Skip to main content

Spicy Pinto Bean & Chicken Salad

So far this summer, lunch has been one of those meals that are left unplanned and thrown together so last week I found this idea online.  Millard loves pinto beans and they are healthy so I had to give this one a go.

I drained and rinsed canned pinto beans.  Yes, I know dry beans would be a healthier option... perhaps the next time.  I whisked together lemon juice, juice from jarred mild pickled banana pepper rings, olive oil, pepper, and Millard added a mix of seasonings.  Then the mixture was poured over the beans to let it marinade a little.
  

The original recipe called for canned tuna, but Millard is allergic to tuna so we needed a substitute.  
We had canned Kirkland Signature Chicken Breat in the pantry that made the perfect sub.
 
   
So I shredded the chicken by hand and added it to the salad along with the chopped tomato.
 

 

Then Diced up green onions from our own little garden

 
We also subbed the peperoncini peppers with mild pickled banana pepper rings for two reason:  
(1) I didn't have peperoncini peppers and
(2) Millard always eats his pinto beans with banana pepper anyway.
 

 
And oh, add chopped parsley too.
Mix it all up and Voila! 
 

I knew Millard would like this pinto bean salad and I knew that our 4 year old, Alexander, wouldn't.  But what did surprise me is that both myself and Christian absolutely loved it!!  We will definitely be making this salad again.  Next time though I will record the various spices that Millard adds in.  :)  And you know, even though the chicken was yummy in it, it could be ommited to be a vegetarian meal.

Spicy Pinto Bean & Chicken Salad
4 servings
 
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T juice from jarred mild pickled banana peppers
1/2 tsp Green Tobasco sauce
pepper, to taste
your favorite seasoning
5 T olive oil
4 Bicks Banana Pepper Rings, chopped
Small bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1 can canned chicken
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
 
 
Drain and rinse canned beans, dump into bowl

Whisk together lemon juice, banana pepper juice, green tobasco sauce, pepper, olive oil,
your favorite seasonings.
Add chopped banana pepper rings, green onions, tomatoes, shredded chicken and parsley.
Mix it all up and serve.
 
357 cals, 17 g carbs per serving (per My Fitness Pal)
Recipe adapted from kalynskitchen

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is a healthy breakfast?

Ok so I have to admit that breakfast at our household during school days had been very rushed and not so healthy. I would always let Christian pick out the oh so common cereal box that we all see advertised on TV. I'd pour a heap of sugary cereal with 2% milk into a bowl and set it on the table. I've obviously been slacking and taking the easy, unhealthy way out. Breakfast is referred to as the most important meal of the day, but somehow I don't think that a bowl full of sugar is what they are talking about. Breakfast is supposed to refuel my child and help boost his brain power for a busy day at school. Recently I've been making a better attempt to start Christian's day out with a healthier meal. I am keeping on my track of incorporating more fruits and because we have a super-sized box of cornflakes in the pantry I figured we'd have to use them up first. At a closer look at the labeling though I realized that the cornflakes aren't so bad compared to...

Tortellini, Tortellini

Christian and his dad are both fans of soup. Me, not so much. I have decided to start making soup because it can be a low-cal meal and to feed my family what they like. Although I am nearing my mid-30's I only consider myself a beginner cook and made my first pot of soup just a few weeks ago. I used to think that soup was difficult, but learned quickly that chicken stock is my new best friend. Yesterday I made a tortellini soup with my trusty chicken stock, minced garlic, onion, spinach, a little potato, can of tomatoes, and tortellini with a side of mini crab balls stuffed with mixed veggies. The tortellini were Christian's favorite part of the soup, of course. Christian has always had an afterschool snack, but it was never something planned. He'd just raid the pantry when he'd get home. More lately I'm preparing snacks to be ready & waiting for him. Last night I pulled some tortellini from the remaining soup, rinsed them & put them in a container wi...

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

Made the below recipe for chicken tonight. It was yummy! It has been a long day and I totally forgot to take pictures of the chicken, but I wanted to post the recipe so that I wouldn't loose it. Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Ingredients 1/4 c Dijon mustard 1/3 c Honey 2 tbs Light Mayo 1 tbs Steak Sauce 4 Chicken Breasts (4oz ea) Directions 1. Preheat the grill for medium heat. 2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat. 3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning! Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 4 Amount per serving: Calories: 253.5, Total Fat: 3.9 g, Cholesterol: 68.4 mg, Sodium: 564.6 mg, Total Carbs: 24.4 g, Dietary F...