Hatch chile chicken salad

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When Hatch chiles are in season, I turn into a crazy girl who stalks her local produce guy and pounces on every case he sets out. Thank goodness Melissa's Produce keeps Bob's Market, the family-owned market in my neighborhood, fully stocked with both mild and hot Hatch chiles when they're available.

Every year I roast dozens of Hatch chiles over an open flame right on my stove, slip off the charred skins, and freeze them in zip-top bags. (See How to Roast Hatch Chiles on Shockingly Delicious for detailed instructions.)

Hatch chiles have a unique flavor and meaty texture that's long been prized in New Mexico where they're grown. They can be hot or mild, but even the mild ones have a little kick. In fact, I love Hatch chiles so much that I created a new flavor of Not Ketchup around them - and now Tangerine Hatch Chile Not Ketchup is my best-selling sauce!

When I puree roasted Hatch chiles with mayonnaise and make chicken salad, my family weeps with joy. Okay, maybe they weep because it's spicy, but whatever. They really like it. And you will too.

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Hatch chile chicken salad

by Erika Kerekes August-21-2013

Roasted Hatch chiles add a welcome zing to this spicy chicken salad.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 mild or hot Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Puree the mayonnaise, Hatch chiles, lime juice, and garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth.Pull the chicken meat off the bones, shredding it with your fingers. Discard the bones and skin (or save them to make chicken stock). Put the chicken meat in a large bowl with the green onions. Spoon the Hatch chile mayonnaise into the bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.Serve chilled. If you have time to let the chicken salad sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, great - the flavors will mingle and intensify.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

Almond-crusted pesto chicken breasts [low carb]

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Because I've been trying to follow a low-carb diet for the past year, I have spent a lot of time with almond flour. Almonds and almond flour are a staple of the low-carb high fat (LCHF) way of eating.

I've used almond flour for baking. I've made pancakes and waffles out of it. And I've used it as "breading" for vegetables, fish and chicken. It doesn't act quite the same as breadcrumbs or flour, but it's a very good substitute.

Following any healthy eating plan requires advance preparation. On the weekends, I often cook a large batch of chicken so I have something to pack in my lunchbox every day before I head to work.

This week I made almond-crusted pesto chicken breasts. Sometimes I make my own basil pesto, but I was pressed for time and used store-bought pesto. Which is totally, completely fine in a dish like this.

I packed the almond-crusted pesto chicken in my lunchbox with some oven-roasted tomatoes. One day I ate them cold. Today I warmed them in the microwave. I think I prefer it warm, but it was pretty darn good cold. I'll be making this again soon.

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Almond-Crusted Pesto Chicken

by Erika Kerekes June-28-2016

Chicken breasts brushed with basil pesto, coated in almond flour and grated cheese, and oven-roasted. An easy low-carb dinner recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup basil pesto sauce
• 4 large chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.In a shallow bowl or on a plate, mix together the almond flour, grated cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Put the basil pesto sauce in another bowl.Dip both sides of one chicken breast in the pesto sauce, then roll it in the almond flour mixture to coat. Place the almond-coated chicken on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining three chicken pieces.Bake the chicken about 50 minutes, until it is cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 4 servings

Sausage sauerkraut pancakes with Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Jimmy Dean, and I am being compensated for creating this recipe. The sauerkraut obsession, however, is mine - for now. I'm warning you, the combination of sausage and sauerkraut may be contagious and highly addictive.

I am obsessed with making sauerkraut.

Do you know how easy it is to make homemade sauerkraut? Cabbage. Salt. Pressure. Time. That's it.

Whether homemade or store-bought, sauerkraut is good, and, many believe, good for you. Google "health benefits fermented foods" and you'll see a long list of articles suggesting that eating naturally fermented foods like pickles and sauerkraut help the digestive and immune systems. (Take a look at this method if you're interested in making your own, although store-bought works perfectly well in this recipe.)

When the nice people at Jimmy Dean asked if I'd be interested in trying their new Sausage Crumbles, my mind went immediately to the perfect combination: sausage and sauerkraut. The spices in the sausage play off the acidic tang of the fermented cabbage. (Think of sauerkraut on a hot dog or a grilled link sausage.)

I've always loved savory pancakes and was inspired by a picture of sauerkraut pancakes from Bon Appetit. I chose Jimmy Dean's Hearty Turkey Sausage Crumbles for this recipe, but you could easily use their other varieties: Hearty Original Sausage Crumbles or Hearty Hot & Spicy Sausage Crumbles. They're sold in the refrigerated section of major supermarkets and I found them extremely flavorful and easy to use - you get to skip the extra step of browning the meat, and there's no messy fat to drain.

Serve these sausage sauerkraut pancakes as a light lunch or dinner. I ate them for breakfast, but that's me. Oh, and that sauce drizzled on top? Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup, one of my new fruit ketchups, of course. Not too sweet, a little spicy, lots of tang - it matched the flavors of the sausage and sauerkraut perfectly.

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Sausage Sauerkraut Pancakes

by Erika Kerekes March-18-2014

Savory pancakes studded with chunks of Jimmy Dean fully cooked Hearty Turkey Sausage Crumbles and loaded with tangy fermented sauerkraut. Making your own sauerkraut is easy, but store-bought sauerkraut works fine in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sauerkraut, liquid drained, tightly packed before measuring (homemade or jarred)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose baking mix (I use Bisquick)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 bag Jimmy Dean Hearty Turkey Sausage Crumbles (9.6 ounces)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, for frying (use more as needed)
• Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup, for serving

Instructions

Put the sauerkraut in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Let drain, then squeeze the sauerkraut to get out as much of the excess liquid as possible. To a large bowl, add the sauerkraut and eggs. Whisk lightly with a fork to break up the eggs. Add the baking mix and milk and mix again until everything is combined. Stir in the Jimmy Dean Hearty Turkey Sausage Crumbles, then season the mixture generously with freshly ground black pepper.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil, then spoon 4 pancakes into the skillet, using about 3 Tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook until golden brown, then turn the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove the cooked pancakes to a plate, or to a rack set over a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining oil and pancake batter until all the pancakes are made.Serve warm with Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: about 16 4-inch pancakes

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Jimmy Dean. This could include Jimmy Dean providing us with content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Smoky Date #NotKetchup turkey burger with arugula salad

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Good news: With the help of Smoky Date Not Ketchup, I finally created a turkey burger I can get excited about.

When it comes to burgers, I'm a beef girl. But I'm getting older and I want to stay healthy, so I'm trying to eat less red meat.

Ground turkey on its own doesn't do much for me. But this turkey burger gets a savory boost from chopped green onions, Dijon mustard and my Not Ketchup sauce. Drizzled with a simple dressing and served on a bed of arugula, this Smoky Date Not Ketchup turkey burger has tons of flavor and won't weigh you down.

We're in our honeymoon phase, Not Ketchup and I. Can't get enough of each other. Thanks for following along as I work like a maniac to get Not Ketchup off the ground and into stores - which, of course, includes a slew of Not Ketchup recipes.

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Smoky Date Not Ketchup Turkey Burgers with Arugula Salad

by Erika Kerekes February-16-2014

Moist, flavorful turkey burgers get a savory boost from green onions, Dijon mustard and Smoky Date Not Ketchup, a new gourmet dipping sauce created by food blogger Erika Kerekes. Served on a bed of arugula, this turkey burger satisfies for lunch or dinner without weighing you down.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 5 Tablespoons Smoky Date Not Ketchup, divided
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 3 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together the ground turkey, 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 3 Tablespoons of Smoky Date Not Ketchup, green onions and salt (wet hands work best). Form the mixture into two large patties about 1 inch thick. Place the flour on a plate and coat the patties on both sides with the flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm the grapeseed or canola oil. Lay the patties in the pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until the turkey burgers are golden brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven for 10 minutes or until the turkey burgers are cooked through.While the turkey burgers are finishing in the oven, whisk together the remaining 1 Tablespoon mustard, 2 Tablespoons Smoky Date Not Ketchup, and olive oil in a small bowl.To serve, divide the arugula evenly between two large plates. Place one turkey burger on top of each bed of arugula, then drizzle the olive oil mixture on top of each burger and salad. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 2 servings

Canned salmon salad with dill pickles

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I hear a lot of complaints from parents who hate packing lunch for their kids.

Actually, I don't mind packing lunch. It sure beats having my high schooler eat crappy public school cafeteria food or having to shell out $8 each day for the catered lunch at my younger son's private middle school.

We get into a rhythm with school lunches. On a typical day each boy gets a sandwich, two pieces of fruit, and a chocolate milk box (one kid gets soy, the other regular). If I've baked muffins or cookies, each kid also gets a small treat.

I always keep canned salmon in the pantry to make this simple, flavorful salmon salad, one of the boys' favorite sandwich fillings. The secret: I mince petite dill pickles in the mini-processor and add them to the salmon salad. The pickles add a little tang and a little crunch, balancing the richness of the salmon perfectly.

(Why not celery, you ask? My husband hates it, so I'm out of the habit. And why salmon instead of tuna? The mercury thing.)

A note on ingredients: Costco has excellent wild Alaskan salmon in cans, as well as large jars of petite dill pickles. As for mayonnaise, I am a Hellman's girl, although of course it's called Best Foods out here in California.

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Canned salmon salad with dill pickles

by Erika Kerekes September-14-2013

Minced petite dill pickles add crunch and a little tang to this easy salmon salad. Perfect for lunchbox sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 3 6-ounce cans salmon (preferably wild Alaskan salmon)
• 10 petite dill pickles, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or a little more or less, to taste)
• 1/2 small fresh lemon

Instructions

Drain the canned salmon and empty the cans into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the pickles and mayonnaise. Squeeze the lemon over the ingredients in the bowl, taking care to fish out any pits. Mix everything together with a fork, flaking the salmon as you mix, until the salmon salad is well combined. Serve chilled.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 10 mins Yield: approximately 4 cups