spicy chicken salad

Spicy Honey Chicken
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (Yes, Thighs!!)
everyone is always asking me if they can use breasts for this. Sure you can, but I'm tellin'
ya right now it's better with thighs.

2 t vegetable oil

Rub:
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well. Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze.


Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

1-2 heads Romaine or Red Leaf Lettuce
2 ripe but firm mangoes, chilled
2-3 ripe but firm avocados
optional: thinly sliced red onions

While chicken is grilling, wash lettuce and divide among serving plates. Slice avocados, onions, and mangoes and place them on top of the lettuce. When chicken is finished, let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing to preserve the juices. Then slice it up and divide among the salads.

Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 T grated onion
1/3 C fresh orange juice
3T fresh lime juice
2T honey
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 C vegetable oil

3. Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

Snickers Salad

This is a favorite that is so easy and could pass for a side salad or dessert.

3 red apples
3 green apples
(I usually use about 5-6 Fuji apples)
1 tub cool whip
2 large or 10 mini snickers bars, frozen.

Chop all of the apples into diced chunks. Toss in a bowl with cool whip. Smash the snickers bars in a Ziploc bag cover with a towel. Mix the snickers in with the apples and cool whip. Refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!!

Americana potato salad

3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
8 dill pickle spears or a handful of cornichon, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut potatoes into chunks and transfer to large bowl. Stir in pickles, celery, onion, eggs, mayonnaise, mustard vinegar and dill. Season potato salad to taste with salt and pepper. Serves at least 8

Aloha chicken salad w/ pina colada vinaigrette

3 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
2 large cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups tortilla strips
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled & cubed
toasted coconut, optional

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or layer on a platter. Serve with Pina Colada Vinaigrette dressing.

PINA COLADA VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
1/3 cup mr. & mrs. T's pina colada drink mix
1/3 cup rice or apple cider vinegar- rice will make it more mild or
apple cider will make it stronger tasting
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a blender combine all ingredients except the oil. Blend well until light & frothy. With the blender still on, slowly add oil in a steady stream. Keep blending until the dressing is emulsified & thickened.

Olive Garden Salad

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:
½ c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tb. corn syrup
2 Tb. Parmesan cheese
2 Tb. Romano cheese
¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp parsley flakes
1 Tb. lemon juice

Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce
slices red onion
black olives
2-4 banana peppers
2 small tomatoes, quartered
½ c. croutons
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For homemade croutons: SO WORTH THE FIVE MINUTES
4 slices sandwich bread
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tb. butter
salt and pepper
dried parsley flakes

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar.
Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

For the homemade croutons:
Cut off crusts of sandwich bread, and cut bread into cubes. Melt butter in small saucepan and add minced garlic. Toss sandwich cubes in the butter and spread out in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper and parsley flakes to taste. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, turning half way through baking.

Summer Pasta Salad with citrus herb dressing

salad:
1 package American Beauty Italian Trio pasta-- cooked, drained & cooled

Mix with~

Carrots--matchstick
Red bell pepper--chopped
cauliflower
cherry tomatoes
broccoli
black olives
fresh basil--chopped
cucumbers--peeled & diced
baby spinach
feta cheese

Dressing: mix in quart jar

1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice (the good stuff)
1 1/2 TBSP onion salt
1 TBSP garlic salt
1 TBSP thyme
1/2 TBSP rosemary
1/2 TBSP basil
1/2 tsp. dill seed

shake until sugar is dissolved. add enough olive oil to fill quart jar.

Mix all salad ingredients except last 4. add last 4 right before serving, toss with dressing.
(i usually only add half the dressing, toss & then add more as needed.)

Strawberry Salad

Salad:
1 package of Baby Spinach
Iceberg lettuce, chopped (optional)
3/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup slivered candied almonds
Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup strawberry jam (preferably homemade)
How to make candied almonds:

Mix slivered almonds with 4 T melted butter and 4 T sugar. Toast on pan. Watch very carefully... they can burn easily!

Fancy Chicken Salad

2/3c dried cranberries
1/3c celery, chopped
1/3c toasted pecans, chopped
1/3c granny smith apple, diced
2-1/2c cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp lemon juice
1 T honey
1/2c Mayo
4 tsp buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In large bowl, combine cranberries, celery, pecans, apple, and chicken. In another bowl combine the lemon juice, honey, mayo, buttermilk, salt and pepper. Add chicken mixture and mix well. Spoon 1/2c chicken salad onto croissants. Makes 6 servings

Book Club Salad

Book Club Salad

Romaine 2-3 bags or equivalent - wash and slice in 1/4 inch strips
2 Chicken Breasts - shredded
1/2 lb Crumbled Bacon - get real crumbled bacon, no imitation!
1/2 Bag of Crasins
about 1 cup mozarella cheese, grated
3/4 cup Sliced Sugared Almonds - put 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar in a >heavy frying pan, add a little water 1-2 tsp. Add almonds. Turn the heat >to nearly high and toss and toast till the almonds smell wonderful and the >sugar sticks, add more sugar and/or water till you get the result you want. > Be careful not to burn. Dump out onto foil to cool. Do NOT put into the salad until you are ready to dress/serve the salad.

Dressing: In a blender combine and blend
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups Pompeii red wine vinegar
2 tsp dry mustard
2 cups canola oil
Chunk of red onion (about 2 TBSP diced)

This makes a ton of salad FYI.