Chicken Salad

 

MEl's FAVORITE CHICKEN SALAD

yield: 8 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 30 MINS

total time: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Salad:

• 4 cups cooked, shredded (or small chopped) chicken (see note)
• 1 cup small diced celery
• 1 cup red grapes, halved or quartered
• ½ cup chopped slivered almonds or cashews
• 2-3 tablespoons finely diced green onions or chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (use plain dairy free yogurt to make dairy free) 
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt (use a bit less for table salt)
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
• ⅛ teaspoon dried dill
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
• Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until smooth.
• Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Serve on lettuce or rolled up in a gluten free tortilla

NOTES

Chicken: A rotisserie chicken works great here, Costco chicken is gluten free. Otherwise, here’s a great method for cooking chicken for recipes like this. Another option is to throw a couple chicken breasts in an electric pressure cooker with 1-2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes high pressure. Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure. Drain liquid and shred chicken to use in recipe.

Dressing: the flavors of the dressing get better with time so while the chicken salad can be served right away, it tastes better if it is refrigerated for 1-2 hours. The dressing can be made ahead several days in advance.

Adaptable: this recipe is very adaptable. Leave out ingredients (like nuts) if you can’t eat them/don’t like them, or add in others that you like (dried cranberries, drained mandarin oranges, etc).
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP {INSTANT POT, STOVETOP, SLOW COOKER}

YIELD: 6-7 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 7 MINUTES

 

ADDITIONAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 57 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  1-2 teaspoons olive oil
•  1/2 cup diced onion
•  2 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
•  1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•  5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•  8 ounce can tomato sauce
•  15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
•  15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
•  2 teaspoons chili powder
•  1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•  1 1/2 to 2 pounds (about 3 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
•  3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note)
•  1 cup frozen corn kernels
•  1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
•  Optional toppings: Cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, (if using dairy; sour cream, shredded cheese) and other desired toppings, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pressure cooker: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
2. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
3. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
4. Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
5. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
6. Stovetop: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
7. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir.
8. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
9. Add the chicken and chopped tortillas; cook for 8-10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.
10. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
11. Slow Cooker: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker (you can skip this pre-cooking step, but I like to do it since I find that sometimes the onions don't soften all the way when cooking).
12. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
13. Cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

NOTES

Corn Tortillas: let's talk about those corn tortillas for a second. I like adding the chopped corn tortillas while the soup is cooking - they soften and dissolve a little bit in the soup adding a yummy texture, and they thicken the soup slightly. You don't have to add them if you don't want, or you can substitute them with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of masa harina (I haven't tried it with regular cornmeal, but I'm guessing it would work).

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe