Asian Chicken Salad

The other day for lunch we went to a nice little place that serves rotisserie chicken, salad, and wraps.  While waiting to order I spotted a Chinese Chicken Salad on the menu.  Wow! I haven't had one of those in years.  I'm not sure why either.  I mean, I love them, especially the nice sweet dressing that just adds that zip.  


So, I decided to order it, and it was really good.  I mean, really good, and it brought back all the memories of why I used to eat it often.  The sweet, the crunch, the soft roasted chicken.  Yum!


So I got to thinking "why don't I ever make this at home?".  It's easy....


So if you recall, the other day when I was making the Cajun Chicken Pasta I grilled an extra, plain, chicken breast. 

I saved it with this dish in mind.  Planning ahead made this dish come together in a snap!  We had this for dinner and I served it with some rustic bread.  Perfect!  

Hope you enjoy my version of an Asian Chicken Salad.  Next time I'm going to add some mandarin oranges.  I didn't have any on hand this time, but they would be great in this salad.

Enjoy a healthy dinner!

Asian Chicken Salad

serves 2

1 precooked boneless skinless chicken breast half 
1/4 c chinese chicken salad dressing
2 c mixed salad greens
1/2 c snow peas, sliced diagonally 
1 carrot, cut into match like sticks or shredded
2 T. roasted cashews
fried wonton strips (optional)


Slice chicken into bites size slices.  Divide lettuce among two plates.  Top with  snow peas, carrots, and nuts.  Drizzle with dressing.  Top with fried wonton strips if desired.
  

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Wanna put some zest in your life?

This dish will do it!  I love chicken, don't you?  I mean, it's so versatile.  Yes, some people say it can be a somewhat bland, but think of it as a blank canvas that lends itself to exploration.  It takes on many, many, different flavors by using an array of spices for rubs, herbs for marinades, and sauces that lend a variety of flavors.   It can be translated in to a multitude of world cuisines.  I just love it's versatility!

Often I cook meals just for two people.  Just enough for MGG and myself...or for myself and leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.  This dish was inspired by my need for a quick meal after work, a craving for something spicy, yet I wanted comfort food.  So I created this semi-homemade dish of Cajun Chicken Pasta which satisfied all three demands!

I love the spiciness, which marries well with the Alfredo sauce.  This dish is a winner!!  It's sure to  appeal to many palates.

Please try my version of Cajun Chicken Pasta and let me know what you think.  For other great chicken dishes do a search on "chicken" in the search field in the sidebar.

Here are some pics to help you along with the process.

Kitchen Tip:  You may notice that in one picture I'm actually grilling two chicken breasts.  Doing double duty by grilling another non-spiced breast to use in a salad later in the week, which I'll post next.  This is a great time saver when you can plan meals in advance and get part of the cooking done at one time.  Don't you love that!

 

Cajun Chicken Pasta

serves 2 (Double the recipe to serve 4)

1/3 lb. pene pasta
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 10oz container of Alfredo sauce
2 tsp. fresh parsley minced

Cook pasta according to directions on the package.   Heat an indoor grill pan, or an outdoor grill to medium heat.  Rub Cajun seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts.  Grill 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness, until thoroughly cooked through.  Cut into bite sized pieces.  

Drain pasta and return to the pan.  Add Alfredo sauce and chicken breast, stirring to blend.  Heat on low for 5 minutes until everything is heated through.  Remove from heat.  Add minced parsley, stir, and serve.

Southern Sundays

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom was my main source of learning to cook.  Cooking with mom in the kitchen while growing up brings back many memories.  She comes from a great line of cooks, and most of my family shares the same love of cooking and good homemade meals.


So let's dedicate this party to all the wonderful moms out there.  The ones that were glad to be short order cooks, cause us kids were picky...the ones that made us eat our vegetables...the one's that made special birthday cakes...and the ones that shared their love of food with us!


This week I've featured 3 great recipes that were extremely popular!

Congratulations!!

Orange Creme Brulee

by Noshing with the Nolands

Guilty Oreos

by Back for Seconds

Homemade Cheesy Snack Crackers

by Michelle's Tasty Creations

Wonderful dishes!  Come grab a button and tell everyone you've been "Featured"!

Thank you all for last week's entries...I think I gained 5lbs. looking at all the recipes!

So ready to party?

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Link back to your specific recipe and not to your main site.
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Enjoy, have fun, cook lots of food, and relish your Southern Sunday!