Chopped Salads for the Win

August 21, 2014

salads

When you don’t feel like making anything fancy, just grab anything in your fridge that you can chop up and grab it. I didn’t feel like more Mexi, but Craw did, so I made two different choppers. The star was the fat free jalapeno ranch, which I tried to make taste as close to Chuy’s as possible. Chuy’s jap ranch is the shiz, but most likely has mayo in it and it full of calories, so here is a less fatass version for you to enjoy.

Literally just blend it all together. If you want a thinner dressing, add a bit more water and blend until you get the right consistency. Here are the salad ingredents…

Mexicanish Chopped Salad

  • 2 cups chopped iceberg
  • 1/2 c. black beans
  • 1/2 c. sauteed corn
  • 1/2 c. chopped chicken
  • 1/4 ripe avocado
  • however much dressing you want

Toasted Quinoa spinach salad

  • 1/2 c. toasted quinoa (take cooked, cooled quinoa and saute in skillet with 1 tsp basil oil until crunchy)
  • 2 cups spinach, here’s best way to chop–I put a handful of spinach inside butter lettuce and chiffonade, like so http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cutting-chiffonade-basil.aspx
  • 1/4 ripe avocado
  • 1 tbs. low sugar craisins
  • 1 tbs. chopped candied pecans
  • 1 tbs. aged balsamic
  • 1 tsp. olive oil

**I use more of the balsamic because thick, aged balsamic is the bomb. The above salad is great with any protein, but filling on its own.

 

Oh, and I forgot to rant about Rosa’s in the previous post…. All my West Texas peeps will understand.

Dear Rosa’s,

I understand that the point of a restaurant is to turn a profit, but cutting corners in the queso fillage department is NOT the way. When I spend $40 on an order (for one…), I expect to have enough queso in the “bowl” of queso to have leftovers. When you make me finish off an entire bowl alone, it angers me. And also, wrap your tortillas in foil, not paper. It’s just common sense. And when I order 15 things and only 1 drink, I can hear the judgement in your tone when you repeat my order. I’m already judging myself on Fat Sunday (yes, capitalized the F in Fat, it makes sense), and I don’t need you to do it for me. I have mirrors and family for that. That being said, you da bestest, see you Sunday.

Yours today and Always,

Chubby Caroline

Skrimp Tacos for Skinny People

August 21, 2014

 

healthy never looked so good

healthy never looked so good

Looking back at my posts, it seems like I am always writing after a long weekend, and am either hungover or hungry. Truth be told, at this point in my life, it’s 100% true. If idiots would stop getting married, my life would probably be a bit less bloaty. Recently, my Sundays have been a Sophie’s choice deciding between Gattis and Dominos for lunch, and Texas Burger or Rosa’s for dinner. Obvioulsy Dominos wins, since the Tall City doesn’t have a Gatti’s that delivers, and Rosa’s usually wins because it’s closer. More of a Rosa’s rant after the actual recipe. So Fat Sunday leads to Meaty Monday, and we wind up trying to starve ourselves on Tiny Tuesday. I. HATE. Tiny Tuesday. So, to make up for eating something that didn’t have crust, a bun or queso, I made shrimp tacos, or more like shrimp lettuce wraps. Use butter lettuce, for two reasons: Butter in the name makes it sound more pleasant, and they already are taco shell shape (ish). Here’s the recipe for the shrimp, there’s enough for two plus leftovers the next day.

Mix the shrimp and seasonings and lime together and let it marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes–no longer, because the acid in lime juice will start to cook the shrimp. Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add shrimp and saute for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Serve in lettuce cups with a slice of avocado and some poblano salsa, recipe here: http://thewifewithaknife.com/2014/03/03/salsa-and-sav-b-saturdays/

Beef it up with some fat free re-fried beans–I jazz mine up by adding some roasted garlic and ground pepper and blend it until smooth like Tex-Mex restaurants, and top with cotija cheese.

Roasting Chicken kind of sounds sexual. Mom-don’t read this.

June 2, 2014

Perfect Roasted Chicken

chicken2

  • 1 5-6 lb. chicken (seems big If you’re cooking only for 1 or 2, but you’ll use leftovers)
  • 5 Cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 2 sprigs rosemary and thyme, still on the stalk
  • ½ white onion, quartered
  • 1 red onion, quartered
  • 10 baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
  • 3 carrots, chopped as close to the same size as the other root veggies
  • 2 tbs. butter, softened
  • Seasonings

When you get home from the grocery, immediately wash and pat dry the inside and outside of your chicken, removing and excess “goodies”. Generously salt and pepper the inside and outside of the bird. Instead of directly grinding the salt and pepper over/into the chicken, I do it in a bowl so that I can touch the chicken and not worry about getting any chicken goo on my s&p shakers. Put the chicken on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and put back in the fridge for at least 4 hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to cook your chicken (or 2 hours before you want to have dinner), preheat the oven to 425. Place all the veggies in a roasting pan, and take your chicken out of the fridge.

Side note: I don’t like cooked carrots, mainly because the last cooked carrot I had was at a steakhouse in Dallas which shall remain unnamed, and it basically looks like a wiener served next to your steak. If I wanted a rib eye with a side of schlong, I’d head over to Le Bare and hit up their lunch buffet. Bob’s, I’d love you if you didn’t serve me roasted carrot weeny. Ooops, did I name the place? Whatev. My husband likes cooked carrots (should I be worried??) so I left them in there.

Anyways. Stuff the inside of the chick with the lemon, garlic and herbs, and make sure you squeeze the juice inside the cavity (THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID). With your fingers, gently wiggle under the skin on the breasts (this sounds like kitchen foreplay…) and put the softened butter under the skin. Salt and pepper the outside generously. Bowchickawowwow. Tuck the wings under the body, and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place your chicken on top of the veggies and shove in to the oven. Cook for an hour and a half at 425. Take the pan out, and slice a little slice below the leg right where it meets the thigh. If the juice is clear, it is done. If it looks bloody, it’s not. If it’s done, remove the chicken and put on a dish and cover with foil. Put the pan of veggies back in the oven for 15 minutes to crisp up. After about 15 minutes, the chicken should be cool enough to slice. I slice off the breasts (hehe), legs and wings, and then put them back with the veggies in the pan. The rest of the chicken I slice off and put on a serving dish. Broil the veggies and chicken for like 1-2 minutes so that the skin crisps up (it might get soggy after sitting covered in foil). Remove and transfer everything to a serving dish and enjoy!

chicken1