Pages

Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

BBQ Chicken Salad with Roasted Cauliflower

Look what I got today! A fresh basil plant. Thank you Whole Foods :)
As soon as I saw the fresh basil I immediately wanted to make pesto. However, I had been oddly craving BBQ chicken all day and ultimately, my craving beat out my dreams of whole wheat linguine with pesto. 

When I got home tonight, I preheated the oven and baked two chicken breasts. While the chicken was cooking, I went on a quick run. I normally don't leave my apartment with the oven on, so I ran a little faster than normal because I was a little nervous I would return home to a kitchen in flames. Thankfully, everything worked out nicely. 

After the chicken was almost cooked through, I shredded it with a fork and sauteed it with some BBQ sauce. It didn't occur to me to try and make my own BBQ sauce tonight. Maybe next time. Sticky Fingers-Habanero Hot was pretty good. 

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the best part. While the chicken was simmering away in the BBQ sauce, I drizzled extra virgin olive oil over cauliflower, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper and roasted it in the oven for 20 mins at 425*. 

For the salad, I put the BBQ chicken on top of a bed of fresh spinach with shaved red onion, baby red and yellow tomatoes, and shredded pepper jack cheese. The chicken was so juicy, I didn't use any salad dressing. Also, I have to say I am completely shocked as to how good the cauliflower turned out. It was nutty, garlicky, and delicious. In fact, I ate all of the cauliflower before I evened touched the salad. Hello new obsession!
For a healthy lunch tomorrow, I took the left over BBQ chicken and sauteed it with 1/4 cup of whole grain brown rice, fresh corn, and sliced red and green bell peppers. I bet the cauliflower will be even better tomorrow!

Ok, now I'm off to raid my kitchen for fulfill my nightly chocolate craving :) 

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Waiting for my bread to bake...

As soon as I threw my bread in the oven, I started to think about dinner. I had eaten a light lunch and even resisted the cookies at an afternoon meeting and beautiful dulce de leches at a colleague's going away party.

Since I had pizza last night, I decided on a veggie loaded dinner tonight. I pierced a sweet potato several times with a fork and put it in the oven next to my bread. While the potato baked, I caramelized some red onion with a little olive oil and brown sugar. To the saute pan I added green beans, fresh garlic, and jumbo shrimp.

When the potato was ready I tossed everything together in a homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette that I am obsessed with!
It tastes as good as it looks!
For dessert, homemade bread! Now off to sleep, tomorrow is supposed to be my day off but I'm going into the Bank for at least a few hours and then Carmine's to bartend. I plan on spending every penny I make shopping on Sunday, so I'm okay with it :)

I hope everyone has a good weekend!