Company Chicken Salad

Grill an extra chicken breast or two for this really nice chicken salad with mango chutney, raisins and sliced almonds.  You can use poached chicken breast or any other leftover cooked chicken for this recipe.

Major Grey's Mango Chutney mixed with mayonnaise is the sweet secret ingredient in the salad.  If you do not have a mango chutney around, you can get a similar flavor with a tablespoon of apricot jam or fruit spread and 1/8 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. If you like curry, you can add a sprinkle of your favorite blend in as well. 

Spring Chicken Salad
Serves 2

6-8 ounces leftover, cooked chicken- skinned and coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mango chutney
2 tablespoons raisins (or other dried fruit like cherries or chopped apricots)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, roasted 
salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine chicken and celery in a medium bowl.  
2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chutney and raisins.  (Note: This is not a lot of sauce and allows the chicken in the salad to stand out.  If you'd like, you can double the mayonnaise and chutney amounts for a more moist salad.)
3. Add chutney mixture to chicken mixture and fold to coat chicken well. 
4. Stir in raisins and nuts, reserving a little of each to top chicken salad as a garnish.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  
5. Cover chicken salad and let sit for at half an hour to allow flavors to meld.  

Serve over lettuce, in sandwich rolls or pita.

Picnic Zucchini Roll Ups

This is the season for picnics, boating, fireworks shows and dining au pleine aire.  Finger foods make the easiest fare.  Zucchini Roll Ups can cover a lot of ground as a salad, side or even dip and crudité. 

If you are planning an outing these are best made all or in part a day ahead.  They keep well and prevent last minute crunch time in the kitchen. 

Zucchini Roll Ups
18-20 rolls

Ingredients
1 medium-large zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature so it mixes and spreads easily
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon each fresh, chopped herbs: mint, parsley, basil
Optional filler: roasted red pepper strips, steamed asparagus, julienned carrot, etc
18-20 pitted olives
18-20 cherry or grape tomatoes
18-20 toothpicks

Method

1. Slice zucchini on a mandolin or vegetable peeler into wafer thin slices.  You may cut the zucchini in half cross wise before slicing or cut the slices in half once cut, whichever is easier for you and your tools.  Aim to end up with 18 zucchini slice halves. 
2. Brush slice with olive oil, salt and pepper each slice.  Place slices on a cookie sheet and broil 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove zucchini when they are just browning and still flexible.  
3. Stack 4-5 slices and roll each slice.  Leave to cool. (You can continue at this point or refrigerate zucchini overnight and finish recipe the following day.)  
4. While zucchini cools, prepare filling. Mix together cream cheese, ricotta and herbs.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  
5. Finish by unrolling a stack of zucchini slices.  Place slices on a paper towel and turn over to remove a bit of olive oil.  This will make spreading the cheese mixture easier.  
6. Using a spoon and butter knife or two spoons, dab a spoonful of cheese mixture on each slice and spread to cover slice completely with cheese.  
7. If you are using a filler, like a piece of roasted red pepper, lay it on the cheese, perpendicular to the zucchini slice.  Roll and secure with a toothpick.  Add an olive to one end and a tomato to the other end of the toothpick to secure zucchini roll in place.  
8. Store rolls in an airtight container and keep chilled until serving. 

Mexican Cobb Chicken Salad

Buried under the bright green tomatillo salsa, crema and chopped avocadoes is a layer of sliced, cooked chicken and lettuce.  Also lined up in this Mexican-inspired Cobb salad are crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes and two kinds of cheese, cheddar and queso fresco. 

Actually, we didn't have either queso fresco or its cousin farmer's cheese when we made this so we sprinkled in a mild feta.  A few blue corn tortilla chips did double duty as garnish and scoopers. 

Tomatillo salsa lends a bright lime flavor and crema adds a mellow note.  You can also pass some plain vinaigrette around for those who like a more dressed salad. 

Here's how to make the tomatillo salsa and crema to create your own masterpiece dinner salad.  You can use any fresh salsa instead if you are in a hurry but you will see from the various cooking methods provided that you can prepare this salsa alongside whatever you are cooking tonight whether stove top, grilled or in the oven and enjoy it the rest of the week.  Leftover Tomatillo Salsa can be used as base for a quick guacamole (add chopped avocado) or instead of your favorite hot sauce on burgers, tacos or grilled chicken.  Stir a few spoonfuls of Tomatillo Salsa into plain chicken soup to give it a serious lift.  

Tomatillo Salsa
Yields about 1 cup

Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos (about 6)
1-2 jalapeños  (two will make the sauce very spicy, OK to use 1/2 of one)
juice of one lime
1 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or water 
Method

1. Peel tomatillos and rinse them and the jalapeños in water.  
2. Cook tomatillos and jalapeños by any one of these methods: cover with water in a medium pot, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes OR lightly oil tomatillos and jalapeños with vegetable oil and grill alongside anything else on the grill, turning as they char and remove when softened OR roast at 425˚F in a oiled roasting pan until softened.  
3. Once cooked, cool vegetables.  
4. Remove seeds from jalapeños.  
5. Place tomatillos and jalapeños in a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients.  Pulse until well blended to a puree.  
6. If mixture is very thick add a little water or olive oil.  Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed. 

Crema
If you cannot find crema in your grocery store, combine some sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with a little cream to create a pouring consistency. 

What Are Tomatillos, Anyway?

Tomatillos are in the nightshade family (as is the tomato).  They have a citrus flavor, pretty tart with a nice crunch.  Tomatillos are showing up in grocery stores more frequently.  You will find them near avocados and tomatoes or with international produce. They look like small green tomatoes with grey-green papery husks.  We use them raw, chopped up in a salsa where the lime juice breaks them down or we use them cooked as in the recipe above.  FYI: Tomatillos are the key ingredient in most enchilada sauces. 

Anniversary Meringues

Last June, I recalled our niece's wedding with a dessert that echoes the flavors of the wedding cake, raspberry and lemon, in an Isles Flotant for Two.  This year, the anniversary tribute gets even simpler with make-ahead vanilla meringue cookies that sandwich raspberry sorbet and get a little crown of lemon curd.

Meringues are easy to make and can be stored in an airtight container for days.  The sandwich cookies can be made on the spot with a scoop of sorbet and a drizzle of warmed lemon curd.  If you'd like a softer cookie, make the sandwiches, wrap in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer until you are ready to serve.  Warm lemon curd in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and drizzle over the cookies or bring to the table for dipping. 

The basic formula for meringues is 1 egg white to 1/4 cup sugar.  A pinch of cream of tartar will help the egg whites form nice peaks when you whip them.  Here is the recipe using two egg whites, which makes about 14-16 meringue cookies.

Pure note: you can purchase good quality meringues if you do not have time to make them and assemble the sandwiches from there.  Check the label to pick ones that have few ingredients and ones that you recognize. 

Two Egg Whites Meringues
Yield 14-16 cookies

Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300˚F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking pad.  
2. Place egg whites in a large, very clean bowl.  Use a hand mixer or whisk to beat egg whites until they are frothy.  
3. Add sugar, about a tablespoon at a time while continuing to whip mixture.  About halfway through adding the sugar, add cream of tartar.  Continue adding the sugar a bit at a time.  Beat until egg whites form stiff peeks.  Note: on more humid days, this will be more challenging. You can add bit more cream of tartar.  If, after 10-15 minutes, you still do not have very stiff peeks, proceed with the recipe.  There is enough air beaten onto the egg whites to create lift in the oven.  You will not be able to create intricate details or pipe your cookies but you will be able to spoon dollops onto the cookie sheet to make little puffs, perfect for a ice cream sandwich.  
4. Stir in vanilla. 
5. Next, spoon (or pipe) batter onto cookie sheet.  Each cookie should have 1-2 tablespoons of batter and be placed about an inch apart.  
6. Bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes, puffed but not browned.  Do not open oven to check on meringues.  
7. Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool slowly as the oven cools.  This will create a dry and crisp meringue. 

Store cookies in an airtight container.

Variations
Chocolate mint chip ice cream with chocolate sauce.
Frozen banana "ice cream" with butterscotch sauce

Radishes, Scallions and Endive Sautéed

 

I offer a pure and simple side alternative to a green salad alongside grilled foods this summer.  Garden ingredients with a bite mellow out under the influence of olive oil and a quick sauté.

On their own, radishes can be cooked until they almost brown and will remind you of small red new potatoes, with a little extra spin.  Root around in your vegetable draw to see what else you can mix in or serve the radishes alone.  

Scallions add a sweet onion flavor when sautéed.  The small hearts of endives were added to the pan last since they only needed a quick bronzing.  Pick small vegetables and cut them into halves and fourths so they retain as much of their crudité look as possible.

  

Extra sautéed radishes can lead in a wilted kale salad the next day.  Here, sliced apples and leftover, cooked sliced potatoes were tossed together in a sauté pan with a generous amount of olive oil over medium-high heat.  They were cooked until the apples were softened and the potatoes began to crisp.  Leftover sautéed radishes joined the pan followed by a big mound of raw chopped kale.  Toss the kale to coat it with the olive oil in the pan then add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey and salt and pepper.  The sweet sour dressing is a good foil to hearty kale but does not overwhelm. 

Proportions for
Apple-Radish-Potato Kale Salad
Serves 2
2/3 cup sautéed radish halves and quarters
2 small potatoes, sliced, cooked
1 apple, sliced (peeled or unpeeled)
8-10 cups chopped raw kale, torn in bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
salt and pepper
optional: 2 tablespoons raisins or other small, dried fruit

White Bean Artichoke Salad

No matter the weather, Memorial Day kicks off summer and many of us mark the weekend by grilling outside.   White Bean Artichoke Salad is a quick side dish that compliments grilled foods, especially chicken and fish.  

If you are ready to add a new dish to your cole slaw and potato salad spread, try this salad.  You can vary the herbs to match the main course (or what is in your fridge today).  Make it ahead and spend some quality time on the deck while others tend the fire.  Don't be shy with your fresh herbs.  They impart bright flavor and contrasting texture to the bean base.  They are a sure sign that summer is finally coming. 

White Bean Artichoke Salad
8-10 portions

Ingredients
2 14-oz cans white beans, drained (about 4 cups cooked)
1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
zest of ½ lemon
juice of ½ lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup loosely packed fresh, chopped herbs: dill, parsley, basil, etc
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Pour drained beans into a medium-large bowl.  
2. Chop the quartered artichokes so that they are closed in size to the beans so they are easy to scoop up and eat with a fork.  In the photo, they’ve been cut into one-third chunks.  
3. Add the artichokes to the beans.  
4. Zest half a lemon over bean mixture, then add the juice of the halved lemon and olive oil.  Stir mixture together, using a light touch so that beans do not get mashed.  
5. Next add the fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  Mix everything together.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. 

Bonus Round
Leftover White Bean Artichoke Salad is delicious stuffed into a tortilla wrap with a little lettuce for a quick lunch or snack.  You can also puree the marinated bean salad with some added olive oil or broth for a quick bean dip. 

How to Make Real Pink Lemonade for Mom

What’s in pink lemonade?  Could be anything but most recipes just add red food coloring.  What’s  in red food coloring? You can do better for Mom. 

We put an ounce or two of ruby red cranberry juice in our lemonade to make it blush.  Pomegranate or cherry juice will work too.  It’s a small amount so the flavor is not affected.

You can do this with any good store bought lemonade made with real- not artificial- sweeteners.  There are more brands available that have purer natural ingredients like actual sugar.  Or, because it’s Mother’s Day, you could make lemonade from scratch. It is very easy. 

First you make simple syrup, which is sugar dissolved in boiling water.  Make it about an hour ahead of time or replace some of the water in the lemonade recipe with ice to cool your drink down quickly.   Then you squeeze some lemons and mix in cold water with the simple syrup.  Spike with cranberry juice to make it pink.

Pure Lemonade
Makes about 32 ounces
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
3-4 cups cold water
3-6 ounces simple syrup (more if your like your lemonade a little sweeter)

Squeeze lemons to make ½ cup juice.  Pour juice into a pitcher.  Add 3 cups of water and 3 ounces simple syrup.  Taste.   Add more water or syrup to suit your palate.  We like ours lemony and not too sweet.  We use 3/12 cups of water and 3 ounces of simple syrup for every 1/2 cup of lemon juice. 

Make it Pink!
Add 2-4 ounces cranberry or pomegranate juice

Simple Syrup
Makes about 6 ounces
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

Combine water and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan.  Mix to combine and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer and stir to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat as soon as liquid is no longer cloudy.  Allow to cool before using.  Caution the mixture is very hot.

Simple Syrup will keep.  Store it, covered, in the refrigerator.
You can add flavor to simple syrup while it is still hot.  Try one of these to get pure natural flavors: slices of ginger, a vanilla bean pod, sprigs of fresh mint or citrus rind (no pith).  Remove the flavoring ingredients before adding to lemonades, seltzer or mixed drinks. 

Post Script
Recently I’ve heard from a few friends and colleagues who tell me they are finally getting off artificial sweeteners  I am so proud of everyone who is making this effort and I know it is hard.  If you medically able to enjoy real sugar you will find that you are more satisfied and, over time, you will use less and less sugar. 

Basil Mayo, Bacon and Tomato on Potato Chips

The title of this post is pretty much the recipe.  Basil Mayo, Bacon and Tomato on Potato Chips.  A simple twist on the classic BLT and sharable. 

The basil mayonnaise takes under a minute to make, starting with a good quality store-bought mayonnaise, some fresh basil leaves and a little lemon juice.  Per person, figure on about 2 strips of cooked bacon and ½ cup of grape tomatoes.  We used kettle chips but any thick chip you like will work.

It’s fun to let everyone assemble these mini hors d’ouevres themselves.  We liked the full set up best—a thick potato chip dipped in spring-green mayonnaise and topped with some bacon and half a grape tomato.  The mayonnaise helps the other ingredients hang onto the chip.  We did a taste test with our friend, Heidi, who created a simple variation with a grape tomato half smeared with basil mayonnaise.  Basil loves tomato and tomato loves basil back. 

Once you make these, you’ll start to think about adding flavored mayonnaise to rev up regular sandwiches.  This basil version goes well in a regular BLT and compliments any sandwich with lots of veggies or sliced chicken.  You could even mix basil mayonnaise into egg or tuna salad. 

Green Basil Mayonnaise
Makes a little over 1 cup

Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves (tightly packed)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain whole yogurt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a small food processor (or my hand) finely chop basil leaves.
2. Add mayonnaise and yogurt and blend well.  
3. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Blend together and taste.  
4. Add a pinch of salt and taste again. Add pepper if desired. 

Place a small bowl of basil Mayonnaise on a platter and surround with dippers.   Bacon and  sliced grape tomatoes. with chips or sturdy baby romaine lettuce leaves.   Refrigerate leftover dip and use within 2 days.

Many thanks to Heidi, our hand model for this post.  In real life Heidi protects us, the land and its creatures as a Law Enforcement Ranger with the National Park Service.  

Brown Rice, Dried Fruit & Nut Bars

These pure ingredient, no-bake trail mix bars are inspired by the Lärabar which are simply fruit and nuts.   A combination of a few natural ingredients like dried cherries and almonds or dates and cashews create flavor combinations that seem more complex than the minimal  number of ingredients would imply.  I found a recipe for Cranberry Pistachio ones on the outdoorsy-food-adventure blog Use Real Butter and took the technique to create a version that is a little lighter. 

My secret ingredient is Rice Krispies made with brown rice.  These are a little less sweet the the original Rice Krispies and are made in a facility that is gluten free.  The cereal replaces half of the nuts while providing a satisfying crunch. I also squeeze some extra juice into these bars.  Perhaps my pantry is drier than most.  The dried fruit drinks it up to form the nice paste that holds the bars together. 

Brown Rice Dried Fruit & Nut Bars
Yield: about 20 3-inch bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dates
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup Brown Rice Krispies
Zest of a 1 orange
Optional: juice of half an orange

Method

1. Line a loaf pan with wax paper or tin foil, leaving overhang on the long ends of the vessel.  
2. In a food processor, pulse the dates and cranberries until well ground.  If your fruit is very dry, add juice at this stage.  Continue to process until the fruit forms a sticky paste. Place ground fruit in a medium bowl.
3. Next, process the nuts until they are ground to the size of a grain of rice or a bit larger.  Add to the fruit.  
4. Add the rice krispies and orange zest to the fruit-nut mixture.
5. Use your (clean) hands to combine all the ingredients.
6. Once the ingredients are well combined, start to press the mixture together so that they hold together.  Add a bit more juice if needed.*
7. Press fruit-nut mixture into prepared loaf pan.   
8. Cover and freeze for one hour.  
9. The mixture will be very cold but not frozen solid.  Remove block of fruit-nut loaf from pan and slice into 1-inch slabs.  Cut slabs in half to form 3" X 1" bars.  Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.  Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap for travel.

*Our house tolerates a bit of crumble.  If you like your bars very firm, add a little extra juice.  

Bunny Cherry Chocoate Trifle

Chunks of chocolate cake, a layer of cherry pie filling mixed with Kirsch and cherry jam, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and a layer of pastry cream.  (It's OK to use vanilla pudding.) Peeps bunnies optional, whipped cream on the side a bonus. 

Potato Chip Chicken

The secret is unsalted potato chips.  You know from past posts how we feel about this versatile snack.  Spain’s famed chef Ferran Adrià uses crisp potato chips to make the fastest and tastiest Spanish Tortilla possible.  American chips can be very salty so unsalted ones allow you to salt the tortilla properly, especially important if you are adding a salty meat like sliced Spanish chorizo to the recipe.  You can use them to create your own BBQ chips or create your favorite flavored chips with real ingredients rather than the questionable list you see on packages. 

Now the unsalted version bakes up crispy chicken for you. This gluten-free coating will remind you of the satisfying crunch panko gives baked chicken.  Crush the chips in a food processor for the full recipe.  Or if making only one or two chicken breasts, place the chips in a baggie and crush with your hands or a rolling pin.  

Potato Chip Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless*
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup crushed potato chips (about 3 cups uncrushed)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and coat with spray oil or a little vegetable oil.  
3. Place chicken breasts on pan.  Lightly salt and pepper each.  
4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each chicken breast.  
5. Cover the mayonnaise layer with a layer of crushed potato chips.  Note that since they already have oil on them, they will crisp up without additional oil or butter.  You may sprinkle on a little more salt, pepper and other seasonings (like paprika, dried oregano or basil) before placing chicken in the oven to bake.  
6. Bake 20-30 minutes until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 170˚F is reached. 
7. Remove chicken form oven and allow to rest five minutes before serving.

*Tip: Pounding boneless skinless chicken breast before starting the recipe will give you uniform thickness and more even cooking.

Modern Meatloaf

Meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow!
Swap in ground turkey and minced mushrooms for the pork-veal combo usually added to ground beef in meatloaf.   The result is meaty with a sophisticated and smooth mushroom undertone.  A sweet-spicy glaze is baked on with a bacon topping.   This is close enough to the original to please traditionalist but modern enough for the trendsetters at your table.

Meatloaf with Mushrooms
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 cups mushrooms
2/3 cup ground oats (oat flour) or bread crumbs
½ cup plain yogurt (buttermilk or pain milk can be substituted)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon marjoram (or thyme)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (lean)
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
5-6 slices bacon or pancetta

For the Tomato-Maple Glaze:
¼ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chili sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl combine oats and yogurt.  Mix in next seven ingredients, mustard through black pepper.   
2. Using a food processor, finely chop mushrooms.  Stir mushroom into mixture.   
3. Now, add ground turkey, ground beef and egg.  Using a large fork or your clean hands, mix until well combined.   Mixture will be fairly wet.  
4. Tasting: Scoop a small amount, about a tablespoon, into the microwave-safe dish and cook one minute until completely cooked.  Taste for seasoning.  If more salt is needed, add in ¼ teaspoon increments and retest mixture by cooking a small amount again.  
5. When satisfied, place mixture in a loaf pan or mold into a free-form mound on a foil-lined rack.  You can make one large or two smaller meatloaves. (Poke a few holes in the rack for drainage.)  
6. Brush generously with tomato-maple glaze and cover top with bacon.  
7. Bake meatloaf one hour, until cooked through.  The meatloaf is done when a meat thermometer in the middle of the meatloaf reads 165˚F.  Run the meatloaf under the broiler for a minute or two if the bacon is not yet crisp enough.  
8. Remove from oven and allow meatloaf to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

The Bacon Version

Elegant Life Leftovers
Meatloaf sandwiches are good hot or cold.  Pick one these great add-ins to build a special lunch:

• Horseradish & mayonaise
• sliced avocado & chopped lettuce
• "Grilled Cheese" with thin slices of meatloaf layered between cheese slices
• Soft caramelized onions or crunchy onion rings
• Cole Slaw & barbeque sauce

Thinly sliced meatloaf can be served with slices of warm baguette, pickled onions, cornichons, Dijon mustard and a small cheese platter.