It’s always tricky getting in a good dinner during the week. As with many of you I commute to and from the city everyday. At the end of a long day I want something quick and satisfying with an easy clean up. I often stock up with my favorites and find it a fun “game” to think of something to make utilizing those ingredients. Not exactly Chopped style but you get the idea! I decided on an Asian chicken salad. Tonight’s take was purely selected based on what I had on hand and I encourage you to use whatever ingredients you like, using mine as a blank canvas. With that being said, here’s what I used tonight. I had baby kale, edamame, shredded carrots, shaved radish, clementines, and avocado. I loved the combo of textures and flavors…kept it interesting with every bite!
I diced the chicken for a quicker cook time but also happen to like each piece to be nice and golden brown. I got the pan super hot, added a tiny drizzle of oil, then added the chicken. When it makes that nice sizzle sound, you nailed it!
After a few minutes flip the chicken over to cook on the other side. I seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper.
While the chicken is cooking combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine. I used fresh ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sriracha, sesame oil, and olive oil. You could certainly do this in a blender or food processor but I was short on time and did it by hand. Now, there are plenty of good dressings out there so feel free to use one from the grocery store but there’s something satisfying about making your own! Throw all of your salad fixings in a mixing bowl to fully incorporate the dressing into everything. Kale is one of those vegetables that needs a bit of TLC. Kale is pretty tough and massaging it with dressing helps to tenderize it. It’s sort of a high maintenance vegetable…but it’s well worth it!
Take some tongs and pile it high on your plate (or bowl) and finish it with some sesame seeds. Not a necessity but you eat with your eyes first and it happens to add a nice crunch!
That’s it. Under 20 minutes and absolutely delicious!
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Welcome! I’m a trained chef, wife, mom of two littles, and a small business owner. Here you’ll find tasty recipes, cooking tips/tricks, some motherhood content, and occasional things I’m loving at the moment. Thanks for visiting!
looks very healthy and easy– how long did it take start to finish?
Great question! It took me about 20 minutes. You could use rotisserie chicken to save time. Another great tip is to cook up a few chicken breasts over the weekend and use those throughout the week. Shrimp would also be a delicious substitute!