What's For Dinner?

How did your cool season veggie gardens fare this past winter? 

If you're pulling out the last of your cabbages and carrots to make way for the warm season varieties, then why not celebrate with a little end-of-cool-season Asian chicken salad?

Salads are a great way to use up things in the garden that you don't have a bunch of at the end of a season. You may be left with one head of cabbage and maybe a couple of broccoli florets that are still edible. Keep in mind that greens that have produced a flower stalk are past their prime and may not be palatable anymore. Almost anythings goes with this salad so load the harvest basket with any of these that are still standing:

Red or Green Cabbage 

Bok Choi

Spinach

Kale

Carrots

Broccoli 

Scallions

Lettuce (head or leaf)

Cilantro

Peas (with pods)

For the Chicken:

Start with about 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs in a gallon ziplock bag.

Add to that 1/4 cup of soy sauce.

2 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar

1 clove of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of honey

Zip up the bag and shake it to evenly coat the chicken.

Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the chicken and sauce in an oiled baking dish and bake for 20 min.

Once chicken has cooled, cut it into bite sized pieces.

For the Salad:

You'll want to chop about 5 cups of mixed greens (cabbages, lettuces and bok choi, etc.).

Grate your carrots into the greens until you're happy with the orange to green ratio in the salad (approx 2-3 small to medium carrots)

Add a handful of chopped broccoli florets, or more if you'd like.

2-3 chopped scallions with white and green parts included.

Add a cup or so of whole pea pods.

One handful of chopped cilantro with stems included.

(other add-ins could include cooked spaghetti, chopped almonds, crispy won tons, or segmented mandarin oranges)

Toss the chicken pieces with the salad and dress with Annie's Naturals Shitake Sesame Dressing.

*This will make 2 large dinner sized portions, (with some leftovers for tomorrow's lunch) or 4 side salad portions.