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Posts Tagged ‘lunch’

Quinoa Salad with Grapes, Celery, and Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Main Dish, Salads, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Quinoa Salad with Grapes, Celery, and Chicken~Kristine's Kitchen

Looking for healthy lunch ideas that will also keep your tastebuds happy? Quinoa Salad with Grapes, Celery, and Chicken is a great option. I made this for dinner one night and the leftovers were perfect to pack and take with me for lunches at work over the next few days. I added chicken to the salad to make it more substantial since I planned on serving it as a main dish. You can leave it out if you prefer a vegetarian meal. The quinoa itself is high in protein, which helps to fill you up and keep your energy level going strong for the next few hours.

I love how this salad keeps it simple. There aren’t too many ingredients or complicated steps, so that the flavors of each component can shine through. The grapes and celery provide a nice crunch to balance out the quinoa, and the orange dressing complements the salad really well. I will be making this again, and soon.

Quinoa Salad with Grapes, Celery, and Chicken

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 main dish servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
  • 2 cups red grape halves
  • 3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
  • 1 tsp. orange zest
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tbsp. honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, grapes, and celery.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Add chicken to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  3. Serve cold.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Rachel Cooks.

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Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Sandwiches, tagged , , , on July 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

We eat grilled cheese sandwiches pretty often in our house. We’re not huge fans of lunchmeat, but sandwiches are such a fast and easy lunch option. PB&J is our other sandwich staple (I know, we’re pretty exciting when it comes to lunches around here!), as well as the occasional egg salad or tuna sandwich, with some leftovers or bean and cheese burritos thrown in from time to time.

The grilled cheese sandwich that you see here makes lunchtime something to look forward to. Apple slices, shallots, and dijon add tons of flavor to the base of ooey gooey cheese. These sandwiches also are a great option for an easy dinner- just add some fruit or a salad and dinner’s ready.

One year ago:  Greek Pizza

Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh spinach or baby arugula
  • Sliced or shredded white cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp. butter, softened

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and Dijon until smooth; set aside.
  3. To assemble the sandwiches, spread a little bit of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Layer the apple, spinach, cheese, shallots, and honey mustard between each two slices of bread. You may not use all of the honey mustard, depending on your tastes.
  4. Place the sandwiches in a nonstick skillet or grill pan and grill over medium heat until lightly crisped and golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from The Curvy Carrot.

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Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Posted in Chicken, Sandwiches, tagged , , on March 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

If I have leftover chicken that I’m not planning to use for another dinner, I get really excited. Why? Because then I can make these chicken salad sandwiches. With Greek yogurt instead of mayo, whole grain bread, chicken, nuts, grapes, and celery, this is a healthy sandwich with no guilt. The grapes provide a little sweetness, the yogurt a little tang, and the celery and walnuts give plenty of crunch. You’ll love how the different flavors and textures come together in each bite.

This is a basic recipe that you can adapt to suit your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand. Sometimes I’ll substitute chopped apple for the grapes, or pecans for the walnuts. Served alongside some fresh fruit or baby carrots, these chicken salad sandwiches make lunchtime something to look forward to.

One year ago:  Everyday Cinnamon Rolls

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 sandwiches

*Note: This recipe is easily adaptable to your taste preferences and what you have on hand. I sometimes like to substitute chopped apple for the grapes, and chopped pecans for the walnuts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup grapes, quartered
  • 1/3 cup celery, chopped small
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. Greek yogurt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 pieces of lettuce
  • 4 slices whole grain bread

Directions:

  1. Place chicken, grapes, celery, and walnuts in a medium bowl. Add Greek yogurt and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Place half of chicken mixture on each of two slices of bread. Place a piece of lettuce on top of each and top with the remaining two slices of bread. Serve immediately.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen

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Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

Posted in Burritos, Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, tagged , , , , on July 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

These wraps are one of my new favorite recipes for an easy dinner. They are the perfect meal to cook when it’s hot outside and you don’t want to heat up your house by turning on the oven. I love the Santa Fe-inspired flavor of these wraps, which are filled with avocado, chicken, green onions, red bell pepper, black beans, and corn, all tossed in a seasoned yogurt sauce.

To prepare the cooked chicken for this recipe, I use combination of browning the chicken in a skillet and poaching. First, I brown both sides of the chicken in a skillet with just a little olive oil. Then, I add enough water to come about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan, cover the pan, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. This method is my favorite because you get the flavor from browning the chicken, and then adding the water to the pan keeps the chicken moist while it finishes cooking. (If you are really short on time, you can also use a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store. Leftover cooked chicken would work great as well.)

So far we’ve made these wraps twice, and I can’t wait to make them again. I recommend planning ahead and making enough chicken salad so that you can have leftovers for lunch the next day. You’ll be glad you did.

 One year ago:  Peach Crumb Bars

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the chicken salad:

  • 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin
  • 1-2 tbsp. minced cilantro
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
  • 2-3 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 2/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup corn kernels

For the wraps:

  • 4 burrito-sized tortillas
  • Salad greens or baby spinach
  • Avocado slices

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cilantro. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add the chicken and green onion to the yogurt mixture. Stir until the chicken is well coated.
  3. Fold in the bell pepper, black beans, and corn. Cover and chill until serving.
  4. To prepare the wraps, layer the chicken salad, salad greens or baby spinach, and avocado slices inside the tortillas. Fold up the ends and roll the wrap to seal it. Slice in half. Serve with salsa on the side, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Good Life Eats

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