Chicken BLT Salad with a Creamy Vinaigrette

There is no breakfast side dish I like more than Bacon! I love bacon with breakfast, on a sandwich, on its own, or on a salad. I walked by the bacon at the grocery store this week (that will happen in Wisconsin) and I decided I wanted to make something with it, and a salad fit the bill. So with Bacon and Lettuce, Tomatoes come next. I like Avocado on my BLTs, so that had to fit in there too. I had some chicken left over from last night's dinner and threw that in there as well.

I wanted to make a slightly creamier salad dressing than my usual vinaigrette, so after consulting some of my cooking bibles (The Essentials New York Times Cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Martha Stewart's Cooking School) I put together something that I really liked! It had a bit of a bite from the mustard and vinegar but was creamy and not too overbearing. I have a Salad Dressing Mixer that makes mixing and storing a vinaigrette so much easier. It may seem like a stupid purchase, but I use it ALL the time.

I hope you enjoy this salad, it definitely made my night!

Delish!

Chicken BLT Salad with Creamy Vinaigrette

For the Dressing:
1 Yolk
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Tabasco Sauce
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp Vinegar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice

- Beat the Yolk slightly, and reserve 1/2 tsp of yolk
- I put everything in my Salad Dressing Mixer but if you don't have one, keep reading
- Add the Yolk to a small bowl and whisk with the Dijon Mustard, as much Tabasco as you like, the Garlic, Salt and Pepper, and Vinegar
- Then Whisk in slowly the Vegetable Oil and the Lemon Juice

For the Salad:
Handful of Lettuce
3-4 Pieces of Bacon
1/2 cup Tomatoes
1/2 Breast of Chicken
1/2 an Avocado chopped

Mix together the salad and add 1/2 of the Salad Dressing to the Salad, or more if you like, (there is a bit more than one serving)

Discovering Brussel Sprouts

I have never tried Brussel Sprouts until today. They were something that my sister and father refused to eat, and my mom secretly loves. So, when my friend L called me to ask how to make them the other day, I thought why not give them a try? I researched some recipes online, but didn't find one I was particularly fond of. I'm probably going to make these again, I was really happy with how they turned out! They had a nice caramelized taste thanks to the garlic. Only change is I would have made sure that all of the sprouts were similar size, if there's a big one quarter it and just halve the smaller ones. The chicken is the same recipe from a few posts ago. If you've never tried Brussel Sprouts, give these a try!

Pretty Tuesday Dinner!

Garlic and Lemon Brussel Sprouts
1 handful of Brussel Sprouts (bottoms cut off and halved or quartered depending on size)
3-4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice

- Mix the Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice together in a small bowl
- Pour over the Brussel Sprouts and let sit for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally
- Place the Brussel Sprouts in a large non-stick pan with a lid and turn to medium, stirring occasionally for the first minute, then cover and cook for 6-8 minutes stirring every 2 minutes.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

Finally back from a marathon of traveling and some busy weekends, I was excited to get back to cooking again.  I wanted something easy to make that would leave some leftovers for salads later on in the week. It's a simple recipe that took little time to prepare, just mix and then roast. Hope you enjoy!

Mmmmm

1 or 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/8 cup Olive Oil (3-4 Tbsp)

1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Big splash of White Wine

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Tsp dried Oregano

1/2 Tsp dried Thyme

1/2 Lemon cut into slices

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

- Mix all ingredients except the Lemon in a small bowl.

- Dip the chicken on both sides in the mixture.

- Then place the chicken in a small pan and pour the rest of mixture over the chicken and place the lemons around the chicken.

- Roast in the oven for 35 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers and Artichokes

Amid the Snow-pocalypse that is going on right now, my friend C came over for dinner. I had one breast of chicken for my solo dinner, but it was a big one and it was enough for two. I wanted to experiment with roasting a breast because cooking chicken on the stove always turns out bad and dry for me. This recipe was inspired by one I read about in Martha Stewart's Cooking School. Love her! Anyways, here is the recipe and a picture, it tasted delish and was moist and the roasted accoutrements were amazing. C said she would have preferred a bit more of those, but for one it would have been plenty!

Delish!

Roasted Chicken Breast with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers and Artichokes

1 Chicken Breast, Bone in

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes or (any small tomato)

2 tsp Capers plus a bit of their juice

1/4 cup Olives halved

1/2 cup Marinated Artichokes (I got mine from Trader Joes)

3 Tbsp Olive Oil (1 for the Chicken, 2 for the rest)

- Preheat the oven to 400.

- Mix the 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, Tomatoes, Capers, Olives, and Marinated Artichokes in a small bowl.

- Heat an oven-proof pan on the stove til warm then add 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil and heat until hot but not smoking and bubbling

- Place the breast, skin side down in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes

- Remove the pan from the heat and add the veggie mixture.

- Put the pan in the oven uncovered and turn the oven up to 475.

- Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until done.

Enjoy with a great side! I made some roasted potatoes with garlic...they are a big crowd pleaser at my apartment! Check out Ina Garten's Recipe for these! Also, for one, a bone-in chicken breast would have been a bit more than necessary, so you could save the chicken and use in a salad.