Giadas Asian Chicken Salad Recipes

CHINESE TURKEY SALAD

Steps:

• For the turkey: In a 4 or 5-quart saucepan, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, orange juice, garlic and ginger. Add the turkey, breast-side down, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees F, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the turkey cool for 20 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into 2-inch pieces.
• For the wontons: In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread should brown in about 4 minutes.) Add the wontons and fry until golden, 30 to 45 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• For the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, orange juice, sesame seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• For the salad: In a large salad bowl, toss together the almonds, romaine, iceberg lettuce, Napa cabbage, scallions and bell pepper. Add the dressing and the shredded turkey and toss until coated. Garnish with the fried wontons and serve.

ITALIAN CHICKEN SALAD IN LETTUCE CUPS

Steps:

• Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.
• Do-Ahead Tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup olive oil
• Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.
• Yield: 1 3/4 cups

ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the dressing 30 minutes ahead of time by combining the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salad oil, and rice vinegar in a salad dressing carafe.
• To prepare the Chinese rice noodles, heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of oil and break off a little bit of the noodles and add them to the skillet and fry them. They will puff up in the skillet, so only add a few at a time. As they begin to puff up, remove and drain them on paper towels. Be sure to cook long enough as the under cooked noodles will be like eating needles. Once cooked, add them to the salad mixture.
• In a large bowl combine the iceberg lettuce, cooked and shredded chicken, green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Let chill about 10 minutes, and just before serving add the cooked rice noodles. Serve in salad bowls and offer the dressing in a pourable container so your family can add as much dressing as they want. You can also pour the dressing over the top of the salad, toss, and serve immediately.

GIADA'S ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl. Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds.
• For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if using.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the chow mein noodles and serve.
• **Cook's Note: To toast the slivered almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using.

CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• For the chicken: Combine the chicken, buttermilk, lemon and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• For the crispy prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Lay the prosciutto flat on the baking sheet and spray with a few more spritzes. Bake until lightly toasted and crispy, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the mayo: Mix together the mayonnaise and pesto in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the sandwiches: Mix together the flour, breadcrumbs and salt in a shallow bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, removing as much of the buttermilk as possible, and dredge in the flour mixture. Place immediately in the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Fry on the first side until golden brown and there is a ring of cooked chicken around the edges, about 5 minutes. Gently flip the chicken and continue to cook on the second side until evenly golden brown and cooked through, an additional 4 minutes. Place a slice of mozzarella on top of each and cover the pan for an additional minute to melt the cheese. Alternatively, you can remove the chicken to a small baking tray, top with the mozzarella and place under the broiler until melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Spread the cut sides of the buns evenly with pesto mayonnaise. Place a small amount of arugula on the bottom halves and top with a cutlet. Break a slice of crispy prosciutto on top. Close the sandwiches and enjoy.

GARLIC AND CITRUS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).
• Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

CHICKEN MILANESE

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Season the pounded cutlets evenly on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate, shallow bowls. Season the flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt, the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the breadcrumbs with 1/2 teaspoon salt. One at a time, dredge the seasoned chicken cutlets in the flour, then the egg mixture finishing with the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to make sure the breadcrumbs are evenly coating the chicken.
• Add the oil to the hot pan and heat another 10 seconds. Add the breaded chicken to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the first side is deep golden brown and the chicken is beginning to look cooked around the edges. Work in batches if needed. Flip the cutlets and continue to cook on the second side until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a wire rack and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot with 1 or 2 lemon wedges and a small arugula salad, if desired.

WARM CHICKEN PARMESAN SALAD

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper flakes. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the first side, 3 minutes. Flip, and cook for an additional minute. Add the marinara sauce and turn the cutlets to coat in the sauce. Top with the mozzarella, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
• Meanwhile, combine the arugula, basil, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Toss well to coat.
• To serve: Place one piece of chicken on a plate and top with a spoonful of sauce. Add a bit of the salad right on top of the chicken, and serve.