So I have been cooking on an electric stove and because I always try to remain positive I have been trying to tell myself that its not all that bad...sure I may boil over water, scorch the hell out of my pans and generally adjust the temperature 85 times whenever I cook...but ya know that is just the price you have to pay. However, I just got a gas stove and I swear it truly was the happiest night of my life. I could see the flame, adjust the temperature and modify as needed...and the Chicken Satay Salad turned out perfectly (and yes I had to cook the chicken so lets not jump to conclusions and assume just because it was a salad that there was no cooking involved). You will also be happy to know that I quickly christened that stove...I splattered peanut sauce all over the top of it within seconds and tossed chicken into the inside within the first 5 minutes...so yes I own that stove now.



I am also on a summer salad kick. It has been pretty hot around here lately and although I love the warm summer nights complete with crickets, ton-o-stars and patio dining, it is hard to get motivated to light the oven or heat up the house with menus that require slaving over a hot stove. I have made 2 super easy and tasty and kind of different summer salads that I want to share.

Tonight I made Chicken Satay Salad from Food Network and it was super easy, very fresh and very flavorful. The recipe does call for grilled chicken but I decided to just saute the chicken in a pan and that worked great. I was a little concerned as the recipe called for Thai peanut sauce and I wasn't sure if I could find that at my neighborhood grocery but I found a great peanut sauce at Trader Joe's.  I truly recommend it and although it could have been a little spicier for my tastes  it had great flavor. Plus as we all know spice can be added easily, it just can't be deleted with ease.



The chicken is tossed with the peanut sauce, vegetable oil, salt and pepper and then grilled or in my case sauteed. Meanwhile make the dressing which is super easy-consisting of peanut sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil and water. The water part made me laugh because if I was creating a recipe I don't think I would taste the dressing and be like,"oh yeah that's what is missing 2T of water." Hmm, really?

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
• 7 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) Thai peanut sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 head romaine lettuce, sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
• 1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
• 3 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts

Directions

The salad has romaine lettuce, carrot, cucumber, red bell pepper, cilantro and chopped peanuts added to it. The crunch of the peanuts, the protein from the chicken and the fresh vegetables are a great combination. I definitely enjoyed this recipe.



Now if you want another salad option here is another recipe I tried recently for Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad from Cooking Light. Love the spice in this salad and it has no cooking as it uses rotisserie chicken, so its another great warm weather option.

• Dressing:
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Salad:
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
2. To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
   
   Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Anyway hope everyone is having a spectacular Labor Day Weekend-be safe and cheers!