Holiday Chicken Salad

Tags

chicken, Christmas, cranberry, foodie, Holiday, luncheon, pecan, recipe, shallot

Spiced pecans and dried cranberries are two of my favorite seasonal flavors. When mixed together, they give a nice holiday spin to a classic recipe making it the perfect dish for a holiday luncheon.

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 6 stalks of celery, 4 shallots, 1 c. dried cranberries, 1 c. spiced pecans, mayonnaise

Directions:
Poach chicken breasts and cool completely. Chop celery, shallots, cranberries, and pecans. Shred or cube chicken. Toss ingredients together, using only enough mayonnaise to wet the mixture. Chill for about 6 hours before serving. Mix again before serving.

*Serve on a fresh baked croissant or bed of mixed greens.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

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Grilled Brie, Pear & Spinach on Rosemary Bread

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brie, brunch, easy recipe, food, foodie, gourmet, grilled cheese, grilling, lunch, luncheon, pear, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick recipe, recipe, rosemary bread, sandwich, spinach, vegetarian

Grilled Cheese for the Adults

Grilled Brie, Pear & Spinach on Rosemary Bread

 

 

I used last night’s rosemary bread recipe and made smaller sandwich sized loaves for this recipe, but you can slice a loaf to make these tasty sandwiches.

Ingredients:
fresh-baked rosemary bread, butter, brie cheese, red pear, Anjou pear, baby spinach leaves

Directions:
Thinly slice brie and pears. Layer bread with brie, pears and spinach. Butter outside of bread and grill. Serve warm!

What is your favorite grilled cheese variation?

Basic Savory & Sweet Crêpes

Tags

breakfast, brunch, crêpes, dessert, dinner, food, French, french cuisine, french food, gourmet, light fare, light lunch, lunch, luncheon, postaday2011, recipe, sweet crepes

I’ve never had a real French crêpe, even the ones at the overpriced French restaurant Hubster took me to, were definitely Americanized.  I’ve tried several recipes for crêpes and was disappointed with each. Some maybe due to the recipe, some maybe due to technique. I investigated crêpes, looked for trends in each recipe (Yes, I research food and enjoy it) and I tried to create my own. Good thing Hubster got me that new “grapes” pan…

Crêpes

Ingredients for Basic Savory Crêpes:
1 c. flour, 1 1/4 c. milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. melted butter, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, vegetable oil

Directions for Basic Savory Crêpes:
Combine flour, salt and nutmeg. Add milk, beating at medium speed. Add eggs and continue beating. Stir in butter. Chill batter for an hour. Lightly coat a crêpe pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 c. batter into middle of hot pan, quickly tilt pan until batter coats it in every direction (just a quick twirl of the wrist should do). Cook for about 1 minute and turn over, cook for an addition minute. Place crêpes on wire rack to cool. Stack crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

Ingredients for Basic Sweet Crêpes:
1 c. flour, 1 1/4 c. milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. melted butter, 1 Tbs. amaretto (Disaronno, of course) or almond extract, 1/8 c. vanilla sugar, pinch of fresh ground sea salt, vegetable oil

Directions for Basic Sweet Crêpes:
Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add milk, beating at medium speed. Add eggs, amaretto and continue beating. Stir in butter. Chill batter for an hour. Lightly coat a crêpe pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 c. batter into middle of hot pan, quickly tilt pan until batter coats it in every direction (just a quick twirl of the wrist should do). Cook for about 1 minute and turn over, cook for an addition minute. Place crêpes on wire rack to cool. Stack crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

I used a 10″ crêpe pan, if you are using a smaller plan, try pouring 1/8 c. batter into hot pan. Crêpes can be frozen. Stack between sheets of wax paper and stick in airtight container or freezer bag.  When ready to use, thaw and fill as normal. These recipes are basic and allow room to add your favorite herbs or spices depending on the filling and sauce you’re pairing with your crêpes.

Hubster is already planning more ingredient he wants me to try in crêpes.

Do you prefer sweet dessert crêpes or savory dinner crêpes? What is your favorite crêpe filling/topping?

Chocolate Covered Pirouettes & Pretzels Rods

Tags

back up plan, Candy, cookie, cookies, dessert, luncheon, party snack, pot luck, pretzels, snack

When All Else Fails

There are good days and there are bad days. Then there are perfect days and epically bad days… Yesterday, was the latter…

I’m still not feeling 100% and today is our holiday luncheon at work… I like to make tasty and beautiful desserts.

Plan #1
Make a butter rum pound cake topped with dark chocolate ganache and garnished with crushed peppermints… I only have half the ingredients I needed… and I didn’t have time (or energy) to run out to the store…

Plan #2
I had planned to make an almond angel food cake with chocolate ganache… I’ve made it many times before. I was whipping my egg whites and soft peaks had formed, but I wasn’t getting the stiff peaks I needs before I added my flour mixture. My metal bowl was completely grease-free… yet still no stiff peaks… Then I went for my bundt pan… ah, it’s in storage. I quickly grab my baby bundt pan and attempt to make mini angel food cakes. I couldn’t figure out the timing, and teh texture of the cake was all wrong.

Plan #3
Melt dark chocolate in double boiler and dip in pretzel rods & pirouette cookies. Easy? Normally yes, but my double boiler is also in storage… So I have to place my small sauce pan in my larger one, keeping it balanced with my left hand… if it were to tip and get a drop of water in the chocolate, it would be ruined… Once chocolate hardened I placed the chocolate dipped pirouettes (I had chocolate pirouettes and vanilla) and chocolate dipped pretzel rods in a glass bowl… and headed to bed.

Chocolate Dipped Pirouettes & Pretzel Rods

Normally, I’d make these a little more gourmet by sprinkling with crushed pistachios or drizzling stripes on with white chocolate… but tonight it was the perfect balance or sweet and salty and easy…

Here’s to today being a better day…