Savory Chicken Salad

 

Who doesn't love a good Chicken Salad sandwich?  I tend to enjoy a more savory Chicken Salad, as apposed to a salad with fruit, nuts, etc.  This recipe hits the palette just right with the combination of fresh herbs and lemon. 

 

Let's be honest...it would have been more delicious on a light and flaky croissant, but we just work with what we have on-hand in this house! 

 

This recipe is one I came across on the Food Network website when searching for a NEW recipe on-line to try to mix things up a bit!

 

Ingredients:

 

4 cups diced poached chicken, recipe follows

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1/4 cup sweet onion cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise

2 teaspoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

POACHED CHICKEN FOR SALADS

 

10 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 small onion, halved

1 small carrot, halved

1 stalk celery, halved

3 pounds chicken breasts halves, on the bone and fat trimmed

5 to 6 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

 

Directions:

 

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions and herbs. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with sliced tomatoes, in half an avocado or in a chicken club sandwich made with artisanal bread, crispy smoked bacon, vine-ripened tomatoes and lettuce.

Put the parsley, thyme, onion, carrot, celery, and chicken breasts in a medium saucepan.

Cover with the broth, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and cover. Poach the chicken for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, cool the chicken in the liquid for 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and reserve the liquid. Bone and skin the chicken and cut the meat into 1 inch cubes.

Discard the bones and skin.

Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for later use.

Remove any fat from the surface of the broth before using.

Cheddar Dill Scones

 

 

After binge watching Ina Garten on the Food Network Channel a year or so ago, I felt compelled to try a similar recipe to what she had concocted on her cooking show; Cheddar Dill Scones.  I had been experimenting making scones from scratch on weekends, as the local café in my place of work makes and sells scones on a daily basis.  Let's just say they are addicting...and...expensive!  During the time of this scone experiment, I also had a good friend under the weather who was in desperate need of cheering up.  The first attempt turned out fantastic, but were they fantastic enough?  I only made them one additional time afterwards! 

 

Fast forward...

 

The past year or so I've had my mind fixated on this heavy-duty scone pan!  Being a lover of all kitchen gadgets, pans, etc...I thought I MUST HAVE THIS PAN!  For whatever reason, every time I'd come across the pan, it was either Christmas time, or I was in a hurry and never ended up purchasing the pan until this past weekend.  I decided to take an impromptu road trip to Galena, IL with my Mom and good friend previously mentioned.  On the downtown street of Galena there is this adorable, 2 story, kitchen shop!  A gadget lovers dream!  You'll never guess what I came across in that store (or maybe you will)... THE SCONE PAN!  The timing was perfect, and finally I now own this fantastic pan.  It seemed fitting that the first scone recipe used in my brand new pan was the Cheddar Dill Scone recipe!

 

Ingredients:

 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons dried dill weed

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold, cut into chunks

1/2 cup half and half

2 eggs; slightly beaten

 

Directions:

 

Combine all ingredients except butter, half & half and eggs in bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in half & half and eggs just until moistened.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 1 minute or until smooth.

Divide dough in half; roll each half into 8-inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. 

Place wedges in the well greased scone pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

 

 

Authentic Mardi Gras King Cake

 

Just in time for Fat Tuesday!  What could be better than a nice warm slice of Authentic, Homemade, Mardi Gras King Cake!!  Well lets be clear, this was made on Saturday, and it practically took me the entire day, but the end result was SO worth it...even if I'm not the worlds biggest fan of nutmeg.  

 

 

Ingredients: 

 

2 packages of dry active yeast

1/2 cup sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

5 egg yolks

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Vegetable oil

8 ounces cream cheese

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons milk

Purple, green, and gold sugar sprinkles

Plastic baby toy

 

Directions:

 

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

 

2.) Combine the yeast, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.

 

3.) Add the milk.

 

4.) With the mixer on low speed, beat the mixture for about 4 minutes to dissolve the yeast.  If the yeast mixture doesn't begin to foam after a few minutes, it means it's not active and will have to be replaced.

 

5.) In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest.

 

6.) Add this mixture to the yeast mixture.  Mix on low speed until it lightly comes together, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and climbs slightly up the dough hook. 

 

7.) Remove the dough from bowl.  Coat the dough with vegetable oil.  Return the dough to the bowl and turn it to oil all sides.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set in a warm, draft-free place, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours (can take longer). 

 

8.) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Mix well.

 

9.) In another small bowl, combine the remaining powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk.  Mix well and set aside.

 

10.) Turn out the dough onto a floured surface.  Roll the dough out 30 inches long and 6 inches in diameter. 

 

11.) Spread the cream cheese filling across the center of the dough. 

 

12.) Bring the two long edges together and seal all sides completely. 

 

13.) Using your hands shape the dough into a long cylinder and place on a greased baking sheet, seam side down.  Shape the dough into a ring.  Place a well-greased 2 pound coffee can or shortening can in the center of the ring to maintain the shape during baking.

 

14.) Press the plastic baby toy into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

 

15.) Cover the ring with a flour sack towel and place in a warm, draft-free place.  Let dough rise for about 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size. 

 

16.) With a sharp knife, make several slits around the top of the ring.

 

17.) Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. 

 

18.) After baking remove the coffee can immediately.  Allow the cake to cool.

 

19.) Drizzle the cake with the sugar glaze.  Sprinkle the cake with sprinkles, alternating colors.

 

20.) Cut the cake into individual pieces and serve.