Southwestern BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

I made this for our second coworker dinner. I saw it on one of my favorite blogs a couple weeks ago and have not been able to stop thinking about it. I had some leftover chicken that I needed to use, ears of corn are only $0.25 each, and I found a bottle of spicy BBQ on the sale shelf at Safeway. That couldn’t be a coincidence. The universe was practically begging me to make this.

I marinated the leftover chicken in BBQ sauce overnight so that the flavor would really soak in. For the corn, I decided to grill it in my grill pan. It came out slightly charred but still a little raw. It was so fresh and flavorful. I also made the quinoa in the microwave, which was a first for me. I was a little nervous because it smelled like popcorn when it was cooking and after the 8 minutes of cooking, it didn’t look done at all. But if you follow the directions that I listed in the recipe, everything should turn out perfectly! It’s not any easier than cooking it on the stovetop but, due to my recent move, I have only one gigantic pasta pot right now so stovetop wasn’t a practical option.

To assemble the salad, I started everyone’s plate with a bed of lettuce. The original recipe didn’t call for this but I absolutely love the way quinoa tastes with lettuce. It’s such an interesting texture and it looks really gorgeous. So then I topped the lettuce with quinoa, black beans, corn, BBQ chicken, shredded cheddar, BBQ Greek yogurt dressing, jalapenos, and cilantro – in that order.

I loved everything about this salad. It reminded me of a taco salad with an American summer barbeque season twist. The chicken and black beans made it filling. The spicy BBQ sauce counteracted the sweet grilled corn. The quinoa gives it great texture and adds nutrition. Cheese is tastes good with everything so that was a no-brainer (Though I accidently bought imitation cheddar because I was shopping the sales. I was too scared to look at what it was really made of but it was low in calories and tasted fine so I suppose that’s fine…). The BBQ Greek yogurt dressing is great because it’s a protein-packed, low-fat substitute for dressing! I could have eaten the whole contain of “dressing” for the same caloric intake as 2 tablespoons of a typical creamy dressing. Definitely don’t leave out the cilantro! Sometimes, I’m totally guilty of leaving out certain fresh herbs because I’m too lazy to look for them or cheap to pay for them. Especially if I think the dish has enough flavor going on with the extra additions. Don’t do it! The cilantro takes this dish to a whole other level and brings it all together. Unless you’re one of those people who hates cilantro, then I guess you can skip it. Boo.

Please go make this immediately before summer corn goes out of season!

Southwestern BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad (4 servings) from Iowa Girl Eats

• ·         6 cups lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ·         1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well
• ·         2 cups water
• ·         2 chicken breasts, shredded and marinated in BBQ sauce
• ·         2 ears corn, shucked (or 1 cup corn kernels)
• ·         1/2 cup black beans, drained & rinsed
• ·         1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ·         1/2 cup pickles jalapenos
• ·         1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ·         1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ·         1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1. Shred two cooked breasts of chicken and marinate in BBQ sauce overnight.

2. Rinse quinoa very well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Combine with the water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover the bowl with a microwave safe top or plate and microwave for 8 minutes. Stir and let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, recover, and microwave on high for 2 minutes more. Let stand for 1 minute before serving.

3. Meanwhile, preheat a grill pan on medium high. Add corn to the grill pan at the same time that you put the quinoa in the microwave. Rotate every couple of minutes to evenly char on all sides. Remove the corn to a plate and let cool slightly. Slice kernels off the cob.

4. Mix together Greek yogurt and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Evenly divide the lettuce, cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, shredded BBQ chicken, and shredded cheese between four plates. Drizzle with yogurt and BBQ sauce mixture, then garnish with jalapenos and chopped cilantro.

why yes, I'm still obsessed with having plates and a table. 

all the goodies :)

Cashew Chicken and Shrimp with Vegetables

My mom's birthday was last week so I went home to celebrate. And I had just finished my last full semester of school ever so I had some a ton of celebrating to do as well.

all of the essentials.

cheers!

mother and daughters

For dinner, my mom wanted to have Asian food but didn't feel like going out. I know that my mom loves dishes that mix chicken, shrimp, and a bunch of fresh vegetables and her favorite dish at the Thai restaurant we go to contains cashews. I went on the hunt for the perfect recipe but couldn't find one so I made up my own! Because it was my first attempt at cooking any type of Asian dish and I wasn't following a recipe, I was so nervous that I was going to ruin my mom's birthday with a soggy tasteless stir-fry.

It actually turned out great! Everyone at the party was a fan! It had enough spice to make my mom happy but was still mild enough to please my grandmother, who usually cannot handle any heat whatsoever. I can't take credit for having a perfect calculation for the right amount of sriracha. I just got really really really lucky. I think my kimono-ish top was my inspiration; I went all out :)

my best friend Katie was being a wonderful assistant :)

my mom and I and the sushi appetizer

Jared giving his seal of approval

happy to be with my family and friends + sangria = the typical over-smile

Ken and I :)

 If you like cashew chicken dishes from Chinese take-out, you should give this a try. However, I would cut the recipe in half because this served about 5 people and we ate it for dinner the next night AND I had some for lunch for a couple days. So I estimated that this would serve 10 dinner-sized portions. It was pretty easy to throw together (I was drinking sangria, chatting, and cooking and I didn't catch my kimono on fire so it can't be THAT hard) and is a way healthier and fresher option. This success has me eager to try the billion Asian recipes that I have bookmarked. I can't wait!

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (10 servings)

• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 ¼ cups of chicken broth
• ¾ cup hoisin sauce
•  2 tablespoon Sriracha + extra for garnish
• 6 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews + extra for garnish
• 3 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 lb shrimp
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 peppers, cut into strips
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 8 oz bags sugar snap peas
• 1 15 oz can baby corn
• 1 8 oz can water chestnuts
• Rice, for serving

1.       Cook rice according to package directions.

2.        In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water/chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Stir in hoisin, vinegar and sriracha and set aside.

3.       Add oil to wok or large skillet and set over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cashews and stir until garlic is golden and fragrant. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to wok. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

4.       Add broccoli and cornstarch mixture and cook for about 2 minutes. Add peppers and shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes. Add sugar snap peas, baby corn, and water chestnuts and cook another 4 minutes, stirring frequently or until sauce has thickened.

5.       Serve with rice and additional sriracha and cashews for topping, if desired.

chicken and cashews

chicken, cashews, broccoli, and sauce

finished product!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

This is one of my favorite appetizers. I think that might be true of most people.

It's great because it's all the deliciousness of wings without the mess. This never used to matter to me because I had a boyfriend so it was totally acceptable for me to have wing sauce all over my face and up to my elbows because... who was I trying to impress? Well, now that I'm single, I can't just go around looking like a caveman while enjoying party snacks. I figure that I have to at least put on a show of being civilized for a little while. So this means I'll have to step away from the large glasses of gin and saucy finger foods. Or smuggle them into the bathroom in my oversized purse to enjoy in private. Either way.

I love that you can eat this dip on crackers, bread, veggies, chips, etc. My favorite is the celery. I throw a legitimate tantrum if I order wings and they don't come with celery or, even worse, warm carrots. Unacceptable.

This is definitely a staple for any party. With all of the sporting events that are always going on (don't ask me what they are, I only pay attention to the NFL) and graduation parties coming up and summer BBQs that are quickly approaching, I figured this would be an appropriate recipe to share. Or just make it for yourself for a personal party because you're great!

You can experiment with various cheeses and amounts of ingredients but this is my favorite combination. It's not too soupy or too dry. I like to only use blue cheese dressing whereas some recipes call for ranch and blue cheese. I add A LOT of hot sauce. To the point where eating it makes me sweat a little. Like probably more than is in the written recipe because I'm famous for being like... ok, just one more dash... I mean, just like a couple more squirts... well, this bottle is half empty so I might as well just use it too...   I'm probably going to get a stomach ulcer.

Oh, and I make the leftovers into the BEST grilled cheese ever. I'd do a post about that but I've never managed to take a picture before I devour it in like two bites. Sorry, but I knew you'd understand.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

• 4 boneless breasts of chicken (I use the equivalent in chicken tenders because they cook faster)
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder (or anything else you like to season chicken)
• 1 jar/bottle blue cheese dressing (I use Marie's extra chunky or low fat, depending on my mood)
• 1 bar low fat cream cheese
• 1 6-8 oz package reduced fat shredded white sharp cheddar (other shredded cheese can be used)
• 1 bottle hot sauce (I use Frank's)

1. Season the chicken breasts as desired (I use the ones listed above). Saute in a pan until completely cooked through. Let the chicken cool and then shred. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Pour the wing sauce over the shredded chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight (depending on how much heat you want the chicken to absorb). 
3. When ready to assemble the dip, drain the chicken in a strainer. This will ensure that your dip is not soupy. 
4. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Next distribute the drained chicken evenly. Cover the chicken with the blue cheese dressing. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar on top.
5. Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned and dip is warmed all the way through. 
6. Serve with tortilla chips, baguette slices, crackers, baby carrots, and celery sticks.

cream cheese layer

spicy chicken

blue cheese layer

shredded cheese layer

all baked and ready to be dipped into!