Chinese Chicken Salad Remix

Chinese Chicken Salad

(Low Fat)

Determined to make our meals as healthy as possible, I did a little Chinese Chicken Salad remix!  It is super easy and quick to make.  I baked the chicken breast while I was making the rest of the salad. Loved it!!  Eat your veggies, they are great for you and you'll feel great while still enjoying full flavor!  Biggest tip I have found to eating healthy is using my kitchen scale.  I love mine!!

Chinese Chicken Salad Remix 

The Chef In My Head

Less than 400 calories per serving

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 T. low-sodium soy sauce, divided

2 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)

1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)

3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about 1/2 cup)

1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, chopped

1 11-oz can Mandarin oranges in water, drained

1/2 apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 packet Stevia sugar substitute

1-1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce

1/4 C sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sesame oil and brush onto chicken breasts. Bake until juices run clear, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool completely, and cut into 1/4-inch slices.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, scallions, water chestnuts, and Mandarin oranges.  In a separate bowl (or your Vitamix), whisk together remaining 3 T. soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, remaining 1 tsp oil, Stevia and Sriracha sauce.  

Add cooled chicken to bowl.  Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.  Divide among bowls and top each serving with 2 tsp toasted almonds.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Penne Pasta Salad

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Penne Pasta Salad

The Chef In My Head, adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne 

12 asparagus spears 

12 cherry tomatoes 

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 cups baby arugula (rocket)/spring mix 

1/4 fresh Jicama, cut into matchstix

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside.

3. Place asparagus and tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss gently to coat; arrange asparagus and tomato mixture in a single layer. Bake at 400° for 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from pan. Place pan back in oven, and bake tomatoes an additional 4 minutes. Remove tomatoes from pan; let asparagus and tomatoes stand 10 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths; halve tomatoes.

4. Combine shallots and the next 4 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

5. Place pasta, asparagus, tomato, olives, jicama, and arugula in a large bowl; toss. Drizzle juice mixture over pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

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Beefsteak Tomato with Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad

Beefsteak Tomato with Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad

So I will admit it, I have a bit of a crush on Michael Chiarello.  I love his lifestyle, I mean really, who wouldn't want to live in the beautiful wine country?  I love his entertaining, and I want to be invited to one of those fabulous alfresco dinners and of course, I LOVE his food!  

This is one of his recipes that I tweaked a bit based on my ingredients I had on hand.  It was a great success and we agreed we could just skip the rest of the meal (that was before they ate my cedar plank salmon, coming in a post soon!).

Beefsteak Tomato with Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad, adapted from Michael Chiarello

The Chef In My Head

4 servings

1/2 C Panko bread crumbs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp water

1 egg

4 rounds fresh goat cheese, about 2 ounces each

4 thick, ripe beefsteak tomato slices

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the salad

2 C arugula

Red wine vinegar

In a small, shallow bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper to taste.  Add the water and work it in with your fingers to moisten the crumbs lightly.  In another small, shallow bowl, beat the egg just until blended.

Dip one flat surface of each goat cheese round in the egg, and then in the breadcrumbs, patting the crumbs in place.  Repeat on the other flat surface.  Refrigerate the coated cheese rounds for about 15 minutes.

Center the tomato slices on 4 salad plates. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat.  Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil.  When the oil is almost smoking, add the cheese rounds.  Cook until lightly browned, about 45 seconds, then turn and cook until the cheese just feels quivery, about 45 seconds longer.  Place a cheese round on each tomato slice.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with a splash of red wine vinegar, and light drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mound the arugula on top of the cheese, dividing them evenly.  Serve immediately.

Delicious!!  The warmth of the goat cheese, the cool of the tomato and the slightly bitter taste and crispness of the arugula.  Oh My!

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Bleu Cheese Chopped Salad

Bleu Cheese Chopped Salad

This salad has become one of our all time family favorites!!  It's perfect for a meal all alone or a wonderful side salad for a large group.  Careful though, it might just steal the show!  We got the original idea for this salad from Outback Steakhouse.  We have changed it a bit to simplify the process.  The dressing is fabulous, the cinnamon candied pecans are scrumptous and the bleu cheese is creamy and perfect.  It's crunchy and delicious, perfect for anytime of year!

Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette

2/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C. crumbled bleu cheese

1/4 C. honey

2 T grated parmesean cheese

1 T granulated sugar

1 T garlic, minced

1-1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp Italian herb seasoning

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, to taste

1/2 C. rice vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

Cinnamon Pecans

3 T granulated sugar

1 T water

1 tsp butter

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 C chopped pecans

Crunchy Topping

1 bag Ramen Noodles, noodles only

Salad

2 C. chopped romaine lettuce

1/3 C. chopped green onion

1/4 C chopped red cabbage

1/4 C. Shredded carrot

1/4 C. crumbled bleu cheese

1/4 C. dried cranberries or cherries

Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients except vinegar and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat.  Heat until mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat.  Cool mixture.  Combine cooled mixture with rice vinegar and lemon juice in a blender.  Blen on high for 1 minute, cover and chill.

Crunchy Topping

While Ramen is still in the bag, break up the noodles.  Discard seasoning packet or save for another use.  Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Toss noodles in dry skillet until they are lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Assemble The Salad

Combine lettuce, green onion, red cabbage, shredded carrot, candied pecans, toasted Ramen noodles and dried cranberries in a large bowl.  Toss with 3/4 cup of the dressing.  Top with 2 Tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese on each serving.

Serves 2 as main course or 4-6 as side salads.



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Pork Loin Stuffed with Brautwurst

I know zip, zilch, zero, nada, nichts, absolutely nothing about German food.  I will now formally apologize to all the German folks out there, some of them really good friends, I just don't get it or understand it.  Names of food like Sauerbraten, Wienerschnitzel, Rouladen, Goulash; just don't sound that appetizing to me.  My soul exposure to German food has been Ruben Sandwiches, Sauerkraut on my hot dog a few times and visits to Der Wienerschnitzel through the drive-thru as a kid.  But, one of my dearest friends is full-blooded German and one of the best cooks I know.  Yesterday he suggested a garlic peppercorn flavored pork loin stuffed with brautwurst.  I didn't want to tell him at the time that I have never even tasted brautwurst.  I'm telling you it's just the name that turns me off, but I bought it, I cooked it and I really liked it!  I got a few instructions from him and dove right it in.  It is probably different than what he told me, a few minutes had passed by the time I got home from the store and my CRS is kicking in big time lately.  So here is my French, Spanish and Irish blood-lines interpretation of German food, well sort of, if you get really technical.

Pork Loin Stuffed with German Brautwurst

1 pre-packaged Garlic and Peppercorn marinated Pork Loin (about 1 1/2 pounds), split length-wise and butterflied, pounded out until about 1/2" thick

3 links brautwurst

fresh baby spinach (I forgot this part),  it is really more to show the different layers than for flavor

4-6 Tbls parsley, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

4 Tbls Dijon mustard + more to coat outside of pork loin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread out flattened pork loin, long side closest to you.  Lay fresh spinach in single layer on pork loin. Remove and discard casings from Brautwurst and spread on top of layer of spinach.  Sprinkle top of Brautwurst with cayenne, garlic salt, pepper and parsley.  Press into Brautwurst a little.  Spread Dijon mustard over top of parsley.  Roll pork loin, starting with side closest to you.  Place seam side down on baking sheet covered with foil. Coat outside of rolled pork loin with remaining Dijon mustard.  Bring ends of foil up to ends of pork loin to keep stuffing from coming out during roasting, do not cover with foil.  Roast pork loin for about 35 minutes.  Internal temperature 150 degrees.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serves 4.  (Vielen Dank, Emil)

With this, I served salad with Raspberry Walnut Dressing and cherry tomatoes, toasted walnuts, dried cherries and goat cheese along with wild rice with the stuffed pork loin.  You can see where the spinach layer would have really made a difference with the presentation.  I think next time I will make a dijon wine sauce to go with this but it turned out really moist and delicious as it was.

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