Hearty BBQ Chicken Salad

I am always on the lookout for main-dish salads.  We like to try and have one meal a week that is a dinner salad.  It can be challenging to find a salad that not only pleases my meat-eating husband, but also my 3 year old.  This one is a long-time favorite of the whole family!  It is packed with chicken (we use Gardein), black beans, potatoes (you heard me!), tomatoes, and corn.  The BBQ sauce on the chicken combined with the avocado and blue cheese vinaigrettes (that's right, 2 dressings) give this salad so much flavor.  There is truly something in this salad for everyone!

Ingredients (makes 2 large entree salads)

for the avocado vinaigrette

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C rice vinegar

1 small shallot, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp peach jam

1/2 ripe avocado

salt and pepper to taste

for the blue cheese vinaigrette

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C rice vinegar

1 small shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tbsp peach jam

1/2 C sour cream

1/2 C blue cheese

salt and pepper to taste

for the potatoes

3/4 pound red potatoes, washed

3 Tbsp butter

1 medium shallot, minced

1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

for the chicken

1 package Gardein Chick'n Scallopini

your favorite BBQ sauce

for the salad

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

6 oz black beans

1/2 C fresh or frozen corn

(Don't believe that a 3 year old eats this?  Here is how I serve it to her.  I just cut everything a little smaller and mix the dressings for her.  She LOVES it!)

Directions

1. To make the dressings - place the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.  
2. To make the potatoes - boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender.  Remove the potatoes and cut into large bite-sized pieces.  Drain the water from the pot.  Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter.  Add the shallot, parsley and potatoes.  Stir to coat evenly.  Keep warm until ready to serve.
3. To make the chicken - cook Gardein according to package directions.  Slice into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a bowl and combine with BBQ sauce.
4. To plate the salad - lay out the greens on a plate.  Top with corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken, and potatoes.  Drizzle both dressings on top.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am loving that the weather is changing and getting cooler, which means...SOUP!  Seriously, is there anything better on a cold night than a hot bowl of soup?  I don't think so!  This soup is comfort in a bread bowl.  The combination of broccoli, carrots, garlic, onion, and cheese is to die for!  The whole family loved it and can't wait to make it again.  If you are looking for a delicious soup for a cold evening, look no further! 

Ingredients

5 Tbsp, butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 C flour
1 1/2 C half and half
1 1/2 C milk
1 qt Imagine No-Chicken Broth
3 carrots, grated
1 pound broccoli
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
8 oz sharp cheddar, grated
8 oz Colby jack cheese, grated
4 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions and saute until tender.
2. Add the flour and whisk until evenly combined.  Add in milk, half and half, and broth.  Bring to a light boil.  Add broccoli and carrots.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Season with nutmeg, cardamom, salt and pepper.  Stir in cheeses.  Cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Sugarcrafter

Weekly Menu

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you had a great weekend!  I was lucky enough to have my mother-in-law visit us all last week.  It was wonderful!  There is nothing better than seeing my girls play, laugh, and cuddle with their grandma.  She read to my oldest every night, enjoyed costume balls, movies, rolled around on the floor with the baby, and loved on them every minute of every day.  It was a great week for all of us.  With her help, I was able to go to the farm all by myself!  It was a novelty since I have my girls with me everywhere I go.  The entire trip took about half the regular time.  I picked up some red-leaf lettuce, kale, romaine, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, cucumber, persimmons, broccoli, and red potatoes.  YUM!  With this selection, we will be making the following:

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup (in a bread bowl!) and Apple Cranberry Salad with Candied Pecans
• using the broccoli and romaine

• Hearty BBQ Chicken Salad
• using the red leaf lettuce, romaine, potatoes, and tomatoes

• Vegan Crunchwraps
• using the tomatoes and lettuce

• I will have Kaleslaw for lunch
• using the kale

• I will be cooking the carrots and Zucchini and Sweet Potato Fritters for the baby
• using the zucchini

We will enjoy the cucumber and persimmons as snacks!

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party and Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone!  Welcome to another fantastic linky party!  We have some great prizes from our sponsors this week.  One Thanksgiving Plaque from Krafties by Kasie, one set of coasters from Art is Everything, and one table runner from Sage and Kai.  Good luck!  These are fantastic prizes just in time for Thanksgiving!

Not-a-Lotta Tostada

I just LOVE tostadas.  The crispy shell.  The fresh veggies.  The spicy salsa.  Mmmm.  Not to mention the edible bowl!  That just makes any soup or salad better, right?  :)  The only problem I have with tostadas is the fact that they are usually very big.  I mean ginormous!  For someone who is trying to manage their portions, it makes it kind of difficult to have because you don't want to waste a bunch of food!  Also, the huge fried tortilla isn't going to help that waistline of yours.  Well, I fixed both of those problems!

These tostadas use soft taco-sized baked tortillas!  You heard me, BAKED!  And it is so easy you won't believe it.  The size is perfect for a light dinner, or it can be a side dish if you prefer a bigger meal.  Once you have the shell, fill it with whatever you like and enjoy!  Below are the ingredients we used, but I didn't list any quantities since it is to your taste.  Just make it up as you go and have fun! 

Ingredients

flour tortillas

spray oil

black beans

lettuce, chopped

tomatoes, chopped

onions, chopped

green onions, chopped

cheese, grated

salsa

guacamole

sour cream

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Flip over a standard muffin tin.  Lightly spray both sides of a tortilla and place in the open space between the muffin wells.  Weigh it down with some dried beans or something similar (I used dried chickpeas).  Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes until the edged are golden and crisp.
4. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Top with whatever you like and serve!

Kitchen Essentials - Food Scale

So I have to admit, I only recently thought about getting a kitchen scale.  I began making my own bread, and lots of places I looked recommended getting a scale since weighted measurements are much more accurate (an important factor for bread-making).  I have had this OXO Food Scale for a few months now, and I love it!  I use it for more than bread.  I find myself weighing out an ounce of almonds for an afternoon snack to help control my portion size.  But the thing I love best has to do with the fact that I don't like to use canned goods.

Given that I cook my own beans, roast my own pumpkins, etc, recipes that call for "a 15 oz can" of an ingredients have always been a guessing game for me.  Now I can roast and puree a pumpkin and weigh out exactly 15 oz!  Need 10 oz of roasted tomatoes?  No problem!  What about 4 oz of tomato sauce?  Easy!  I love it!

This particular scale is great because it has a "zero" function which allows you to put a bowl, plate, or paper towel on top (which all weigh something!) and zero out the scale so you are only weighing what you are adding in. That feature is also great of you are adding several weighed measurements into a single container.  You can add 16 oz of white flour, zero the scale, and add 5 oz of whole wheat flour.  Sure you could do the math yourself, but who really wants to?  :)

Needless to say, this gadget has become a kitchen essential for me.  I don't even know how I lasted so long without one!  What are your thoughts - do you measure or weigh your ingredients?

Easy Italian Green Beans

My local farm grows the best green beans.  They are always perfect, filled with flavor, and easy to cook.  I had been looking for a simple way to incorporate green beans into an Italian meal for some time.  This recipe is so easy I can't even believe it!  My 3 year old loved them as well as the adults in the family.  If you want a great way to incorporate green beans into your family's diet, give this recipe a try.  It's a winner for taste and ease!

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
dash of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Steam the beans until they are crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a fry pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Saute for 1 minute.  
3. Add green beans.  Toss to evenly coat the oil and seasonings.  Cook an additional 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Adapted from Sandra Lee