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

Pepper Salad

Tags

BBQ, bell pepper, food, food photography, foodie, jalapeño, lime, lunch, pepper, picnic, postaday2011, pot luck, recipe, salad, shallot, side dishes, summer, vegetarian

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
I’m usually pretty patient and calm, but my internet service has really gotten to me these past few weeks. We had the company send someone out to look at the connection and hopefully we’re back on track. I’ve missed having my internet…

This weekend was Memorial Day weekend, the kick off to summer. Our weekend was filled with several barbecues and I wanted to share a few recipes that I made. Today is my pepper salad recipe, just as appeasing to the palette as they eyes. Hubster and my MIL were really hesitant about this salad, but I insisted that’s what I was taking. Turns out everyone found a different way to enjoy it. I ate mine as a side dish, one person mixed it in with his pasta salad, another put it on top of a burger, one on top of a hot dog. It enhanced anything to added it to…

Pepper Salad

Ingredients: 
1 green pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 2 jalapeño peppers, 1 shallot, 1/4 c. vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 limes, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Cut peppers and mince shallot, set aside in bowl. Whisk together oil, mustard, lime juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over peppers and toss gently. Place in refrigerator and allow to set for several hours before serving.

*Bonus if you can get ahold of a purple bell pepper or white bell pepper.

What was on your plate this weekend??

Tarragon Pear Rice

Tags

dinner, food, foodie, lunch, pear, postaday2011, recipe, rice, shallot, side dish recipe, side dishes, sides, tarragon

This week has been a typical rainy April week, and I’m thrilled (that it’s not snow)! The temperatures have all been above 50°F so far. Despite the rain, I’ve been sporting my sandals and have been yearning to be outside enjoying Spring. In Pennsylvania, April is my favorite month of the year. So while I’m dreaming of cherry blossoms, I’ll share this recipe with you. It’s always fun to combine my favorite ingredients to create new recipes. This tarragon pear rice makes a fantastic side dish to my apple smoked turkey tenderloin.

Tarragon Pear Rice

Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked rice, 2 1/3 c. water, 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 small shallot minced, 2 Tbsp. chopped tarragon, 2 Tbsp. pan drippings from turkey tenderloin or 2 Tbsp. of marinade (before meat touched it), 1/2 an anjou pear chopped, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Melt butter in sauce pan and brown shallots. Add drippings and rice until warm and rice is lightly browned. Add tarragon, salt and water. Bring rice to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, adding pears two minutes before finished. Let stand for a few minutes and then fluff with a fork.

Once again, I would’ve serve this over a bed of sautéed spinach, but it didn’t look so fresh at the supermarket. Another thing I love about April? Farmer’s markets are starting back up!

Do you have a favorite month?  What makes it so special?