August « 2009 « DinnerCakes

Light Chicken Salad – What's Your Go-To Recipe?

August 4th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

So recently I wanted to create a really great light chicken salad. I know Edwin and I mention the grocery store in our hometown all the time, Ukrop’s, but they really do have great light chicken salad. Sadly the store bought chicken salad I tried at Harris Teeter in Northern Virginia was, well, gross!

This is not the spectacular replica I was hoping for, but it’s a start. I read some forums where others have tried to recreate it, and it seems that the only ingredients used are chicken, celery and mayonnaise. Since it’s labeled “light” chicken salad in the store, I assume that means a low fat mayo is used. I used fat free Miracle Whip in place of mayo, and it didn’t knock my socks off.

I’d really love some help on this recipe if any of you have suggestions or recommendations! I know it’s easy to go wild with chicken salad recipes (adding nuts, cranberries, etc.), but I’d really just like something very basic. What do you think?

Light Chicken Salad

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 to 1 cup of fat free Miracle Whip
1 baguette
paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and bake chicken (seasoned with spices above) for 20 minutes. Cut celery while chicken is cooling.

When chicken is cool, use a fork to shred. Combine shredded chicken, diced celery and Miracle with in a large bowl. Add additional spices as desired. Mix well, cover tightly, and chill until serving. Slice baguette while waiting.

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Whatever's Around – Cabbage and Rice Noodle Salad

August 3rd, 2009

by Chef Edwin

It’s been a…. trying few days for me. Somewhere between the grocery store and my bed I lost my wallet Friday night. In case you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to lose your wallet, let me enlighten you. It sucks. A lot. Not the end of the world, of course, but the task of replacing all my cards has me dreading this week…

Another inconvenience about losing your wallet is no money. As I write this, I have exactly five dollars with me (and an almost empty tank of gas). So dinners this weekend were whatever I had in my kitchen. An interesting challenge. I do occasionally run into the finding-an-ingredient-after-it’s-spoiled situation, so this was a good way to be proactive on my current supply. So what to do with a bunch of random ingredients? Throw em in a wok and see what happens!

Cabbage and Rice Noodle Salad
I only used half a small cabbage (1 lb) but would recommend trying a whole cabbage if you want more greens.

3 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 small cabbage (approximately 1 lb); sliced thin
3 shallots; diced
2 red chiles; diced
3 cloves of garlic; minced
4 oz thin rice noodles
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Cook your rice noodles as directed and set aside; usually boiling for only a few minutes. Par-boil your cabbage for 2-3 minutes and immediately chill in water and drain. Pat in some paper towels to dry. Stir fry your shallots and chiles with two tablespoons oil for a few minutes until the shallots begin to brown. Add the garlic and additional oil and continue cooking briefly until fragrant; 30 seconds to a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Add your remaining ingredients, tossing to coat and combine. Cook for a few minutes, adding salt to taste. Once everything is hot, combined and delicious, serve and enjoy.

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