I was gearing up for a long, long weekend of cruddy weather and lots of time within the confines of our home. But, I was so very wrong. It turned out to be a lovely weekend filled with lots of fun. And lots of yum (obvi. always)
After the trauma of our family pictures on Friday morning, I had a much needed ladies night out with my mom’s group. Dinner out and then to a showing of Bad Moms. It was a blast. Not only was Friday night fun, but on Saturday morning, Mr. Prevention got up with Shea and allowed me to catch up on some much needed sleep. I can’t remember the last time I got out of bed past 8am. Winning!
Saturday morning was dreary and I wasn’t feeling up for tennis, so we took a super exciting family outing to Sam’s Club! Woo! Of course in small town Michigan, the nearest Sam’s is nearly an hour away…so it really is a half day activity. The store was empty for whatever reason and so Shea ran and ran. At one point she was doing lap after lap around one of the baked goods displays. It wasn’t until we hit a standstill on the highway going home, prolonging our trip by 30 minutes, that she started to lose it.
A 3 hour nap for her after getting home allowed lots of time for me to get caught up on my to-do list and by the time she got up, it was beautiful beach weather. So, off we went. Following the beach was a hose down in the yard which she absolutely loved, cackling with delight the entire time. After the evening routine and welcoming a new babysitter, we got Shea down for bed, and headed out for date night – sushi and a new brewery. This new brewery is 2 miles from our doorstep and had a most fun reggae band last night. We met our friends there for a drink/water (for me!) and headed home before we turned into pumpkins around 10:30pm. An ideal night. 😉
To back track just a moment – our little town gaining a sushi restaurant is HUGE news. We now have authentic Mexican, wonderful Thai, good Indian, decent Lebanese, great seafood…and now, decent sushi! I even tried a Venezuelan food truck last week for lunch. Southwest Michigan is totally moving up in the world.
Our grocery stores are still catching up some (Lord loving, I’ll be able to purchase miso someday), but I can usually find everything I need to make most anything I want at home. Loving big, bold flavors, I often find cooking at home to be better than restaurant-prepared food, as we’re not surrounded by THE best of the best when it comes to food. With nothing overly special about this salad, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It definitely caught my eye, but wowza…it delivered. Big time. A favorite, for sure.
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp ginger root, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1¾ lb napa cabbage, finely chopped (all but 3-4 inches from the base)
- 12 oz broccoli slaw
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 6 green onions, diced
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
- To prepare the dressing, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F or higher. Transfer grilled chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Cut chicken crosswise into ¼-inch thick strips.
- Meanwhile, toss together the napa cabbage, broccoli slaw, cilantro, and green onions in a large bowl. Drizzle three-fourths of the dressing and toss well. Top with chicken, drizzle with remaining dressing and toss again. Top with almonds and sesame seeds and gently toss a final time; serve immediately.
- Sunday: Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze and sweet potato wedges (MAKING THIS – and photographing it! – FINALLY. AGAIN.)
- Monday: leftovers with beet & goat cheese salads
- Tuesday: Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Wednesday: grilled chicken or fish (TBD) with Easy Tex Mex Pasta Salad
- Thursday: crab cakes and salad
Be well,
Pinning this for sure! Love these flavor combos!
Author
Thanks, Rebecca! It’s a favorite, for sure!
Woow. It’s looking very tasty. I will try to make this one for this weekend. Thank you
Author
Enjoy! Thanks! 🙂
This looks amazing, will have to try this out!
Author
It’s delicious! Enjoy!
Nicole do you have a favorite recipe for a beet & goat cheese salad w/ dressing?
Author
I’ve been eating it non-stop! I just do field greens, roasted and sliced beets, chopped walnuts, and goat cheese crumbles with olive oil and high-end (thick!!) aged balsamic vinegar (I’ve been using this one and it really makes the salad! – http://www.olivecart.com/vinegars/balsamic/south-haven-25-year-balsamic#.V6HV6bgrLIU ) So simple, but so delicious!