Tag Archives: chicken

Chinese Chicken Salad


I love a good Chinese Chicken salad, but some of the ones you find on restaurant menus are simply unjustifiable! Huge, loaded down with sugar, nuts, and fried wonton strips or Chinese noodles, they can hardly be considered healthful.

But fear not! This version, adapted from Cook This, Not That has all the flavor without the unwanted health hazards. There are a few critical ingredients, like toasted sesame oil that give this salad its recognizable Asian flavor. Just opening a bottle and smelling it takes you right to the kitchen of your favorite Asian restaurant. I personally like my chicken warm on salads, so that’s how I recommend it in this one. If you put your chicken on to grill or broil when you start the salad, by the time it’s cooked, you’ll be ready to add it to a nearly complete meal. And a delicious one at that.

Pair this with a good crusty bread and a glass of wine and pretend you’re at Spago back in the 80’s where this whole Chinese Chicken Salad craze was born…


Chinese Chicken Salad
adapted from Cook This, Not That
 
serves 4

Salad 
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 packet stevia sweetener (like Truvia)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1-2 chicken breasts, grilled or broiled, thinly sliced – ideally still warm!
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped 

Dressing
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 packet stevia sweetener (like Truvia)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages with the sweetener and toss to coat.  Stir in the oranges, green onions, almonds, chicken, and cilantro (reserve 1 Tbsp. of cilantro for garnish) and toss to combine. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat thoroughly. 
3. Portion salad onto four plates and garnish with reserved cilantro.

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Chicken and Udon Noodle Bowl

This is simply delicious. Light, refreshing even, incredibly flavorful, simple. It has a definite Asian influence (udon noodles were the giveaway, right?) but isn’t overwhelmingly associated with any one ethnicity. It made a wonderful dinner but could be a terrific appetizer/soup course for a more complex meal. You’ll love it.

Have you tried udon noodles? Our kids love them because they taste like really soft spaghetti! And we have a children’s cooking alphabet book which has taught them that “U is for Udon Noodles.” How great is that? As for you, you’ll find udon noodles in the Asian section of your grocery store – usually in an 8-10 oz package if dried. Sometimes they are precooked and just need to be reheated. Either will work for this but if you are using precooked, you’ll need to adjust the quantity (probably 2 packages of cooked noodles).

This dish is really low calorie (232 calories per 1.5 cup serving) and still packed with 20 grams of protein, leaving plenty of room for great accompaniments. And isn’t THAT always a bonus?

I am in love with Clean Eating Magazine. Aren’t you?

Chicken & Udon Noodle Bowl
minimally adapted from Clean Eating – July 2010

serves 8

Ingredients:

8 oz. package of dried udon noodles (preferable whole wheat)
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lime zest
14 oz. unsweetened light coconut milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices, each about 1″ long
1 1/2 c. fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups, loosely packed)
1/2 Napa cabbage, chopped (about 1-2 c.)
12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 c.)

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Bring broth, ginger, jalapenos, lime juice, lemon juice and lime zest to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot; reduce heat to medium-low.

Add coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms, stirring well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved noodles, spinach and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until wilted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

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Lime-Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa

There are some nights when I like to keep my life (and my dinner prep!) really, really easy. But even on those nights, I don’t want to sacrifice flavor…or texture…or the satisfaction of really fresh ingredients. I just want something that delivers a filling, fresh, simple meal without a lot of hassle. This is for one of those nights.

The photo and recommendation from Cooking Light (where I found the original version of this recipe) pairs this chicken with saffron rice. Just to mix things up, I plated it over a bed of grilled slices of red potato instead (see recipe below). Either way, you have a complete meal in less than half an hour so you can catch up with your family at the table instead of while you are cooking!

This recipe really showcases the creaminess of a Hass avocado. If you’ve never worked with a whole avocado before, here’s a guide explaining how to handle it. Separately, if you’ve always shied away from avocados because you’ve heard that they are high in fat or calories, remember that they are composed almost entirely of unsaturated (aka “good”) fat and that 1/4 of a medium-sized avocado is only about 60 calories. Trust me, the texture and flavor that an avocado can add to a dish is well worth those few added calories and grams of “good” fat!

Lime-Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2010 issue
Photo credit: CookingLight.com

serves 4

Chicken:
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 (4-6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt

Potatoes:**
8-12 small red-skinned potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds
olive oil
salt and pepper

Salsa:
1 c. chopped tomato
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, peeled and finely chopped
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat grill to medium high.

Combine first 4 ingredients (cilantro through chicken) in a large bowl and let marinate for 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken and sprinkle with salt.

Slice potatoes** and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread potatoes on a piece of aluminum foil.

Grill chicken directly over medium high heat until cooked through (about 10 minutes). Place potatoes (on the foil) onto grill, turning once during cooking until done (also about 10 minutes).

While chicken and potatoes cook, prepare salsa. Combine tomato and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine.

To plate, arrange 1/4 of potato slices on each dish. Top with a piece of chicken and about 1/4 cup of salsa.

**Note: If you prefer to serve this with saffron rice, simply start the rice when you heat the grill, following package instructions. Then omit the potatoes.

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