Day 20

Salad-a-Day #20

Chinese Chicken Salad

Tuesdays are my "free" days to eat something I am trying not to eat during the week.  I allow myself one special treat (today was ice cream), and something a little more fattening for dinner, without beating myself up over it.  Tomorrow it is back to watching the diet!!

I got some good old Ben & Jerry's ice cream today.  It was sooooo good.  I actually only ate about 1/2 cup.  So I will enjoy it another Tuesday, too :)

Ben & Jerry - Strawberry Cheesecake - delicious!!

 

One of my treats today was meeting my good friend Jamie and her little boy at this cute new Bistro in Old Town Spring (in the North Houston area) for lunch.  I had a delicious grilled chicken sandwich.  Good company and a great lunch!!  Highly recommend this cute place on Main Street in Old Town Spring.

 

Chinese Chicken Salad

 I was in the mood for a chicken salad today - something different... Something not too heavy.  I searched through lots and lots of Southern Living Annual Recipes and looked on Pinterest - this is a combination of several recipes.  I think it turned out great!!  And, it wasn't too heavy.

Eat the rainbow!!

I think this is a pretty salad.

I love that the carrots and onions come from my garden :)

The wonton strips really give the salad a little extra flavor and texture.

I ate it quickly after this last picture!!  My husband really liked it, too :)

 

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked in:

4 cups water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)

Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes - or until chicken breast is cooked through.  You just don't want to overcook it, or it gets tough and stringy.  Take out chicken breast and discard cooking liquid and ginger.

1 head of Napa cabbage sliced into thin strips

1 carrot, cut into match sticks

1 cup snow peas cut on the diagonal

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted (in a small dry pan on very low burner, on stovetop, for about 5 minutes stirring almost all the time)

Dressing:

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (I didn't have this, so I used white wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

2 sliced green onions sliced on the diagonal

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings - wonton strips (found in salad section of grocery - near croutons)

Place Napa cabbage, carrot, snow peas, almonds and sesame seeds in a large bowl.  Toss.

Dressing - mix all ingredients except the green onions, and whisk or mix well -  I put in a jar with a tight lid and shake like crazy.  Then add onions and shake again.

Pour over salad and toss to coat.  Add wonton strips and enjoy!

 

Hawaii Lemonade

 My husband and I had the good fortune to go to Maui, Hawaii last January.  We stayed at a fabulous resort in Wailea - the Grand Wailea.  It was such a fun time... I would love to go there again.  But, that was probably the trip of a life time!!  We loved walking and enjoying the lovely weather.  I was having serious leg swelling issues during this time, and we walked to "help" my leg get better even though it was terribly painful to walk.  I actually had Deep Vein Thrombosis, but didn't know it.  So just flying there was very dangerous and walking wasn't so good either.  But, it wasn't my time to go, and we found out my true diagnosis a couple of months later and I got the care and medicine to help dissolve those clots :)

Down the beach, from the Grand Wailea, was the Fairmont Hotel, and the Four Seasons Hotel.  Those hotels were even better than ours!!  So beautiful!  We loved walking down the beach and looking aound the hotel lobbys at the art and shopping in the resort shops - unbelievable!!  Not sure we were supposed to partake, since we didn't stay at the Four Seasons...  But they had FABULOUS complimentary lemonade in their lobby :)  It was Ginger-Mint Lemonade.  Al and I made the trek down the beach daily to give it a taste :)

I have tried to make my own version of this delicious drink.  I think I have finally come close to recreating it!!  Make it; I promise, your taste-buds will thank you.  Close your eyes and pretend you are in Maui, Hawaii at the Four Seasons - and pretend you have every right to be there drinking their complimentary lemonade :)

Ginger-Mint Lemonade

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

3 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into chunks

6 - 8 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves removed to make about 1/2 cup

Mix all of these ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over low-heat until sugar melts.  Cool to room remperature.  After it sets a while to get all happy together, strain and discard mint and ginger.

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix, sugar syrup with lemon juice in a pitcher (glass if possible :).

Add ice and water until the desired level of sweetness.  I like mine on the sweet side.

Wicked delicious!!

 

I have managed to work on this post during most of the Dancing With The Stars so far tonight.  They haven't announced the winners yet, but I'm thinking it will be Meryl and Maks.  They are SO good.  But, I love all the stars this season.

I hope you are having a pleasant Tuesday.

Until tomorrow,

~ Joeby