Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

I made an Asian Chicken Salad the other day when the girls came over.  Asian Salad with Peanut dressing is one of my favorite salads. 

 I have been growing some salad veggies along with my flowers in little pots on my back patio/deck, and they have been making me mull over ideas for salads.  I went to the farmers market on Saturday and got the rest of the veggies I needed.

I washed and dried my vegetables, then prepared the dressing.

Then I was ready to chop and layer the salad.

Chopped Cabbage

Chopped greens

Chopped red onion and sweet red pepper

Snow peas

Chopped chicken breast (pre-cooked)

Sauteed mushrooms

Mandarin organges

Chopped Cilantro

Chopped peanuts

Add Peanut Dressing

Toss together with dressing until all is covered. Serve and Enjoy.

Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
3 cups chopped salad greens of choice
1/3 - 1/2  red pepper sliced thin (Julienned)
1/8 of a medium sized red onion sliced thin (Julienned)
1 handful of snow peas
2 chicken breasts, poached and sliced (I poached my in shallow liquid and added teriyaki).
5-6 mushrooms, lightly sautéed (I sautéed mine in peanut oil with a few drops of sesame oil added).
1 or 2 fresh Mandarin oranges divided into segments, or a lightly sliced orange with rind removed. Or 1 small can of Mandarin orange segments, drained.
2-3 sprigs fresh Cilantro chopped
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Peanut Dressing (see below)

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients by rinsing, drying and chopping vegetables. Poaching chicken breasts, and sautéing mushrooms
2. Layer Salad in order of listing
3. Drizzle with  dressing
4. Toss and Serve

Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:

2 cloves fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh onion

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons vinegar (rice vinegar, cider vinegar or wine vinegar are all good)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

3 Tablespoons coconut sugar, sucanat, honey or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend approximately one minute or until all is smooth.
3. Drizzle over salad.  
4. Enjoy!

 Enjoy~

Zucchini, Potato Fritters

These are really yummy, and even if your kids are a little picky and don't care for zucchini, they will love these if they enjoy potatoes; It is very like potato pancake... but better I think... If they are picky eaters, my philosophy has become "what they don't know won't hurt them", and so I don't give them the list of ingredients... just dish it up with a smile (it works some of the time).

Ingredients
3 cups hashbrowns  (from the freezer section works fine.. or make your own by cooking potatoes whole and then grating them)
3 cups grated raw zucchini
1/2 cup finely chopped or grated onion
2-3 cloves garlic crushed and minced
3/4 cup flour (either whole wheat or white unbleached flour works well).
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dill weed, parsley or a handful of fresh chopped basil or all of the above.
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
Oil for frying
Optional additions: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together hash browns, zucchini, onions and garlic.  Add eggs and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add flour and fresh herbs and mix well using hands. Add optional ingredients and mix thoroughly.

In a large frying pan, heat a few tablespoons natural shortening or oil; scrub surface with a spatula, once it is hot, to create a non-stick surface.  Once oil is hot, turn heat to low/medium.  Place a dollop of your mixture onto pan, one by one until pan is full.  Fry until brown, and then flip and brown the other side.  I don't like to fry it  too hot, because I want it to cook in the middle, and not just brown.... this accomplishes both.  Serve as a dinner side dish, or for breakfast with eggs.  Extra's can be frozen and re-warmed in oven.  Enjoy.