Seared Chicken, Pink Tomato and Orange Dressing Salad

I was undecided of what to post for this year’s first recipe, if a sweet or a savory one. I opt for a light, yet satisfying dish salad that would be great to prepare for lunch or dinner. I thought it would be of great benefit since I am sure many of us have healthy eating as one of our New Year resolutions.What I like the most of this dish is the homemade orange salad dressing that goes well with many salads. I hope you do try this soon because it's so good that all bottled dressings made with artificial ingredients in your home will be tossed away. I use homegrown organic bitter orange juice, but you could use the juice of a fresh sweet orange for a slightly sweet tang dressing.

I hope your New Year started with wonderful blessings for you and your family! Mine has been so far so good and I have faith it is going to be a blessed Year. There is a new addition to the family, her name is Snowflakes. I know if any of my family and close friends read this they are going to think I am crazy since I already have eight other dogs, but I had to keep this one, she is the dog I always wanted. I’ll be very busy training her, so wish me luck. You can see Snowflakes here.

I also would like to thank everyone who bought my eBook. You can find more information on, How to Cook Dominican Style, here. This mini project is my first step towards achieving my goal of one day making a tangible book with all my favorite traditional recipes. For those who like baking sweets I have two more pending eBooks. I could tell you upfront that one is about suspiro and that I have been working on it  for over a year. I hope to have it published soon.

SPICY THAI SHRIMP SALAD

Hot-and-sour, salads lie at the heart of Thai cuisine. Even though they are essentially hot because of the chilie sauce, cayenne peppers and sour with lime juice, the balance of flavors can be such that each is distinctly unique, like a symphony of flavors. This spicy salad is perfect for a special luncheon,  I loved it!

Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad Recipe 

 
Ingredients:
¾ cup prepared vinaigrette salad dressing (olive oil, salt pepper and vinegar)
⅓ cup chopped fresh mint leaves(opcional)
½ teaspoon hot sauce or cayenne pepper sauce (use more or less to suit your taste) 
¼ cup honey dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil ( to sauté shrimps)
1 ½ pounds large shrimp, shelled (tails left on if you prefer)
8 cups shredded Napa cabbage or your favorite lettuce 
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

Preparation: 
1. Combine salad dressing, mint, hot sauce, mustard, lime juice, and sugar in a large bowl; set aside.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet or wok until hot. Stir-fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes until shrimp turns pink. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Add cabbage, bell pepper and cucumber, toss to coat. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy!

Receta en español: AQUÍ

 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.  - 1 corinthians 14:40 

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Delightful Pink Potato Salad: A Beloved Classic in the Dominican Republic

Delightful Pink Potato Salad: A Beloved Classic in the Dominican Republic. 

Our family favorite is the delightful Pink Potato Salad. Known as Ensalada Rusa Rosada or Ensalada de Remolacha, this vibrant dish features beets, making it a standout favorite. 

Receta Ensalada Rusa Rosada en español.

At our home, my daughter Crystal crafts delightful potato and pasta salads, and today's creation was absolutely delicious! Try this holiday must-have at your table and indulge in the vibrant flavors of this must-try Dominican classic.

Dominican Pink Potato Salad

This delightful salad can be prepared with perfectly cut cubes or semi-chopped and mashed, just as we prefer at home. Feel free to cut, chop, or mash as you please. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:
8 medium-sized potatoes
3 medium beets boiled or canned  
Mayonnaise to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar or more if preferred

Optional ingredients that can be added:
2 carrots chopped
1 can of corn
1 small can petit pois (green peas)
1 large onion finely chopped 
1 bell pepper finely chopped  
4 boiled eggs chopped 

Preparation:

1. Begin by boiling the potatoes and carrots until they are tender. In a separate pot, boil the eggs until they are cooked to your desired consistency.

2. While the potatoes, carrots, and eggs are cooking, finely chop the peppers and onions, and dice the beets.

3. Once the potatoes, carrots, and eggs are ready and have cooled, chop them into approximately 1/2-inch squares and mix them together in a large bowl. Add the chopped onions, peppers, beets, corn, peas, vinegar, mayonnaise, and a touch of salt and pepper. Mix everything well and serve.

4. If you plan to prepare this recipe in advance, take extra precautions as with all dishes containing eggs and mayonnaise. It's best to keep the salad in the refrigerator until serving time and serve it cold.

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you'll love:

 Potato Salad

Delicious Potatoes by Sister Herminia and Ruby

“Let all that you do be done with love.” -1 Corintios 16:14

Text and Photos © Mari's Cakes

Nancy's Cauliflower Salad

My sister Nancy makes this incredibly delicious salad. I love this recipe because it presents cauliflower in an appealing way for picky vegetable eaters and also creates a potato salad that is full of nutrients. If preferred, it can be prepared without the potatoes, resulting in a fantastic low-calorie/carb salad.

Receta de Ensalada de Coliflor de Nancy en español.

Nancy's Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower

3 small potatoes

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

chopped chives

⅓ cup mayonnaise, or to taste

2 tablespoons vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Paprika (optional)

You can add any chopped: Bacon, ham, turkey, or celery.

Preparation:

1. Wash and boil the potatoes until tender, then peel and cut them into slices.

2. Cook the cauliflower, drain it, and once cooled, cut it into medium-sized cubes. Add the boiled eggs, chives, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.

3. Combine the ingredients and chill before serving.

Love you Sis! 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

 

Chicken and Chickpea Salad

En Español

This is an awesome and filling salad that I got out of a High-Energy, Low GI cookbook. I made a few changes and served with some toasted casabe to add a little bit of Dominican flavor. Thisi s a Deliciously Nutritional Salad!

Chicken and Chickpea Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

14 oz. canned chickpeas. Drained and rinsed 

3 ½ oz. canned red kidney beans. Drained and rinsed 

(I prefer fresh beans so I boiled some until tender and rinsed with cold water to stop the cooking process)

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, torn

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

A small bunch of chives, finely chopped

8 oz. grilled chicken breast, chopped

8 oz. very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small cucumber chopped

Fresh Parmesan cheese shavings

(Optional) Serve with warm pita or toasted casabe, see note at the end of recipe

Dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2-3 garlic cloves crushed

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

To make the dressing: Mix oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and stir until the mix turns a pale yellow almost white in color. Mix the chickpeas, kidney beans, onion and herbs. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to let the flavors infuse.

Right before serving, add the chicken, tomatoes and cucumber to the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Sprinkle with a few shavings of Parmesan and serve with warm pita or toasted casabe.

Variation:

Replace the chicken with grilled turkey breast and the parsley for fresh cilantro.

[Casabe - crispy flat bread made from cassava (yuca) flour. It can also be toasted in the oven and served with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil]

Read 
Casabe and its history click: Casabe.
How to toast casabe instructions and another recipe click: Algo Taíno con Algo Mediterráneo.
Recipe for: Ensalada de Bacalao.

The rose is a special add-on, since my beloved husband has given me a bouquet of roses in this day and I wanted to share it and at the same time save it along with this recipe.

"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones."  Proverbios 12:4