Summer Quinoa Salad

It seems that I have a crush on quinoa.

Breakfast Quinoa.
Crunchy Quinoa.
Mango Chicken Curry Quinoa Salad.

It's just fun to say: keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah...........keen-wah.

Actually, I like that it's so versatile.
You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and even dessert.

Unlike a lot of other foods, I find the leftovers really easy to use up. You can throw leftover quinoa in soup, smoothies (yes, blended up!), chocolate cake (you heard me) and of course salad like, conveniently, the one I have right here.

This salad is a mixture of chicken, raw veggies, quinoa and feta in a lemony vinaigrette. The recipe for the dressing is a bit rough so if you make it you'll have to adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Try it out and bring it to your next picnic.
Hope you like it.

Summer Quinoa Salad

Jesse's Kitchen Creation

Makes about 4 cups

For the salad:

2 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

½ head broccoli, diced

1 sweet red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup crumbled feta

For the dressing:

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup 

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced parsley.

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine together all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve chilled. (Doesn't keep well).

Chinese Chicken Salad

Occasionally I emerge from my sugar coma and I'm forced to make something other than cookies for dinner. It usually happens around the time that I'm looking in the fridge and realize I have a bunch of vegetables that are going to be compost if I don't eat them, and soon!

This event occurred yesterday. (Mark it on your calender.)

Sometime between my 12th Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and 27th maple glazed almond I spotted this recipe.

The shock that I had all the ingredients on hand to make this wonderful looking salad propelled me into motion. (Not to mention my secret love affair with chicken salad sans mayo.)

The results were spectacular and well worth setting aside the junk food for.

This salad is bursting with flavor and has lots of great texture and color.

Try it out for you next lunch, supper or picnic! 

Chinese Chicken Salad

Serves 6

Adapted from: A Farm Girl's Dabbles but originally from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

For the salad:

3 large chicken breasts

2 tbsp melted butter

salt and pepper

½ lb sugar snap peas, cut into 1'' pieces

2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange or green), cored and seeded and sliced into 1'' pieces

1 cup coarsely grated carrot

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

½ cup raw chow mein noodles

For the dressing:

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅛ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter

½ tsp salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. First, prepare chicken. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush melted butter all over the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place on a foil lined sheet pan and roast for 35 - 40 minutes, until chicken is just cooked. Once chicken is completely cooled, use to forks to shred the chicken in bite sized pieces.

2. Combine the shredded chicken, snap peas, bell peppers, carrots and chow mein noodles in a large bowl.

3. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Gently combine. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of sesame seeds over the salad and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Slow Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

I recently noticed that I haven't posted many recipes that would be suitable for supper.

It's ironic because I actually do cook a proper supper most nights.

Truthfully, I'd like to just eat a loaf of bread and some cookies, but since that's not really the mature choice (is it?) I'm always on the look out for nutritious, easy to prepare dishes.... like this one. 

It was a really great meal for a busy winter day. It took less than 10 minutes to assemble and the slow cooker did all the work. (Plus, it smelled amazing while it cooked!)

 

Boneless thighs work best but I had these in the freezer so I just pulled out the bones before serving.

I thought this dish would be stew like but I was pleasantly surprised that it was more like a Mexican style pulled chicken. For next time, I think it would be pretty fantastic served on a crusty kaiser bun. (I think anything served on a hunk of bread would be fantastic.)

Plan ahead and make this on a day you won't have much time for dinner, it won't dissappoint.

P.S. It freezes well, too.

Slowed Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

Serves: 4

Source: Martha Stewart

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed

1 1/2 cups good salsa

2 tbsps chopped chipotle chiles (I found this a little spicy)

2 tbsps flour

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped (core removed)

1/4 cup low fat sour cream to serve

1/4 cup cilantro to serve

Directions:

1.In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

2.Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)
3.Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro. 

Mango Chicken Curry Quinoa Salad

This was insanely good. Looking at this photo, I probably wouldn't be too eager to make what looks like a bowl of orangey mush but please, please ignore the photo. It is really, really good. And easy. And healthy. And, if you are using leftover chicken and quinoa, quick.

Lately, I've been eating a lot of chicken salad. (I blame Slice of Feist for her yummy looking chicken curry salad back in June.) It's so refreshing on a hot day and an easy meal to prepare when you're cooking for one. I like this recipe in particular because there's no mayo (like more traditional recipes) and the vinegar and mango work together to create a really great sweet and sour taste.

I threw some pumpkin seeds in just for kicks and giggles (and because it's what I had) but I think some cashews or peanuts would taste pretty darn delicious in there. If you're making the chicken from scratch, use the leftover poaching liquid to cook the quinoa for some extra yummyness!

Chicken Curry Quinoa Salad (w/ mango)

Serves 2 (large portions)

(An Original Recipe)

For the dressing:

1 shallot, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tsp turmeric

1½ tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp brown sugar

pinch of salt

For the salad:

2 cold cooked chicken breasts (poached or grilled)

1 cup cold cooked quinoa 

1 ripe mango

4 tbsp cashews (or whatever you want) optional

cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Taste and correct seasoning.

2. Cut up chicken into small chunks. Cut up mango into small chunks.

3. Combine chicken, mango, quinoa, seeds (if using) and dressing. Stir together until everything is evenly coated. 

4. Garnish with cilantro and serve or cover and refrigerate.