Caramelized Onion BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 

We've had some crazy weather around here. A week or two ago there were icicles hanging from our swingset, which has never happened before. Today we have a forecast of 70 and lots of time spent in the backyard. This morning we've been busy making Girl Scout Thin Mint Mini Cheesecakes and that's probably all the time I'm going to spend in the kitchen. Fortunately I have a quick and easy plan for dinner- caramelized onion BBQ chicken sandwiches. When I was pregnant with Baby Strawberry I wanted caramelized onions ALL THE TIME. That and chocolate chip cookies, but those don't make a very good/healthy dinner. These sandwiches fill that need and are hearty enough for a cold day, in case that's what you're having right now. They're also quick and flexible, in case you're having such great weather that there's not time to make something fancy.

You can dress up or down these sandwiches as much as you like. Depending on the time, I use rotisserie chicken or chicken I've roasted myself. Buns from the deli, or homemade, if you're feeling ambitious. I slice up the onions and saute them over medium low heat while I prep the rest of my ingredients. It takes no time and tastes SO good. I know it's not really a fancy recipe, but more of a suggestion for a yummy dinner (that will leave you time to bake up something really great!)

I'll be back next with Thin Mint Mini Cheesecakes- the perfect treat to dress up those delicious cookies that those rotten, adorable girl scouts are bringing around trying to ruin everyone's new years resolutions (we're still thinking about those, right? Maybe?)

Caramelized Onion BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
from Anne Strawberry

2 cups shredded chicken
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices your favorite cheese (I prefer pepperjack)
1 cup of greens- spinach, romaine, etc, washed and dried
1/4 cup your favorite bbq sauce  (homemade recipe below if you're feeling ambitious)

Saute the onions over medium low heat with olive oil until browned and delicious. Stir frequently. Assemble sandwiches with bbq sauce, meat, greens, any other veggies, cheese, and onions. Enjoy!

Homemade Barbeque Sauce
from Anne Strawberry
1 C. Ketchup (spring for the Heinz... you know it's the best!)
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1 T. Chili Powder
1 t. Sriracha hot sauce
2 T. Dijon Mustard (use more if you like a really mustardy sauce... but it's strong!)
1 T. Tomato Paste (I like the kind in the tube you can store in the fridge)
1 T. Garlic Powder
Dash of Ginger
Dash of Cumin

Whisk all ingredients into a bowl and refridgerate. Serve with BBQ chicken. If desired, baste meat with sauce in the last few minutes of cooking so the sugar doesn't burn. Be sure to throw out the extra sauce after basting (or cook it up) so it's not contaminated from the raw chicken.

TWD- Cinnamon Ice Cream and a Giveaway

It's Tuesday again so that means another delicious treat tempting me in my kitchen! Dorie's vanilla ice cream was chosen by Lynn. Fortunately for everyone involved, all this takes is a minute on the stove and a quick spin in the ice cream maker to yield a delicious and adaptable treat.

I made this recipe last summer and over cooked the custard. This time, in fact, it only took about thirty seconds on the stove after tempering the eggs to get the mixture hot enough. I guess I'm learning after all. When I made this before I thought it needed to thicken up almost like pastry cream does, but mine was at the right temperature just after putting it back onto the stove- it was thick like egg nog (but much tastier!) I skipped past vanilla to the playing around options- choosing cinnamon because I tried it in Paris long ago and it was the best I've ever had. Honestly, I really didn't eat any bad food in Paris. The French are just good like that. But that cinnamon ice cream was exceptional.

Grab the recipe here or at Lynn's blog. And go make it. I'm hoping to try the mint chocolate chip recipe next and will post it when I do. Then I'm thinking of adding in my banana to a batch of vanilla. And maybe I'll make a peach variety, they are coming soon after all. I don't think you can go wrong with this great vanilla ice cream.

Now for the giveaway. MyBlogSpark has given me one gift pack for a reader. It features new Pillsbury Simply Cookies, a nice reusable shopping back, and a cute cookie jar (that I filled with "potty treats" for my little man who is almost all trained- yeah!). I bought the peanut butter cookies to try and made regular cookies (my husband's favorite) and some little cookie cups to eat the ice cream from. To make those, I just flattened out one cookie and placed it inside a greased muffin tin. I baked them at 350 (same as the cookies) for about 9 minutes and they popped right out. They are cute and would make a fun dessert, especially topped with some chocolate syrup and your favorite ice cream.

I love making cookies from scratch but I'll admit these are pretty fast and perfect for a quick dessert like this. With summer craziness it's nice to have quick desserts up your sleeve. I'm going to have a series of recipes up for quick dinners to go along with this theme because I know we aren't the only ones running around and thinking of dinner only when our stomachs start to rumble.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment with your favorite quick summer meal or tip (or your favorite ice cream, since it is ice cream week around here!) One entry per person- contest ends Sunday night at midnight Arizona time. I'll announce the winner next Tuesday. U.S. addresses only please. :) And please leave a way to contact you (if you don't have a blogger profile that links back to you- I'd hate not being able to get a hold of the winner!)

Ina's Chinese Chicken Salad

I just got back from a quick trip to Utah and while winter is in full force up there, today was almost ninety back home in Arizona! I do love it here and loved this week's Barefoot Blogger's recipe- perfect for a light spring or summer dinner. This recipe is also open to changes and substitutions- great for whatever veggies you have on hand. You could also sub rotisserie chicken for more convenience and speed, though I couldn't resist the $1.77 a pound skinless chicken breasts. I added peas, eliminated the salt from the dressing, and reduced the peanut butter. Then I served it over a bed of lettuce (or with bread for Mr. Carbohydrate aka My Tall Man). With a squeeze of lime on top, this salad was light and refreshing- perfect! I didn't even feel the need to reduce the butter in this Barefoot recipe, since there wasn't any! :)

Don't forget to stop by McKenzie's blog, this week's host, to see her take on the recipe, as well as what all the other Barefooters did.

Chinese Chicken Salad
adapted from Ina Garten
3 chicken breasts
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
3 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 cup of snow peas or snap peas
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/8 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, peas, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

"Makin' Banana Pancakes"

When my husband I were getting married, we had awful school schedules (yes, we got married mid semester, and mid college for that matter, like crazy people). I had an early "weeding out" science class at 6:40 followed by statistics. I was done for the day by nine and my then-fiance didn't have any classes until noon! In an effort to find precious time together, I would stop by his house after my class, typically bang on his window to wake him up, and then make him waffles for breakfast. We would eat and enjoy some time together before he headed off to class and I went to work. We continued our "Waffle Thursday" (not Wednesday, haha) which meant waffles, pancakes, or French toast, until I started working full time. Now, whenever we have one of these foods we enjoy "Waffle Thursday", even on different days of the week. My ringtone for my tall man also happens to be "Making Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson which reminds me of our tradition. So when I heard Ina's Banana Sour Cream Pancakes were this week's Barefoot Bloggers' choice, I sang Jack Johnson's wonderful song in my head and busted out my favorite pancake pan.

Not only are these fast, they feature staple ingredients that don't necessitate a trip to the store (unlike many of Ina's other recipes that I adore). The sour cream provides a nice tang, the lemon zest gives freshness, and the flavor and texture of the bananas is wonderful. I slipped in a little whole wheat flour and no one was the wiser. Topped with a little butter and syrup, these are great any time of day. Try my Grandma's quick (and cheap) syrup if you still get yours out of a plastic container shaped like a Grandma.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
adapted from Ina Garten

1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 large eggs (Ina, I love you, but I'm not going to buy extra large eggs just for you)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Maple syrup (recipe below)

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Irene's Maple Syrup
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Dark Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon Maple extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes and serve over pancakes. Store leftovers in a screw-top glass jar for a few weeks (reheat in the microwave or on the stove).

Barefoot Bloggers- Panzanella

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love Ina Garten. So I can't help but enjoy the Barefoot Bloggers Event. A few weeks ago I was googling something about her and stumbled on a nasty board where everyone was raving about how pretentious and insincere she is and I was hurt. LOL. I think she's wonderful and can't wait to watch every episode. Aside from her beautiful house, fine German automobiles, and cute relationship with her husband, she has the BEST recipes. I gathered the ingredients for this Italian salad last minute and didn't know how it was going to come together. I don't know why I was worried, though, because it was amazing. I think everyone that ate it agreed it was the best salad we've had in a long time. One of the great things about Panzanella is that it's kind of a "leftover salad", using day old bread, whatever tomatoes and veggies you have on hand and tossing with a simple vinaigrette. This is the kind of thing that is easy to through together and improvise, too. And for the sake of improvisation, I subconsciously forgot to add the cucumbers sitting happily in the fridge to mine. So go ahead and make it your own- it will still be tangy, sweet, crunchy, and delicious.

Coincidentally, a just saw Alton Brown's tomato episode so I incorporated a few tricks from his Panzanella recipe into Ina's. He sears half of the tomatoes for another texture, so I did that before adding the bread to the pan to crisp. I also sliced and baked my bread for a few minutes to replicate Alton's step of leaving it out overnight. Then, I added one head of romaine lettuce to the final product. I thought it came out just perfect and I LOVED Ina's dressing. I'm always looking for a good vinaigrette that pleases many different palates- not too sweet, not to sour, not too tangy, not to bland. This one was wonderful and while the recipe made more than I needed for the Panzanella, I was happy to put the leftovers in the fridge for our next salad. Thanks Melissa, for the awesome choice!


Panzanella
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties
Note: This salad makes a very large portion and is best served immediately after tossing. I would half it for 2 adults and serve with Rotisserie chicken for an easy summer meal.

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 3 cups of grape tomatoes)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 head of Romaine Lettuce, chopped

For the vinaigrette: (even with the lettuce, I only used about 2/3 of this, so pare down according to your tastes)
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, lettuce, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad

My husband and I have had the same problem since we've met. He likes Chinese and I like Italian. I know, that's a big problem (almost as big of problem as both being Virgos, which apparently is pretty serious and I was told we should have broken it off straight away because of that! Fortunately, we're five years strong despite our close birthdays!) Anyways, I can't get enough Italian and when he sees me boil a big pot of water he rolls his eyes and dreads the inevitable sound of the pasta shaking out of the box.

So last week, I decided that we would compromise- Chinese on Thursday and Italian on Friday. The flavors of this salad are wonderful- spicy, sweet, crunchy. I love how the dressing mixes with the sauce from the chicken to make such a delicious dressing. This salad comes together in a flash thanks to the store bought chicken. I know, half of the people who read this blog roll their eyes at the chicken from the freezer case, and the other half says, "Finally something simple I will make!" I don't normally reach for premade foods but I don't have a deep fryer and the whole idea is to have the Pei Wei salad in less time than it takes to go to Pei Wei! So, stop by the freezer case next time you are at Costco and pick up some Orange Chicken. When your Chinese-Loving Husband comes home STARVING from work, you'll be glad you did (even if it's not Italian)! Add if he's really starving, cook up some brown rice to go on the side. Yum.

Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad
adapted from Pimp my Dinner

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce, washed and sliced
1 Tomato, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Cucumber, sliced
1 Cup Snap Peas, sliced in half
1/2 Cup Bean Sprouts
4 Green Onions, chopped
3 Carrots (or 12 baby carrots), sliced thinly
1 Package of Orange Chicken (from the freezer section at Costco if you can get it)

Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or foil and bake the chicken until the internal temperature reads 165, rotating half way through.

Meanwhile, in a large microwave safe bowl, pour in the Orange sauce and warm through in the microwave. After the chicken is cooked, toss in the dressing bowl and set aside.

Assemble the vegetables in a large bowl and toss. Prepare dressing. Serve salad topped with dressing and spicy chicken. For more heat, add a little Sriracha Chili Sauce to the chicken.

Simple Lime Vinaigrette
by Anne Strawberry

Juice of one lime
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pour the lime juice into a small, screw-top jar. Add triple the amount of extra virgin olive oil. Add the Sugar, Salt and pepper to taste, and shake to combine. I use a little tiny jar and it turns out to be about 1 Tablespoon of juice and 3 Tablespoons of oil. Just be sure to get a good ratio, so the dressing isn't too tart. Pour over salad, toss to combine.