Chicken Salad...err...Salad

Remember that super easy chicken salad?  Well, I have an equally super easy way to use up the leftovers. You might be wondering what has me going all semi-homemade as of late.  What an I say, sometimes I like them easy.

All joking aside (seriously, though, when is the joking ever aside on this blog?) there is a beauty to having ready made food on hand for busy nights.  Or for the nights where I am just plain lazy and want to spend all night on the couch watching Grey's Anatomy.

I started re-watching the series, which always coincides with me trolling WebMD and thinking that my everyday maladies are life threatening illnesses.  There actually was a story line on one of the episodes where this guy with what appeared to be a simple runny nose ended up having fluid from his brain draining from his nose.  Every time I have the sniffles, I think of this.

Anyway, for the salad I mixed together the chicken salad and three bean salad with some chopped romaine.  The salad is filling and the mixture of the dressing from the bean salad and the chicken is pretty fantastic.  I ate this with a bun and large glass of lemon water.  The perfect summer meal.

Chicken Salad...err...Salad

Ingredients:


Romaine lettuce, chopped
Three bean salad
Chicken salad


Directions:


Combine all the ingredients.  Eat.  Eat.  And eat.

Ridiculously Easy Chicken Salad

So, this hasn't had a new post in a week.  I'd like to have some really cool explanation like I was absconding with the Avengers or aliens invaded, but the truth is that I'm back with my parents for a bit after graduation and I left my camera at my apartment.

Oh, and I also was in Virginia for half of last week.

Both of those in tandem are why all you voracious Tip Top Shape readers (the...let me count...three of you...or perhaps four) have been left high and dry this past week.  I'm back with a vengeance, though, and this site will return to its regularly scheduled programming.  

I actually missed blogging while I was in Virginia.  There's something nice about the routine of waking up, editing the post and immersing yourself in the genius of all those other blogs.  I even missed drafting the posts, something that I oftentimes find daunting when I'm planning what to post for the week.  My brother's girlfriend's sister (now isn't that a mouthful?) used to be a serious blogger, and my fingers itched after talking with her about blogging and food photography.

So, it's good to be back.

Today's recipe is so ridiculously easy that I almost didn't post it.  I'm not a big fan of semi-homemade meals, but sometimes any given night does not allow hours in front of the stove, or even twenty minutes.  This meal is for those evenings when you don't have time to cook but want to avoid the fast food trap or frozen meal quick sands.  It's nutritious, fresh and the leftovers can be used in a variety of ways.

Without further adieu, I bring you this ridiculously easy chicken salad.

Ridiculously Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Rotisserie Chicken, pre-cooked (2 cups)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cup almonds slivers

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Remove meat from the chicken and chop into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside with the almonds and celery. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and pepper.  Add the chicken, celery and almonds.

Eat any way that you like.  My recommendations are: mixed with salad greens, on a bun or in a wrap.

Source: allrecipes.com

Chicken Florentine

Chicago is supposed to be hit with a storm being heralded as the worse in 70 years. Right now, though, all I am seeing are blue skies. Some clouds. I think they are cumulous. I could be wrong. (Probably am).

I'm not too worried about the whole storm thing, though.

You see, I've got some chicken. Some wine. And a whole season of Glee waiting for me to sing along with it. So, epic storm, bring it on. I'm ready for you.

Chicken Florentine

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves

salt/pepper

flour (for dredging)

2 tbsp chopped shallots

2 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 tbsp butter

2 10 oz boxes of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Next, put flour into a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Make sure to get an even coating, shaking off the excess.

In a large saute pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add the chicken. Cook for five minutes on each side until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and add another 2 tbsp of butter and the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots are translucent-about one minute.

Add the white wine and bring to a boil, cooking until the liquid is reduced by half-about three minutes. Next, add the cream and cook until the liquid reduces again by half-about three minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked chicken breasts and coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a separate saute pan and add the spinach, cooking until it is heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the spinach on a serving platter and lay the chicken on top. Mangia!