Spicy Asian Chicken Breast on Salad Greens

The first time I put this meal together was a couple of weeks ago, and it was designed to meet several needs.

You see, my sister and her husband were on their way to visit with us for a few days.. from Calgary.  It’s a comfortable 2-day drive from there to Vancouver Island, but they weren’t sure where they would spend that first night along the way, and they had no idea what time they they would board a ferry from the mainland.  They run every couple of hours this time of year.

I wanted to make sure that I fed them a nice dinner that first night with us, but there was no way to know just when they would arrive – nope, they don’t use their cell phone!  So, I wanted to have something to put together quickly, at whatever time they might appear.

My sister is following a very high protein, very low carb food plan, and I know that she eats a lot of chicken breasts.  My brother in law is not a fan of plain baked chicken breast at all.  I am eating mostly Paleo these days, and The Captain… well he will eat pretty much whatever I put in front of him, other than cauliflower or obvious broccoli!

So, I opted to make salads with slices of baked chicken breasts… but not plain chicken breasts as I might use if I was making Caesar salad.  No, these chicken breasts had been marinating all day in the refrigerator, in a lovely mixture of Asian inspired ingredients. I wanted something with lots of flavor that would be nice and tender and moist.

I baked them in the oven and just as I was taking them out, the buzzer sounded and our guests arrived!  It was perfect timing, because we had time to visit and enjoy a drink (club soda with fresh lime juice for the ladies) while the chicken breasts cooled enough for  me to slice them and assemble the salads for our dinner.

They were a bit hit!  Either that, or my guests were tired and very hungry, I am not sure which really.  But The Captain loved the meal and asked for it again this past Saturday… so I decided to make note of the ingredients I put together in the marinade and write this blog post.

Spicy Asian Chicken Breast on Salad Greens
Makes 4 servings

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3 Tbs Mirin or sushi seasoning
• 2 Tbs white or rice vinegar
• 1 packet Splenda or Stevia (use sugar, honey, or even omit)
• 2 Tbs soy sauce, tamari soy sauce, or coconut aminos
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated fine
• salad greens of your choice, enough for 4 plates

1. Mix the onions, Mirin, vinegar, sweetener, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger in a small bowl and then place in a container large enough to hold the 4 chicken breasts. 
2. Allow chicken to marinate at least 2 hours – you could leave overnight – in the refrigerator.
3. Discard marinade and then bake chicken in a 375° F oven for approximately 45 minutes or until done.  Test with meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.
4. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before cutting crosswise on an angle into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick.
5. In the meantime, place salad greens on 4 serving plates.
6. Arrange chicken slices on salad greens and serve.

Per serving, including salad greens.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 329; Protein 45g; Carbohydrates 6g; Fat 13g; Fibre 2g.

The exact N.I. is going to depend on the size of your chicken breasts and the ingredients you choose, of course.  These chicken breasts were fairly large, about 5 ounces each after baking.  And I have counted all of the marinade ingredients, not taking into account that most of it is actually discarded.  For greens, I used Romaine lettuce, cucumber and some broccoli/cauliflower/carrot slaw. Shhhh, don’t tell The Captain!

I did make up a dressing to have just in case the chicken breasts came out too dry, but didn’t need it at all. In case you think you might like to have some, it was a mixture of:

• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

If my guests had not arrived when they did I would have refrigerated the baked chicken breasts and then sliced them quite thin before adding to the salads.

It would make a really nice lunch or picnic box addition, too, I am sure.

Plated greens…

Topped with baked chicken breasts.

Printable Recipe

How do you acomodate different food/nutrition needs when people come to visit?

New ebook Launch - Healthy & Delicious Single Serving Recipes

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of Kamila Gornia’s new ebook

Healthy & Delicious Single Serving Recipes

You many know Kammy from her blog, Sensual Appeal.  I read her posts regularly and have been getting support in my workout efforts from her recently, too.  #FitBuddies

This book is a visual delight!  The pictures will make you drool… and the recipes are full of tasty little dishes, just for one!  There are 43 different ideas for breakfasts, snacks, and desserts.  The ingredients are things that you likely already have in your pantry and your fridge.

There are all kinds of reasons we like to make single servings...  Perhaps we aren't sure we will like something... or we don't want to have leftovers to deal with.... or we don't want to have to purchase lots of ingredients.  Whatever the reason, this book is for anyone who ever wonders how to make 1 muffin from a recipe that makes 12, or 1 piece of candy from a recipe that makes a whole pan full.  You don't have to do the math 'cause Kammy has figured it out for you already.

This is Kammy’s first cookbook and I am sure that she has a huge success on her hands.  I have already tested a few of the recipes on The Captain… much to his delight!  We are kinda working our way through it and he couldn't be happier... I am finding things I really love, too!

Thanks, Kammy, for letting me in on your secret!  Now go get it for yourself or for your friend!

Click here to check out her web site for the details

Spicy Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

I decided to celebrate the First Day of Fall by making my first homemade soup of the season!  And a good soup day it was…. gloomy, wet, and quite cool for our little corner of the World for this time of year.

It was like Summer was bidding us a very tearful goodbye!

The Captain has been purchasing lovely locally-grown squashes and sweet potatoes for me this past couple of weeks so I selected a butternut squash for my soup… and then decided to add some sweet potato, too, for a bit of extra thickness, rich color, and of course, great taste!  You know I love me some orange YAM!
I am going to share the proportions and the method I used, but I know you will adjust it to suit your own dietary needs and tastes.  Whenever I make these types of soups, I use the same method…. it’s only the ingredients and spices that tend to change.

And I was fortunate to have some homemade turkey stock on hand today so of course I used that, too.

Spicy Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 8 one-cup servings

• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 cup sliced white onion (6 oz.)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (1-1/2 lb.)
• 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks (9 oz.)
• 4 cups turkey or chicken broth
• healthy/liberal sprinkling of dried ginger and nutmeg

1. Place coconut oil in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat and sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add squash, sweet potatoes and saute a few minutes more.
3. Add several sprinkles of ginger and nutmeg, stir into veggies,  and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add broth broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and when cooled, blend until smooth with immersion blender.
6. Reheat, to serve, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with fat free sour cream or Greek yogurt if you like.

Per 1-cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3. Not including garnish.
Calories 102 ; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 20g; Fat 2g; Fibre 3g
 

Cook the onions and garlic till just translucent, not browned.

Add the sweet potato and squash to the pot.

Cook for about half an hour and then let cool.

Puree.  An immersion blender is a very good tool for this job.

Creamy and thick and quite delicious!

Printable Recipe

Do like to make homemade soups, too?  What is your favorite?