Asian Chicken Salad

This week we got Napa cabbage and cilantro at the CSA, so I decided to use our leftover roast chicken to make an Asian Chicken Salad. I modified a recipe from Giada (as usual) and we were very pleased with the results. Even Jack loved the toasted almonds and rice noodles.

Salad:
1 lg. carrot, peeled into the bowl
1/2 head of Napa cabbage, shredded
1 head of romaine, shredded (I used about half a clamshell of organic baby romaine)
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 - 3 Tbsp. cilantro
1 c. leftover chicken (we used roasted, but I'd make grilled next time)
1/2 c. toasted almonds (350 for 5-6 minutes)
1/2 c. rice noodles

Dressing:
1/4 c. sesame oil (this is crucial for the flavor - don't use canola or olive)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (same as sesame oil - use the right vinegar)
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash of salt and pepper

This recipe is definitely a keeper, especially now that I've made the investment in sesame oil and rice vinegar for the dressing. Aside from the Napa cabbage, the rest of the ingredients are fairly common in our fridge. Giada's recipe called for Thai basil, but I loved the cilantro in its place. It reminded us of the yummy fresh spring rolls we get from the Asian restaurant near us.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Yesterday when I was watching the Barefoot Contessa, she made Penne with Vodka Sauce and it looked delicious, so I decided to try the recipe for myself tonight. The best part about the recipe, since I can't sample the vodka while I cook, was squishing the tomatoes into the pan using my fingers.

Jack and Brian both loved the recipe, in fact Jack asked for a second helping. The recipe was more than enough for the three of us, with leftovers for all of us tomorrow night, too.

Bubba's Beer Biscuits

I kid you not: that's the name of the recipe.

Tonight I defrosted some of the white chicken chili that I made last month with the chard from our CSA and I wanted some sort of bread to accompany it. Biscuits sounded good, so I looked up some Paula Deen recipes -- who else but the queen of southern cooking? The recipe that follows is what I found and it was truly delicious. I'm not a Bisquick fan, as Brian will quickly assure you, but if it's good enough for Paula Deen and it produces biscuits like these, I'm a convert.

Bubba's Beer Biscuits by Paula Deen

Ingredients
4 cups biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 (12-ounce) can of beer
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients well, adjusting the sugar according to how sweet a biscuit you prefer. Pour into well-greased muffin tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with honey butter. (To make the honey butter, I softened a half stick of butter and poured in a tablespoon of local honey. Delicious.)