Cool Chicken Summer Wraps

I will be honest, I am not a fan of pre-cooked/frozen food. But I saw the challenge from Tyson to create a meal with their new ready to eat grilled chicken and I thought it would be a good challenge to try to create a good tasting meal using it. My family had no idea they were eating pre-cooked chicken, and it saved me cooking, cooling and chopping my own chicken.

This recipe is flavorful and refreshing and a quick and satisfying meal for your family.

If you don't want to use precooked chicken go ahead and cook your own, but for me.. experiment tyson chicken strips was a success.

Ingredients

3-4 cups Tyson Grilled and ready chicken breast strips
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped sundried tomatoes
3 stalks celery chopped
2 Lemons/juiced
Olive Oil to your preference
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Fresh tortillas

Directions

Heat Chicken strips and chop to small pieces.
Mix cilantro, tomatoes, celery, chicken  ingredients together in a large bowl.  Drizzle on olive oil and juice to desired moistness and sprinkle through seasonings.
Chill in fridge until you are ready to serve. Keeps well for up to a week. 
When ready to serve,warm fresh tortillas and let people just wrap up their own.
Quick, easy, tasty and crunchy this is a great cooling summer meal or snack!

Stuffed Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Thai Cucumber Relish Salad

Here is the recipe Featured in the Alive Utah Appetizer Recipes.  I have previously posted the Stuffed Shrimp and Relish recipes sepereately, but here they are together in "salad form" for your convenience. Serve these to your guests hot and crispy and while they eat you can whip up your stir fry or curry.! A great way to start your thai meal.!

Ingredients:
20 Large green king prawns (get the largest uncooked shrimp you can find if you aren't near fresh seafood) deviened and butterflied (butterflied is to slit down the back without cutting the shrimp in half.. thats why the bigger they are the more room you have to stuff.)

125 grams (.27 lb) chicken breast, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp coriander (cilantro) stems finely chopped

half teaspoon white pepper

2 slices finely chopped ginger

1 tsp fish sauce

2 tbsp coconut cream

Batter Ingredients:

2 tsp sambel olek

1 tbsp very finely chopped lemon grass, tender part only (If you can't get your hands on lemon grass substitute for half teaspoon lemon zest)

1 cup plain flour

1 cup corn flour

soda water (Enough to make a batter the consistency of pouring cream)

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Cucumber Relish Recipe to Follow.

1. If you have a mortar use it .. if not grind up and pound as best you can the garlic, peppercorns, coriander root and ginger into a paste.

2. Place finely chopped chicken into food processor with coconut cream and process to a paste. Add garlic coriander paste and fish sauce.

3. Place in fridge to chill for 2 hours


4. Fill the prawns down their butterflied backs with chicken mixture.


To Cook


1. Combine flours, lemon grass, sambel olek in bowl, add enough soda water to make thin batter.


 2. Carefully roll prawns in some plain flour, dip into batter, then roll in coconut.(put only half of your coconut in a bowl at a time otherwise it will get goopy and gross quickly)


3. Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in wok (or use deep fryer), deep fry prawns in batches of six until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Cut open to one to make sure they are cooked all the way through. The chicken stuffing and shrimp should be a solid white colour.

Plate immediately and serve while shrimp is hot. On each serving dress your lettuce with cucumber relish making sure each serving has good amounts of the cool cucumber and peanuts.
Place shrimp on top. It is a good idea to serve the relish in a bowl on the side as well so your guests can add more to their taste.

Sweet Thai Cucumber Relish

Ingredients:1 cup coconut vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 cup white sugar
1 good splash of fish sauce
1 large cucumber
4 small red chilis, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 of roasted, unsalted peanuts crushed or finely chopped. (you will probably have to buy unsalted peanuts and roast and crush them yourself)
1/3 cup chopped coriander (cilantro), including stems
1/2 Tsp Salt
Directions:


Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally, cook for one minute at a gentle boil. Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.


While sauce is cooling. Peel and slice cucumber in half lengthways. get a small spoon and scoop out the seeds. Slice very thinly so that you get "moon shaped" cucumber slices.


Place the cucumber, chilis, peanuts and coriander in bowl. Pour over cooled dressing and toss gently.


Place in fridge and chill until use.

As prepared for the Alive Utah/Artful Edibles Tasting.

Pine Nut Cheese Crisps

These tasty crisps were the perfect addition to my salad. Either crumble them on top or let them sit elegantly on some crisp romaine. Super tasty, easy and they look like you are a magician in the kitchen.

Based on Food Network Magazine Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Parmesan Reggiano cheese grated
3 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
4 tbsp chopped pine nuts

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.  Place parchment paper on a cookie tray. Mix pine nuts and sage together.  Place 9 tablespoon-size mounds of cheese on cookie sheet.  sprinkle each mound with pinenut sage mixture. Bake at 425 until teh cheese is golden and the edges are slightly crisp. approx 8-10 minutes.  Allow them to cool slightly so you can touch them.  Remove each crisp with a thin spatula and carefully wrap them around a rolling pin handle to give them a curve shape. Allow them to cool completely.
Repeat until mixture is done.

El Torito Mexican Caesar Salad

This delicious Salad dressing is creamy, and packs a flavor! I made if for my dinner and so added some grilled chicken and drizzled extra dressing on top. It can also just be served by itself. If you like Roasted pumpkin seeds and cheese you will love this salad.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

***Cilantro Pepita Dressing:***
2 medium Jalapeno chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1/3 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces salad oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese (see note--I purchased this just at Walmart)
2 small bunches cilantro,stemmed
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup water

***Salad:***
4 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and spun dry
1/3 cup finely grated Cotija cheese
1/2 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
Optional - Roasted red bell pepper, peeled and cut into julienne strips

Directions:

Place all dressing ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in a a blender of food processor.
Blend approximately 10 seconds, then add cilantro little by little until blended smooth. Depending on size of blender, it may be necessary to do in batches.
Place mayonnaise and water in a large stainless steel bowl, and mix with a wire whip until smooth. Add the blended ingredients to the mayonnaise mixture, and mix thoroughly. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Will keep for three days. Yields 1 quart.

To assemble salad: Cut corn tortillas into matchstick-size strips. Heat oil in sauté pan; fry tortilla strips until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
Set aside.
Tear romaine into bite-size pieces. Place greens on salad plates and ladle approximately 2 ounces of cilantro pepita dressing on each salad.
Sprinkle each dish with Cotija cheese and tortilla strips.
OptionalArrange four red pepper strips like spokes on the top of each salad, and garnish with whole pepitas.

***Note: Cotija cheese is a hard cheese, similar to Parmesan. It is available at some grocery stores and most Mexican markets.

Potato Salad

Based on a recipe by Edith Parr,it is for the most part the same with a couple of changes in quantities and the addition of Bacon. The perfect addition to a summer BBQ!!!!

Ingredients:

6 lg potatoes skinned and chopped into bite size cubes
2-1/2 C. mayonnaise

1/3 cup VERY VERY finely chopped white onion

1/2 tsp chopped celery seed

4 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. white vinegar

3 tsp. mustard

6 hard boiled eggs-chopped

2 hard boiled eggs-sliced for on topping

1/2 cup chopped bacon (Cooked)

Directions

1. Boil potatoes until soft/firm .. be careful not to over cook them. Drain and put in large bowl and set aside in fridge to cool.

2. Mix remaining ingredients (except sliced eggs and a some of the bacon for topping) in serving bowl and refrigerate until potatoes are cool.

3. Add potatoes to mayonnaise mixture and mix carefully so as to not crush the potatoes and eggs.

4. Lay sliced eggs on top of potato salad and sprinkle with bacon. Refridgerate overnight for best flavor or at least 3 hours before serving.

Cowboy Caviar

Courtesy Libby Parr
A modern twist on regular salsa. Corn, beans, and avocado make a great colourful and tasty addition to tortilla chips or if you are like me .. pile this up on some grilled chicken and lettuce and you have your own highly addictive southwestern chicken salad.

Ingredients:
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drain and rinse well)
1 can black eyed peas (drain and rinse well)
2 jalapenos (if you want a spicey caviar leave in seeds.. if not scrape out seeds,devein& chop finely)
1/2 white onion (finely chopped)
1/2 bunch cilantro (Medium/finely chopped)
1/2 bunch green onions (medium chopped)
6 Roma tomatoes-chopped
2 avocados-chopped
Italian seasoning pkg-made according to directions
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1. place cubed avocado in a bowl and pour lemon juice on it.. just mix enough to make sure some of the lemon juice has gotten on all the avocado without mushing it. This will help preserve the colour and help your salsa last longer.
Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Keep sealed in an air tight container in the fridge to help preserve the avocados