BAREFOOT BLOGGERS and CEiMB - Chinese Chicken Salad and Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub

A lady opened her refrigerator and saw a rabbit sitting on one of the shelves.
"What are you doing in there?" She asked.

The rabbit replied:

"This is a Westinghouse, isn't it?", To which the lady replied "Yes."
"Well," the rabbit said, "I'm westing."

Be sure to see my post above and sign up for the pay-it-forward give away!

I'm combining CEiMB this week with BAREFOOT BLOGGERS.

First, in our CEiMB group, Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub was chosen this week by Pam of Lobsters & Fishsticks. I love salmon patties, but I would never order salmon in a restaurant. But the DH does, so I decided to give it a try. I sent him to the store for fresh salmon, and he came back with frozen. But it was very easy to cook this up and even though the cook (me) charred it just a bit, we both loved it. It was too cold here to grill outside and I do not own a grill pan, so I just used a regular skillet. The recipe is below. Thank you Pam for choosing this!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture.
Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

In Ina Garten's Barefoot Bloggers group, McKenzie of Kenzie's Kitchen chose Chinese Chicken Salad. It was really easy to make. I made a few substitutions. I used canned asparagus because Publix was running a sale on fresh and guess what - they were sold out! Also, I totally forgot to add the honey to the salad dressing which I am sure would have made the dressing a lot better. As it was, I didn't care for the dressing. Too tangy for my delicate tastebuds. I thought the salad was really pretty and the DH devoured it. Of course as mama always said, keep them waiting long enough and they will eat anything! It was close to 8 p.m. when we finally sat down. That's a long time from an 11:30 lunch! Try it for yourself and see what you think.

Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing:nocoupons
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.