Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the humble unsung hero, the rotisserie chicken. Dress her up or dress her down, she’s always recipe ready! Like a lot of people, I can’t resist grabbing one of Costco’s famous chickens whenever I’m there, and I’ve developed several recipes that take advantage of its delicious convenience (not to mention its budget friendly price). This Lemon Chicken Salad is one of my favorites, and I hope it will be one of yours too. I know it’s all pumpkin spice this and autumn that, but frankly the weather across much of the country is still really hot, and this cold no-cook salad with a bright and savory dressing is a great way to beat the heat.

Lemon Chicken Salad Dressing

I love this dressing so much. It’s got all of my fave flavor boosters; like freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and mirin. Lots of lemon zest and fresh squeezed juice add bright citrusy flavor.

Then I just stir in the minced garlic and ginger, and a sliced Thai bird chili. You can omit the chili if you’d like; we like it hot around here…

Make the Lemon Chicken Salad

Once the dressing is done, I quickly compose the salad. I used rotisserie chicken in this recipe, but any leftover chicken will do. And the flavors are so robust that any mild seasoning on the chicken will not interfere. You can give the chicken a quick rinse if you are concerned, but I wouldn’t bother.

I like to cut the chicken into large chunks so it feels substantial and I like the herbs to be roughly chopped so you can tell what they are. The secret to making leftovers appealing is to have it look fresh and deliberate, like you intentionally made the salad this way. No sad leftovers here…no one will know.

I love endive in this salad. Its slight bitterness plays really well with the dressing and it’s available well into the cold winter months. You can sub any other chicory you prefer, or even arugula or watercress.

My Lemon Chicken Salad makes a wonderful light supper, or brunch highlight and leftovers are perfect the next day…leftovers from leftovers? Let’s make it a thing. Grab a rotisserie chicken today and see for yourself! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment, and of course tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you.

Lemon Chicken Salad

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: salads
• Cuisine: Pan-Asian

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Ingredients

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• 1 pound leftover chicken cut into bite sized pieces
• A handful of cilantro (about ¼ cup), roughly chopped
• 2 scallions trimmed and cut thin on an angle
• 2 small endive, radicchio, or a couple handfuls of lettuce leaves
• Sliced lemon for garnish

Dressing:

• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon peeled, minced ginger
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon mirin
• 1 large lemon
• 1 fresh thai bird chili, stemmed and thinly sliced (optional)

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Instructions

1. Wash and zest the lemon into a mixing cup/bowl. Juice the lemon into the bowl and then add the other dressing ingredients. Stir to combine.
2. Put the chicken, cilantro, scallion, and dressing into a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
3. Wash and slice the endive into thin rounds. Pile the endive onto a platter. Nestle the chicken onto the endive and serve.

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Keywords: rotisserie chicken, lemon, quick, salad, dinner salads,

Adult beverages, nightcaps, drinkie-poos…whatever you call them, these Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails are quickly going to become a favorite. A  blend of yuzu juice, fresh pineapple, simple syrup, and vodka; SO refreshing and a perfect antidote to these endless dog days of summer. I had a special group of taste testers, my daughter and her friends (all 21 of course), and they gave them a very enthusiastic thumbs up! Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails are perfect for entertaining as the base can be made ahead of time, and the vodka added at serving. Cheers!

Crafting the Perfect Pineapple Yuzu Cocktail

If you’ve never experienced anything flavored with yuzu, you are in for a treat. Primarily grown in Japan and Korea, yuzu is a citrus fruit that is prized for its intensely aromatic and sour juice. Since the fruit is not widely available in the states, I use bottled juice, which you can get at most Asian grocers and also online. Meyer lemons make a decent substitute, but they don’t have the same depth of flavor. You can also get creative and use some other kind of citrus fruit you see at the store.

I start making my Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails by whipping up a simple syrup for sweetness. You can substitute the sugar for other sweeteners if you prefer.

Let the simple syrup cool to room temperature before adding it to your juices. This simple syrup contains less sugar than what is typically used because the pineapple adds some sweetness and yuzu juice is not as tart as limes or lemons. If you feel that the cocktail is not sweet enough once you’ve made the batch, feel free to adjust the sweetness with additional syrup. In this case, I suggest a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water. Start with 1/4 cup sugar heated with 1/4 cup water and add a little at a time until you are happy!

Cutting up fresh pineapple may seem intimidating but it’s really not. And it’s so much cheaper then buying the ready to eat chunks in the grocery store. First let’s talk about how to choose the perfect one. Nothing in this world gets me as excited as perfect produce and if you’ve ever been to Japan you know that there’s a whole country of people who feel the same. It’s very difficult to find Japanese produce that’s not perfectly ripe and insta-worthy. However, you have to work a bit harder here in the states, so here are my tips for getting the best pineapple. First, look for a pineapple that’s a warm golden color meaning that it should have a yellow undertone mixed with the bright green. Avoid any dark brownish fruit. Next it should have bright green leaves. Don’t bother pulling on them as this is not really a good indication of anything. Finally it should be heavy for its size. I always look at the whole display and immediately pick the biggest, most yellow one in the group, then check other details.

If using a fresh pineapple, the next step is to break it down into chunks:

You can of course use frozen pineapple chunks if you can’t get your hands on a fresh pineapple or buy the ready to eat pineapple in the produce section. You’ll need 2 cups of pineapple total.

The pineapple yuzu juice base can be made up to two days ahead and kept chilled in the fridge. Entertaining a large crowd? This recipe can easily be scaled up. I just love the convenience of a batch cocktail.  When you are ready to serve, just add ice to your cocktail glasses, pour in the vodka, and top with the chilled base. Voila, instant party! To make my Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails extra festive I like to add a fun garnish.

Serve these with fun quick and easy finger foods like Salt Roasted Shrimp, my Kimchi Pancake, and Bacon Wrapped Mochi for a fun and easy summer gathering. I can’t wait to hear if your crew enjoys these Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails as much as mine do! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag us in your party pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you.

Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: makes 4 drinks 1x

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Description

• 2 cups pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup yuzu juice
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup vodka

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Ingredients

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1. Combine the water with the sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set the syrup aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Add the pineapple chunks, syrup, and yuzu juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Store it in the fridge if not using it right away. The juice can be made ahead of time and stored for 2 days.
3. Fill 4 glasses with ice and add 2 ounces of vodka to each glass.
4. Fill the glasses with the pineapple yuzu mixture. Garnish and serve the Pineapple Yuzu Cocktails right away.

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Keywords: yuzu, cocktails, asian cocktails, pineapple, vodka, drinks