Low-Fat Blackened Chicken Salad
Blackened Chicken Salad quickly became
a favorite, encouraging this popular full-service chain to
create a low-fat version of the delish dish. While most of
the fat in the original comes from the tasty honey mustard
dressing, this version creates a dressing that tastes just
as good, yet has not a single gram of fat. Combine that with
fresh lettuce, shredded carrot, a little egg white, non-fat
shredded cheese, and a delicious Cajun spice blend which
generously coats chicken seared in light butter then grilled,
and you have a majorly munchable salad which is incredibly
easy on the waistline. Who says you need gobs of fat to create
a tasty meal?
Dressing
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Chicken Marinade
1 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
Cajun Spice Blend
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons light butter
Salad
8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1 hardboiled egg white, diced
1. Make dressing by combining ingredients in a small bowl.
Mix well by hand. Store in a covered container in the
refrigerator until salad is ready.
2. Combine water, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire
in a medium bowl, and stir. Add the chicken breasts to the
marinade, cover bowl and keep in refrigerator for several hours.
Overnight is even better.
3. When chicken is marinated, preheat a frying pan or skillet
(an iron skillet, if you’ve got it) over medium/high heat. Also,
preheat your barbecue grill to medium/high heat.
4. Combine the spices for the Cajun spice blend in a small bowl.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice blend over one side of each of
the chicken breasts. Cover the entire surface of the chicken
with spice.
5. Melt the butter in the hot pan, then sear the chicken breasts
for 2-3 minutes on the side with the spices. While first side
cooks, sprinkle another teaspoon of spice over the top of each
chicken breast, coating that side as you did the other. Flip the
chicken over, and sear for another 2-3 minutes. The surface of
the chicken will be coated with a charred, black layer of flavor.
This is exactly what you are shooting for.
6. Finish the chicken off on your barbecue grill. Grill each breast
on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they are done.
7. While chicken is cooking prepare the salads by splitting the
lettuce into two large bowls. Toss in the red cabbage and carrots.
Mix the cheeses together, then top the salad with the cheeses
and hardboiled egg. Sprinkle the diced tomato on each salad.
8. Slice the chicken breast, across each breast in 1/2-inch-thick
slices. Spread the chicken over the top of the salad and serve
immediately with dressing on the side. Serves 2 as an entree.
Oriental Chicken Salad
The recipe makes one dinner-size salad
and can be easily doubled or quadrupled for
additional servings.
Oriental Dressing
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salad
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
2-4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup Napa cabbage
1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/3 cup chow mein noodles
1. Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.
You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.
2. Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small
bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator
to chill while you prepare the salad.
3. In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.
4. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt
and pepper.
5. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips. Dip each strip
of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture,
coating each piece completely.
6. Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has
darkened to brown.
7. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped
red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.
8. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.
9. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
10. Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks. Place the
chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve
with salad dressing on the side.
Makes 1 dinner-size salad.
Tupelo Style Chicken
4 to 6 cups vegetable oil
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons honey
pinch paprika
Apricot Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup corn flake crumbs
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
dash garlic
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 pound chicken breast fillets
1. Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Make the honey mustard dipping sauce by combining the
ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Make the
apricot dipping sauce by combing those ingredients in a medium
bowl. Cover and refrigerate this sauce as well, until your chicken
is ready.
3. Prepare the breading by combining the corn flake crumbs, crushed
red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, paprika, onion
powder, and garlic in a medium bowl.
4. Beat the egg in a medium bowl, add the 1 cup of milk and stir.
5. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.
6. Slice each chicken breast lengthwise into strips approximately
1/2-inch wide.
7. When the oil is hot, bread your chicken by first coating each
strip with flour. Dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture and
then back into the flour. Dip each chicken strip back in the egg/milk
mixture and then in the corn flake crumb mixture. Be sure to coat
each chicken piece thoroughly with the corn flake crumbs.
8. Fry 6 to 8 coated chicken strips at a time in the oil for 4 to 5
minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Drain and serve
chicken with the dipping sauces on the side.
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Baked French Onion Soup
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium white onions, sliced
8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)
1 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 plain hamburger buns
10 slices provolone cheese
10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese
1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start
to become translucent. You don't want them to brown.
2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread -- 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.
4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded Parmesan cheese over the provolone.
5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded Parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.
Makes 10 servings.
Barley Soup
Got one of those cool hand blenders? You know, the kind of gadget that used to be pitched on those annoying yet compelling late-night infomercials? It comes in handy for this recipe, which requires the split peas to be smashed into a smooth consistency, just like the original. If you don't have a hand mixer, a standard blender works just fine. This soup is very tasty and very low in fat. And the barley gives it a special chunky consistency and added flavor that isn't found in most pea soups.
2 cups split peas
6 cups water
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth (4 cups)
1/3 cup minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
dash dried thyme
1/2 cup barley
6 cups water
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 stalk celery, diced (1/4 cup)
Garnish
chopped green onion
1. Rinse and drain the split peas, then add them to a large pot with 6 cups of water, chicken broth, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until
the peas are soft.
2. While the peas are cooking, combine the barley with 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the barley is soft and most of the water has been absorbed.
3. When the split pea mixture has become a thick soup, use a hand held blender to puree the peas until the mixture is smooth. You may also use a standard blender or food processor for this step, pureeing the soup in batches. Alternately, if you like, you may skip this step, keeping the soup rather chunky. It's still good this way, just not as smooth as the real thing.
4. Drain the barley mixture in a sieve or colander and add it to the split pea mixture. Add the carrots and celery and continue to simmer the soup for 15 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover the soup, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish each serving with a little chopped green onion.
Makes 8 servings.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb. of chicken breast fillets (approx. 3 fillets)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 ounces Velveeta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Garnish
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled corn tortilla chips
pico de gallo
1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to pot and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent. Add chicken broth.
3. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth.
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
5. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
6. Serve soup in cups or bowls, and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, and pico de gallo.
Makes approx. 12 servings.
Magic Mustard Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame seeds - crushed & toasted
3 tbsp Dry mustard
2 tbsp Hot water
3/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 Garlic clove - crushed
3 tbsp Heavy cream - whipped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sesame seeds in flat pan in oven to toast. (about 10 - 15 minutes) Mix mustard and water in a small mixing bowl until it forms a paste. Place in blender with sesame seeds, soy sauce and garlic. Blend at high speed for about 1 minute. Remove and stir in whipped cream.
Ginger Salad Dressing
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well-pureed.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Thousand Island Dressing
Use this one on salads or on burgers as a homemade "special sauce." It's easy, it's tasty, it's cheap and it can be made low fat simply by using low-fat mayo. Dig it.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon finely minced white onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.
2. Place dressing in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally, so that the sugar dissolves and the flavors blend.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce
1/2 C. chopped onions
1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes sauce
1 C. water (OPTION: Beer)
1 1/4 C. ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
1 T. olive oil
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Combine ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. I cooked this for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce reduced itself and tasted good. If you taste the sauce before simmering, it will not taste as good as when the flavors have melded, but after cooking it is great.
Just like the 'real' sauce on barbecued pork steaks. For the original, do not use beer.
Bananaberry Freeze
Ah, if only kitchen cloning was an exact science. While working on this one I saw the same bartender make the drink two different ways on two different days. Only after a firm grilling did I get her admitting to her personal "improvement" to the chain's secret recipe. The official clone includes the ingredients found below. But if you want to add a little pineapple juice -- as some independent thinking bartenders are apt to do -- you might discover you have indeed created a tastier version of this refreshing smoothie. On that day the cloning gods shall be looking
the other way. But, for heaven's sake, be sure your banana is soft and ripe. This is a detail the gods won't ignore.
1 10-ounce box frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed
1/3 cup pina colada mix
2 cups ice
2 ripe bananas
Garnish
whipped cream
2 fresh strawberries
1. Use a blender to puree the entire contents of the thawed box of frozen strawberries.
2. Add 1/3 cup pina colada mix and 2 cups of ice to the blender.
3. Cut the end off end banana -- set these pieces aside to use later as a garnish -- then put the bananas into the blender.
4. Blend on high speed until the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth. Pour into two tall stemmed glasses, such as daiquiri glasses.
5. Slice each strawberry halfway up through the middle and add one to the rim of each glass.
6. Cut each banana slice halfway through the middle and add one to the rim of each glass next to the strawberry. Top with whipped cream and serve with a straw.
Makes 2 servings.
Tiramisu Dessert
1 sponge cake (10-12") - about 3" tall
3 oz strong black coffee
3 oz brandy or rum
1½ lbs mascarpone - room temp
1½ cups superfine/powdered sugar
unsweetened cocoa powder
Cut across middle of sponge cake forming two layers,
each about 1½" high. Blend coffee and brandy.
Sprinkle enough of mixture over bottom half of cake to
flavor it strongly. Don't moisten cake too much or it
may collapse on serving. Beat room-temperature cheese and
1 cup sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and cheese
is light and spreadable. test for sweetness during beating,
adding more sugar if needed. Spread cut surface of bottom
layer with half of the cheese mixture. Replace second layer
and top this with remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle top
liberally with sifted cocoa. Refrigerate cake for at least
2 hours before cutting and serving.
Boneless Buffalo Wings
This buffalo wing recipes, gives us the
zesty flavor of traditional Buffalo chicken wings
without the bones or skin. That's because these "wings"
are actually nuggets sliced from chicken breast fillets
that are breaded and fried, then smothered with the same
type of spicy wing sauce used on typical wings. If you
like Buffalo wings, you'll love this recipe. Serve these
babies up with some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing
on the side for dipping. Now you can actually eat Buffalo
wings with a buffalo wing soup recipes !
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 chicken breast fillets
4-6 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Crystal or Frank's Louisiana hot sauce
1 tablespoon margarine
On the side
bleu cheese dressing (for dipping)
celery sticks
1. Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 4-6 cups
of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
4. One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the
egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the
process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on
a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
6. When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the
hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each piece is browned.
7. As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a
small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the
margarine is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a
small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and
margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine
is melted and ingredients are blended.
8. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate
lined with a couple paper towels.
9. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a
large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the
container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken
is coated with sauce. Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve
the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side.
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer.
Yogurt Parfait
This one's super easy to make, plus it's low fat and delicious. The yogurt in the original is very sweet and creamy, like Yoplait. So that's the brand that you should use, although any brand ofvanilla yogurt will work fine. If you use Yoplait, you'll need two 6-ounce containers of the stuff per serving. For the granola, just look for one that contains mostly oats. It should be crunchy and sweet (such as "maple" flavor) and can also include puffed rice bits. You can even make these a day or two ahead of time. Keep them covered in the fridge, and hold off on the granola topping until you serve 'em up or it'll get mighty soggy.
4 cups vanilla-flavored low-fat yogurt (or 8 6-ounce containers
of Yoplait)
2 10-ounce boxes sliced strawberries with sugar added, thawed
1/3 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup crunchy, sweet granola
1. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt into a parfait cup or tall glass.
2. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries into the glass on top of the yogurt.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of blueberries to the glass.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt over the fruit.
5. Sprinkle granola over the top and serve. Repeat for remaining
3 servings.
Fat-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 tablespoon Molasses
3 Raw egg whites
1 cup Dark raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup Light brown sugar -- packed
1 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Non-fat dry milk powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
2 1/2 cups Quaker brand quick-cooking -- rolled oats
1 cup All-purpose flour
Put molasses, egg whites and raisins into blender and blend on high speed
just to mince but not to puree (about 5-10 seconds). Empty mixture into
medium mixing bowl. With mixer beat in on medium speed each of the
remaining ingredients, beating well after each addition, adding both the
oats and flour in small portions. Switch to mixing spoon if dough becomes
too stiff for mixer. Lightly spray cookie sheet with Pam and wipe off
excess lightly with paper towel; any excess of the cookie sheet may burn
while cookies are baking. You need only a very light film of the Pam just
to keep cookies from sticking. Use 1 measuring teaspoonful of dough for
each cookie and place 2" apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake in preheated
350~ oven 6-8 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on paper towels, removing
from cookie sheets carefully.
Ranch Salad Dressing
This always-popular growing restaurant chain makes a tasty version of creamy ranch dressing for its house and Queensland chicken salad recipe. To get the same unique flavor and creaminess of the original at home, mates, you'll need just one teaspoon of Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing mix swimming in there with the mayo and buttermilk and other spices. Since there's three teaspoons of dressing mix per packet, you'll be able to stretch one envelope three times as far, by crackey!
1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix (buttermilk recipe)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder =
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Cover bowl and chill dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
[ Ranch Salad Dressing ]
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
It's the chunkiest dang chicken soup you'll ever slurp down and
it comes from the first worldwide theme eatery and hip hangout.
Crank up the rock 'n roll and throw all this good stuff into a
pot and enjoy this final secret recipe in our series of
mouth-watering soup clones. Bah-bye winter!
1 pound chicken breast fillets
1 pound chicken thigh fillets
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup sliced carrot
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
2 cups egg noodles
Garnish
minced fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rub a little vegetable oil over the surface of each piece of
chicken and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven when it's done and set it aside
to cool.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium
heat. Sauté the onion and celery in the saucepan for just 4 to 5
minutes. You don't want to brown the veggies.
4. Dice the chicken and add it to the pot along with the remaining
ingredients, except the noodles.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30
minutes or until the carrots are soft.
6. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, or
until the noodles are tender. Serve with a pinch of minced fresh
parsley sprinkled on top.
Makes 6 servings.
