Cashew Chicken Salad

Note: this is another recipe transferred from my old blog.

This is a rare recipe that is all my own creation rather than a derivative or modification of another recipe. However, I can't say that the concept of combining cashews and chicken is exactly a novel one and I'm sure that there are recipes out there like this one. There is one relatively unique ingredient though.

Cashew Chicken Salad recipe:

• 4 (half) chicken breasts (with skin is best)
• salt, pepper, onion powder (to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil (for frying)
• 1 cup cashews
  
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 4-6 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar (I used Mizkan)
  
• 1-2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom with oil. Place the breasts skin side down in the skillet, cover, and cook over medium heat until half done (it may help to split especially large breasts for more even cooking). Turn over and finish cooking. Be sure to keep the chicken covered at all times to keep the juices inside. When the chicken is just finished, remove it from the pan and allow it to cool enough for it to be handled comfortably. Reserve the juices in the pan.

Place the cashews in the bottom of a very large bowl and coarsely crush them (I use the bottom of a large, sturdy cup). Add the diced onion to the bowl. Remove the skin from the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Add it to the bowl then sprinkle it with garlic powder and cinnamon. Pour the reserved juice over the chicken. Add the mayonnaise and stir well. The juices and mayonnaise will combine to make a savory dressing. If necessary, add more salt to taste. Serve warm or cold.

This recipe will require a bit of experimentation to meet your specific seasoning and consistency desires. Some people may prefer more or less mayonnaise and/or cashews. I like a lot of garlic and my husband actually likes a great deal of cinnamon on it. After I add the initial one tablespoon, he has me pour more over the top of his serving.

Cinnamon may seem an odd seasoning for chicken but it works very well. My sister, who is a member of the SCA, told me some time ago that cinnamon was used frequently to season various meats in the middle ages. If you're squeamish about using it, I'd recommend at least adding a teaspoon and sampling it before giving up on using it. It really does add greatly to the taste of the salad.

by Shari (Orchid64)

Taco Salad

Sometimes I want to eat a little lighter than a burrito when I make Mexican food for my husband. I also don't mind saving a few calories by eliminating a huge tortilla from the meal. So, I opt for a taco salad, and I realize that this is more about assembling than cooking, but it's Shawn's blog and I'll write whatever I want to. So there.

Anyway, you can use any sort of Tex-Mex seasoned meat that you like, or you can follow my recipe. The main thing is that you don't really use much meat in this meal so it's best used as a healthier alternative to burritos or tacos or to use up small portions of leftover meat. I make the following for the meat portion:

Burrito meat filling:

• 1/2 medium onion or whole small onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 1.5 lbs (about 700 grams) ground chicken or turkey
• 1 tbsp. oil
• taco seasoning packet (or whatever seasoning you favor - about 3 tbsp. is good if you use a bulk mix)
• 2 cups water

Heat a skillet and add the oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with oil and add the onions. Cook them until they've softened just a bit then add the green peppers. Cook until the peppers are slightly wilted. Add the tomato and cook until it disintegrates. Push the vegetables off to the side of the skillet and cook the meat until slightly brown on the other side of the pan. Note: if you use a fatty meat like beef or pork instead of chicken (or turkey), you will want to remove the vegetables, cook the meat, and drain the oil. After the meat is cooked, add the taco seasoning, and water and cook until all of the liquid has cooked off (or do whatever the packet instructs you to do).

For the salad:

• leafy greens (about 4 large leaves), washed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges
• *green onions (not scallions!), chopped
• 1/4 can re-fried beans (about 3-4 tbsp.)
• 6-8 tortilla chips, roughly crushed (I used chili lime Guiltless Gourmet)
• 2-3 tbsp. meat mixture (as described above)
• salsa as desired
• 2-3 tbsp. grated cheese (any type with a strong flavor like Cheddar is fine)

Place an even bed of greens on a dinner plate. Mound the re-fried beans in the center of the greens. Evenly place the tomato wedges around beans. Spoon the meat mixture on top of the beans, allowing it to tumble off naturally. Sprinkle cheese in the center and then scatter the chopped green onions all over. Drizzle salsa over the tomato wedges and greens. Salt the tomatoes if desired, then scatter the crushed tortilla chips around the bean mound in the center.

To eat this getting the full benefit of all of the ingredients, use your fork to grab some of the beans, meat and cheese in the center and then spear the vegetables and chips from the sides.

The main point of eating this instead of a taco or burrito is that you only use enough meat for flavor and the beans add texture and fiber. You also have a much lower fat meal if you use baked chips instead of fried ones and get in a ton more vegetables.

*Green onions have a small bulb which is not much bigger than the long slender green portion. It has a distinct, but not overbearing flavor which adds a lot to Mexican dishes when sprinkled on them.

by Shari (Orchid64)