Quinoa-Farro Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken

This quinoa salad has been my lifeline for the past month... and this just in: I'm still not sick of it!

It's love.

Inspired by a salad from a restaurant, I was determined to make it myself at home. Simply determined. So the next day I went to my local market to get my hands on some farro, which I must say is quite expensive compared to other grains! But on the upside, it's delicious and has this amazing toothy quality that adds to the quinoa's soft almost rice-like texture. If you want to keep it low budget - I suggest trying barley instead (I plan on trying it myself soon).

Anyways, with all the fresh herbs and veggies, it's simply perfect. I had never tried farro before and was stunned at how much I loved it. The combination might not sound so appetizing to non-health freaks but I swear, everyone who has tried has loved it! The lemon-y dressing and French feta make it so irresistible  and all of the textures keeps your taste buds guessing at each bite. This salad is equally amazing with some grilled shrimp on top!

Quinoa-Farro Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken
Yields: 10 servings


For the chicken:
10 chicken tenders
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt


For the salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup farro
2 large red bell peppers, seeds removed, sliced, cut into 1" pieces
5 Persian cucumbers, seeds removed, sliced into 1 cm pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup golden raisins, rehydrated in warm water
1 cup French feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped


For the dressing:

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. crushed dried mint

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. seasoned salt

To make the dressing, whisk together everything in a small bowl to blend and set aside in the refrigerator until needed. For the chicken, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Mix together and add the chicken. Stir well to coat, then cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before grilling, allow the chicken to come to room temperature. Grill over a medium-high flame until cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side.


To cook the quinoa, add the quinoa and 1 1/4 cups of water into a rice cooker. Cook using the 'white rice' setting. Once done, remove the quinoa and allow to cool to room temperature. While the quinoa is cooking, heat a large sauce pot over high heat. Add the farro and 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to a simmer. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes until tender. If there is excess water remaining, drain the farro and set aside to cool.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled grains, all of the vegetables and drained, re-hydrated raisins. Mix to combine. If not serving immediately at this point, you can refrigerate this mixture until ready to eat, it usually keeps in my refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to serve, toss in the feta cheese and enough dressing to lightly coat. Eat cold or at room temperature and serve with the warm chicken.

Chicken Miso Ramen

Ramen is misunderstood by most. The mention of ramen brings about memories of dried, lifeless noodles  tucked into a styrofoam bowl, alongside its friends: spice packet and spice oil; not pretty. For example, when I asked my parents if they've had ramen before, they laughed mockingly under their breaths and continued to glue their eyes to the television... oy vey!

Well, this is the time when I tell you, all you styrofoam-fearing, stranger-to-true-ramen readers, that ramen is not what you think it is. Real ramen, real Japanese ramen is delicious, complex, and comforting.  I make sure to get my hands on it whenever I can, see here, here and here. This ramen is two of the above adjectives: delicious and comforting. I'd like to describe it as a poor man's ramen - that is, if poor men eat delicious things such as chicken miso ramen.

I had some white miso on hand and while searching for recipes to use it up, I came across this simple ramen recipe. The best part of this soup is all of the add-ins. I straight-up gobbled down the buttered corn and soft-boiled egg. Next time though, I need to find myself some really good ramen noodles from a Japanese market. Still, a comforting bowl indeed. 

Chicken Miso Ramen

Yields: 2 servings

Original recipe here.

4 cups chicken stock

2 tbsn. shiro/ white miso

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup corn kernels (I used canned, you can also use frozen)

1 tbsn. butter

2 cups spinach

2 eggs

2 servings of ramen noodles

optional garnishes: sliced green onion, cilantro, nori, sesame seeds

Heat up your chicken stock in a large sauce pot and gently stir in the miso until it is mixed in. Taste and add more miso if needed. Miso pastes vary in saltiness, so adjust accordingly. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the eggs. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the water and run under cold tap water until they are cool to the touch. Peel and slice in half, facing them yolk side upwards so that they runny yolks don't spill out. Heat the butter over medium heat and add the corn. Stir to coat each kernel of corn in the butter, set aside. Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water until just wilted, remove from the water and set aside. Cook the ramen noodles according to the package, drain and place in the bottom of two large bowls. Top the ramen with the shredded chicken, thinly sliced onions, egg, corn, spinach and a sprinkling of garnish. Enjoy!

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Vietnamese Com Ga is probably one of the simplest, homeliest meals of our culture. Simple as it is, it's still one of my favorite meals.

I love how simple everything is, yet there's so much flavor, and the chicken really shines through. That's why it's super important to use free-range chicken in this recipe, because since the chicken is your main ingredient, you really want to use the best quality available. What makes the meal spectacular though, I feel, is the ginger fish sauce! It's sweet, tangy, salty and sooo delicious. Actually almost any kind of fish sauce makes me happy! The mint, cucumbers and marinated onions add great freshness to the dish as well.

The soup is optional but if you've never had fresh chicken stock before, please try this! With the leftover stock, you simply add some fish sauce to season it, then some fresh "Gai Xanh." I'm not sure what the English name of this is but it's similar to bok choy, so you can also substitute that. The broth is just so rich with flavor, it's incredible. I love this meal especially because though it's super healthy, you feel so satisfied after eating it.

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Yields: 4 servings

1 small, whole, free-range chicken

2 cups rice

4 cups chicken stock (reserved from cooking the chicken)

1 cup mint leaves, julienned

1/2 large white onion, sliced

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 persian cucumbers, washed and sliced

nuoc mam gung, for serving (recipe below)

For the soup:

gai xanh or vietnamese bok choy (regular bok choy is fine too), roughly chopped

fish sauce, to taste

black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken (whole) inside. Fill the pot with enough water to almost cover the chicken. Heat over medium-high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce heat to medium to allow the water to simmer and the chicken to cook, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest and the water to cool down. Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the stock, but DO NOT discard the water. Cut the chicken into small pieces, for easier eating.

In the meantime, put the rice in a large bowl with a few cups of water. Gently swirl your fingers in the bowl to allow the starch to separate from the grains. Once the water becomes white, drain and repeat this process twice more. With each time, the water will get less cloudy. The idea is not to get rid of all the starch, just enough so that the rice will not be too sticky or too dry when cooked. Put the rice in a sieve and drain until the rice is fairly dry. In a rice cooker, combine the rice with 4 cups of chicken stock and cook according to your machine's setting (alternatively, you can also cook this on the stovetop). Right before serving, stir in the mint. You do not want to do this ahead of time because the mint will turn brown.

With the remaining broth, you can either save it for future use or make soup. To make the soup, re-heat the remaining broth over medium heat until just boiling. Add fish sauce, to taste. Add the gai xanh/ Vietnamese bok choy until just wilted. Turn off the heat. Enjoy sprinkled with some black pepper, alongside your Com Ga.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, vinegar and black pepper. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to soften and marinate the onions. To serve, place some rice on a plate. Top with some marinated onions, cucumbers, pieces of chicken and a drizzle of the nuoc mam guon. Enjoy!

Gai Xanh/ Vietnamese Boy Choy:

The ginger-fish sauce concoction & the marinated onions:

Nuoc Mam Gung/ Vietnamese Ginger Fish Sauce

2 - 3 limes, juiced

2 tbsn. fish sauce

2 tbsn. sugar, to taste

2-inch piece of ginger, finely minced

1 red chili, finely diced (optional)

Combine everything until well mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and Olives

Since I've been back from Chile, I've missed the country and the people like no other. So when it was time for my classmates and I to have our little reunion, I thought it best to make something reminiscent of our time together in Chile... empanadas! When I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen I instantly knew I had to make it. Then, when I read her review on it, I almost died from anticipation!

These empanadas were so effing good! The dough was so flaky and so easy to deal with. I was so hesitant about this recipe because it took a look of work, but it was so, so worth it. And the filling... I mean how could you go wrong with chicken, onions and chorizo!?? Honestly people, you can't. This recipe might be time consuming but is definitely worth it!

Evenly dividing the dough into 24 pieces:

Filled and formed empanadas ready to be baked:

A whole tray of delicious empanadas!

Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and Olives

Yields: 24 empanadas

Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen, which can be found here.

Printable Recipe

For the dough:

4 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp. salt

2 sticks/ 1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 large eggs

2/3 cup ice water

2 tbsn. distilled white vinegar

For the filling:

3 whole chicken legs, 2 1/4 lbs. total

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

4 1/2 tbsn. extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

1/3 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo

1/2 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika

1/4 cup chopped, pitted green olives

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

For the egg wash:

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbsn. water

To make the dough, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized butter lumps. Beat together the egg, water and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, knead with the heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring the dough together. Form into two flat rectangles and chill then, at least 1 hour at max 6 hours.

To make the filling, pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsn. oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken, turning over once about 6 minutes total and transfer to a plate. Saute the onions, garlic and bay leaves in the skillet, stirring frequently until onions are softened, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add olives, wine and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping any brown bits. Return chicken to skillet along with juices accumulated on the plate, then reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken, covered, turning over once, until tender, about 25 - 30 minutes total.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Sauce in the pan should be the consistency of heavy cream, if not, continue to simmer until thickened. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and discard the skin and bones. Stir chicken into the sauce and discard the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, if needed and then cool the filling, uncovered for about 30 minutes.

To form the empanadas, put the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 F. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and form each into a disk. Keeping the remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 2 tbsn. of filling into the center and fold in half, enclosing the filling. Press edges to seal, then crimp decoratively with a fork. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Lightly brush empanadas with the egg wash and bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching position halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 5 minutes. 

YUMMMM, spreading hot sauce all over this baby!

Alli's Chicken Pasta Salad

I often have school all day. And by all day I really mean all day; sometimes from 8 in the morning to 10 at night! I don't know how I do it or how my mind has the capability to be working for that long but good nutritious food really does help. I would usually resort to just grabbing some food from some greasy place but it's that icky feeling afterward that forced me stop my habits. I like making things like this pasta that's easy to transport and keeps well. But most importantly is yummy!

1. First, season your chosen veggies and roast them.

2. Next, add all of your ingredients into a large bowl.

3. Grab your favorite Caesar dressing (Ken's lite happens to be mine).

4. Add pasta, pour sauce, and toss.

5. Enjoy by the heaping spoonful!

6. Or grab a plate and be civilized!

Alli's Chicken Pasta Salad

Yields: About 10 - 15 servings

Printable Recipe

1 roast chicken

1 box of grape tomatoes

1 box of mushrooms (of your choice)

1 bunch of asparagus

2 tbsn. olive oil

1/2 - 3/4 cup of Ken's Lite Caesar dressing 

1 box of pasta (of your choice)

salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, making sure to salt your boiling water. Once the pasta is done, drain it and set aside. Cut your asparagus into thirds and slice your mushrooms and then place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with some salt, pepper and the olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes or until your preference of done-ness. While that is cooking, remove the meat from the roast chicken and roughly chop or just shred with your fingers. Place it in a large bowl. Next add the cooked veggies and the drained pasta. Slice the tomatoes in half (or you could keep them whole) and toss them in. Start by adding 1/2 a cup of dressing and toss. If you want more dressing, just simply add some. Sprinkle with some more pepper and enjoy!

* This is a very loose recipe. It originally called for cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and corn but I changed it up with my own favorite vegetables and you can do the same!

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Alas, school has commenced once again... and I'm back to salads and sandwiches for the rest of my living days. But hey, I'm not complaining, especially since my salads will be topped and my sandwiches filled with this glorious chicken salad. Nobody does it like Smitten Kitchen. I've made this chicken salad pretty often, but I guess never gotten around to blogging about it. I really shouldn't have waited to share this one because it is in one word: AMAZING. It probably also has the power to cure the world of AIDS, end world hunger, and bring peace to this world. Ok... maybe not but it really is delicious. I slightly adapted it to fit the current state of my pantry because it really is moldable to what you have on hand. It's yummy with walnuts or pecans, with any vinegar you have on hand, and I often make it with way less mayonnaise for health's sake.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, original recipe can be found here.

Printable Recipe

4 cups of cubed (1/2 inch) chicken, about 1 3/4 lbs.

1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (walnuts are good also)

1 celery rib, diced

2 tbsn. finely diced shallot

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 - 2/3 cup of mayonnaise, depending on your preference

3 tbsn. red wine vinegar

2 tbsn. fresh chopped tarragon or herb of your choice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

All of the ingredients before mixing:

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Enjoy on top of some leafy greens or some nice, crusty bread. Enjoy!

The finished product:

Rachel Ray's "The Only Pizza You Will Ever Want Again"

After a long day of school, a long tedious meal is the last thing on anyone's mind. Rachel Ray sure comes to the rescue when you're in need of a quick and satisfying meal, after all she has come to be known as the "Queen of Quick." This pizza was definitely a tummy pleaser and full of flavor and actually surprisingly nutritious and substantial. 

As a note, I recommend making a stop at your local Trader Joes for your ingredients. They have individual portions of pizza dough for only about $1.50 and in plain, whole wheat (which we used), and garlic & herb. You can find all of the other ingredients there also, which makes for an easy shopping trip. 

Recipe is as follows (tweaked for convenience):

For the crust:

1 (16 oz.) package of pizza dough 

2 tsn. olive oil

2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano

For the toppings:

1/3 lb. broccoli, chopped and steamed

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb. chicken (pre-cooked), chopped

1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

10 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

12 - 15 leaves of basil, chiffonaded

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. On a large baking sheet lined with foil, stretch out your pizza dough and form the crust. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmigiano Reggiano. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and minced garlic, mix well. Spread the mixture over the crust. Top with the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli. Next, sprinkle the pizza with the mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Top with the basil and serve.

How to Chiffonade Basil:

Stack your basil leaves on top of each other, then roll the basil into a little cigarette. Take your knife and slice the "cigarette" very thinly. And there you have it!