Honey Brined Pretzel Chicken Salad

I took several recipe ideas I had and threw them together for a nice salad meal. I opted to make and chill the chicken before adding it the salad, this would also be delicious with the chicken still warm.









Chicken:

1lb chicken breast
2 cups water
1/3 c honey
3 TB sea salt

1/2-3/4 cup honey mustard dressing (store bought is fine or see* for homemade)
8 oz pretzels, crushed fine

Salad:
Greens
Carrots, diced
Tomatoes, diced
Broccoli, chopped
Zucchini, diced
---well just whatever veggies you like in a salad, this list is not set in stone

*Honey Mustard Dressing:
6 oz plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup honey
3 TB coarse grained mustard
salt to taste


Chicken Prep:
(Sorry no pics, camera battery died)

Mix water, honey and salt until well combined. Pour over chicken in a deep dish, allow to brine for at least 2-4 hours, longer if possible.

If you are using my honey mustard recipe mix all ingredients together now too so it can flavor mingle, there should be plenty for the chicken dipping and some for the salad dressing.

Drain and pat chicken dry, then in a ziplock bag, pound to 1/2 inch thickness

Preheat oven to 350
Grease a rimmed baking sheet

Pour honey mustard into 1 shallow dish.
Pour pretzels into another dish.

Dip chicken into honey mustard, then into pretzels, turning and pressing to coat well. Place on greased dish and repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake 25-30 minutes until a minimum internal temp of 165.

Allow to cool then slice and chill well.



Salad:
Layer greens and whatever veggies you desire on a large plate, top with cold pieces of sliced chicken.
Top with honey mustard dressing

Watermelon Pico De Gallo Chicken Pasta Salad

I saw this wonderful looking recipe on the Pioneer Woman website and I knew it would make a fantastic cold pasta salad!











16 oz pasta

Chicken:
(really any leftover chicken would be fine, but I made it recipe specific)
2 medium chicken breasts
1/4 cup lime juice
to taste:
garlic powder
salt
pepper
I also added some Mojito Lime seasoning I had on hand you can add seasonings as you see fit

Watermelon Pico:
4 cups diced watermelon
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1/2 cup EACH red, yellow and green bell pepper, diced
1/2 - 1 whole jalapeno(seeds removed if you like), minced
3/4-1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 TB lime juice
salt to taste
I added 2 sliced green onions to the original lineup

Dressing :
(this can be adjusted to taste, apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar would be suitable too, just start with a smaller amt)
3 TB olive oil
2 TB raspberry blush vinegar

Cook pasta as directed on packaging, drain and rinse in cold water, set aside










Preheat oven to 350
In a baking dish pour the lime juice over breasts and season as you like. Bake for 25-35 minutes until cooked through to a min temp of 165.

Cool Completely

In a large bowl combine all the pico ingredients, toss well and allow to mingle for 20 minutes.








Combine Dressing ingredients and whisk well


Shred the cooled chicken.











Add chicken and the pico to the pasta and toss well to combine, drizzle the dressing and toss 1 more time.









Chill for at least an hour and serve cold. (Stir well before serving)

Luscious Red Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I love fruits in my salads. This made for a delicious dinner with a side of good garlic bread.










2/3 cup dried cranberries(I used Pomegranate Juice infused ones! IF in season, pomegranate arils are a fantastic addition or replacement!!)
2 red apples, diced *
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 diced red bell pepper

Amounts to taste:
diced turkey
shredded carrots
shredded zucchini
greens(I used spring mix)
feta cheese
any other veggies you see fit, stick to mild ones so they don't compete with the fruit mix though!

Citrus Vinaigrette:

2 TB zest of orange
1 TB zest of lemon
Juice of 2 large oranges
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1 TB minced white onion
2 TB apple cider vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

in a blender place juices, zests and remaining ingredients except the olive oil, blend on low,















turn up the speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until fully infused.

Place in a jar with a tight lid and allow the flavors to mingle for at least an hour. Shake well before using.













* to keep apples from browning immerse in a mixture of 1 TB lemon juice to 1 cup water immediately after slicing, drain well.

Gently mix together the cranberries, apples, strawberries and red bell pepper, set aside.





On a plate arrange greens, turkey and veggies as desired. Top with a scoop of the fruit mixture, sprinkle with feta and drizzle with citrus dressing.

Cran-Peary Quinoa Salad

I was looking for a nice side dish to some pork but couldn't really find that perfect recipe, and that is where the creative mind kicks in LOL.






1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup pear juice(apple juice is fine if you don't have pear)


1 medium pear, chopped and tossed with lemon water(1 tsp lemon juice to 1/2 cup water)
1 rib celery, chopped
1/3-1/2 cup dried cranberries(more or less to your tastes)
1/4 cup Litehouse Pear Gorgonzola dressing*
sprinkle of Gorgonzola cheese(optional)



Rinse and drain your quinoa well, then in a pot with a tight fitting lid bring  the quinoa, water and pear/apple juice to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender(translucent and the germ is visible) about 15 minutes or so. Remove from heat.







In a colander(with very fine holes!)Rinse in cold water and drain well.










When the quinoa is chilled, add the pear, celery and cranberries, then gently toss in the dressing(more or less to your preference, (you don't want it dripping in dressing!)

Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese as desired! Serve well chilled.





*if you cant find the Pear Gorgonzola,  Poppy Seed dressing is just as tasty(with a sprinkling of feta in place of the Gorgonzola, yum!)
here is a good homemade one or you can do store bought(litehouse is delicious!)
Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c non fat Greek yogurt
2 TB canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1 TB minced onion
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TB poppy seeds

Combine all and mix well, allow to mingle at least an hour.

Mango Tilapia Salad

I found this recipe a few weeks ago and decided to put it on my dinner list. It seemed to take forever to get around to but I finally did.
I tweaked it for our personal preferences and it was DELICIOUS!!! Sorry no process pictures this time.







Tortilla Crusted Tilapia:

4 tilapia filets
4 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 TB lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 small red bell pepper, seeded

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt(or to taste)

1 egg
2 TB sour cream


Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 400

In a blender combine chips, juice, cilantro, bell pepper, and seasonings and blend until it is coarse crumbs.

Pour into a wide dish.

Combine the egg and sour cream and beat well.

Dip each filet into the egg mixture, then into the tortilla mixture, pressing to make it adhere well.



Place on greased sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until an internal temp of 145.


While the fish is cooking make the Mango Mixture

1 cup mango, diced
1 cup  pineapple, diced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup pickled banana peppers(drained)
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 cup creamy poppy seed dressing(we used Marie's All Natural, but I included a homemade version at the bottom)
(if you want a kick, add in some minced jalapeno too!)

Combine all and allow to mingle for a few minutes.


Place a handful of greens of your choice on a plate. Place Tilapia Filet on that , then top with mango mixture and a sprinkle of oregano!


Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c non fat greek yogurt
2 TB canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1 TB minced onion
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TB poppy seeds

Combine all and mix well, allow to mingle at least an hour.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I threw together a quick chicken salad tonight and it was so tasty I had to put it on here. I hadn't planned to blog it so no process pictures, but its pretty simple...








1lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 stalk celery, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup red grapes, quartered
1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 TB lemon juice
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste


Combine all in a bowl and mix well, chill for an hour then serve on fresh croissants!(or any bread you like of course)

Taco Pasta Salad

I wanted to have a cold dish for dinner tonight, I also need something I could have prepped and cleaned up ahead of time since it is Tae Kwon Do night(shameless brag about my 10 year old son here, he just earned his red belt!! Super proud of him!) I had settled on Taco Salads but I decided that I would take it a little further and make it into a pasta salad!
This would be good as a hot pasta dish too, just dont mix the spinach/lettuce in, sprinkle it on top instead!




1 lb ground beef
1 recipe taco seasoning(1 commercial packet can be substituted)
1 lb pasta, (I used homemade gluten free chili macaroni, fusilli or rotini would be a good shape too)
3/4 cup tomato salsa
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach(or shredded lettuce if you prefer)
3/4 cup shredded cheese(cheddar, Monterrey Jack, pepper jack, Mexican blend, you decide)
crushed tortilla chips to taste

Feel free to add any additional toppings you enjoy on your tacos, these can be mixed in or added individually per each persons tastes.
minced jalapeno
chopped onions
olives
guacamole or chopped avocado
hot sauce
diced tomatoes

I even put a scoop of peach salsa leftover from the other day on mine




Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat until all the pink is gone. Add taco seasoning (plus 2/3 cup water for homemade seasoning, follow directions of packaging if using premade) and reduce heat to medium.








Simmer until the sauce is thickened.
Cool completely in the fridge.










Cook pasta according to package instructions to your desired firmness. Drain hot water and rinse in cold water. Drain well and place in a large bowl, add chilled taco meat.


Mix salsa and sour cream  and add to pasta mixture





Fold in spinach, cheddar and additional toppings.

Top with a few more sprinkles of chopped spinach and shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips

You can serve it immediately or you can cover it and put it in the fridge for later. We like it to sit a while to allow the flavors to mingle. If you decide to pre-make it add the tortilla chips right before serving.




My pasta was a reddish brown color so in these photos it is hard to see mixed into the taco meat and salsa but there is pasta in there LOL!

Raspberry Coleslaw

 

I found this in a Taste of Home Magazine and I HAD to make it!  I changed it just slightly and I decided to prepare it with a homemade vinaigrette of course you can use a pre-made vinaigrette if you like(about 1/4 cup or so)

this is also fantastic made with Strawberries or Blueberries!!!



< w/ Strawberries!





2.5 cups shredded red cabbage
2.5 cups shredded green cabbage
1.5 cup shredded carrots
* you can use 1 package of the premade mix in place of this if you don't want to do the shredding

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh raspberries
2 tsp raspberry blush vinegar (red wine vinegar is fine too)
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
pepper to taste
3/4 cup fresh raspberries



Combine all Vinaigrette ingredients except olive oil in a blender.

Process until smooth, with the blender still running on a high speed, add olive oil in a slow stream until fully blended.
Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a short while for the flavors to mesh.

To the vinaigrette add the mayo and whisk until well combined.

In a large bowl place all shredded veggies and pour over the vinaigrette and toss to combine adding more salt and pepper as desired. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.







Gently fold in fresh raspberries right before serving.

Grilled Anniversary Chicken Salad

I found this chicken recipe on Allrecipes years ago and it quickly became a favorite. Today I decided to recreate it into a Salad recipe.









1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
3/4 cup Teriyaki sauce*

1 lb Baby Spinach, or other greens of your preference
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup green onions
1 cup shredded cheddar( you can use any cheese you like, I used smoked gouda on the adult ones!)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
Ranch Dressing as desired



Pierce chicken breast generously with a fork. Place it in a resealable gallon bag pour in Teriyaki sauce and seal. Allow to marinate at least 4 hours, giving it a squish around every once in a while.







Prepare your grill and cook chicken until the thickest part is 165 degrees.(Can be done indoors on a griddle pan or boiled, the rain set in and ruined my outdoor grill plans but my griddle pan does the trick)









Slice your chicken and set aside

On a plate place greens and carrots. Arrange slices of chicken over the carrots, pour ranch dressing over the chicken and salad as desired, then sprinkle with green onions, bacon and cheese.









*Homemade Teriyaki:
1/4 cup soy sauce(for gluten free use Bragg's Amino Acid)
1 cup pineapple juice
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
Combine all in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer and  reduce to 1 cup liquid.

Cool and store or use(the longer it stores, the better the flavor!)

8 Layer Salad

I made a similar recipe for Easter and it was delicious so I changed it up to my preferences for a Sunday BBQ.







6 cups baby spinach , coarsely chopped(or any greens/mixture of greens you like)
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheese( I used gouda, you can use cheddar, mozzarella, what ever you like)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp dill
1 TB fresh parsley
oregano
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup green onions, sliced

In the bottom of a large bowl place 1/2 the spinach and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano as desired








Add Eggs










Add Peas











Add Bacon












Add Shredded Cheese










Add remaining Spinach and again sprinkle with more salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.










In a bowl combine yogurt, sour cream, dill and parsley. Mix well.

Spread mixture over the spinach to the edges of the bowl.










Top with red peppers and green onions

Cover and refrigerate for several hours, overnight is best if possible.

Toss together before serving.