BBQ Chicken Salad

I tried to recreate the BBQ Chicken Salad from Zupas. And I have to say it came pretty close. I have just seen them make it. It is super easy and a great quick dinner for the summer.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Place chicken breasts on baking dish and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for about 30 to 40 minutes until cooked through. You can also poach the chicken but I find it loses lots of its flavor so I would poach it in a chicken stock and water combo.

After the chicken has rested for 10 minutes, chop up the chicken in bite size pieces.

Combine chopped sweet lettuces and iceburg lettuce in a bowl. Find your favorite ranch dressing and dilute it a bit with milk if it is a little "blobby". I don't like "blobby" ranch. And add enough dressing so that is lightly covers the lettuce. Then all you do is add a couple of tablespoons of each:

chopped tomatoes

canned black beans, drained

canned corn, drained, or even better, grilled, fresh corn

black olives, sliced

chopped chicken

And to make it BBQ, drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce over top of the salad, and add crunchy tortilla strips. So easy and yummy. Serve it with homemade cornbread (again, for the carb lover! I think I have my favorite cornbread recipe on the blog).

Grilled Greek Chicken and Tzatziki sauce

Sometimes in the summer I feel like something a little lighter for dinner. I love Greek food and tried out my own Greek spin on dinner. I added a a side of chopped lettuce, cucumbers, and feta cheese. Ooh, and don't forget a warm pita if you are a carb lover like me! I like Ezekiel Bread, it's a whole wheat pita and I get it from Whole Foods. It's a great alternative to bread if you are watching your carbs. But why would you want to do that ;)?

Grilled Greek Chicken

2 chicken breasts

about 3 tablespoons lemon juice

about 1/2 cup olive oil

about 1-2 tsp oregano

about 1-2 tsp paprika

about 1-2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Okay, so I did this without really measuring. That's just how I do lots of my marinades. So my measurements above are really estimates. But the good news is that you can't really mess it up. Mix up the the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Then taste it. See if you want to add anything more of the ingredients. I know this is frustrating to some, but really this is the best way to learn how to cook. BUT do taste the marinade BEFORE you put the chicken in it! Eeeek, you do not want to do that once the chicken is in the marinade. Once you feel the marinade is to your liking, then let the chicken marinade in it for about 6 hours.

I grilled the chicken breasts on my cast iron grill/skillet. Makes it taste so "rustic yummy" (if that is even a proper adjective). You can also do it on an outside grill.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 16 oz of sour cream (if you use greek yogurt you must drain it in cheese cloth)
• 1/2 cup cucumber - peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Baked French Toast Casserole

I had extra time and extra french bread one Friday evening and decided to throw this together so that we would have a yummy breakfast the next morning. It's really quite easy, do all the prep the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then all you need to do is pop it in the oven the next morning. Perhaps top it with fresh berries, no syrup needed. It is already sweet and moist.

A Paula Deen Recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter (Melissa did not use this much butter, just one stick)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Mushroom Tetrazzini

I love mushrooms! I don't know why, but I love them. So this is a great meat-free pasta that tastes hearty and satisfying - proved to me that I don't always need meat in my dinner menu to feel satisfied! Throw together a fresh green salad with it and voila!

MUSHROOM TETRAZZINI

adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or Marsala
• 1 cup cream
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• About a cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table
• 1 pound egg tagliatelle or fettuccine
• 1 cup frozen organic peas, defrosted
• Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.

Heat EVOO and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and thyme, and cook to tender, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper, and add shallots and garlic. Sauté another 4-5 minutes then deglaze the pan with sherry or Marsala. Stir in cream and bring to a bubble then reduce heat to low and simmer. Season with nutmeg. When pasta is just about done, turn off heat and stir in cheese, a couple of handfuls. Cover and reserve.

Cook pasta to al dente. Reserve 1 cup starchy cooking liquid, then drain pasta and return to hot pot with peas. Add 1/2 cup cooking liquid and mushroom sauce, and toss to combine, 1-2 minutes. Add more water as necessary to coat pasta evenly.

Serve in shallow bowls topped with parsley and pass more cheese at table.