Chicken Taco Salad
In a hurry? Don’t know what to make for dinner? Trying to cut down on calories? This Chicken Taco Salad recipe is so good and easy to make. Even the Salsa Dressing is low fat. What more could a gal want?!
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
4 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
2 Cups Chopped Roasted Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Chopped Red Onion
15 Ounces Drained & Rinsed Red Beans
1 Chopped Red Bell Pepper
½ Cup Halved Black Olives
½ Cup Grated White Cheddar Cheese
For the dressing:
2/3 Cup Light Sour Cream
2 Cups Salsa
1 Teaspoon Cumin
5 Teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
To prepare the salad: Roast the chicken breasts in advance (salt & pepper, roast for 45 minutes on 350°F). Let cool a bit before removing the skin and bones. You can use skinless & boneless chicken breasts, but honestly I think that they can be tasteless and dry. Chop the chicken breasts and set aside. Combine the lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, including the chicken. Toss gently and serve with the salsa dressing. Serves 4
Salsa Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and combine well. Pour into a bowl or a medium size pitcher and place into the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
Marinara Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 (28 Ounce Each) Cans Crushed Plum Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Thinly Slice Garlic Cloves
10 Chopped Basil Leaves or 1 Tablespoon Dried
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook slowly on low for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Make sure to stir often. Cook for 30 minutes and serve over pasta or as a dipping sauce. Serves 4
Chinese Chicken Salad
This salad is super easy to make and you will love the fried wontons tucked away inside the salad!
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Hot Chili Paste
1 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger
3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
18 Shredded Wonton Wrappers
2 Cup Shredded Carrots
3 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
6 Chopped Green Onions
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Grill or broil the chicken until it is cooked. Cool, slice and set aside. For the dressing, whisk together, in a small bowl, the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the shredded wontons in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. In a large bowl combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and serve. Serves 4
Turkey Burgers
At this time of the year most of us are looking for healthier food options. Turkey is a great substitute for ground beef. Here is a good recipe for Turkey Burgers that I think you and your waistline will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Chopped Onion
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Pounds Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Minced Sage
1 Tablespoon Minced Rosemary
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley. Mix well. Form 8 equal sized patties. Cook under the broiler for 6 minutes per side (or you can grill these) until evenly browned and cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments. Makes 8 Turkey Burgers.
Hanger Steak
Hanger Steak (also known as butcher’s steak, hanging tender or bistro steak) is a cut of beef steak that comes from the diaphragm of a steer or heifer. Hanger Steak used to be called, “Butcher’s Steak,” because the butchers would keep it for themselves rather than sell it to their customers. Hanger Steak typically weighs about 1 to 1 ½ pounds and resembles flank steak in texture and flavor. Hanger steak is a “V-Shaped pair of muscles with a long membrane down the middle. It is best marinated and cooked quickly over high heat because this cut is not particularly tender. To avoid toughness grill and broil and serve rare or medium rare.
The Hanger Steak is said to “hang” from the diaphragm, which is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat. The Hanger Steak is traditionally considered more flavorful and the outer skirt steak is composed of tougher muscle within the diaphragm. The hanger is attached to the last rib and the spine near the kidneys. Hanger Steak is also a very traditional Mexican cuisine, especially in the north, where it is called arrachera and is marinated, grilled and served with a squeeze of lime juice, guacamole, salsa and tortillas for tacos. In South Texas, this cut of beef is known as fajitas arracheras. Historically Hanger Steak has been more popular in Europe. In England it is referred to as skirt steak; in France onglet; in Italy lombatello; in Spain solomillo de pulmon. In America, Hanger Steak formerly was not separated as an individual cut, but today is extremely popular. Here is an easy recipe to follow that is sure to please!
INGREDIENTS
4 (6 Ounces) Hanger Steaks
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Sprig Rosemary (Leaves Removed & Chopped)
5 Thinly Sliced Garlic Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Mix the olive oil, chopped rosemary leaves, garlic slices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the steaks in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and marinated for 3 hours. Heat your grill, cast iron pan or oven broiler. Add the steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Slice and plate. Serves 4
Fettuccine Alfredo
INGREDIENTS
6 Ounces Butter
½ Cup Heavy Cream
1 Egg Yolk
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Pound Fettuccine
While the fettuccine is boiling in 6 to 8 quarts of salted water, carefully melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. If you are cooking fresh fettuccine then it will only need to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the melted butter and half of the Parmesan cheese while whisking the mixture together. Drain the noodles quickly to prevent over drying. Do NOT rinse the noodles. Quickly whisk the egg yolk and toss in a large bowl with the hot cream sauce. Mix rapidly so as to serve piping hot. Add the remaining grated cheese and fresh pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Bolognese Meat Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Ounces Salt Pork
1 Clove Finely Chopped Garlic
½ Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrot
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
½ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Light Cream
1 (28 Ounce) Can Peeled Crushed Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 Cup Peas
2 Ounces Butter
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
In a medium size saucepan, heat the diced salt pork in the oil until the pork is light brown in color. Remove the salt pork and add the finely chopped garlic to the oil. Brown to taste. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrot and celery and cook until they are softened and begin to change color. Add the ground sirloin. Stir and cook until the sirloin turns brown in color. Pour in the wine and increase the heat to get a boiling action while stirring. Pour in the light cream and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Dilute the tomato paste in the peeled crushed tomatoes and add to the saucepan. Add the peas to the saucepan and color. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 55 minutes. Add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir well and allow to cook at a simmer for another 15 minutes. Serves 4
White Bean Soup
Soup is as old as the art of cooking. In fact, it goes back to ages before cooking was an art at all. – Betty Crocker
INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup Olive Oil
2 Cups Chopped Red Onion
1 Chopped Carrot
1 Chopped Celery Stalk
2 Cups Chopped Fennel
¼ Pound Diced Pancetta
5 Cloves Chopped Garlic
12 Cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups White Wine
15 Ounces Roasted Red Peppers
1 Large Diced Tomato
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Dried Cannellini Beans (Soaked Overnight)
In a large stockpot over a medium high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions, fennel, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, pancetta and tomatoes. Cook for another 4 minutes. Add the salt and ground pepper. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, white wine and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2 hours. If you need to add more water, feel free to add as much as you wish. The beans should be tender. If the beans are still a bit hard cook the soup for a bit longer until the beans are soft, but not mushy. When done remove from the heat and serve hot. Serves 6
Fettuccine Alla Carbonara
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fettuccine
8 Strips Bacon
8 Ounces Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion
6 Ounces Thickly Sliced Prosciutto
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Parsley
½ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Heavy Cream
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
While the water is set up to boil, cook the bacon and drain it thoroughly. Cut the prosciutto and bacon into half inch squares. Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. Add the minced onion and sauté over a low heat until the onion is translucent. Add the cut up bacon and prosciutto and stir over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the wine into the saucepan and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil for 5 minutes while stirring. Add the cream and milk and bring to a low boil again for 5 minutes. Cook and drain the fettuccine. Lower the heat and add the parsley and ½ of the grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the mixture over the boiled and drained fettuccine. Add the whisked egg yolk and toss the pasta and sauce together thoroughly. Add the grated cheese and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Ginger Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
24 Shrimp With Shells On
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
4 Tablespoons Julienned Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Brandy
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over a high heat. Add the shrimp quickly and stir fry. When done remove the shrimp from the oil and set aside. Add the chopped garlic and julienned fresh ginger to the hot oil. Also add the sugar and salt to the wok. Add the shrimp back to the mixture and continue to stir fry. Season with the soy sauce. Add the brandy to flambé. Be very careful as the pan must be very hot in order for it to ignite and you are about to have a large flame coming out of your wok. Do not attempt to do this near any flammable materials or too close to your guests. Once the alcohol has cooked off the dish is ready to serve. You can serve this dish over rice, noodles or its own. Serves 2
