Chicken Salad - Mexican Style

Another find from foodgawker - this delicious chicken salad is awesome with a bowl of tortilla chips. My kids decided they weren't fans of it, however, until I put it in between tortillas, added a bit more shredded cheese, and made quesadillas.....then they loved it! This combination would also be yummy made into taquitos.

I just love simple recipes that can be used in different ways.

Recipe: (adapted from One Lovely Life)

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or diced*
1 (14.5oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (4oz) can green chiles (don't drain)
1 c shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/3 c low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1/3 c light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (1/2 package) taco seasoning
juice of 1 lime
other: tortilla chips, lime wedges, olive slices to serve

Directions:
In a large bowl combine cooked chicken, black beans, green chiles, and cheese. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, taco seasoning and lime juice. Combine well.

Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with lime wedges and/or sliced olives.

*I roasted the chicken breasts brushed with olive oil & sprinkled with salt and pepper at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Okay, so this is called Loaded Baked Potato Salad, but I didn't actually bake the potatoes. You CAN, of course, but I didn't have the time. I think the whole point is for the end result to taste similar to a loaded baked potato. I thought it really did...even with the boiled potatoes!

I made this for our Independence Day barbecue and absolutely loved it. Grant even enjoyed it, and he normally won't eat potato salad, or anything with mayo in it, for that matter. All of our guests thought it was delicious as well. I did make a few minor adjustments to how this is written, as my potatoes were small and I used a bunch of them, so I just increased the amount of mayo a bit (I ran out of sour cream) to get the proper consistency and I ended up using a whole pound of regular (not thick-cut) bacon. Adjust things as you see fit. Enjoy!

Recipe: (adapted from evil shenanigans)

4 large russet potatoes

1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

1/2 cup sour cream (again, light is fine)

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped chives, divided

8 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

salt and pepper

Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook in salted water until fork-tender. Drain and cool.

Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add 3/4 of the chives, salt, and pepper. Fold in cheese and bacon. Chill for 30 minutes (if you have the time....I didn't, and it worked out just fine).

Fold the cooked potatoes into the dressing and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with remaining chives and bacon, if desired.

Ellia - 8 months old

Today my sweet baby is 8 months old.

She's learning how to clap, she's almost crawling, definitely scooting, still doesn't like solid foods a single bit.

She's 100% precious......

her slobbery kisses priceless....

her smile and laugh contagious.

♥ I love her beyond words. ♥

French Bread

I recently made this bread to go with the French Onion Salisbury Steak, but I have made it several times over the past few years for other meals as well. It is just a basic, simple dough, nothing complicated about it. It yields two nice loaves, with great flavor and texture that is versatile enough to accompany a variety of dishes. I had a few slices leftover that were delicious just broiled with some sharp cheddar cheese for a few minutes.

I forgot to take pictures until we had already nearly eaten the first loaf, which was the prettier one, but that's just the way it goes.

Recipe: (adapted from Allrecipes)

1-3/4 c. warm water (110-115°F)
1 T.active dry yeast
1 T.sugar
1-1/2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
5 c. all-purpose flour (I used part whole wheat, 3 cups)
1 T. milk (for brushing on top)

Sesame seeds (optional)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and olive oil. Add flour slowly and mix until well combined. If using a dough hook, mix for 6-8 minutes.....if not, knead by hand for 6-8 minutes. Put in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel or greased wax paper and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.
Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal if desired (I left out the cornmeal); place loaves seam side down on prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes.
Brush milk over loaves. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Note: If you toss a few ice cubes in the oven while the bread is baking, the steam will help create a crisp crust while leaving the inside nice and tender. You can do this several times during the baking period if you want.

French Onion Salisbury Steak

This was a remarkably popular dish at my house. When I found the recipe initially, I thought it sounded fabulous and couldn't wait to try it out, but I wasn't sure what the reactions from the peanut gallery would be. I modified it a bit from the original, just based on personal preference and what I had on hand.

My family ate the cheese toasts (made without the swiss cheese) on the side, as we don't really do soggy bread. You just do whatever suits your fancy.

I could hardly believe my kids clamoring for seconds on the meat. They avoided the onions for the most part, but they just couldn't get enough of those turkey patties. I guess I'll be making extras of those next time. And I don't mind eating their onions. They were delicious!

Recipe: (Adapted from Nutmeg Nanny)

French Onion Salisbury Steak:
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used homemade whole wheat)

1 egg
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley – minced
1 T. minced dried onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onions – sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic – minced
1 tablespoon ketchup

1 t. flour
2 cups beef broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Optional garnishes:
4 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
4 teaspoon Parmesan cheese – shredded

Cheese Toasts:
4 slices French bread or baguette – cut diagonally (1/2″ thick)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter – softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic – minced
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup Swiss cheese – grated
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese – grated

Combine meat, breadcrumbs, egg, basil, minced onion, salt and pepper. Divide evenly into desired number of patties. I made 9 smallish ones. Place 2 tablespoons flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ketchup; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth then add the salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan if desired.

For the Cheese Toasts

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Place bread on baking sheet.

Combine butter, garlic and paprika and spread on one side of each slice of bread. Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over butter. Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 10-15 minutes.

Mandarin Orange Pineapple Cake

If you're looking for a light and fresh, summery, delightfully cool and sweet dessert, this is a great option. I made it for our small group, and everyone except for Grant (my die-hard chocolate loving husband) thought it was great. It is so easy and quick, wonderful to make ahead (even better, perhaps, if made a day in advance), and just makes your mouth happy. I'm not kidding!

The original recipe called for a cup of oil and 4 eggs - you could make it that way, I suppose, but why? The applesauce is an outstanding substitute for the oil, making the cake so much lower in fat and still luciously moist. I can't imagine why you would need 4 eggs.....it turned out perfectly with 3.

Recipe: (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

additional can of mandarin oranges for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9" pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, applesauce, and oranges with juice. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

Cool completely.

To make the topping: Drain at least 1/4 cup of juice from pineapple. Mix dry pudding mix with the pineapple well and allow to sit for a few minutes. If you want to add some of the reserved juice, you can, just be careful not to add too much or the frosting will be too liquidy. Fold in whipped topping until incorporated. Spread on top of cake and chill until serving.

Excellent made a day ahead - the cake is best if cold. Toasted sweetened coconut would be an excellent addition for the topping, if desired.

Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy

My grandma used to make a delicious, fabulous, knock-your-socks-off chocolate syrup that we normally ate over homemade vanilla ice-cream, but occasionally we would really go wild and eat it over biscuits. Fresh, from scratch biscuits hot from the oven. Talk about a decadent breakfast! Except when you eat it over biscuits, it becomes Chocolate Gravy, not syrup, so you don't feel quite so bad eating it in the morning.

As if you need to feel bad eating chocolate at any time of the day. Ha!

Well, when I saw a different recipe for Chocolate Gravy on foodgawker not too long ago, I favorited it and determined to make it sometime.

That sometime came last Saturday.
We usually eat pancakes or waffles for breakfast on Saturday....but Grant had made a double batch the previous weekend and I had been eating leftovers for about four days during the week and I was simply pancaked out.

Aha! This was my chance! I could be a rebel against the tradition and serve my family chocolate for their morning fare!

Truth be told, I don't particularly like making biscuits. It's the cutting in of the butter. I do have a pastry blender, which I dutifully use, but I just am never satisfied with the job it (I) does and the biscuits never fail to be a bit of a disappointment. This time was no different. So I will not post the biscuit recipe. Canned biscuits would be fine anyways. :)

But on to the gravy, the real reason for this post.

Yum!

I loved it....the family loved it. It was just a delightful way to start the day, and I'm sure it would be wonderful on ice-cream or pancakes or as a dipping sauce for strawberries.

I actually cooked it a bit too long (I let it boil for probably 3 minutes) to make sure it thickened up....and while it was hot, it was a very thick gravy for the biscuits, by the time it cooled, it was more like chocolate pudding. Not exactly the best for drizzling on stuff, but just great for eating straight out of the bowl! Hey, if it's pudding, you're "supposed" to eat it out of the bowl, right?

So next time I'm wanting gravy, I'll just bring it to a boil and then remove it from the heat. I think that will suffice.

Recipe - from Natalie's Killer Cuisine

1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 T butter
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

In a heavy saucepan turn heat to high and combine sugar and milk. Sift in flour and cocoa and whisk until smooth.
Whisk constantly with mixture on medium high heat. It will boil and thicken like gravy, around 5 – 10 minutes.
When sauce is thick turn the heat off and add butter, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately over biscuits.



This post is linked to Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Countdown to 2011: Breakfast.  Check it out for lots of yummy breakfast fare!