Erin's Easy Eats

Chicken Pita Salad

July 30th, 2008 by Erin

Again, with the olives.  I don’t know why I don’t like them, but this salad is supposed to have them and I did not put them in there.  If you like the slimy bastards, please, put them in and enjoy.  This salad is also supposed to have feta cheese, which I love but forgot to put in and so now it is sitting in my fridge and I don’t know what to do with it, exactly.  Anyway, this is easy, and fairly quick to throw together.  It also uses produce that I’m trying to make go away - I have *so many* cucumbers.  You could stretch this out with some lettuce, but I didn’t use any.

• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed with press
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, halved and seeded, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion (guess what?) thinly sliced
• 2 pitas
• 2 ribs celery, halved and sliced
• handful of mint and parsley (about 1/2 c. together)
• 2 chicken breasts
• a little bit of oregano (I used fresh because I have so much) and some steak seasoning

Thinly slice chicken into tenderloins (but not into chunks just yet.)  Sprinkle with steak seasoning, and oregano, and cook over medium high heat until cooked through (about 5 minutes per side.)  Set aside.

Split pitas and place into a dry, really hot nonstick pan.  (Please do not spray with cooking spray because it will turn black and make the pitas mushy.  Don’t ask how I know this.)  Cook about 2 minutes on each side, until crisp.  Rip into bite sized pieces.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in the bottom of a large bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Add veggies, herbs, pita pieces, and toss.  Cut cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.  Toss again.  Adjust salt/pepper, add more oil if you think it needs it.  Tada!

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Spicy BBQ Chicken and More Quinoa!

July 20th, 2008 by Erin

I’m riding this supergrain business all the way to the end, my friends.  I came across a corn and crab quinoa salad the other day, but I’m much too poor to put crab into salad (if I’m going to eat it, I’m going to have my husband make me crabcakes, thanks) so did this instead.  The BBQ sauce is pretty standard fare dressed up with some chipolte peppers I had hanging around in my freezer to make it go with the Mexican idea a little more.

Wow, my plates look really blue.

BBQ sauce:

• 1 c. ketchup
• 4 Tbs cider vinegar
• onion and garlic powder to taste (you could use fresh too, but I’m lazy when it’s hot in the kitchen)
• 4 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped in the food processor
• pepper (you’ll have enough salt from the soy sauce)
• 3 Tbs dark brown sugar

Combine all ingredients, and let sit a few hours to let the flavors mingle.  Adjust as necessary - I certainly didn’t measure so everything was done to taste.

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

• 1 c. quinoa, cooked
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. corn (frozen, canned, or fresh)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped finely
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• a little olive oil to make it all stick
• juice of one lime (or a healthy squeeze on your squeezy lime from the fridge)
• 2 tsp cumin

Mix all that together and let it sit in the fridge while you cook your chicken on the grill.  Tada!

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Chicken and Pesto Pasta Salad

June 19th, 2008 by Erin

I’ve finally succeeded in growing basil in my backyard. I have never been able to grow basil, but the vegetables are loving the summer weather, even if I’m not.  I made this before “Great Tomato Scare 2008″ but would easily be able to make it again soon with the amount of cherry tomatoes that are appearing in our garden too.  Use whatever veggies you like.

• 3/4 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked to package directions
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• Basil Walnut Pesto (recipe below)
• Veggies of your choosing - I used mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes
• 1/3 c. mayo
• 3-4 Tbs milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Basil Walnut Pesto

• 2 c. packed basil leaves
• 1/2 c. walnuts
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt

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Provencal Style Tomato Omelette

June 10th, 2008 by Erin

I was pondering the other day what I ate in France on sweltering summer evenings, and I remembered fondly a great meal that was salad and a mushroom omelet. This is the first time I’ve tried this recipe, and it will definitely be a keeper. The next time, I might try it with some crab, and/or avocado. Serving this with the remainder of our sourdough bread and a greens salad dressed with raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Haha Chinese food menu in bottom right corner.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs torn basil leaves
• 5 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or if you are lazy used diced tomatoes from a can, ha)
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil and cook garlic and herbs over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook further for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time until all liquid is evaporated and the tomatoes are the consistency of jam. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs in a bowl and add tomato jam. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining olive oil and when very hot, pour in egg mixture. Cook over gentle heat until the bottom is golden, shaking the pan from time to time to prevent sticking. When it is mostly set, place under a broiler for about 30 seconds to set the top, then do a tricky bit of flipping: slide the omelet into the lid of your frying pan, so that it is facing the same way it was in the pan. Then, put your frying pan over the lid (so your frying pan is facing down) and flip the omelet back into the pan so that the uncooked (but set) side is now on the bottom. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Raspberry Viniagrette

• 1 tsp. country Dijon
• 3 Tbs seedless raspberry jam
• 3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs vegetable oil
• salt and pepper

Whisk ingredients together, adjust anything to taste (I sometimes find I need extra jam if it’s not quite sweet enough.) Don’t be afraid of the salt and pepper here!

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Orange and Herb Chicken Caesar Salad

June 9th, 2008 by Erin

In another attempt to keep the kitchen and our tummies cool, we’re going to be trying some pasta salads and actual salads this week… This was a lot of work, and certainly did nothing to cool down the kitchen, but it was really really tasty!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 2 Tbs olive oil, 3 Tbs olive oil, and 1/4 c. olive oil, divided
• 4 finely chopped cloves garlic
• 3 cups cubed sourdough bread
• 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 orange, zested and juiced (separated)
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Romaine lettuce

Combine 1 Tbs of the thyme, rosemary, salt, and 2 Tbs olive oil. Add chicken breasts, toss to combine. Grill or cook in a pan for 3-4 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.

Drizzle 3 Tbs olive oil over cubed bread, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and remaining thyme. Toss to combine. Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Add remaining olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes to a small pan over very low heat. Stir until anchovies melt, remove from heat, and let cool. In the bottom of a big bowl, combine orange zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add oil with garlic and anchovies, whisk to combine again.

Slice chicken into thin strips. Place lettuce in bottom of large bowl. Add croutons, chicken, and remaining cheese. Toss to coat.

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