4.10.12

I always overdo it when I make a salad. My caesar sale for two is always big enough for 4. And when I make an Italian antipasto salad, I put so much stuff on it, the salad hardly fits the platter. Tonight was no exception. I found a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad on a site called "foodie crush". It called for lettuce, chicken, almonds, and crispy wonton strips. That's not a salad! I added a lot more items. The recipe for the sesame dressing is awesome. Great dinner salad. My version is probably enough for 4.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing




12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4″ strips
1/4 cup canola or corn oil for frying
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 large chicken breast, shredded
1/2 red pepper thinly sliced
1/4 European cucumber thinly sliced

1 carrot shredded

1/4 cup pea pods thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 10 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don’t burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

They fry up quickly! Seriously, I burned this batch just in the time it took me to take this picture.

2. In a large bowl, combine veggies, chicken breast, almonds and pasta and toss to mix.
3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with the desired amount of sesame dressing. Toss salad again to distribute the dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips. Serve.

04.09.12

Tofu. It's what's for dinner. Tonight's dinner definitely takes a little bit of planning because I like to press my tofu for a while before marinating it. But, it is so tasty!

Grilled Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce


1 Brick of firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, grated

Peanut Sauce


1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon red curry paste

1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

The night before you make this dish, slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices and lay the slices on a paper towel lined plate. Cover the slices with another paper towel. I change the paper towels once to make sure I can absorb as much liquid as possible.

Once the tofu has been pressed at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, ginger and garlic in a shallow dish and place the pressed tofu into the marinade. Let it sit in the marinade about an hour or two.

In the meantime, put all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. You can add a bit of chicken broth or water in it to thin it out if necessary.

Grill the tofu on a non-stick grill pan until seared on both sides. Serve with the peanut sauce on the side. I also sautéed some bok choy with a little canola oil and soy sauce.

4.3.12

Do you remember coming home from school to the amazing smell of Snickerdoodles baking? No? Sorry.

It's an unforgettable smell. A memory that I try to recreate often. I am a big chocolate chip cookie fan (crispy, not chewy.) But, every once in a while I realize that I have depleted my supply of chocolate chips. Then I am reminded of the Snickerdoodle. I told my son that we would make cookies this afternoon before I had to head out for carpool. With no chocolate chips in the house, I went straight for the Snickerdoodle recipe. Quite a few years ago I asked my mother if she would give me her Snickerdoode recipe. My dad emailed me a scan from a cookbook. I don't know what cookbook it is from, but it is definitely my mother's recipe.

Here you go. Thanks Mom (and Dad.)

Snickerdoodles (makes about 3 dozen)

Mix together 1 cup soft  shortening

                       1 ½ cups sugar

                       2 eggs

Sift together and stir in

                       2 ¾ cups sifted flour

                       2 t cream of tartar

                       1 t soda

                       ½ t salt

Chill dough.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. (I use a 1 oz ice cream scoop) Roll in mixture of 2 T sugar and 2 t cinnamon. Place about 2” apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned…but still soft—about 8 to 10 minutes.

4.2.12

I had plans to make "Sunday Gravy" today (meatballs, sausages, etc.) But my shower surround was being replaced today and I wasn't up to cooking with the dust and smells of bathroom remodeling in the house. I was going to run to the store to get something, but the installer didn't leave until close to 5:00. So, I whipped up a last minute Buffalo Chicken Salad!

I don't have any pictures...sorry.  It was tasty though, so I'll make it again and be sure to photograph my creation next time.

I use this technique for making buffalo flavored chicken for buffalo chicken quesadillas, buffalo chicken panini, and other tasty treats that make you think you're eating an order of Buffalo Wings.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing (serves 2)

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
6 chicken tenders
6 cups  lettuce leaves, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 carrot, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
Bleu Cheese Dressing

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and add the hot sauce. Place the chicken in the sauce and simmer for about 6 minutes on one side, turn and simmer until cooked through--another 5 or 6 minutes.

Divide the lettuce, celery and carrot between two plates. Remove chicken tenders from the pan and cut into bite sized pieces. Top each salad with some chicken and dress the salad with bleu cheese dressing.