Grilled Peach & Chicken Salad

There is still time to break out that BBQ and grill this season.  And hopefully you can still find some garden fresh ripe peaches to add to this simple salad.

This recipe came about because my 10 year old was obsessed with grilling peaches.  He would not rest while peaches remained in the house and he had not gotten to taste their "luscious goodness" hot off the grill.  So, I figured what can go with grilled peaches?  Chinese BBQ chicken of course.  Place them both on a bed of greens, toss in some cucumbers from a neighbor's garden.  Voila, Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad was born.


Grilled Peach & Chicken Salad
3 ripe peaches, halved
2 chicken breasts
1 cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup Chinese Barbeque Sauce
4 cups mixed greens for salad

Heat grill to medium.  Place peaches cut side down on the grill.  Cook 6 minutes.  Flip and cook until seared.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook chicken on the grill for 12-15 minutes turning once or until the internal temperature reaches 165.  Turn heat to high.  Brush Chinese Barbeque Sauce on the chicken.  Cook one minute more on each side, brushing more barbeque sauce on with each turn.

Slice chicken and peaches into bite sized pieces.  Toss chicken and peaches with the lettuce and cucumbers.  Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese Barbeque Sauce over the top as a dressing.

Happy Eating!

Spring Salad Surprise

Why the surprise?  This is my favorite salad of all time and I haven't posted it yet!?!  How could I do this to you?  My kids BEG for this salad.  I love the dressing on any fruity salad.  I have cut the sugar down some from the original recipe-- Feel free to cut the sugar down some more if you like.  Here you go...

photo credit: Plat via photopin cc

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/4 red onion, wedged
12 oz spinach
 Toss together.  Dress with a Lemon Poppy Seed dressing just before serving.

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Whisk together until well combined.

Green "Waldorf" Salad

It's November.  Do you have your Thanksgiving menu planned yet?  My siblings and I have been chatting about traditional Thanksgiving recipes from our childhood.  So much good food and so much fun.  I thought I would share my favorite recipes (healthy or not) each Monday until Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll even do a pie crust tutorial... Happy Healthy (or not) Eating.

Green Waldorf Salad was a staple at holiday meals.  Mom made it healthy by adding copious amounts of lettuce.  Now I serve it with a simple sweet balsamic dressing (see below) or a creamy poppyseed dressing

Green Waldorf Salad
1-2 heads of romaine, torn
1 cup red grapes, halved
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 apples (I love gala and fugi), cored and chopped
1/2 cup toasted nuts (mom used walnuts- I use pecans or almonds), chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Prepare the ingredients (rinse, dry, chop, toast).  Combine in a large bowl.  Dress just before serving.

Green "Waldorf" Salad

Sweet Balsamic Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinager
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Whisk together and serve over your favorite salad.  Refrigerate extras.

Harvest Chicken Wrap

27 Days to a Healthy Body Image: Day 24

Picture this:  I was a senior in college taking a sophomore writing class (in my last semester).  I was assigned a humanities writing class even though I had been taking critical political philosophy and French philosophy classes.  I was bored out of my mind writing journal assignments about correct grammar and 3 page response papers about specific poems. Finally the professor gave us an assignment worth doing-- a two page paper on "My Art."  Painting, photography, film whatever art was to you.  My paper?  The Art of Deconstruction (yes, I had attitude problems).  Deconstructing arguments into their peices, deconstructing ideas.  Part of the assignment was to read the paper aloud for the class.  I was preceded by the art of candid photography and followed by the art of poetry appreciation.  Yeah, I was a little intense.

At the time, I had no idea how accurate that paper was about ME. What are my favorite pasttimes now?  Deconstructing exercises to find the most effective and effecient workouts.  And deconstructing my favorite meals at restaraunts and making divine cuisine at home.  Deconstructing... who knew?

Today's recipe is a deconstruction of a recipe I tasted at Moore's Cafe in rural Perry, Utah.  The mix of colors and flavors in this wrap makes me want to savor each healthy bite.  YUMM!

The original meal called for Gorgonzola cheese (a mild form of blue cheese), candied pecans, and spinach tortillas.  I cut down on the calories by toasting nuts instead of candying them and by making a low calorie Poppyseed Dressing.  Feel free to substitute toasted pecans for the almonds or feta for the Gorgonzola if that is more to your liking.  Need a gluten free option?  This makes a GREAT salad!

Harvest chicken salad

Harvest Chicken Wrap
1 boneless skinless chicken breast half, cooked
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about 1 head)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 Tablespoon finely sliced red onion
2 Tablespoons Creamy Poppyseed Dressing (recipe follows)
4 large tortillas

Cook the chicken.  (I sliced my chicken into strips and broiled them for 7 minutes.)  Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces-- I like them on the small side-- about the size of my pinky nail.

Harvest Chicken Wrap

In a medium sized bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.  Toss with the dressing.  Spoon onto the tortillas.  Fold together and enjoy.

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tablsepoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Serve over your favorite salads.