Ginger Chicken Salad Bowl with Spicy Cashews

I truly love salads but it's easy to get stuck in a rut, which is why it's important to try new recipes and flavor combinations to keep things interesting.  Even Asian chicken salad needs a new twist now and then.

This is a really delicious salad, with contrasting textures and spiciness from the chicken and cashews that's offset by the cooling cucumber and sweet dried pineapple.  Before you freak out at the list of ingredients, there are several ways to make the recipe much easier.  You can buy spicy cashews or peanuts or even wasabi peas rather than making spicy cashews, you can buy an Asian sesame vinaigrette rather than making your own, and you can marinate and cook the chicken in advance.  For that matter, you could make the cashews and the vinaigrette in advance too, so then all you need to do on the night you want to serve the salad is chop, toss and plate.  A little advance planning is definitely your friend here.

The chicken is somewhat unusual in that it has a ginger basting sauce that lacquers the chicken as it cooks, in addition to a sesame marinade.

You can make the marinade spicy or not depending on your taste; I liked it slightly spicy (about 8 dashes of Tabasco) to contrast with the cool cucumber and pineapple.  Between the marinade and the baste, the chicken is intensely flavorful to the point that I don't think I would serve it on its own, but it's perfect as part of a salad.  It would also be great in a banh mi or other sandwich with sliced cucumber and maybe some coleslaw with cilantro.  (The first time I had coleslaw actually IN a sandwich was when I was traveling in the south and had a pulled pork sandwich.  The server insisted that I try it with coleslaw even though I thought that was really strange, but now I'm hooked.)

The other important part of the salad is the spicy nuts - again, they're a great contrast to the cucumber and pineapple.  I was going to buy spicy nuts at my local Sprouts but I tasted one and hoo boy were they spicy.  I decided to make my own to control the spice level and found that one tablespoon of Sriracha was plenty for me.

For the salad greens, I bought a green and red lettuce mix at the store and threw in some thinly sliced Napa cabbage for a little more crunch.  As I mentioned you can buy an Asian dressing but the recipe below is really delicious and perfect for the salad.

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Ginger Chicken Salad Bowl with Spicy Cashews

Serves 4

Note that the chicken needs to marinate for 1 – 12 hours so plan ahead.

1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons soy sauce

1tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

Hot sauce, to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)

½ cup salted cashews

1-2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (depending on preference)

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons minced ginger

12 cups mixed salad greens

¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Asian sesame ginger salad dressing (your favorite brand, or see recipe below)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup cooked edamame

1 cup dried pineapple, chopped

16 thin slices of cucumber

To marinate the chicken:  whisk together the sesame oil, ¼ cup soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black pepper, and hot sauce if using.  Lightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and add to a large zip top bag, then pour the sauce over and seal.  Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 12 hours.

Heat oven to 300d.  Combine cashews and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and stir until nuts are coated.  Line a small baking pan with foil and spread the coated cashews out on it, then place in the oven and bake until nuts are dry, stirring once, approximately 20 minutes.  Remove the nuts from the foil and let cool completely.  Set aside.

For the basting sauce, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the brown sugar and the ginger in a small bowl, whisking until the sugar has dissolved.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium.  Remove the chicken from the marinade (discarding the marinade) and cook, turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes.  Then, using a pastry brush, begin basting with the soy, ginger and brown sugar mixture until they develop a lacquer, an additional 8-10 minutes, again turning every few minutes.  The internal temperature should be 160d when they are done.  Set aside.

To plate the salads, toss the salad greens, cilantro and green onions with just enough dressing to coat lightly, then divide between salad bowls or plates.  Thinly slice the chicken and divide between the salads.  Top each with carrots, edamame, dried pineapple, cucumber slices and spicy cashews.  Serve.

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated

1 teaspoon finely minced ginger

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2-3 teaspoons honey (start with the lower amount)

5 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

To make the vinaigrette, add all ingredients to a small food processor and process until blended.  Taste and adjust honey, salt and pepper as needed.  May be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated in a covered jar.  Shake before using.

Thai Chicken Salad (Copy Cat Panera Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken)

Last Year's Post: Salmon Nicoise Salad
Two Years Ago:   Muffuletta

This is my favorite Panera salad by far.  I think it's the spicy peanut drizzle along with the crunch of Romaine, edamame, wonton strips and nuts that makes it so satisfying while still low-fat and healthy.  Although I found several versions of the recipe online that supposedly re-created the salad, a lot of them had strange variations (yogurt in the sauce?  I mean, really.)  I KNOW this salad and wanted to re-create it as faithfully as possible so I combined various elements from all the recipes and was very happy with the result.  (OK, true confession, I substituted peanuts for cashews because that's what I had on hand.  Same difference.)

As you go through the Panera ordering line, the server first tosses the greens with dressing, then adds a scoop of edamame/carrots/red pepper and another scoop of sliced chicken.  The peanut drizzle, wonton strips and nuts go on last.  Can you tell I've ordered it a few times?  This recipe mimics that process.  The only thing I couldn't tell is whether they marinate their chicken before cooking, but I found an interesting marinade in one of the recipes so I tried it.  The resulting flavor is delicate but complements the salad very well.  If you don't feel like marinating the chicken I don't think it will impact the salad much with all those other big flavors, which means you could make it quickly any night of the week using a grilled or rotisserie chicken breast from the deli.

The good news is that the only somewhat unusual ingredient is Thai sweet red chile sauce, which you can find in the Asian condiments at any grocery store.

Start by marinating and cooking the chicken, if applicable, so it can cool.  You could also do this in advance.  Then saute the veggies so they can cool which only takes a few minutes, or it can also be done in advance.  Make the salad dressing and peanut drizzle, then you're ready to assemble.

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Thai Chicken Salad (Copycat Panera)

Chicken Marinade:

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, grated

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 small lime, juiced

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salad:

Vegetable oil

1 small carrot, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup shelled edamame (defrosted if frozen)

8-10 cups Romaine hearts, chopped (about 3 hearts)  

½ cup chopped cilantro

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup wonton strips

½ cup chopped cashews or peanuts

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup Thai sweet red chili sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Thai sweet red chili sauce

2 tablespoons water (more if needed)

In a ziplock bag, combine all ingredients for the chicken marinade.  Add the chicken and massage the bag to coat the chicken on both sides, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Cook the chicken on a grill or in a 350d oven for about 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165d.  Set aside to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium, and then add a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil.  Cook the chopped carrot, red pepper and edamame until charred and slightly soft.  Cool mixture and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients; taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  In a second small bowl, combine all the peanut sauce ingredients; thin with a little additional water if it seems too thick to drizzle. 

In a large bowl, combine the Romaine, cilantro, and green onions. Toss with enough dressing to barely coat.  Divide among serving bowls, and then top with chicken and vegetable mixture.  Drizzle with the peanut sauce and top with wonton strips and nuts.

Korean Rice Bowls

Last Year's Post:  Healthy Baked Apples
Two Years Ago:   Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Korean rice bowls with mixed vegetables are also called Bibimbap, which is fun to say  (BEE-beem-bop) but I figured most people wouldn't know what it meant, plus this recipe isn't completely authentic Bibimbap because I substituted hard-cooked eggs for the runny-egg-thing that manages to find its way onto everything these days.  If you like runny eggs, go for it.  (Some Bibimbap recipes actually use raw eggs that are mixed with the rest of the ingredients, ugh.)

The only unusual ingredient in the recipe is Gochujang hot pepper paste, which is a staple in Korean cooking.  You'll find it at your local Asian market.  It's pretty spicy so you only use a small amount, but it adds wonderful flavor and a little heat to the roasted squash.  If you can't find it or don't want to buy it just for this recipe, don't worry - just substitute harissa or sambal olelek or another hot sauce instead.  After all, it's just one component in the sauce for the squash, which in turn is just one part of the rice bowl.

The squash roasts along side the shiitake mushrooms for depth of flavor, then everything gets assembled on top of the rice.  Lime juice, soy sauce and more hot sauce are added at everyone's discretion so your own bowl can be as mild or hot as you like.  And very healthy!

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Korean Rice Bowls

Serves 4

1 teaspoon Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) or sambal oelek, plus more for the table

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into bite-sized pieces

Sea salt

7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut in half if large

2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more for the table

2 cups frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions

5 cups hot cooked white or brown rice

4 radishes, trimmed and sliced

2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

Black or white sesame seeds, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish
Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk Gochujang, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and sesame seeds in a medium bowl.  Add squash and toss to coat.  Spread in a single layer on one half of a large rimmed baking sheet.  In a second bowl, mix the shiitake mushrooms, remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.  Spread in a single layer on the other half of the baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are juicy and slightly shrunken, then remove them from the baking sheet and place it back in the oven until the squash is tender and browned on the edges, about 5 more minutes.  Sprinkle both with salt.

To serve, divide the rice between 4 bowls.  Top with squash, mushrooms, edamame, radishes, cabbage, and sliced egg.  Garnish with sesame seeds, lime wedges and green onions.  Serve, passing soy sauce and Gochujang (or sambal oelek) at the table.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

 Last Year's Post: Chile Rellenos (Baked Not Fried)
Two Years Ago:   Grilled Chicken, Mushroom and Bok Choy Kababs

Summer is salad time, and nothing is more summery than a spinach and strawberry salad.  This particular version adds red onion, avocado, goat cheese, pecans and edamame to the mix for a very delicious and satisfying meal.  The fruity and slightly sweet raspberry vinaigrette ties everything together and couldn't be any simpler because it's just three ingredients:  olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and raspberry preserves.

The only cooking you'll need to do is to toast the pecans and cook the edamame, both of which can be done well in advance so this is a perfect fast and cool meal for a hot day. Did I mention that it was 110 degrees in Phoenix when I fixed this salad last night?  The edamame, pecans and avocado provide enough protein that this is truly a very satisfying entree without meat, but you could  always add some grilled chicken if you want.  It's healthy, pretty, fast, easy, delicious and slimming.  What more could you want?  My new favorite meal.

printable recipe

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For the vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

Salt and pepper

For the salad:

1 bag baby spinach

6-8 strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/3 cup toasted pecans

½ cup cooked edamame

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup red onion, sliced

1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the spinach with most of the vinaigrette, reserving a small amount.  Divide the spinach between two bowls and top with the remaining ingredients.  Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Spinach, Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad

Last Year's Post: Grilled Cheese with Pesto, Spinach and Avocado

Summer is such a wonderful opportunity for those of us who are trying to eat healthy.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, beautiful and cheap, and fresh salads seem so appealing.  But it's easy to get into a salad rut and start to get bored, which is never good.  Life is too short and calories are too precious to be bored with what you eat. (Although I do know an elite ultra-marathon athlete who regards food as fuel and eats pretty much the same thing each day, which I can't even imagine.  He's been known to do a 135 mile bike ultra-marathon in the middle of winter at temperatures down to -30 degrees, which I also can't imagine.)

I always think that if I'm not excited about what I'm going to eat then something is wrong, which is why I tend to post a lot of different salad recipes such as The Perfect Little Summer Salad, Chicken Salad with Fruits and Peppadews, Wild Rice Salad, Summer Salad with Cheese, Fruit and Nuts, Farro, Kale & Smoked Mozzarella Salad, and French Chicken Salad among others.  I'm always looking for new salad recipes and was very excited when I found a new one for spinach salad with fresh blueberries, goat cheese, cucumber, and edamame.  What an interesting and refreshing combination!  Not only is it beautiful, but very healthy as well with  no less than three superfoods - spinach, blueberries and edamame.

The original recipe was vegetarian but it's easily made into a main dish by the addition of crumbled bacon or cooked chicken, turkey, pork or duck so it's a great opportunity to customize the salad to your tastes or use up leftover cooked meat.  You can further customize it by changing the cheese from goat to blue cheese or fontina or any other cheese you like.

I think I'm usually pretty good at envisioning what a recipe will taste like, but this one surprised me.  Not the main ingredients of the salad, but the salad dressing - it has a touch of Dijon mustard that I hadn't really focused on prior to trying the recipe.  If I had, I would've been skeptical that a mustard vinaigrette would somehow magically tie all the ingredients together including the blueberries, but it does.  Try it yourself and see if you agree.

The only ingredients in the salad that are cooked are the meat and the edamame, so if you plan ahead for those two items (or head to the salad bar - my local salad bar carries edamame and numerous meat items) the rest of the salad can come together in literally just a few minutes. It's a great no-cook alternative for a hot summer day.

Spinach, Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4

For the dressing:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the salad:

1 package pre-washed spinach

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup chopped seedless cucumber

1 cup cooked edamame

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (or crumbled bacon or other meat)

 In a small bowl combine mustard, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until dressing comes together and sugar is dissolved.

Place spinach leaves in large bowl. Add blueberries, cucumber, edamame, goat cheese and chicken.  Add the salad dressing, toss to combine, and serve.

Smoked Salmon with Farfalle and Edamame

Smoked salmon is The Lawyer's signature dish so he gets full credit for this post (well, I made the farfalle and edamame part).  We served it once upon a time to our friends Ted and Judy not knowing that Judy barely tolerates salmon.  I think it was probably the highest praise ever when she said, "I like this salmon so much it doesn't even need tartar sauce!"  The wood smoke adds the same robust flavor to salmon that it does to turkey or ribs.  You can vary the intensity of the smokiness by using different types of wood:  apple or alder wood is more mild, mesquite is medium, and hickory is the most intense. For this particular recipe we used apple wood chips. Different varieties of wood chips are easily found in grocery stores or hardware stores. Whatever type of wood you choose, the smoke will turn the salmon a beautiful burnished mahogany color as it cooks and it's no more difficult than grilling or pan-roasting salmon in the normal way.

By the way, do you know the difference between hot-smoked salmon and cold-smoked salmon?  This recipe is an example of hot-smoked salmon:  typically a thicker fillet that's cooked and smoked over low heat.  In contrast, cold-smoked salmon is cured and smoked without any heat.  You'll usually find cold-smoked salmon in a plastic package as a fillet that's been very thinly sliced.  It's the type of salmon served with bagels.  Hot-smoked salmon is more robust in flavor and flakes easily with a fork; cold-smoked salmon is soft and mild and does not flake. 

Over the years we've serve smoked salmon many different ways: with mashed potatoes, or spaghetti and garlic olive oil, or  grilled vegetables.  This particular recipe for farfalle and edamame is delicious, light and nutritious, and the flavors are a great match for the salmon.  After serving the warm salmon on the warm pasta for dinner, refrigerate any leftovers (breaking the salmon into large chunks) and you have a fabulous cold salmon salad for the next day.

One last thought about smoking food:  The Lawyer has used both gas and charcoal grills for smoking.  In his opinion, kettle-style charcoal grills are better because the air comes from the bottom and causes the smoke to flow over the food before escaping out the top.  Gas grills have vents across the back that don't necessarily force the smoke across the food.  If you have a gas grill, just be sure to use plenty of wood chips and start them early before putting the food on the grill so you have smoke from the get-go. You may also want to use a more intense wood to help the smoky flavor.  Experiment and find out what works best for you.   (Of course, if you have a smoker you're golden.)

I'm listing the salmon recipe separately from the farfalle and edamame recipe because I wanted to emphasize that the salmon can be served with virtually anything.  Print them both to make them together.

* * click here for a printable version of the Smoked Salmon recipe * *

* * click here for a printable version of the Smoked Salmon with Farfalle and Edamame recipe * *

Smoked Salmon
Serves 4

Alder or apple wood will result in the mildest flavor, but mesquite or hickory chips are also excellent.

1 ¼ lb skin-on salmon fillet, preferably fresh and wild caught
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Ground pepper

4 cups of small wood chips, soaked in water at least two hours


Prepare the grill for indirect grilling by heating just one side to medium (gas) or by lighting and piling charcoal on one side 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Meanwhile, remove the pin bones from the salmon with tweezers or needle-nose pliers. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels, then rub with vegetable oil on both sides (especially the skin side so it doesn’t stick). Dust the top of the salmon with paprika and pepper.

Remove the wood chips from water. If using a gas grill, put the chips in an aluminum foil pouch and pierce several times with a fork, then put the aluminum foil pouch on the heated briquettes. Alternately, put them in a smoker box if your grill has one. If using a charcoal grill, place the drained wood chips directly on the coals.

Put the grill rack in place and allow to heat for at least five minutes; then clean the rack thoroughly. Place the salmon skin side down on the unheated side of the grill and position the lid with vents opposite the wood chips to draw smoke through the grill (if possible). Grill the salmon without flipping until cooked through and temperature reaches about 145d, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Remove the salmon from the grill carefully using a large spatula or two smaller spatulas. Cut the fillet into individual portions without cutting though the skin, then slide the spatula between the flesh and the skin to remove individual pieces, leaving the skin behind.

Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.



Smoked Salmon with Farfalle and Edamame
Serves 4

2 cups uncooked farfalle (about 6 ounces bow tie pasta)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (soy beans)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped red onion
4 ounces baby spinach
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
4 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Smoked Salmon (see separate recipe)


Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes. Add edamame; cook additional 6 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and place in a large bowl, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; cook 2 minutes or until just wilted, stirring frequently. Add spinach mixture and dill to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Add mustard, salt and pepper, toss to combine thoroughly.

Serve on individual plates with smoked salmon piece on top. May be served warm, room temperature, or cold. (If served cold, you may want to moisten with a little additional olive oil prior to serving.)

Pesto Pasta with Edamame, Spinach and Almonds

Edamame is a relatively new favorite of mine.  Since it's a really healthy food I was looking for new ways to eat more and came across a recipe that pairs it with pasta.  I was even more intrigued when I realized the recipe has only six ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and that three of them are superfoods.  Amazing!  Almonds and spinach are well-known superfoods, but you may not know that edamame (soybeans) are high in calcium, soy, protein and fiber while low in calories.  The high protein content is one of the reasons this recipe is very satisfying and filling even though it's vegetarian.  How can I count the number of good things about this recipe?  It's healthy, fast, delicious, beautiful, vegetarian (or not), light, versatile, unusual, elegant and easy. 

It also taught me a new technique for preparing almonds - not chopped, not sliced, not slivered - but cracked.  The resulting coarse pieces vary in size and shape and have a nice crunchy texture that greatly adds to the overall dish.  The recipe actually called for crushed almonds but I really didn't know how to crush them so I made up my own technique which I think more closely resembles cracked rather than crushed.  Basically take a whammer (meat mallet or other heavy object) and lightly hit one almond at a time.  If you try to hit a bunch at the same time they end up all over the kitchen.  Trust me.

I used the opportunity to go to the farmer's market and found some wonderful krinkly-leaf  spinach that also added to the overall crunchiness of the dish because it's thicker than baby spinach and therefore didn't wilt.  I'm usually a fan of baby spinach but for this dish I liked the texture of the slightly thicker spinach.  Your call either way.

The versatility comes in with regard to temperature - you can serve this pasta warm, room temperature, or cold which makes it great for get-togethers, picnics or weeknights.  Just note that if you choose to refrigerate it, add a little olive oil to moisten before serving.  The other way it's versatile is that it's vegetarian but you could easily add some chicken (or any leftover meat) if you have people who Really Want Meat.

* * click here for a printable recipe * *

Pesto Pasta with Edamame, Spinach and Almonds
Serves 4 to 6

8 ounces spaghetti
2/3 cup pesto
8 ounces spinach
2 cups frozen edamame, prepared according to directions
Juice from 2 lemons plus additional fresh lemon wedges for serving
¾ cup whole almonds
Salt and pepper

Coarsely crack the almonds by placing on a cutting board and using a meat mallet (or other heavy tool) to lightly pound one almond at a time until it cracks into several pieces. (Trying to crack more than one at a time results in almonds all over your kitchen.) Lightly toast in a dry skillet or oven until fragrant and set aside.

If baby spinach is used, not further chopping or tearing is needed. If using regular spinach, tear the larger leaves into two or more bite-sized pieces.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, then drain. In a large bowl, stir together the spaghetti and pesto until thoroughly combined, then add the spinach, edamame, and juice of two lemons and toss well.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with cracked almonds and lemon wedges for squeezing at the table.

May be served warm, room temperature or cold. If the pasta has been refrigerated, toss with a small amount of olive oil to moisten before serving.