As the dog days of summer drag on, cooking is the last thing I want to do. Well, maybe not the last thing, but it’s definitely at the bottom of the list. Salads are all I can think about preparing. Rotisserie chicken is the hero of this one, which is easy, attractive, and delicious. It makes a great summer meal.
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SALAD WITH PISTACHIOS AND CILANTRO
Author: Tag Sale Tastes
Cuisine: Salad, Poultry, Main Course
Ingredients
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast
2 cups baby arugula
2 cups baby spinach
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup shelled pistachios
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
¼ of a small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Mix together arugula and spinach, and divide among two dinner plates. Divide chicken between plates, and sprinkle with cilantro and pistachios. Arrange avocado and red onion over salad.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad just prior to serving.
Salad season is upon us. I’m happy any time I can make a main dish salad and avoid heating up the kitchen. Heating up the grill, however, is a not a problem. My husband grilled a beef tenderloin the other night, and with the leftovers we made Thai Beef Salad (flank steak works well too).
If you don’t have lemongrass for the dressing, you can omit it. I usually have some growing in a pot, and it’s very easy to propagate (I’ve done this before with lemongrass purchased at the grocery store). My biggest problem is keeping my dogs away from it — they chew it, I think, to help with digestion. I keep moving it higher, and they keep seeking it out:
Jasper munching on some lemongrass
But don’t omit the fish sauce! I keep a bottle of Three Crabs fish sauce on hand. It’s available in asian markets and most large grocery stores, and was recommended to me by a Vietnamese chef:
Adjust the heat of the dressing to your liking by altering the amount of crushed red pepper. The vegetables for the salad are suggestions — use whatever you like in whatever quantity you desire (I like the cool crunch that cucumbers provide, but didn’t have any on hand when I made it this time).
Place all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix together until brown sugar is dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Add the sliced beef and allow to sit in dressing while preparing the rest of the salad.
Place chopped lettuce in a large shallow bowl or platter. Using tongs, remove beef from dressing and mound in center of lettuce. Pour dressing over lettuce around beef. Arrange tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers (or whatever vegetables you are using) decoratively around beef. Scatter shallots and chiles over salad. Garnish with mint. Serve at room temperature.
*To mince the lemongrass, use the woody stalk, peeling off the outer layer. Mash the stalk by whacking it with the flat side of a knife, then finely mince.
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A great warm weather meal
Grilled tenderloin is the star of this salad
Special thanks to my friend Tori for the exotic wood salad servers she brought me as a souvenir from her recent trip to Thailand:
