A Delicious Combination

I’ve been really into chicken and almonds lately – inspired I think by a wonderful chicken and almond salad sandwich I had at The Cheesecake Factory when we were on holiday a few weeks ago in Boston. I can’t get this delicious combination out of my mind and it has led to some great recipe inventions, two of which I will share with you here.

I make it a habit to keep cooked chicken breast in the fridge or freezer as it is useful in so many recipes. Just brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at about 375℉ or around 190℃ for about 30 to 40 minutes until no pink remains inside. Cool quickly and refrigerate promptly and they will keep for two to three days in the fridge. If you want to keep them for longer than that, you should freeze them as soon as they are cool.

This first recipe is my homage to the Cheesecake Factory’s chicken salad sandwich, although I do serve it as a salad most of the time. Of course, you can also definitely make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken entirely and adding extra apple and almonds – great if you have both vegetarians and non-vegetarian guests at the same meal!

Chicken and Almond Salad

To serve four people as a main course (six as a starter) you need:-

about four cups of shredded iceberg or Romaine lettuce

2 chicken breasts, finely chopped

2 cups seedless (or de-seeded) red and green grapes, cut in half

2 green skinned apples (preferably Granny Smith)

2 red skinned apples (any crisp and crunchy type will do nicely)

1 cup almonds

2 tablespoons apple juice

about ¼ cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s Extra Light)

salt and pepper to taste

Core and dice the red skinned apples. Core the green ones too, but only dice one of them. Toss in the apple juice to keep from going brown. Reserve the other one to cut in slices for the garnish.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped chicken breasts, grapes, drained diced apples, almonds and mayonnaise. Mix until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the lettuce between four plates (or six if serving this as a starter) and top with some of the chicken salad. Garnish with sliced apple as shown in the photograph.

I also got to thinking about how I could work the chicken/almond combination hot and it brought to mind a dish my Mom used to make years ago using chicken livers and toasted slivered almonds. From there I got to thinking about using chicken breasts (because I really don't like chicken livers - or any liver for that matter!) and my recipe kind of evolved from there.

Chicken and Almond Stir Fry

This dish is really quick and easy to make, and you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. You can buy almonds already toasted, but if you can’t find them in your local store, simply heat some flaked almonds over medium heat in a non-stick pan and keep them moving using a heat safe spatula until they are all lightly toasted. (Don’t look away for even for a second or they will burn!) Remove from the pan as soon as they are toasted.

Using brown rice makes this recipe even healthier, as does choosing a low sodium soy sauce. One piece of advice, be sure you make lots of this - everyone I serve it to wants seconds! (The recipe below serves about four adults, but it is easily doubled.)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 tablespoon sesame oil

(You can use any light vegetable oil, but sesame oil does give a lovely flavour.)

2 cups green beans or asparagus (or a combination of the two), prepared and cut in pieces about two to three inches long

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I like to use chicken breast for this, but you can use dark meat if you prefer)

1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups rice

½ cup toasted flaked almonds plus more for garnish

Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain and set aside, keeping warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the onion. Stir fry for two to three minutes until it begins to soften.  Add the red peppers and green beans or asparagus, continuing to stir fry until they become tender-crisp (about 2 to 3 minutes). Stir in the rice, cooked chicken and soy sauce and stir fry just until heated through.

Add the almonds and stir through.  Serve in warmed bowls or on warmed plates, with a few extra almonds sprinkled on top if you like. 

Watch this space for more recipes with a chicken and almond theme - I can't seem to get this delicious combination out of my mind! 

My First Experience Cooking with Tofu

I’m not a vegetarian but I do enjoy meat-free meals, ordering them in restaurants and frequently cooking them at home, but one thing I’ve always been nervous about is cooking with tofu.  I have eaten it on many occasions, however up until last week I had never cooked with it myself. 

I had trouble imagining how I could transform the white, slightly slimy looking blocks I saw in the grocery store into something I could want to eat and the thought of having to press or drain it extensively and then marinate it always put me off.  Recently though I have noticed more and more ‘ready to use’ tofu in stores.  It is cut into bite size pieces and is already marinated which gives it a bit more appetizing colour. 

So last week I took my courage in both hands and bought one of the packages of ginger and garlic marinated tofu.  I was pleased to read it cooked in only five minutes, making it perfect to use in my cashew nut stir fry recipe in place of the cashews.  It turned out really well, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, especially my long-suffering son who has been encouraging me to cook with tofu for ages!

1 to 2 tablespoons oil, sesame for preference

160 gram package (5 to 6 ounces) marinated tofu pieces (ginger and garlic)

2 or 3 leeks, finely shredded and thoroughly washed or 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced

2 or 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 to 3 packages ready to cook noodles or 2 or 3 nests of dried noodles, cooked, drained and tossed in a little oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.  Add the leeks or onion, peppers and carrots and stir fry for about three minutes.  

Add the tofu and stir fry for five minutes.  

Toss in the noodles, heat through and serve. 

That’s it, a quick and easy meat-free meal to serve up to four people.  It was delicious and I’m sure I’ll be cooking with tofu again soon!

Cashew Nut Stir Fry

I have an organic vegetable box delivered from time to time, and this week’s was an absolute cornucopia of delights. Fresh red onions, carrots, asparagus and peppers sat waiting to be united in deliciousness. Of course, one of the best ways to cook fresh vegetables is lightly, serving them while they are still fairly crisp - and one of the easiest ways to do this is in a stir fry. We are still trying to eat less meat, so I decided to incorporate our favourite nuts in this recipe, both for reasons of nutrition and taste. It was very much a thrown together dinner, but the results were scrumptious.

I’ve listed ingredients for two, but the quantities are very generous. You can easily increase or decrease quantities as required. You can use olive oil instead of sesame oil if you prefer, but it really is worth using the sesame oil for its wonderful flavour.

about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 “nests” of medium noodles
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 generous handful of white mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
a handful of asparagus, each piece cut in two or three
4 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
a handful of roasted, salted cashew nuts

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions. When cooked, drain and toss in about 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat the rest of the sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok until it is nearly smoking. Add the onions and mushrooms and stir fry for a couple seconds. Then add the carrots and red pepper. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add the asparagus and continue to stir fry until all the vegetables are tender crisp (about five minutes).

Stir in the Thai sweet chili sauce and the soy sauce, tossing to coat the vegetables. Add the noodles and cashews to the pan, stirring to coat with the sauce and heat through.

Divide the mixture between two bowls (or three if you are not as greedy as we are!) and enjoy.