Blue Cheese Chicken Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whenever I cook chicken, I make a little extra and use the leftovers for a dinner salad such as this one. It makes for one easy dinner night throughout the week. This particular salad is an easy to make favorite of mine as I LOVE anything with blue cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. If you're not a fan of blue cheese, substitute feta, goat cheese or your favorite type of cheese.

Ingredients:

2 hearts of romaine, torn into small pieces or 10 oz salad mix
6 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken, look for organic free-range if possible
1 cup kalamata or black olives, chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Red wine vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Place romaine in a large bowl and top with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, olives, sea salt and pepper. Divide among individual serving bowls and top with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch stevia or 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients except olive oil in a small bowl. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

Thai Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is bursting with peanut flavor and a bit of spice. It's cool and refreshing during the hot months of summer and can stand up great as a one dish meal making for an easy dinner.

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
1/4 soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 chili paste
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or other light oil
3 cups roasted chicken, shredded (preferably pastured organic)
3 cups Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup red or orange bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, seeds removed and thinly sliced
1/3 cup roasted peanuts or sesame seeds

Directions:
Puree first 7 ingredients in blender. While machine is running, slowly add oil and blend until dressing is smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, carrot, pepper, onion, and cucumbers. Top with peanuts and dressing. Serve immediately

Apple Walnut Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon sage powder
4 Gala apples, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
3/4 cup walnut halves
1 to 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 pound fontina cheese, cut into 4 slices

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage, apples, and walnuts and cook until the apples are soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the bread crumbs, a little at a time, until the bread crumbs are moistened, but not dry. Remove from the heat.

Pound chicken breasts with a mallet until thin. Place filling in the center of the chicken and roll up. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet. Place any extra filling over the stuffed chicken breasts. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until outside begins to color. Bake under fully cooked and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Place 1 slice of Cheese on top of each chop. Return to the oven and cook just until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Asian Chicken with Cashews

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Serves 4.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
Ground pepper
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 bunch scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspon ginger powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup roasted cashews

Directions:
Heat large skillet on med-high heat and add oil. Cook chicken until browned. Remove and keep warm. Add peppers to skillet and cook 3 minutes. Add scallions and garlic to skillet, cook an additional 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together soy sauce, lime juice, ginger powder and cornstarch; season with pepper. Add chicken back to pan. Add sauce to pan and stir. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Scatter with cashews and serve immediately.