Chicken Salad with Homemade mayo

I want to use this post to extol the virtues of rotisserie chickens. omg. I love these things: they are totally delicious, are cost efficient, and contribute to amazing stock. and um, they are super easy, because well, somebody else made it.

My personal fave way to use one rotisserie chicken: get rotisserie chicken from the seward after work on Friday when they are $1 off. Proceed to take it home and eat some of it (thigh and leg) immediately, thus relieving hunger and the need to cook at the end of the week. Sometime over the weekend, when a person might again want food to magically appear, heat up the other thigh and leg in the broiler for a few minutes. Make the chicken salad (from the breast meat - see recipe below) - preferably on Sunday so that it is fresh and tasty for Mon/Tues lunch. Make stock, now or freeze to do later. Homemade stock tastes so much better to me, and it is really easy if you already have bones and bits left. And basically free since folks throw these away otherwise.

So. Really. This is a great item if you do a lot of solo food prep...though you know, you could totally share it too. That is also fun.

Chicken Salad (made up by me, but I am sure this recipe exists somewhere):

2 Chicken breasts, diced
One apple, diced
One celery rib, minced
1/4 c. Currants or Raisins (optional)
1/2 c. toasted almonds (whole or chopped)
homemade mayo (whatever amount you like...I seem to prefer 1 c. or so)
1/2 t. salt (more to taste)
1 T. Tarragon

Just mix everything together and you are done! Great with green lettuce for a refreshing salad! (I am channeling Lynda Barry's Marlys here. She expresses a lot in short exclamatory sentences.)

Homemade Mayo: do not be intimidated. It is so easy (as long as you have a blender)! From Fanny Farmer

1 egg at room temp
1/2 t dry or dijon mustard (I prefer dijon)
1/2 t. salt (or more to taste)
2 T lemon juice (at room temp)
1 1/2 cups olive oil (not extra virgin)

*Before you start, there are a few important notes: if you make this with a fancier extra-virgin olive oil, the taste will be pretty olive-y. I thought it almost tasted like the oil was rancid (it wasn't) because it was so strong. I recommend using whatever cheap olive oil you have on hand. Also, the mayo is MUCH more creamy and fluffy if you use ROOM TEMP ingredients. Really. If you forget, like me, just put a cold egg into a cup with some warm water to help it warm up a little faster.

Put everything but the oil and water in the blender and blend. With the motor running, add the oil VERY slowly in a stream - it will begin to thicken. Sometimes the blender clogs up and needs to be stirred a bit to keep going. Once you have all the mayo in, it is done! omg, this mayo is SO good.

It is also excellent as the dressing for the carrot salad posted last month. Also, I did a little research on how long this lasts in the fridge: look at the expiration date of your egg, and then add a week. That is how long this mayo will keep. Which is probably pretty long. Though I have to say, when I have homemade mayo, it doesn't last too long because i eat it on anything it is so good.

Michelle's Broccoli Quinoa Salad

My friend Michelle makes versions of this simple salad often, and I love it.  I can't stop eating it.  Seriously.  Good thing it is healthy!

1 cup dry quinoa prepared with 1.5c water

3 TBSP lime juice (I use more typically to taste)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium cucumber - diced

1 medium tomato - diced

1 red pepper diced
a head of broccoli or two- chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup cilantro -fresh and chopped finely
1/2 to 3/4 cup basil -fresh and chopped finely
feta optional

1. Whisk lime juice, pepper, salt, and oil in small bowl

(If it's too limey I may add some sugar to the dressing.  Also if I'm short on lime juice I add a little vinegar or Italian dressing to taste.)

2. Combine cucumber, tomato, pepper, broccoli, cilantro, and basil in large bowl (add feta here as well if using it).   Add in cooked quinoa and toss.

3. Add lime juice dressing and toss to coat.

Voila... chill and serve.

And...more pancakes

You would think I was a super pancake freak or something...what with the pancake posts of late. But really, there are just so many pancake recipes. And I have tons of coconut flour that I got on sale sometime ago, and I wanted to find stuff to make with it.

So. Coconut flour = ground up coconut meat. I have not personally made my own - it seems risky - but one theoretically could. It adds a subtle coconut flavor, is less heartier than almond four, and also finer. It browns quickly too, so you have to watch the heat/oven time.

So, in what seems to be my search for pancake perfection, I discovered this recipe. It is fluffy, almost buckwheat-y tasting because of the coconut flour grain. They turned out delicious!

I changed it a little, mostly by using more coconut milk. The liquidity seems to vary A LOT depending on the brand of coconut and almond flour and the size of your eggs. I did half the recipe very easily in case you are cooking for one. But then I could only eat 3 pancakes because they are so filling. (The fourth I ate as a snack later...still great.) *I made these a second time, and this time it was 7 thinner pancakes?!

Blend in a food processor until frothy:
4 eggs

Add remaining wet ingredients and blend until combined, 30 seconds:

1 1/2 c. coconut milk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 T. honey

In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients:
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/4 c. almond flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg

Add dry ingredients to food processor/wet ingredients and buzz for 15-20 seconds. (The consistency here should be pourable - if it isn't, add a little more coconut milk.)

Fry on a hot griddle (on medium heat), greased with butter or coconut oil. Cook a few minutes on each side. Serve!

Tom Kha Gai

I first learned about this spicy, sweet and sour soup a couple of years ago when a friend was making it when she was sick - to help clear her sinuses maybe. Which it does because it can be spicy! It is simple and delicious, and it seems there are lots and lots of recipes out there. I finally settled on a slightly modified version of this one because it seemed easy, and had all of the essential ingredients: lemongrass, galangal, lime/kaffir lime leaves, mushrooms, and chicken. I did add some sweetness because that was common in other recipes, and it needed just a little.

It turned out great, and would be delicious with some sticky white rice. I had mine plain with some sauteed bok choy along side (which was SO good - i think i have previously underestimated this sweet and tasty veggie).

Tom Ka Gai
1 stalk lemongrass, remove outer sheath and the hard ends. Hit the stalk a few times with the back of a knife or a heavy frying pan, cut into several pieces.
1 T coconut oil
1 large onion finely minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 t. Thai red curry paste (I used a little less and also put in a minced jalepeno)
6 slices of galangal - Do not peel, slice into six 1/8" thick slices (I used more!)
3 - 5 kaffir lime leaves, preferably fresh (mine were dried)
4 cups of good chicken stock
3/4 pound of boneless, skinless chicken sliced into strips
2 cups of shitake or early winter mushrooms, chopped in eighths. (I used criminis, but totally wished for shitakes once I was eating...)
2 cans coconut milk
1 T honey
Juice of 2 limes
2 T fish sauce (which has gluten, so I used salt and anchovy paste)
3 scallions trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup minced cilantro

In a medium heavy saucepan add the oil, garlic and onion, turn heat to medium. Cook for a minute, stirring and then ad the lemongrass, curry paste, galangal and lime leaves. Cook stirring often for about 3-4 minutes. The onion should begin to soften. Add the stock, honey and coconut milk and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and mushrooms (or maybe put the mushrooms in earlier...just a thought). Cook for about 5 minutes or just until the chicken is cooked. Add the lime juice and fish sauce. Serve in bowls garnished with scallions, cilantro, and lime.

Bavarian Cream soup

Hello long lost bloggies! I hope everyone is having a nice start to 2012. I honored the coming of the new year by making my fave winter soup - which I promptly froze up and have been eating for lunches for the past two weeks! It is another recipe from the Schumacher cookbook, and the sidebar of this recipe says that it was a favorite at the restaurant. It is rich and creamy (of course!) with a vinegar-y sort of punch. And there are tons of veggies. And a little bacon. I was especially excited to use up some of the green beans frozen in my freezer - we are midway to spring here! I modified this recipe a little: I used GF flour for the roux, I used buckwheat instead of barley, and I only made the amount of roux I needed (whereas Schumacher has you make a batch and freeze the extra).

FYI: It takes a significant chunk of time, maybe 2 hours to make this soup. So be prepared with a snack or something if you are trying to make it for dinner!

Serves 8-10
1/4 lb. bacon, diced 1/4"
2 cloves minced garlic
2 c. onions, diced 1/2"
1 c. carrots, diced 1/2"
1 quart crushed whole tomatoes
1 quart beef stock
1 c. tomato puree
1/3 c. barley or buckwheat groats
1 t. marjoram
1 t. basil
1 t. caraway seeds
2 T. worcestershire (generally not GF; i made up something similar)
1 c. potatoes, diced 1/2"
2 c. cabbage, cut 1" long by 1/4" wide
1 c. zucchini, diced 1/2"
1 c. fresh green beans, cut 1" long
1/2 c. white vinegar
1 quart heavy cream sauce* (see below: you need milk, butter, and flour)
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. salt (I needed way more b/c my homemade stock was not salted)

Heavy Cream Sauce *This got a little tricky because I don't have a scale, but it's roux...it is forgiving. And I accidentally only had 1/2 qt of heavy cream, so I made due.
1 quart milk or half and half
6 oz roux

To make the roux, you use equal parts butter and flour (be weight, so use a little extra flour if you are measuring). Melt the butter in a saucepan, and than whisk in the flour. For this recipe he wants a dark roux - so keep stirring and heating for at least 5 minutes. (The photo here is early on - a light roux.) He actually recommends that you put the pan in the oven at 375 for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes, which gets really dark - but I think you could follow these easy youtube instructions for a similar effect. The roux thickens and flavors the soup - apparently a common technique in Creole and French cooking. And it makes appearances on Top Chef, so you know that equals fancy.

Render bacon brown in a sauce pot. Add garlic and onions, celery and carrots, and saute until onions are clear. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring lightly. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato puree, spices, worcestershire, and barley and simmer for one hour. Then add potatoes, cabbage, zucchini and beans. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add heavy cream sauce, and blend well. Add vinegar, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot in bowls or mugs with a generous dollop of sour cream.