September 2011

Recipe for Backyard BBQ Salad

For those of you who have been asking for the recipe for the Backyard BBQ Salad, you’re in luck.  Give it a try!

Backyard Barbecue Chicken Salad

Recipe for the Home Chef

Serves 4 regular salads or 6-8 small sides

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of mixed lettuce
• 8 oz. shredded mixed cabbage, red and green
• ¾ cup cole slaw dressing
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded, cooled
• ½  cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
• ¾ cup tomatoes, diced
• ¾ cup corn
• 1/8 cup red cabbage

BBQ Chicken Preparation:

• Bake 4 chicken breasts, completely cool and then shred into bite sized pieces
• In a bowl mix together the chicken and ½ cup BBQ sauce

 Assemble:

• Mix the lettuce, cabbage (keeping 1/8 cup of red cabbage aside for garnish) and cole slaw dressing in a large bowl
• Place the BBQ chicken, corn and tomatoes on top of the mixed greens, forming the points of a triangle in the center of the salad
• Place the 1/8 cup of red cabbage in the center of the triangle to garnish

 Enjoy!

Tessa’s Tips

Sandwiches have come a long way since the lunchbox favorites like bologna on white bread or PB & J (an oldie but goodie).  While most of us had our first experience with a sandwich while sitting at the lunchroom table in elementary school, eating ingredients like meat and cheese between two pieces of bread or dough has been around since ancient times.  Every culture around the world has a unique version, and Noodles has four great options too.

Sandwiches are not just an American favorite – people from all walks of life enjoy the popular portable cuisine.  For example, Cuba has the popular Cuban, Vietnam has the Bahn mi, Mexico has the torta, South America has the Arepa, France has the Monte Cristo, and Greece has the familiar favorite, the Gyro. 

When building your own sandwich, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few tips:

• When it comes to choosing bread, think about trying interesting flavors like olive, herbed, or whole wheat.  Consider different types of bread, such as flatbread, pita, French baguette, ciabatta.
• Get creative with your favorite sauces or salad dressings. This can certainly be mayo or mustard, but it can also be any type of pesto, tempenade, or relish
• There is unlimited amount of options for filling choices—of course most any type of sliced or pulled meat or seafood, like tuna, salmon, lobster are good choices.  And don’t forget about all the yummy cheeses available. 
• You can alter texture and flavor by adding raw or grilled vegetables. One of my favorite types of sandwich is filled with the same fixins I’d put in a salad. Experiment with different vegetables, too–portabella mushrooms make a great meat substitute if you‘re vegetarian.
• Consider whether you’d like your sandwich hot or cold.  Panini’s and grilled sandwiches take on a completely different taste than their cold counterparts. 
• Using small amounts of pickled or marinated vegetables will help elevate your sandwich from ho-hum to happy (roasted red peppers or artichoke hearts)

 Tell us about your favorite sandwich!