Buffalo Chicken Salad

Here is a great salad to take to your big BBQ this weekend. I found it in a neighborhood cookbook a friend gave me and tried it immediately.  It passed the test and was a big hit when I took it to a potluck dinner.  Enjoy!!

Buffalo Chicken Salad:

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 C. Frank's Buffalo Chicken sauce

1 head lettuce (I like a combination of Iceberg and Green Leaf)

1/2 c. roasted corn kernels (see picture below)

3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

1 avocado, sliced

cheese, shredded

sunflower seeds

Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing

Heat oven to 375*.  Place cut up chicken into greased pan.  Place in oven and bake about 25 minutes.   Stir chicken around to coat once more with sauce.  Place lettuce, chicken, egg slices, corn, avocado, cheese and sunflower seeds in large bowl.  Top with salad dressing.

*If you like a sweet and spicy chicken instead, combine about 2 1/2 cups brown sugar to the Buffalo sauce BEFORE pouring it over the raw chicken.  This is the sauce I use for my "copy-cat" Wingers wings (recipe coming soon) and it is so delicious!

**I also like to add a little of the sticky sauce that is still left in the pan after I've removed my chicken to the Blue Cheese dressing. It is a perfect combination of the creamy Blue Cheese and that sweet/spicy kick.

I just toasted some corn in a skillet on medium heat for a few minutes until it looked like this.

 Mmmmmmmm. Delicious.
 

Strawberry Feta Salad (with homemade Poppy Seed Dressing)

I have a really hard time deciding favorites.  There are always just so many variables to consider.  My mood.  The time of year.  Who I am with.  All these situations make it difficult for me to find definite favorites.  That being said, this salad and I have had a great relationship for about 3 years now and I can honestly say that this is probably my favorite salad. Usually. 

 Some friends and I got together for lunch the other day, and three of us brought this salad.  Obviously, it's a good one.  Everyone out there has probably tasted this salad in some form or another, but this is the one I keep coming back to.   Juicy strawberries;  creamy, salty feta;  crunchy, sugared almonds and the sweet poppy seed dressing all join hands to have a serious party in your mouth.  The dressing is really easy to throw together, and will last in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.  Easy to keep in there and eat it everyday for lunch. 

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1/2 C. Mayo

1/4 C. Sugar

2-4 TB Milk (depending how runny you want it)

2 TB Red Wine Vinegar

1 TB poppyseeds

 Blend all together. 

Strawberry Feta Salad:

Any combination of leafy green/red lettuce,         

   Spinach or Romaine lettuce

Sliced Strawberries

crumbled Feta Cheese

Sugared Almonds
Poppy Seed Dressing

Sometimes I add cut up grilled or breaded chicken for a heartier meal.

Combine the all ingredients in a salad bowl except dressing.  Add dressing right before serving.  I don't necessarily add a whole dressing recipe to my salad, just add some, stir and see if you need more.  This salad does not keep well after it has been mixed. (usually not a problem though, as it always goes really quick!)

Other options:
fresh peaches (I love this in the fall!!)
Craisins
Pears
Apples

Mandarin oranges

Red onion

Enjoy!!

Linking up to:

Made by you Mondays

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Sugared Almonds

This post may seem like an unimportant page to read, but I wanted to share this tutorial with a lot of pictures before I posted tomorrow's recipe for Strawberry Feta Salad.  Mmm. It's my favorite salad.  The sugared almonds are definitely a major part of this deliciousness. Here we go.

All you will need is sugar and almonds.  I like to use the sliced almonds, but slivered would work well too. 

I have never actually measured the almond to sugar ratio.  I just grab a handful of almonds, then a handful of sugar.  My pan looks like this.  

It has always worked out just fine! Let's face it, almonds are really good as they are. Add some sugar and WOW, they are even better.  You can't lose. Add a little sugar, or add a lot; it'll be great.

If the thought of not measuring freaks you out, start with a 2:1 ratio of almonds:sugar.  AND make a double batch because you'll end up eating half of them before you put them on your salad.  Promise.

Mix the almonds and sugar together, and on med-high heat you'll just keep stirring.  This is what it will start to look like (if you can see the detail in the picture) the sugar will start to clump together.  Just keep stirring.

After a couple of minutes, the almonds will start to brown and sugar will begin melting.  However, we're not quite done yet. 

Finally, when it becomes this beautiful golden color and the sugar seems to be sticky on the almonds, you are done.  This whole process should have taken about 6-7 minutes.  Just watch it because they could go from this point to overcooked pretty quick. 

Spread out the almonds on a plate so they don't form one big clump.  They will be hot, so if one falls on the counter, DO NOT just pick it up and pop in your mouth.  You won't be able to taste the salad until the next day....

Aren't they gorgeous? They are super delicious too! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the whole Strawberry Feta Salad recipe with homemade Poppyseed Dressing!! Mmmm. My mouth is watering already!

Linking up to:

Made by you Mondays

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wonderfully Amazing Green Salad and homemade Ranch

Easter is coming up right around the corner and there are bound to be gatherings with family or friends.  (Or if not, why not host your own!!?)

What is your usual assignment? Are you always asked to bring a bag of chips?  (I hope not!) 

Do you  get assigned to bring the salad or relish tray?

Please, please, PLEASE don't tell me you just buy a bag of iceberg lettuce (you know, the kind with a few shredded carrots and a couple of purple stringys in there) and a bottle of Ranch and plunk it down on the table. Please don't do that!!! No one will look twice at your salad; they'll just shove that Ranch bottle aside to reach for the rolls and the funeral potatoes and the corn and the pretty Easter jello with Cool-whip your Aunt Cheryl brought.

Not a single green thing will be eaten.  And you'll be to blame.

How about you show 'em what you're made of and WOW them all with a veggie-loaded salad tray AND homemade Ranch!? Your salad might just be the star of the show. Well, as much as a salad could be. Let's get real; it's no Strawberry Shortcake or Chocolate Mousse Pie, but people will be thanking you for making their salad eating experience more fun.

All of these ingredients should be easily accessible, even though it still seems like the dead of winter.

Pick and choose what you think your fans will love; I like to make sure there's a lot of color involved.

I used: (in no particular order)
grape tomatoes

Sliced cucumber

shredded carrots (see--they're still here!)
green olives

uncooked, frozen but thawed green peas

(could I use any more adjectives?) Just don't open a can.

avocado
black olives
shredded mozzarella cheese

and how about this for the grand finale....
Deviled eggs! Oh, regular hard-boiled eggs would be fine, but these...Wow!

*TIP* The avocado will start to turn brown after it is cut.  I would wait to cut and display as long as you can.  Lemon or lime juice sprinkled over the sliced avocado will slow it down a bit, but not stop it.  Also keeping the pit around the avocado can help too.  Mmm, but they sure are worth it!

Dressing

Go to the store and buy one bottle of the best generic Ranch you can find.
Just kidding

My favorite Ranch

2 C. Mayo
2 C. Buttermilk

8 oz package Cream Cheese

1 t. Onion Salt

1 t. Garlic Salt

1/4 t. Ground Pepper

1/4 t. Accent (optional)

Blend all ingredients in blender and let stand in fridge.

Yields:  6 C. will keep approx. 1 month in fridge

*sometimes I add a garlic clove or two. Yum*