Busy Day, Easy Dinner

After a day consisting of waking up early, volunteering, researching and making online hotel reservations for three hotels (for a trip overseas to the Christmas markets in December), running errands and exercising, I wanted a quick, easy dinner. Since it's gotten really warm here (the A/C is back on again) and I didn't feel like "cooking", I thought I would make Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwiches for dinner tonight. I made prep time even simpler by picking up a rotisserie chicken at Publix on my way home today. Serve with Veggie Crisps and a BIG glass of Simply Lemonade for a delicious, filling and easy dinner. I'm already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted cashews
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
Salt and white pepper, to taste
2 (2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Add chicken, celery, cashews, and green onions; stir well. Add salt and white pepper, to taste. Serve chicken salad on buns.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup chicken salad and 1 bun)

Notes: I used rotisserie chicken and Tandoori Seasoning from Penzey’s.

Spicy and Delicious

I came across a can of pickled jalapeños in my pantry that surely I bought for a reason, but I don't remember what exactly that reason is...of course it was for a recipe, but what recipe? (This getting older thing really stinks sometimes.) As I was browsing some old issues of Cook's Country the other night, I came across this recipe for Jalapeño Chicken Salad. It looked too good to pass up. Maybe this was the recipe for which I originally bought the pickled jalapenos??? Since I also had a lot of fresh cilantro and a half lime remaining from Wednesday night's appetizer-turned-dinner (see Salsa Guacamole recipe), it was a no-brainer to make it. I made it for dinner last night and ate it again for lunch today. It was delicious last night, but I thought it tasted even better this afternoon after sitting in the refrigerator overnight. This is the best chicken salad recipe I have made in a long time. Well, to be honest, the last time I made chicken salad was last summer, so suffice to say, this is the only chicken salad recipe I have made in a long time. It is easy to prepare and the pickled jalapeños add a nice kick of both heat and flavor. Even if you like your food on the seriously spicy side, I wouldn't use any more than the recipe suggests, though. If you like things more on the mild side, I would recommend using about half that amount (2 tablespoons). That would be enough to add flavor but not too much heat. If you're a real wussy, you could use even less or none at all. I think this would be a great basic chicken salad recipe without the jalapeños, too. Since I had a few flour tortillas sitting around from the chicken enchiladas recipe I decided not to make, I made a tortilla bowl, too. It's adds a nice presentation, and it's yummy to eat at the end of the meal after all of the chicken salad is gone.

Jalapeño Chicken Salad

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Country magazine, August/September 2005

2/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 medium celery rib, chopped fine

1/2 small red onion, chopped fine

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped fine

Salt and pepper

Mix mayonnaise and lime juice in a small bowl until combined. Toss chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeños in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Note: To make tortilla bowl (see picture below), spray both sides of a large flour tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Toast tortilla in nonstick skillet over medium heat until spotty brown on both sides but still soft, about 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, drape tortilla over small overturned bowl. Place second overturned bowl over tortilla and cool completely.