What's for Lunch? Cranberry-Apple Chicken Salad

Now that I'm home during the day with Aubrey, lunch-making is no longer the mad dash it used to be while getting everyone ready in the morning.  That's not to say that he doesn't still eat his fair share of lunch meat (although, I think he would be perfectly happy to have a turkey and cheese sandwich every day!) but I now have more time to get creative with lunch.

After a morning at the beach, I just wasn't feeling our usual lunch routine, so I threw together some chicken salad using ingredients I already had at home, and that packed in some extra nutrition through fruit.  I looked over several chicken salad recipes to figure out the mayo/spices combo to use, and this is what I ended up with.  We both enjoyed it, and I will definitely make this again.  It would make a great chicken salad to serve at parties too!

Cranberry-Apple Chicken Salad

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup peeled and diced Red Delicious Apple

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Stir together chicken and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Mile- High Quiche

Hi friends!  I wanted to share my quiche recipe with you because it's a great dinner alternative.  It also saves well in the refrigerator, so you can easily re-heat for lunch later in the week.  This is my version of a Quiche Lorraine, with some extra veggies added in there for good measure.  I call it the "Mile- High" quiche because it is packed full and will almost overflow your pie crust.  You may want to use your 11-inch deep dish pie plate for this one!

Meredith's Mile- High Quiche

 Ingredients

•  6 large eggs
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach
• 1 large yellow onion, diced and sauteed
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
• Refrigerated pie crust
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine eggs, cream, and salt and pepper in a food processor until well blended.
3. Layer onion, tomato, spinach, bacon and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.  Top with egg mixture.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes until egg mixture is set.

*DO use the food processor... it adds air into the egg mixture, which will make it lighter and fluffier. 

Girly Grillin'... Burgers and Bacon

Holy Moses, am I excited about this post!  Yes, I like to cook healthy foods, but this would not be the "southern spoon" without a little bacon.  Please.  However, there are a couple ways you can make some dinner basics healthier and much less boring.

As you already know, I love avocado.  Thankfully avocados grow in abundance here, so they are one of the only grocery items that can be bought in Hawaii without having to mortgage my house.  They also pack a lot of nutrition and healthy fats, so they have become a produce staple at our house. 

As you probably do, we have burgers for dinner every so often.  If you want to take the boring out of burgers (ie. iceberg lettuce, ketchup, mustard, blah...), put your burger on a bakery-style kaiser roll, top with leafy field greens (healthier, more antioxidants), a slice of tomato, and a thick slice of avocado.  Spread some aioli sauce (garlicky French mayonnaise) on the top bun, and enjoy your tres chic and healthier burger!  Here's a recipe for a basic aioli sauce:

Aioli Sauce (from www.easy-french-food.com)

Ingredients

1 clove garlic

2 pinches salt

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Cut the ends off of the garlic, peel it, and either chop it or put it through a garlic press.
2. Put the garlic in a mortar and pestle with the salt and grind it into a paste.
3. In a heavy mixing bowl (one that won't scoot across the counter as you're mixing with one hand and pouring with the other), whisk (you can use an electric whisk) the egg yolks, lemon juice, and garlic mixture together until well combined, about one minute.
4. Start adding the olive oil, drop by drop, whisking all the while. You can add it a bit faster as you go along, but as with mayonnaise, the key to success is going very slowly at the start. When you are done adding the oil you can adjust the seasoning as suits your taste.

As for the bacon element of this post, jazz up a standard BLT with a slice of avocado and aioli sauce instead of plain mayo.  So much better!




Stuffing my face with a BLT at the Waimea Farmers' Market... local bacon, homemade "malasada style" Kaiser roll, aioli sauce.  The only thing that would have made it better is some yummy avocado!


And of course, it wouldn't be burger night without fries to go with it.  If you have 5 minutes to spare, please please please do not buy the frozen french fries!  Pick up a bag of new potatoes (the small red ones) and make my recipe for Roasted Parmesan-Rosemary Potatoes.  I make these every time... delicious and significantly less sodium and fat than freezer fries.

Roasted Parmesan-Rosemary Potatoes (Meredith's version)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs new potatoes, quartered
• Olive oil
• Rosemary (fresh or dried)
• Grated parmesan
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Place quartered potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat with olive oil, rosemary, grated parmesan and a dash of coarse Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  (This is to taste... you probably will only need a couple tablespoons of each.... just eyeball it.)
2. Spread potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown and tender.  Stir at the halfway point.

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricasse... Spinach, Part 2

And here is the second recipe using spinach.  This one recommends you serve it over some long grain wild rice, which would be great too, but as I mentioned in the last post, I had some spinach to use.  The way I prepared it made it more like a chicken salad with a hot pan dressing over it, and I served it with French bread on the side.

This recipe looks more daunting at the beginning, but trust me, it's not that time consuming or difficult.  And your house will smell amazing while it's cooking... this would be a good one to try if you're having a Valentine's dinner at home!

And by the way, I'm going to experiment with a way to attach recipe cards (that include my notes) to these posts that are ready for printing/emailing/social media sharing etc. so bare with me and check back for that. 

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricasse (Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 3 pounds chicken pieces, skinned
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Combine mustard, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag; toss well to coat. Chill 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan.
3. Add chopped onion to pan, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine and chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon. Keep warm.
4. Cook sauce, uncovered, over medium heat 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Pour sauce over chicken, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Enjoy, friends!

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta... Spinach, Part 1

The last two nights' meals have been really good, so you know I have to share!  Plus, I will be gone most of the weekend so these will probably be my last posts until next week. 

You know I love me some Southern Living and Cooking Light... mostly because they are never-fail recipes.  These two are from Cooking Light, and I did not find the need to make any changes. They are simple, wholesome fare and they passed the toddler test.  (He ate the spinach too!) 

I will say, generally I am not a fan of raw spinach.  But when covered in pasta and shrimp, (or in the case of the next recipe, chicken and a hot pan dressing), I enjoy it and don't find the texture so repulsive.  Plus, spinach is just so darn good for you! 

And finally, the reason I used spinach two nights in a row (oh the horror!)...  Salad mix is ridiculously expensive here, so like all my meal choices lately, I have to use what I've got or it's a waste of money.

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta (Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby spinach

Preparation

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.

"Baked" Potato Soup... And The Budget Benefits of Slow Cooker Meals!

Every so often, you just need to clean out your pantry and fridge and use up ingredients before they expire.  I have to admit, I was not very good about this before, but now that our budget is tighter and the cost of groceries is higher here in Hawaii, I have gotten smarter about this.  I start by taking a quick inventory of items I have in surplus and then searching my cookbooks and the internet for recipes that use these ingredients in combination.  Last week, I had almost a whole bag of baking potatoes that needed to be used up because they were starting to sprout and I also had some whipping cream that was coming up on its expiration date.  What to do with an entire bag of potatoes?!

Actually, there was an easy and economical solution.  In my slow cooker cookbook, I found a recipe for baked potato soup that used up all my potatoes as well as the cream and some other ingredients I had on hand.  Making this recipe particulary economical was that 1) it was a slow cooker meal, ie. dump stuff in there and wait a few hours and voila!, 2) it did not require expensive specialty ingredients (many use mostly canned ingredients) and, 3) it made a large portion that could be frozen and eaten again later.  I especially loved slow cooker meals back home in the winter time, because I could make them in the morning before leaving for work and a hearty meal was ready when I walked in the door in the evening.

Slow cooker recipes can be adapted just as easily as other meals, so don't be afraid to experiment if your ingredients come up short.  Particularly because these generally make bulk quantities, you can cut back a little and still have plenty, which is exactly what I did.  Here is the recipe, and my adaptations will follow.

"Baked" Potato Soup (Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3 3/4 lbs)
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 (14oz) cans chicken broth with roasted garlic
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper
• 1 cup whipping cream or half and half
• 1 cup (4 ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (optional)
• 4 bacon slices cooked and crumbled
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker
2. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or on LOW 8 hours or until potatoes are tender
3. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese and chives
4. Top with sour cream, if desired and sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese.

Okay, so here is how I cheated...er, adapted this one.  My first confession is that I did not peel the potatoes.  In fact, I never do.  This is partly out of lazyness and partly because I like the texture of potato skins.  So there you go.  Next, I only had 2 cans of reduced-sodium chicken broth in stock, so I just used what I had and added 2 large garlic cloves in to roast along with the potatoes.  I added about 1/2 cup of water in there, just to make sure the potatoes were well-covered.  Lastly, I did not have chives, but I did have some extra green onions leftover from another meal, so I used those and they worked great.

I made a side salad to go with it, and we really enjoyed it.  Best of all, I have a freezer bag full for another night's dinner when the pantry starts to get bare!

Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole

Aloha y'all! Dinner's about to go in the oven, so I have a few minutes to share one of my all-time favorite recipes with you.  This one is delicious for weekend brunch, and also works great for those "breakfast for dinner" nights, which we have every so often at our house.  I have made this recipe many times and it's always a hit.

I've been blessed to become part of a Moms of Preschoolers (MOPS) group here in Waikoloa, which is a faith-based organization that brings together moms in fellowship, support, encouragement, and friendship.  We meet every other Friday, and we rotate bringing food for the meetings.  This week was my small group's turn, so I chose to bring this dish.  The nice thing about this casserole is that you can make it ahead (the night before, or several hours before.) 

The French bread I used was still pretty soft, so I chose to make it a couple hours before so that it wouldn't get too soggy soaking in the fridge overnight.  If you use thicker slices that have hardened a bit, overnight would work just fine.  (Side note... if you have some French bread loaf leftover from dinner, this is a great way to use it up.  And since it's Cooking Light, you don't have to feel too guilty.  Or at least that's what I tell myself after a few pieces.)

(Hot out of the oven...that's some caramely goodness right there!)

Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole (Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup

Cooking spray

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup fat-free milk

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg whites

2 large eggs

12 (1-inch-thick) slices French bread (about 1 pound)

Preparation

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup; pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over sugar mixture.
2. Combine rind and next 7 ingredients (rind through eggs); stir with a whisk. Arrange bread slices over pecans in dish; pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Carefully turn bread slices over to absorb excess egg mixture. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

Try it for Sunday brunch this weekend and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!