Springtime Favorites

Spring just keeps springing..... the grass is now lush and bright green, the spring flowers have sprung up, the trees are all budding out and the lilac bush is about to burst forth with it's delightfully scented blossoms!  All I want to do is be outside with the sun shining on my face..... and grilling out.

Once the grill is uncovered and fired up for the first time in spring..... most of the meats (and lots of veggies) we eat in spring, summer and fall are grilled.... and mostly Joe is the Grill Meister and I prepare the side dishes..... which brings me to the subject of this blog....... Grilled Chicken and Oriental Slaw!!!!  I probably fix this meal at least once a week all spring and summer because it is soooo yummy, crunchy and good for you!

The chicken I make for this recipe is easy and always as moist as it is flavorful.  I use boneless/skinless chicken breasts that I marinate in salad dressing for anywhere from 10 minutes to all day..... depending on how much time I have.  20 minutes is preferable if you have the time..... but you can do it in 10 minutes in a rush.  I trim up the breasts, pat them dry and then salt and pepper each side.  Then I pierce the chicken several times on both sides with a fork.... this allows the dressing to seep inside to help flavor and tenderize the chicken.  I use a variety of salad dressings for the chicken..... it depends on what I have on hand and/or what my flavor mood is at the time.  What you want is a vinaigrette that has oil and vinegar in it.  I started using Italian vinaigrette, and then one day all I had on hand was Balsamic Vinaigrette and decided..... oh what the heck.... it was DELISH!!!  So that led me to try other vinaigrettes such as Sundried Tomato, Red Wine Vinaigrette... etc.  Each one was DELISH and the flavor changes are very subtle.  This is the easiest way to grill chicken with lots of flavor yet low on calories.  I let the grilled chicken rest for 5 minutes and then I slice it on the diagonal and serve it on top of or on the side of individual portions of the Oriental Slaw.  Grilled marinated steak is also good to go with this slaw....... either way...... it's a meal all in itself and very filling!

There are hundreds...... literally hundreds of recipes for Oriental Slaw, also known as Oriental Salad, Asian Slaw....etc.  I first ate Oriental Slaw when we lived in Michigan and was an instant fan.... but since that first bite..... I have had this dish at several other homes and each hostess had prepared it differently..... and yes, I definitely asked for the recipe from each hostess.  I found bits and pieces (AS ALWAYS!!!!) of the recipes that I liked and disliked, and after much tweaking and combining of all the recipes I had collected, I finally have my own version that is a mix and combination of all the recipes I had personally collected.  My version is on the lighter side..... meaning it doesn't have as strong of an Asian flavor as most do, and thought I would post and share it with you so you could have another version to try out and/or to tweak.  Here is my own version of Oriental Slaw.

ORIENTAL SLAW

1 pkg - Slaw Mix
1 pkg - Ramen Noodles (discard seasoning packet, place noodles in sandwich bag and smash into small bits)
1 bunch - Green Onions (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup - Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup - Sunflower Seeds

ORIENTAL SLAW DRESSING

4 Tbsp - Sugar
1 tsp - Pepper
1 cup - Canola Oil
2 tsp - Accent Salt
2 tsp - Salt
4 Tbsp - Rice Vinegar

Mix together, Slaw Mix, Ramen Noodles, Green Onions, Slivered Almonds and Sunflower Seeds.

Mix together all dressing ingredients and mix well.  I put mine in a shaker (a glass jar with lid works well too) and shake it several times, especially before dressing the slaw.  Set aside until serving time.  Dress Oriental Slaw with dressing immediately before serving.  Some recipes include the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen noodles, but I think it makes the dressing too strong and too salty.... but it can be added to the dressing mixture if desired.  Beef is the typical seasoning packet used in the dressing, but chicken would work well too.... especially if you are serving the slaw with chicken.

I personally get all the ingredients gathered and ready for mixing and toss it all together right before serving..... this keeps the crunchy ingredients crunchy and the dressing from making the slaw goopy.  This recipe makes at least twice as much dressing as needed, so start with a 1/4 of the dressing and toss over slaw well.... add more dressing as needed or for personal taste and texture.  Salad dressing will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

My daughter and I enjoy this salad several times a week and we have learned to make individual portions of the slaw mix to use with the leftover dressing.  And of course we always have left over grilled chicken to go with it.

Hope this recipe starts your spring off to a crunchy, fresh and tasty start!