Chicken Salad with Herb Mayonaisse

This chicken salad takes on extra fresh flavor with roasted chicken breasts, a little lemon, and fresh chopped herbs. Serve this lively chicken salad in sandwiches or in lettuce cups for a delicious lunch or light supper.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 chicken breast halves, boneless, skin removed
salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dillweed or about 1/4 teaspoons dried dillweed
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or basil, or about 1/2 teaspoon dried
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Line a baking pan with nonstick foil. Heat oven to 400°.
 Arrange chicken on the baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the oven, let cool, and chop.
 Combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with the herbs and lemon juice. Mix with the chopped chicken and add more mayonnaise, as needed, to taste. Stir in salt and pepper, to taste.

 Serve in sandwiches or on lettuce with avocado slices or sliced tomatoes.
Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Burger with Tropical Fruit Salsa

There’s no need to give up burgers just because you’re on a heart-smart diet. These juicy chicken burgers, topped with a Caribbean-inspired tropical fruit salsa, are absolutely delicious. Complete the meal with oven-baked chips.

 

Ingredients:

1 small pineapple
 1 small mango, peeled and finely chopped
 1 small red onion, finely chopped
 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
 1 teaspoon canola oil
 500 g ground chicken
 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and shredded
 1⁄4 cup dry breadcrumbs
 4 thin slices reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
 4 hamburger buns or soft rolls, preferably whole wheat, split
 4 lettuce leaves

Peel, core, slice and chop the pineapple (you need 2 cups) and place in a bowl. Mix in the mango, onion, coriander, lemon juice and oil. Cover and set aside.
Mix the chicken, apple and breadcrumbs in another bowl until blended. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties about 1 cm thick. Place the chicken burgers on a plate, cover, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Preheat the broiler or barbecue. Cook the chicken burgers until browned and cooked through.
For each chicken burger, place a slice of cheese on the bottom of a hamburger bun, cover with lettuce, add a patty, top with about 1⁄2 cup tropical fruit salsa, and crown with the top of the bun.
 

Preparation time: 20 mins
 Cooking time 15 mins, plus 20 mins chilling
 Serves 4

Tip: To help patties keep their shape during cooking, mix and shape them from cold meat, then firm them up by chilling in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

 Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

Stir-Fried Honey Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Method:

In a small bowl, stir together honey, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat a large skillet or wok over high until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add chicken and stir until opaque but not cooked through, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, and garlic to skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add peppers and stir 2 minutes. Add soy mixture and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet and toss until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro.

Parmesan Chicken Sticks

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Bamboo skewers (6 to 10 inches long) or ice-cream sticks

Method:

Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into 4 or 5 large strips.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Don't crowd the pan. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve each strip on a skewer or stick.
 You can keep the chicken breasts warm for about 15 minutes on a sheet pan in a preheated 200 degree F oven.

Mustard Chicken Salad (Very Healthy & Tasty)

Ingredients

 2 whole (4 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
 Good olive oil
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 2 cups broccoli florets
 1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise
 2 tablespoons dry white wine
 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken in large bite-size pieces.

 Meanwhile, add the broccoli florets to a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for 1 minute, until crisp tender, drain, and place into a bowl of ice water until cool. This will stop the cooking and set the bright green color.

For the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, wine, mustards, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add enough sauce to the warm chicken to moisten well. Add the tarragon, broccoli, and tomatoes and mix gently to combine. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Mozzarella Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken (6)
2 eggs
3/4 c.bread crumbs
1/2 c. oil
2 c. tomato sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese

Method
Beat eggs slightly. Dip chicken into eggs, roll in bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil until golden; drain. Arrange chicken in shallow pan. In saucepan heat tomato sauce and garlic powder; bring to boil. Add butter, simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes longer (6 servings).

Sweet & Salty Chicken

This sweet and salty sauce with dried cherries and port is wonderful over succulent chicken thighs. It's also great with lean pork or chicken breast. Substitute cranberry juice for the port if you prefer. Serve with farro tossed with chopped pistachios and fresh herbs and steamed green beans

4 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minute

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup port, or cranberry juice cocktail, divided (see Ingredient Note)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dried cherries, or dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced pitted green olives
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation
Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place flour in a shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Measure out 4 teaspoons of the flour to a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup port (or cranberry juice cocktail) until smooth (discard the remaining flour).
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic to the pan; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour-port mixture, the remaining 1/2 cup port (or juice), broth, dried cherries (or dried cranberries), olives, vinegar, brown sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
Tips & Notes
Ingredient note: Port is a fortified wine that provides an immediate depth of flavor in cooking. Look for it at a liquor store or in the wine section of the supermarket.
Nutrition

Per serving: 368 calories; 15 g fat ( 3 g sat , 8 g mono ); 86 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 367 mg sodium; 235 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (24% daily value).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other), 3 lean meat, 1 fat

WHOLE MEAL CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

2 to 3 cups chicken breast, cooked
1 (15 oz.) can chunk pineapple, drained
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 c. sliced pitted ripe olives
1/2 c. chopped sweet green pepper
2 tbsp. grated onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 (5 oz.) can chow mein noodles
Chopped pecans, (optional)

Method:

Simmer (don't boil) boneless, skinless chicken breast in a little chicken broth or water for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and tender. Alternatively, leftover chicken may be put to good use in this dish.

In a large bowl combine chicken, pineapple, celery, oranges, olives, bell pepper, and onion. Blend mayonnaise and mustard. Toss gently with chicken. Cover and chill for several hours.

Just prior to serving, stir in chow mein noodles.

Arrange salad on a lettuce-lined salad plate.

Serve with crackers or crust bread.

This salad is a good candidate for serving in hollowed-out artisan bread rounds.