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 :)

Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish

The girls I work with and I have decided to have a weekly dinner night! I could not be more excited! It means I get to cook, be social, and have a chance to relax during the week. It's absolutely perfect. The wine doesn't hurt either :)

the table setting. aren't my NEW plates on my NEW table super cute and classy?!?!

I hosted prepared the first dinner. Since it's just the girls, I figured I would make a light and girly recipe. Ya know, the ones that if you cooked them for your dad or boyfriend (not that I have that issue, thank God) they would be like... "uuhhh so... that was an okay appetizer but where's my meat and potatoes?".

I chose these corn cakes because corn is on super sale right now and it's ridiculously sweet and delicious. I think these were perfect for a dinner salad because they were hearty enough to fill you up without weighing you down. We used the relish and a sriracha as dressing. I loved how the sweet corn and the creamy avocado contrasted with the bite of the red onion and spicy sriracha.

The original recipe called for frying them in oil. I'm not huge on frying things, especially if I can figure out how to bake the item or cook it in a healthier way. But I tried to fry them and it just didn't work well. My stove is a little lopsided and heats unevenly. I ended up burning the first batch, melting my spatula, and smoking up my apartment. Plus, Arizona is just too darn hot to be frying things in your house. So I quickly washed out my frying pan, sprayed it with cooking spray, and "fried" the rest of the cakes that way. They came out much better and healthier! I love when mistakes work out for the better :) Unlike my chocolate pie from yesterday's post...

Also, the patties freeze well so cook up a bunch and toss them in the freezer. Then you can just pull them out, reheat them, and toss them over some spinach for a quick and tasty salad!

Corn Cakes with Avocado and Tomato Relish (12 cakes)

For the corn cakes:

• 3 large ears of corn, shucked
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. half and half (I used fat free)
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• cooking spray, for frying

For the relish:

• 2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
• ¼ cup of red onion
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice of half a lime
• 1½ tsp. olive oil
• 1½ tsp. white wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
• 
  
• Sriracha, for serving (optional)
•  Spinach, for serving

1.  Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and place in a large bowl.  Place 2 cups of the corn kernels in the food processor and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky.  Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.  Add the flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to mix well.  Add the eggs, half and half, and butter, and stir just to combine.

2.  To make the salsa, combine all of the ingredients except the avocado in a medium bowl and mix well to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days.  Just before serving, mix in the avocado.

3.  Place a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray the pan with cooking spray. Scoop the batter into the skillet a heaping tablespoon at a time, cooking the cakes in batches of 4 or 5 so that they are not touching.  Cook 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the cooked cakes to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.

4.  Serve immediately topped with the relish and drizzled with sriracha, if desired.

the relish

batter

sizzling corn cakes

corn cake salad :)

Black and Blue Steak Salad with Roasted Vegetables

No one knows what to do with leftover steak.  It's not really great heated up and eaten like steak the next day because it gets overcooked. Therefore, most people either throw it out, let it sit in their refrigerator until they can justify throwing it out, or eat themselves into a food coma so that there is no leftover steak.  Well, I'm sick of it. It's a waste of perfectly good steak.

Here's how you can use leftover steak in order to create a hearty and delicious salad. Thinly sliced steak, grilled veggies, blue cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.  YUM.  Enjoy :)

Black and Blue Steak Salad with Asparagus and Red Peppers (4 servings)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 4 portabella mushroom caps
• 1 zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 pound leftover steak such as rib eye, flank, etc., room temperature
• 1 (6 ounce) bag mixed greens
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1. Brush the grill with the olive oil and heat it up to medium.
2. Add the red pepper, onion, asparagus, zucchini, and mushrooms and grill until tender, about 5-8 minutes and set aside.
3. Slice leftover steak thinly.
4. Top greens with steak and grilled vegetables.
5. Serve salad topped blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Raspberries

I have a confession.  I don't really like salmon.  Until fairly recently, I refused to eat most seafood. I would only eat it if it was heavily fried (calamari, fish fries, fried shrimp) or in sushi form. I absolutely love sushi but I refused to eat cooked fish. Weird, I know.  I think it has something to do with the smell of cooked fish that seems to linger in the kitchen.

Well, I am a firm believer that you can train your taste buds to like something if you really want to.  Here's the perfect example.  When I studied in Costa Rica, on my first morning, my host family made a huge fruit salad, which contained papaya. I had never tried papaya but figured I would like it because I like all fruit (colorful, sweet... what's not to love?). I was wrong.  The consistency was somewhere between hard and soft, the taste wasn't really sweet or sour. It tasted sort of like what I imagine carrot baby food would taste like. I hated it but was too shy to tell my family.  So I ate it every single morning and each day I hated it a little less.  Then, like magic, I woke up one day and liked it!  I don't know how it happened but I'm glad it did because I was sick of dreading breakfast.

Anyway, back to the seafood issue. I started out with ordering mild white fish (like tilapia) and shrimp smothered in other ingredients when I went out to dinner.  It went well. Then I started making dishes that included shrimp and tilapia and I found that I actually liked them!

I knew that my next step needed to be salmon because of all the health benefits.  I tried to eat it plain and baked and I just couldn't do it.  The taste overwhelmed me and all of the other food on my plate. Then I tried to bake it topped with pesto and loved it! I think I mostly loved the pesto, which is strong enough to counter the salmon. Therefore, I decided that I will continue trying to sneak salmon into meals by pairing it with strong flavors.  I think that once I get used to the flavor, I will eventually like it all on its own.  Just like the papaya.

This salad is the perfect combination between light and hearty.  It's lighter than having meat on a salad but heavy enough to be eaten as a meal on its own.  I love the combination of the salmon and asparagus, the salmon and raspberries, and the raspberries and walnuts. The sweetness of the raspberries cuts the fishy quality of the salmon quite nicely.  Plus, I love the short bake time of salmon and the ease of throwing together a salad.  Make this if you're craving a quick meal that's light, sweet, and savory!

Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Raspberry Vinaigrette (2 servings)

• 12 asparagus spears (8 to 10 oz. total) or broccoli florets (1 in. wide and 3 in. long)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 pieces (4 oz. each) boned salmon fillet 
• lemon juice
• 3 cups mixed baby salad greens, rinsed
• 1 dozen cherry tomatoes
• 1 6 oz container of raspberries, rinsed 
• 1/4 cup of toasted walnut pieces
• Raspberry vinaigrette 

1. Preheat the oven to 425.  

2. Toss the asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Put on a baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Rinse salmon and pat dry. Coat season the salmon with salt, pepper, and lemon. Place a piece of tinfoil on a baking sheet, spray the tinfoil with cooking spray, and put the salmon the the tinfoil. Bake both the salmon and the asparagus for about 15 minutes (I like my salmon a little more done than most people, so feel free to cut down the baking time to about 10 minutes).

4. Combine salad greens and tomatoes on plates.

5. Arrange asparagus equally around edges of plates. Top with warm salmon. Sprinkle servings equally with walnuts and raspberries. Serve with raspberry vinaigrette.

Pesto Potato Salad

Hi there! I've been a little absent due to Hurricane Irene and Labor Day weekend festivities. Hurricane Irene left me with sporadic phone and internet service for about a week.  With all of the inconveniences that this caused my life, I figured that it was safest to not update my blog because I just couldn't force myself to be my usual witty, charming, and friendly self (...ha).  But now that most of my technological devices are up and running and I had a job interview today, I'm feeling much better so I can put some positive energy into the blog :)

Also, THE PACKERS WON LAST NIGHT!  This green potato salad is the closest I have for a festive recipe right now.  But be on the lookout for some great appetizers during this season!

I love barbecues. Grilled meat, fattening dips, fruity desserts, creative salads, and (best of all) CONSTANT SNACKING!  Right up my alley.  When I got back from Costa Rica, my grandmother had a huge family barbecue to celebrate my homecoming.  I asked my mom what supplies she had to make a dish and she pointed to a sack of red potatoes and celery.  She said that she figured we could just make potato salad.  An overwhelming feeling of disappointment set in...

I do NOT like potato salad.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'll eat it if it's all that's around.  But with all the food at a barbecue, potato salad is the one thing I skip on to make room for everything else.  There's a couple reasons for this.  I don't particularly like mayo.  Maybe a little on a sandwich if it has a special flavor (pesto, chipotle, cranberry, garlic, etc) and if there's no mustard around. I really don't like mayo on a hot day.  For some reason it just doesn't sit well in my stomach.  Also, I generally think potato salad is really boring. Most of the time it's pretty flavor- and colorless and you can't really eat it any other way but by itself.  Lame.

Well I was not going to be caught dead bringing a lifeless potato salad to a party meant to celebrate me.  So I hunted through my mom's cabinets and found some goodies.  I found: pine nuts, pesto, red pepper, onions, and eggs.  And those became the additional ingredients.  I think that my creation turned out pretty darn good! It was definitely more flavorful than a traditional potato salad and had a variety of textures.  The only two negatives were: I did have to use some mayo because the potatoes were a little dry and some people were initially freaked out by the green color.  I just stood by the bowl and hassled people to try it until they put a little scoop on their plate. Even the pickiest eaters went back for seconds!  Give this new twist on an old favorite a try!

NOTE: This recipe makes a TON! Good thing it turned out well because my mom and I were eating it for a week straight.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of red skinned potatoes, quartered and boiled until tender
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 bundle of celery, chopped
• 6 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
• 1 cup of pine nuts (or however much you like)
• 1 1/2 jars of pesto 
• mayo (add until it's at your desired consistency) 

          **POSSIBLE ADDITIONS: black olives, feta, sun-dried tomatoes

1.  Start a large pot of water to boil.  When boiling, add potatoes and cook until tender (about 30 minutes).
2. While potatoes are cooking, chop red pepper, onion, celery, and hard boiled eggs and put in a large serving bowl.  Add pine nuts. 
3. Drain potatoes. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl.
4. Add the jars of pesto.  Mix.  Add mayo a little at a time until the salad is at the desired consistency.