Lesson #25: Hot Chicken Philly Salad For Two

Low Carb Cooking 101

Once in a while, the kids fly the coop and range about the city doing whatever kids do. In my case, that means that Chris is at his “other family’s” house for dinner and the evening. (His girlfriend’s mother is thinking of declaring him a dependent on their income tax return.) Judy is usually off to spend the night with a friend.

I love my kids, but it is so nice to get rid of them for an evening every now and then. It’s so relaxing to shuck off my clothes, get into my nightgown, and just vegetate reading a book or watching television with Rod. These childless nights should not be mucked up with cooking – at least not to my way of thinking. It’s not a night off if I have to cook a big meal and then clean up afterward. I want to fix something simple and something fast.

Sometimes I go completely AWOL and tell Rod to fend for himself and I have nothing more than oven-roasted turkey slices that I dig out from the freezer dipped in some mayonnaise, or deli roast beef and cream cheese. If I get really motivated I’ll heat up a can of waxed beans or microwave some broccoli or cauliflower. Other times we have soup that I have stockpiled in the freezer. All I have to do is microwave it to heat it up and slap together an unimaginative salad. (Rod usually gets a sliced apple, too, but I forego that, of course.)

If I have a modicum of energy on one of my few nights off, I’ll but together a main dish salad. Tuna, salmon, chicken, or egg salad can be made up ahead of time and just dumped on some salad greens. I always arrange some other vegetables attractively around the mound of salad so that Rod thinks that I actually worked (he’s soooooo easy to fool!), and give him some fresh fruit and a roll with his. Sometimes I’ll have some strawberries or sugar free gelatin with mine, but often I’m perfectly content with just the salad.

Both Rod and I like main dish salads with hot meat on them, so sometimes I put one together – and not just on a ‘night off.’ The kids like hot main dish salads, too.

But tonight I’m going serve Hot Chicken Philly Salad, and since the kids are gone I’m going to make just enough for two. If you’re serving more than two, simply double or triple the recipe.

Here’s this evening’s menu:

• Hot Chicken Philly Salad For Two
• Gelatin Parfaits

Here’s the shopping list for the meal: (You may very well already have some of these things on hand.)

• 3 boneless, skinless chick breasts, cooked and thinly sliced (or 3 cups cooked chicken, thinly sliced)
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 16-ounce package prewashed salad greens of you choice
• salad dressing of your choice (optional)
• 2 small boxes sugar free gelatin (different flavors)
• unflavored gelatin (like Knox but generic brands are cheaper and work just as well)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• artificial sweetener

Here’s the game plan:

Take the cooked chicken breasts out of the freezer to thaw. (See my note in the recipe.)

Make the gelatin the day before or in the morning.

Whip the cream early in the day (as soon as the gelatin is set). Put the parfaits together, and place them in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve them.

Since this all goes together quickly, set the table before you begin cooking.

Prepare the Hot Philly Chicken Salad. During the few minutes that it takes, the onions and peppers to cook and the chicken to heat through, fill the water glasses and put the parfaits on the table.

Serve the salad quickly so that it is still piping hot, and sit down to a well-deserved, relaxing meal.

And, finally, here’s the recipes:

Hot Philly Chicken Salad For Two

• 3 boneless, skinless chick breasts, cooked and thinly sliced (*** See note.) (or 3 cups cooked chicken, thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 to 6 cups salad greens

Divide the salad greens evenly between two dinner plates.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions and peppers. Cook until just crisp-tender. Remove the onions and peppers from the skillet and set aside.

Add the sliced chicken to the pan and continue cooking until the chicken is heated through. Top the heated chicken with the peppers and onions.

Add the cheese slices to the chicken, onions, and pepper. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted.

Immediately slide the food on top of the salad greens and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

***Note: I always broil a whole 4-pound package of chicken breasts at a time. That way I always have cooked chicken breasts in the freezer.

I marinate them with salad dressing before broiling them so that they have some flavor of their own. My favorite marinades are a zesty (not sweet) Italian dressing, Caesar dressing, Greek vinaigrette dressing, or a nice Dijon vinaigrette.

Gelatin Parfaits

• 2 small boxes sugar free gelatin (you choice of two different complimentary flavors)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• granulated artificial sweetener (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (like Knox)

Make the gelatin according to the package directions.

Chill the gelatin in shallow cake pans or casseroles. (You want the gelatin to be about 1 inch thick or less.)

Whip the cream, adding the unflavored gelatin (which helps to stabilize it) and artificial sweetener to taste.

Cut the hardened gelatin into small squares with a sharp knife. Place about 1/8 of one the gelatins in each of four stemmed glasses or parfait glasses. (I use four stemmed Martha Stewart tumblers that I got at K-Mart. They’re supposed to be used for water, but what the heck. They’re classy enough for my brood.)

Place a dollop of the whipped cream on top of the gelatin cubes. Put about 1/8 of the second gelatin flavor on top of the whipped cream. Add about 1/8 (and last of) of the first gelatin flavor on top of the second layer of whipped cream, and top it with the last of the second gelatin. Finish off with the last of the whipped cream.

Place the parfaits in the refrigerator until it is time to serve them.

Makes 4 parfaits.