I was quite annoyed several months back when I went to Arby's (I know, I know...) with the kids - they love the roast beef and ham-n-cheez [<--really can't call it otherwise, or you'd insult real cheese] sandwiches, but I was a huge fan of their now-discontinued Martha's Vineyard salad....so I was shocked to find it gone from the menu. So I made it at home to spite them.
Here's the basic ingredients:
* 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent in "tenders"), cooked
in lite Italian dressing (put them in a 9x9 glass pan, squirt some dressing
over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375*) and sliced into strips
when cooled .
* 1 pt. grape or cherry tomatoes
* 2/3 c. shredded cheddar (more or less to taste)
* 1/2 c. Craisins (or other/no-brand dried cranberries)
* 1 large apple, cored and cubed (I like a nice tart Granny Smith, but
use your favorite - peeled or not, up to you)
* 1 bottle raspberry vinaigrette dressing
* 1/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds
* Assorted greens - I prefer a mix of fresh iceberg and romaine, but get a
bag of whatever you like best if you're in a hurry - washed and reasonably
dry
Toss all the ingredients together, cutting the apple up and tossing it in at the last second to avoid browning. This is a great "meal" salad or makes a nice side.
Stupid Arby's.
Showing posts with label Salads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salads. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Chicken-Spinach-Rice Salad
This is another simple meal or side dish - great in the summertime, easy-to-multiply recipe, always a hit at parties. My beloved likes it better the second day, my brother-in-law actually heats up the leftovers (if you have any) in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS:
*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)
*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)
* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)
* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)
* 1 Tb. sugar
*1.5 Tb. soy sauce
Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top
PREPARATION:
After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).
While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.
When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips
Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.
Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*
Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.
*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)
*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)
* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)
* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)
* 1 Tb. sugar
*1.5 Tb. soy sauce
Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top
PREPARATION:
After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).
While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.
When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips
Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.
Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*
Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.
*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.
Enjoy!
Polish Cucumbers in Sour Cream
From my So.Cal. Soul Sista - TheDigitalHairshirt:
Peel any number of cukes. I thinly slice them, using a mandolin. Mix in a little bit of kosher salt, maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon for every cucumber you peel and slice. Let that stand for at least two hours.
Then squeeze the juice out of the cucumbers, discarding the juice. I use a ricer but bare hands will work too - you want to end up with limp, dryish slices.
Now mix in sour cream, red wine vinegar, and dill weed. How much? Well, I know this will frustrate a new cook, but just enough. You don't want too much red wine vinegar or it becomes too sour and waters down the sour cream.
Try this - add the sour cream first to the level you like - just as when you make a potato salad, some like it with a lot of mayo,others not so much. Then start with about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add dill weed to taste.
Refirgerate until ready to serve.
(Can't wait to try this one! Thanks Stephanie!)
Peel any number of cukes. I thinly slice them, using a mandolin. Mix in a little bit of kosher salt, maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon for every cucumber you peel and slice. Let that stand for at least two hours.
Then squeeze the juice out of the cucumbers, discarding the juice. I use a ricer but bare hands will work too - you want to end up with limp, dryish slices.
Now mix in sour cream, red wine vinegar, and dill weed. How much? Well, I know this will frustrate a new cook, but just enough. You don't want too much red wine vinegar or it becomes too sour and waters down the sour cream.
Try this - add the sour cream first to the level you like - just as when you make a potato salad, some like it with a lot of mayo,others not so much. Then start with about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add dill weed to taste.
Refirgerate until ready to serve.
(Can't wait to try this one! Thanks Stephanie!)
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