Awesome Chicken Salad!

I love salads, not green salads (though I love those too), but the fattening ones made with tuna, chicken, ham etc. It has taken me years to perfect my version of chicken salad, but finally I did it and am now willing to share it with the world. I first found out how awesome this recipe really is when I started making it for events, and then started making it for myself often. I love it that much.

I made this chicken salad last night and added a sprinkling of curry powder, just the kind that you buy in the grocery store and I love the variation! I think for a full recipe, start out with a little if you want to try, like maybe a teaspoon, wait 30 minutes and taste, you may want to add more or keep it as is. The recipe I am sharing will just be the original.

Also, sometimes I am a little lazy, I don't care, but I buy a whole pre-cooked chicken, I actually like the one I get from Market Basket, often times you can find some cold ones reduced in price aww yeah!

With the wet ingredients (mayo and yogurt) start out with what I give you, and if you like it wetter add more, but keep in mind that this salad will be fairly thick, also, I don't measure when I cook so it might be better to start lower and add more later. Remember that you can add more but you can't subtract from it once its mixed in.

1 whole 3 lb chicken, cooked, deboned, shredded

3/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 stalk finely chopped celery

2 tsp onion powder OR a couple grates of fresh onion

1 tsp celery salt

handful of dried cranberries

With your hands, shred the chicken, make sure there are no bones or cartilage (gag), just meat! This part is most important because I don't really like chunky salads for some reason. Next, add in the mayo and yogurt, with a fork mix and mash, the chicken should break down more, almost like a spread. You can add the onion and celery salt in now too, taste to make sure there is enough of both, but really you should let the flavors sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes to allow everything to meld together.

If and ONLY if everything is to your tasting, add in the cranberries and celery and mix in. Its always best to allow the chicken salad to sit a little longer before serving (See how many times I say this?).

Lastly, this is also great as a spread for crackers at parties. YUMMMM.

Lick the Plate Clean Chicken Marsala (Seriously, You Will)

If you are looking for an easy recipe that will have your guests literally licking the plates (DAWN!! go to her page if you like shoes) then this is an absolute MUST try.

I really like chicken marsala, but I wanted something a bit creamier that will really stick to the chicken and the pasta. So I decided to add a dollop of mascarpone cheese to the sauce and believe me, you will too once you try it. eek!

This recipe will be for 2, but even if you double it, 2 people will still be licking the plates and pans clean. You can always make extra sauce by adding extra broth, wine etc.

2 boneless chicken breasts, pounded as thin as possible (or you could cut them and pound out)
1/2 cup marsala wine (or madeira or even sherry)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese but try to use mascarpone)
1 cup chicken stock
Flour for dredging
Salt n pepa
Olive Oil

With your pounded out chicken, sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper and toss it in flour. You don't want it to be heavily coated, just enough to form a crust. In a preheated pan over medium to high heat, heat some olive oil. I use no measurements, maybe a table spoon or you can even use cooking spray, and add your chicken and let them cook thoroughly on each side. Try not to flip them for at LEAST a few minutes, if they are sticking to the pan then they are not yet ready to be flipped. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate (juices will collect, this is good!)

Next, you'll want to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan so while its very hot, add the chicken stock and scrape away! Now lower the heat and add the wine, mustard and mascarpone, whisk til all thoroughly melted and incorporated. Add the chicken and juices and allow to simmer for a bit, the sauce should thicken a bit (not gravy thick, but shouldn't be watery either, if it is add a little cornstarch to some water and then add to the sauce).

Serve over pasta or mashed potato! In the pic I have also paired it with sauteed green beans and mushrooms. If you want more of the sauce, which I always do, just add extra broth, you can't really mess this dish up so don't be afraid to try. Want it creamier? Add more mascarpone! Get it?

Heaven on a Yellow Plate

Well, I guess I didn't mean the dessert, turkish delight (YUMMM!!!) but I discovered another Armenian market in Watertown which is pretty awesome. I hate though, that there are so many Armenian markets within a mile radius, why can't I have some by me?

Anyway, there are staples that I always buy when I go to one of these treasure chests: olives, lamejun (Armenian pizza), boregs and other 'pies', muhammara and stuffed grape leaves. Also, if you are in the market for herbs and spices, you can usually get good size bags for cheap.

I was lucky enough to get to go to this new place after work one day this week, since we had to go in that general direction I figured I would stock up on these delicious treats.

In the photo, in the middle are the olives. I LOVEEEEE red olives and I can never find them. A nice size container was like $2.50. To the left and diagonal are the lamb stuffed grape leaves, to the right is hummus, then meat pie, above that is lamejun, to the left s baba ganoush (eggplant dip), and the red stuff next to it...muhammara (spicy red pepper and walnut dip).

Obviously, I didn't make any of these myself, but soon you will have your own recipe for hummus which is super easy, and you can flavor it to your liking. Also, the grape leaves on the vines have not yet matured or even opened, but come June, you can certainly find me picking grape leaves at my mothers house to be stuffed later with yummy meat and rice.

And this my friends is what I call, heaven on a yellow plate.

Grillin' n Chillin'

So, I've been without my laptop for..get this..DAYS and it feels like years. I am back and I am ready to grill! Tonight I wanted something on the grill, and I bought steak tips from the market, pre-marinated. When you work 1100 hours a day, sometimes you just don't have time to remember to marinate your own, and its OK if you don't!

I actually just bought a pack of terryaki steak tips in a vacuum sealed bag for like six smackers. Not bad, it could easily feed 3. So first you need to take each chunk out of the bag, you may be able to cut it into quarters or thirds. I love when they label them as "tips" when really its like half the cow. Anyway, don't bother trimming the fat, unless its a LOT. It will baste the meat and add to the fire....YUM.

Get your veggies ready and cut. Some people cut them way too small, don't do this. If you are cutting a pepper, you should be able to get like 4 or 5 large chunks from it, this way when it cooks it won't burn and shrink. Grilled onion is my favorite!! I don't use a specific kind, but I just happened to have a vidalia which came out lovely and sweet. A large onion can be cut into quarters, but you should be able to get 8 chunks out of it. These two are my "go to's" since I always have them, but other delicious veggies you could use are zucchini, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms or even fruit like pineapple or peaches.

So, I've invested a dollar in metal skewers, yes, I paid one dollar for like 6 or so at the christmas tree shoppe. They are great to have on hand, but if you have traditional wooden skewers, feel free to use them. You can soak them first so that the tips don't burn off but I usually skip this part. Now comes the fun part...ASSEMBLY LINE TIME! Start with whatever you like...tonight I started with meat, then onion, then meat, then pepper then meat and so on. It doesn't matter, but they do come out pretty with whichever pattern you choose. You can pour the leftover marinade over the meat and vegetables, no need to waste! Voila, you now have kabobs! (Do you see how we transitioned from skewer to kabob?)

Your grill should be preheating now too. I use gas, so all I can tell you is to put it on medium low, you'll want to cook these slowly so as to avoid burning and drying out. If you like rare, then you can put the heat up higher to sear the outside but get that nice pink inside. Once on the grill, do not keep constantly turning them, just cook maybe 10 mins on 2 sides and they should be done in no time.

I like to serve these with bread, salad, rice (or couscous or quinoa).

What kinds of things do YOU like to grill? Or serve with grilled food?

Royal Fun In the Kitchen!

I know, I am one of those kind of people...I pretend to not be interested in the Royal Wedding (its even capitalized) but then secretly I am searching for links and pics. Well, really the only thing I was interested in was their menu. It was easy to find this morning, 10,000 canapes (small decorative appetizers) which are my favorite things to eat because when you are at a good wedding, there is usually a big variety of this yumminess. Well the Royal Wedding included this extensive list of canapes, of which I may try to make many of them myself. Once I do, I will be sure to post the success or failure of them.

I am excited about trying the duck terrine, just need to find someone to eat it with!


Starters 

Cornish Crab Salad on Lemon Blini 

Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney 

Roulade of Goat’s Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts 

Assortment of Palmiers and Cheese Straws 

Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini 

Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart 

Poached Asparagus Spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping 

Quails’ Eggs with Celery Salt 

Main course 

Scottish Langoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise 

Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfi sh and Crackling 

Wild Mushroom and Celeriac Chausson 

Bubble and Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb 

Grain Mustard and Honey-glazed Chipolatas 

Smoked Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole 

Miniature Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horseradish Mousse 

Pudding 

Gateau Opera 

Blood Orange Pâté de Fruit 

Raspberry Financier 

Rhubarb Crème Brulée Tartlet 

Passion Fruit Praline 

White Chocolate Ganache Truffle 

Milk Chocolate Praline with Nuts 

Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle 

Easy Cheesy and Oh So Darn Good!

It's Easter. That usually means the meat of choice is ham. I love ham, good ham that is. Spiral ham. Spiral ham with that delicious crunchy brown sugar and clove glaze. Sometimes fruit too!

Ok enough about the ham. It is always difficult to decide what to serve along side this succulent hunk of meat so I am constantly brainstorming ideas and presenting them to a crowd of stubbornness (hi family!). Well, I fought tooth and nail to bring this dish to the table last Thanksgiving, and if you know my family then you know ANYTHING different during a holiday is a huge no no. Sorry, I just got tired of the same old bland mashed potatoes!

Anyways, whenever I think of having ham as the main dish, I always think of Au Gratin Potatoes as an accompaniment. What is Au Gratin? Well, it is a French dish of something, could be almost anything, baked in a shallow dish topped with something that would create a lovely brown crust. In this case, cheese is the browning agent of choice and potatoes is the "anything."

Start off with a good starchy potato, you'll want the starch to thicken the sauce during cooking, if you don't have starchy potatoes at hand, no problem, just sprinkle a little cornstarch between the layers. If you have a Mandoline Slicer, then your job has just been made much much easier! Actually, this recipe is pretty simple, seriously...try it.

4-6 Potatoes, peeled and sliced fairly thin
1 large onion sliced in rings
2 cups milk
1-2 cups shredded sharp cheese
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
Salt n Pepa to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

So slice your potatoes, you'll want them thin but not too thin so that they break down while cooking. I'd say a little thinner than quarter of an inch. Slice the onions in rings, you may actually want to chop them instead as the rings may put people off. Butter a large glass baking dish and spread out half the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the onions. Add the remaining potatoes and salt and pepper again.

Next, heat the butter in a medium sauce pan. Once melted, add flour to create a roux, yes I said it...the ROUX (don't be afraid of it). Its pretty easy, just keep stirring over medium heat for a minute. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly! You don't want to heat the milk too quickly or it could curdle though, ugh.

When the milk is hot enough, add the cheese and keep stirring, when it is all melted pour the lovely cheese sauce over the potatoes and enjoy the sharp cheesy perfume. Cover with non stick foil (or you could spray it with cooking spray) and pop this baby in the oven for an hour and a half. So, I made this in advance and will reheat tomorrow in the oven, probably the same heat, allowing the cheesy top to form that brown crust that we all fight for. You can broil too for maybe 5-10 mins (just don't burn it!)

Lastly, if you have a stubborn family like mine who insist that they will HATE HATE HATE anything different at a holiday, smile and say "ok!" Bring them a dish of this magical wonder without telling them and guaranteed they will ask you to make this at every holiday.



TIP: you can keep the fat and calorie content down pretty easily. I use butter yes, but I never use whole milk, usually 1% for something like this. I also discovered 2% Crackerbarrel cheese. SOOO GOOOD. Cuts out a lot of the fat right there too but doesn't compromise taste!

Easy Eggplant Parmasagna

I love lasagna, but I don't always love the high calorie noodles. Well, ok I do, but my body does not. So I've decided to share with you a lovely variation, which could easily become vegetarian as well!

If cooking for 2-3 peeps, start off with a medium eggplant. Look for a dark purple fruit without any bruises or brown spots. If you are lucky to have a farmers market with all kinds of varieties, I love using white and light purple speckled eggplants. Now, I always peel mine, its not a requirement, but larger eggplants usually have tougher skin. Totally up to you.

Next, I slice mine thin but not TOO thin, they break down when they cook. You can cut them in rounds or in noodle size slices. This time I did half noodle size slices (I don't know why the half!), salted them and let some of the juice ooze out. Ew, sounds pretty gross ha, but it's not. Sometimes the juice that comes out is a little bitter, that is what they say on  tv but never experienced it myself, but I do it anyways sometimes to be bad ass!

So you'll want a good tomato sauce, this time around I used some from my mom that she gave to me last week, if you are in a hurry or just don't want to make your own sauce, then jarred is...acceptable (hey I do it too sometimes!)

1 Medium eggplant, peeled and sliced
1.5 cups ricotta
1/2 lbs hot italian sausage or beef or turkey or all three!
Couple handfuls of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, shredded
Some shakes of parmesan
2 tsp dried basil
1 egg
2-3 tbsp bread crumb
1 tbsp sugar
Red wine
Olive oil

Depending on your frying pans, mine stick a lot, so I use a non stick pan for frying the eggplant. I use about a table spoon per full pan of eggplant, so fit as many slices as you can, and brown on medium heat, once they are cooked set aside. If you like, you could coat your slices in bread crumb. Its delicious but takes more time and makes more of a mess, you can skip it!

Cook the sausage/beef and drain off some of the fat. Here is my little secret that I am now sharing with the world. At this point, I always add a generous splash of red wine and and a couple tablespoons of bread crumb. The breadcrumb soaks up all of the wine and meat flavors and then mixes throughout the meat. Trust me, the flavors are ammmaazzzing. Oh also, throw in some of the parmesan cheese here too.

Ricotta time! So, I always add some flavors to my ricotta. The reason that you love my lasagna (those that have had it) is because of this and the meat tip above. So add, the sugar, dried basil and more parmesan cheese, mix and taste! Should be slightly sweet, not like cannoli sweet. Now add the egg and mix, this will bind the cheese together when it cooks.

Looks like Poo tastes like heaven

Use a small glass baking dish for this one. Ladle some sauce on the bottom of the dish, just enough to prevent sticking and allowing the eggplant to cook more. Next, layer on the eggplant, you don't have to cover every inch of the pan, I often have large gaps that get filled in with something else. You'll see. Plop on the ricotta, don't spread it, it will spread itself. Maybe about half of it now, and save the other half for the next layer. Sprinkle the meat mixture, a little more sauce and some of the shredded cheese.

Keep layering until you end with eggplant on top. Top that with sauce and pop it into the oven, I would say about 375F for 40 minutes, sound good? The last 10 minutes you can add more cheese to the top and let it brown.

Now, you can totally use lasagna noodles, this is what I do every christmas when my lasagna is requested, except I make a 15 lb baby which requires much reinforcement (multiple disposable pans). Depending on what I have, I might use all turkey meat, sausage etc or I might mix it all up, it is all delicious either way.

Please also enjoy responsibly, it is THAT good!

Oh and for those of you that may not get it at first, the name of the dish Parmasagna was purposely invented to mean half eggplant parm and half lasagna.

This was only two layers, build more for traditional look