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chicken dinner

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

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There’s something to be said about roasting more than one chicken at a time or in our case buying two rotisserie chickens from the store when time is not on our side. Would you believe it is cheaper at times for us to buy two chickens already cooked then buy them raw and cook them? It’s true and that’s comparing apples to apples (size, supplier, etc.).

One of my favourite things to do is cook one and eat two or three meals from your main meal. Lots of great food can be made using leftover chicken like casseroles, soups, salads, quesadillas, tacos, taquitos, nachos, pot pies, pasta dishes, sandwiches, wraps and more. It’s a winning situation as long as you are prepared for meal 2 or 3.

 

Crunch Asian Chicken Salad
Crunch Asian Chicken Salad

 

This Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad is a family pleasing quick dinner that can be ready in under 30 minutes or less if you cook your chicken the night before. Or buy it like we often do.

Toss together all ingredients, add dressing and top the salad with crunchy itchiban noodles and toasted cashews just before serving.

What do you love making with leftover chicken or turkey (which can be subbed in for any dish that calls for chicken).

 

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Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups iceberg lettuce, sliced thin
  • 1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin
  • 2 radishes, sliced thin
  • 4 scallions, sliced thin
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • ½ bell pepper, diced
  • sprigs of cilantro, rough chopped
  • Salt and Pepper
  • ¾ cups cashews lightly toasted
  • 2 package Vermicelli Noodles, cooked as per pkg instructions and drained
  • 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl combine iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, radishes, scallions, carrots, bell pepper and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Make dressing: In measuring cup or bowl whisk together rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar and sambal oelek until smooth.
  3. Divide among four individual serving bowls, and in each bowl add salad, vermicelli noodles and top with chicken. Drizzle all with dressing, and sprinkle with cashews an itchiban noodles if using.
Notes
Optional: Itchiban noodles broken up and toasted

 

 

Sweet Red Chili Glazed Chicken with Salad

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Summer days can be hot, and there is honestly no desire in this house to cook a big meal. Instead we love real simple meals. Like grilling up some meat and having a nice flavourful salad with it.

This meal was inspired by expiring sweet red chili sauce in our fridge (ha ha!) and the fact we love grilled corn and asparagus. The Cilantro dressing is the perfect dressing for this meal and one I could literally drink up or put on everything. I will make it again and again.

This meal may seem labour intensive but it’s really not. First thing get your lettuce cleaned and corn/asparagus ready for the grill and BBQ them. Grill chicken next. While it’s cooling a bit get your dressing ready. Finally finish off the chicken and assemble. The first time I made this dish I admittedly kept two of the chicken thighs out of the glaze as I thought the kids would like it. Boy was I wrong. They devoured all the glazed chicken and LOVED it!

Sweet-Chili-Chicken-v2

Here’s how we did it.

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Sweet Red Chili Glazed Chicken with Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch, dinner
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 2 tbsp sweet red chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
  • olive oil
  • *********
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bigger pieces
  • 4 large radishes, sliced thin
  • 2 tbsp. parsley, rough chop
  • 2 cobs of corn, husked
  • 10 spears of asparagus, bottoms removed
  • ***********
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp + ½ tsp fish sauce
  • ½ jalapeno seeds included
  • 2 limes
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 tsp ginger, fresh
  • 2 green onions
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • **********
  • sesame oil
  • parchment or wax paper
  • black sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
  1. On a sheet of parchment or wax paper mix together your chicken, Chinese five spice powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Put a second piece on top and whack (I use a rolling pin) to flatten chicken on thicker areas. Keep it around ½-3/4 inches thick. Set aside.
  2. On a place add your corn. Pour a little olive over top and pinch of salt and pepper. Roll corn on plate to cover corn with oil. Put right on grill and cook over medium high heat for approximately 10 minutes turning every 2 minutes or until a nice char starts to form. Once the corn cooled cut corn kernels off and discard cob. Set aside.
  3. Take your asparagus and roll on the plate the corn was on to scoop up leftover oil, salt and pepper. Add a little more if needed. Place on grill crosswise (so they don't fall through grate) and grill for 5-10 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus. Brown spots are good but don't let them char. Set aside.
  4. On grill over medium high heat cook chicken thighs for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  5. To make the dressing add cilantro, tamari, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, fish sauce, ¼ of jalapeno to start, juice of two limes, garlic cloves, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, 2 tbsp olive oil into a blender or cup. Whiz until smooth. Taste. If not spicy add the rest of the jalapeno pepper and a small pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. In a frypan over medium high heat mix together sweet red chili sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp fish sauce. Add chicken to warm up and turn to cover with glaze. Remove to cutting board to slice thin or serve whole.
  7. Add lettuce to serving platter, sprinkle on the corn, asparagus, radishes and parsley. Add your chopped chicken (or serve it on the side). We topped it with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. Serve dressing on the side or pour over chicken.