapenade

½ cup shredded Manchego cheese (You can substitute Swiss or a Monterey Jack for mild flavor)

1 ¼ cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed

Generous dash of Italian seasoning

6 slices large cut salami

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together mayonnaise and olive tapenade. Divide the mixture in thirds and spread on the bread. Sprinkle cheese and chicken over hoagies and add a dash of Italian seasoning to each. Top each with two slices of salami.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts and bread is toasty. Serve immediately.

Serves 3.

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Simple Potatoes Au Gratin with Sharp Cheddar

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For as far back as I can remember, Easter was special in my family.

I grew up overseas in nine different countries, so our traditions had to be flexible and adapt to what was available locally. For example, one year, we lived in Sudan and we dyed Ostrich eggs and then my mom tied bows around the eggs and used them as centerpiece decorations for the Easter table. That’s one of my favorite Easter memories.

My mother would go all out each year and set a beautiful table; she’d carve grapefruits into baskets and fill them with fruit to start each Easter meal. It was a lot of work, but so beautiful to behold.

A pretty Easter table is a must, in my opinion. It’s spring and flowers are blooming and colors are vibrant, so it doesn’t take much to add some sparkle to your tables. If you need some ideas, here are a few:

Dye Easter eggs and once the eggs are dry, use a glitter pen to write the name of each guest or family member on the egg. Then go to a dollar store and buy candle holders to display the egg and use those as place settings. You can buy candle holders of varying heights for a more dramatic look.

A dollar store is a great place to buy festive ribbon and tie it around a napkin with cutlery. If you’re fortunate enough to have daffodils (or another flower) in your yard, tuck a flower under the ribbon.

Try mason jars filled with candy eggs or jelly beans and chocolate bunnies on top; or mason jars filled with jelly beans and daffodils.

If you have a big Easter celebration and use plastic cutlery, I saw an adorable idea on Pinterest: buy green plastic cutlery, use orange napkins to wrap around the cutlery, and tie it all together with green ribbon, so it looked like a carrot. This is an easy idea and a fun job for kids.

Now, on to the food.  In our house, the ham is the centerpiece, but here’s a wonderful side dish to accompany the ham.

My potatoes au gratin are simple to make, there’s no peeling the potatoes. I make them with extra sharp cheddar cheese. If you like cream, cheddar cheese and potatoes, I think you will enjoy these. This dish goes well with beef or lamb, too.

It’s simply layers of thinly sliced potatoes, cooked in heavy cream that is lightly infused with bay leaves and thyme and loaded with cheese. Does that sound heavenly or what?

I hope you enjoy them.

Simple Potatoes Au Gratin with Sharp Cheddar

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon thyme leaves

4 large Russet potatoes

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a heavy bottom pot, add butter, heavy cream, bay leaves and thyme leaves. Heat over medium-low heat. Do not use high heat or your cream will curdle. Bring to a light simmer and stir. Reduce to low.

Wash potatoes and thinly slice them. You want potatoes to be as uniform as possible, so if you have a tool, like a mandolin or cheese grater that has a slicer on it, use those.

Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or baking dish with butter.

Place the first layer of potatoes down and add salt and pepper to the tops. Then sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the cheese over potatoes.

Add the next layer or potatoes being sure to add salt and pepper directly on the potatoes. Add about 1/3 cup of cheese on that layer. Repeat this process until you have four layers. Then pour the cream mixture into the baking dish.

Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes more (test potatoes to be sure they are done. You can insert a toothpick to determine if they are cooked).

Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

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Wasabi and Cucumber Deviled Eggs for Easter

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I am still taking a break from my rotisserie chicken recipes to offer up some Easter dishes. Easter is one of my favorite holidays.

Easter would not feel like Easter without deviled eggs. My Wasabi and Cucumber Deviled Eggs are delicious and refreshing. There’s enough wasabi to taste it, but not enough to make your nostrils flare.

Whenever I cook for company, I try to find the middle of the road in terms of flavors. You can add more if you love wasabi or know your guests won’t mind extra heat. I am actually pretty traditional when it comes to deviled eggs, but I love these. It’s a slight twist on a classic.

Whenever I make hard boiled eggs, I always boil two or three extra because there’s always one or two eggs that is deformed or rips when you’re peeling it, so extras are essential. My recipe calls for six, so boil eight or nine. If you’re fortunate enough that they all work out, you can fill extra egg whites with deviled egg mix because there is always leftover yolk mix once everything has been mixed in.

Wasabi and Cucumber Deviled Eggs

Serves 4-6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               *6 large eggs

2 tablespoons finely minced cucumber (be sure it’s minced fine)

3 tablespoons Miracle Whip

1 tablespoon Woeber’s Sandwich Pal Wasabi Sauce, plus ½ teaspoon

Salt and pepper to taste

If you have a favorite boiling method, use it. If not, follow mine.

To boil the eggs: Place eggs in a large pot so they are in a single layer and fill with water that rises 2 inches above eggs. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid and turn off the heat. Let rest 15 minutes. Drain water off and then scoop ice over eggs to cool.

When cool, peel eggs and slice in half horizontally. Remove yolks and place in a bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork and then add cucumber, Miracle Whip, wasabi sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined and mostly smooth. Refill egg whites with this mixture and cover and refrigerate until time to serve.

Chicken Alfredo

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Pasta is one dish I never order in a restaurant because it’s so easy and inexpensive to make at home. Like this Chicken Alfredo. The most time consuming part of this dish is cooking the pasta. I make mine with angel hair because the sauce sticks to the noodles more.

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Chicken Alfredo

Serves 4

Both breasts from rotisserie chicken

8 ounces angel hair pasta

¼ cup butter

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cusp fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chives (optional)

I use chives because we have them in our garden. It’s not worth buying chives for this dish, so the chives are optional. Also, I love basil in alfredo but you can skip it if you’re not crazy about basil.

Do not salt your sauce until the end because there is a lot of salt in cheese.

This dish comes together quickly at the end, so have everything prepped.

First, put water on to boil for pasta.

Then remove the chicken breasts and the skin and chop chicken into chunks and set aside.

Slice basil and chop parsley.

When water is ready, add the pasta

Cook pasta according to aldente directions on the box, strain and set aside.

In a large skillet , heat butter and garlic for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan, chicken, pasta, parsley and basil. Cook 2 minutes until sauce sticks to pasta. Garnish with fresh  basil and chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

This photo does not do this dish justice. Just know it’s delicious!