I love the Cheesecake Factory’s Luau Salad (and not just because I was born and raised in Hawaii). The culinary creation is piled high with grilled chicken, mixed greens, cucumbers, red and yellow peppers, green beans, carrots, mouthwatering mango and crisp wontons. It’s topped with macadamia nuts and sesame seeds, and dressed with a to die for vinaigrette.
The problem is, it’s not cheap.
Sure, the portion size is generous, but I always get a tinge of guilt ordering it because it’s something that I could easily make at home (save for the wontons). I’m the type of person who will eat something and then figure out a way I can make it myself for half the price. Sometimes I succeed, other times, not so much.
The following recipes were inspired by restaurant salads, only they cost much less to prepare and you don’t have to wait in line for them:
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade:
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Ingredients for Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Ingredients for Salad:
2 to 3 hearts romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
For marinade: Combine the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir well. Pour mixture over the chicken breasts. Let marinate overnight.
For dressing: Combine ingredients in a jar and shake well.
For salad: Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken until cooked completely. Let rest for a few minutes and slice into thin strips.
Chop lettuce. Place lettuce in a bowl.
Add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, chickpeas, and olives.
Drizzle some (but not all) of the dressing over the salad. Toss well.
Place on a large platter or individual plates.
Top salad with chicken and cheese before serving.
ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients for Salad:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or sliced in strips
1 head of Napa cabbage
2 to 3 hearts of romaine lettuce
4 sliced green onions
1 sliced red pepper
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 packages chicken-flavored Ramen noodles (uncooked)
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup whole cashews
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Ingredients for Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 chicken flavor packets from Ramen noodle packages
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Use a rolling pin to crush Ramen noodles while still in bags.
Place crushed noodles on a cookie sheet along with nuts and sesame seeds. Drizzle butter over the top. Stir to coat. Bake in oven for 5 to 12 minutes until noodles are a little brown. Remove and let cool.
Chop lettuce and cabbage into strips and place in a large bowl.
Add chicken, red pepper, oranges, and almost all the green onions.
Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Add noodles to salad.
Pour some but, not all of the dressing over salad and lightly toss.
Sprinkle remaining green onions on top.
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