Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Vietnamese food is one of my all time favorite ethnic cuisines. I know that sounds like a bold statement, but I have never met a Vietnamese dish I didn't absolutely love. There is a certain lightness to Vietnamese dishes that, combined with intense flavors, makes for a tasty and guiltless meal. One signature dish that most people are familiary with is pho (pronounced fuh), which is a salty beef noodle soup. I love me some pho but I am really partial to this delicious cabbage salad, called goi ga. It combines lots of crunchy veggies with chicken and a salty, spicy dressing.

You can use plain boiled or grilled chicken for this salad, but I decided to dress it up a bit. I marinated some boneless, skinless chicken breast in a lemongrass marinade. The result was an intense flavor that added a lot to the simple salad. I made another recipe with the leftover chicken that I'll put up later this week.

In other news, we finally planted our garden this week after weeks of sprouting our plants. Right now I have planted tomatoes, basil, butternut squash, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and watermelon. I've also got three different varieties of chili peppers and basil. It was a lot of work getting everything prepared and organized, but I am so thrilled with the result.

Have you entered my Cast Iron Skillet Giveaway? It ends on Friday at 5pm!

Full recipe after the jump!
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Baked Cattle Beans and a Giveaway!!!

I can't believe it's almost Memorial Day. The official start of summer!!! This is exciting for a number of reasons, mainly lots and lots of great cookouts to host and attend. I am also thrilled that my grandparents are coming to visit this weekend from Texas. I am always excited to see them and I have lots of great recipes planned for the weekend's festivities.

I will absolutely be bringing these baked beans along to every cookout this summer. Craig is constantly requesting baked beans, so I had to finally oblige. I used some gorgeous cattle beans, which are also called trout beans. Cattle beans are plump, red and white speckled beans. They are full flavored with a nutty aftertaste and hold their shape and texture for long cooking. If you can't find cattle (or trout) beans at your local grocery store, red kidney or great northern beans can be substituted.

I am a firm believer that dry beans make for the tastiest baked beans. Because you are cooking them at high temperature for a long time, dry beans hold their texture better and have a more intense flavor. Planning ahead is necessary, but it is totally worth the extra effort.

I sought to create a flavorful recipe that wouldn't be too heavy, soupy or sweet. The beans themselves are the centerpiece of this dish, combined with a bit of salty bacon, molasses and fresh sage for flavor. The result is an addictive, but light dish that will compliment any type of barbecue.

GIVEAWAY! 

In honor of the start of summer, I wanted to reward all my loyal and beautiful readers with a giveaway! I love reading your comments and emails and have gotten to know so many of you. As you all know, I am obsessed with my cast iron skillet and use it for everything. So it seemed like the perfect giveaway for my loyal Gen Y Foodie readers.

Cast iron skillets are versatile, easy to store, and lend themselves to many different types of recipes. My preferred brand, Lodge, manufactures their product in the USA and has a lifetime warranty!

Cast iron skillets are also a healthy cooking tool because they are a chemical free alternative to Teflon or non-stick pans, allow you to use less oil when you cook, and fortify your food with iron.

So I am giving away one Lodge 10-1/4" Cast Iron Skillet to one lucky reader.

THERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO ENTER: (all separate comments)

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you'd like to cook with this skillet.
2. "Like" Gen Y Foodie on Facebook and leave me a comment saying you did so or letting me know if you already do.
3. Follow Gen Y Foodie on Twitter and leave me a comment saying you did so or letting me know if you already do.
4. Tweet about this giveaway by saying "I just entered @GenYFoodie's Giveaway http://bit.ly/JLKzqi" and leave a comment saying you did.

The giveaway ends at 5pm EST on Friday May 25th. Winner will be announced on Tuesday May 29th. 

Valid in the USA and Canada only. 

Read more for the full recipe: Baked Cattle Beans
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