Tag Archives: comfort

Chicken Salad

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chicken salad with lettuce on whole wheat bread on a white plate

 

Chicken Salad.

It’s pretty basic as far as a sandwich goes but it is a favorite for all the right reasons. A really good chicken salad has the perfect amount of mayonnaise so that it is not soupy, yet binds together. Mixing the chicken with the mayonnaise when it is still warm, allows the chicken to absorb some of the mayonnaise and stick together, a trick my mother, Val uses for her famously delicious potato salad, too. It needs to be flavorful but not overpowering. Curried Chicken Salad is great but when I need my fix, I prefer something easier on the palate, a taste that children and adults with more sensitive taste buds will enjoy, too. A little bit of lettuce for crunch and some soft white or wheat bread complete the experience and make it easy to pack in my cooler for a day at the beach.

 

Chicken Salad
(makes 4 sandwiches)

2 large chicken breasts 
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 rib celery cut into 4 pieces, plus 1 rib chopped fine
1/2 cup or more, Hellman's Mayonnaise
salt
pepper
8 slices sandwich bread
lettuce (optional)

Place chicken breasts in a sauce pan with about 1 inch of water. 
Sprinkle with celery seed and place 4 pieces of celery in 
the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes 
until interior of chicken breasts is 165F. 
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and chop/shred into small pieces.
Place in a medium sized mixing bowl and add chopped 
celery, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. 
Mix together and add more mayonnaise if needed.
Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Divide chicken salad among 4 slices of bread. 
Top with fresh lettuce and the remaining slices of bread. 
Cut each sandwich in 1/2 and serve.
Refrigerate chicken salad for up to 3 days. 
Alternatively, serve over a tossed salad or 
eat out of the container while standing in the kitchen.

 

Chocolate Drizzle Shortbread

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shortbread cookies drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt  

Fika!!

Fika, the Swedish coffee break that happens at least once a day, is my new favorite excuse to enjoy coffee and sweets whenever I need to take a moment.  The aim is to find some sort of balance during the day in the pleasure of sipping a cup of coffee. Traditionally, sweets are eaten, as well, especially cinnamon buns but cookies and cakes are also invited to the party. It’s exactly the kind of thing that I enjoy doing in the middle of the afternoon to recharge my batteries.  And, like most Americans who find themselves rushing around all day, I can always use some more fika in my life.  One book I read on the subject suggested that fika could be considered a “caffeinated meditation”. Yessss. Taking a moment to relax, reflect, spend time with a friend or even to let the dog run around the yard while I put my feet up, that’s what I have learned is the essence of fika.  According to my research, fika in Sweden happens twice a day.  I can only hope to aspire to such a goal.  Until then, I will do my best to fika as much as I possibly can.

Here is a cookie recipe that keeps well and is easy to make to have fika sweets at the ready.  The balance of the dark chocolate, sweet shortbread and briny sea salt pair well with a cup of warm, slightly bitter coffee.

Chocolate Drizzle Shortbread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out.

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

10 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon Crisco or flavorless oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Using a stand mixer, blend butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the egg and almond and vanilla extracts.  Mix to combine.  Add flour mixture and mix until all ingredients are combined.  Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Take dough out of refrigerator.  Dust a sheet of parchment or Silpat with flour.  Roll out dough into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick using a floured rolling pin.  place parchment or Silpat with dough onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until dough is longer shiny.

Remove par cooked dough from oven and gently slice into small rectangles about 1 1/2″ wide and 2″ long.  Place in oven and bake again for 7-8 minutes until edges are lightly golden.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before separating cookies.

After separating cookies, heat the chocolate chips and oil in a microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until mixture is completely melted.  Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with sea salt before chocolate hardens.  Allow chocolate to harden for a few hours.  Store in a sealed container for up to one week.

Enjoy your fika moment!

 

Blood Orange Pie

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fresh cut blood oranges and juicer

The first time I made this pie, I followed the original instructions which included the pith and the skin of the oranges and the lemon.  And it was oh, so bitter.  But in spite of the fact that I do not like bitter orange flavors like marmalade and such, I persisted and ate all of the pie, a small slice per day, until it was gone.  Not because I am stubborn, prideful and refuse to let my hard work go to waste (all these points are true), but because of the real reason: the crust was exquisite and shame on anyone who wastes a crisp, flaky homemade pie crust.  Shame on them. Continue reading →

Focaccia Bread

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focaccia bread sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt

 

Yesterday, I was craving fresh, hot pizza.  But we had a lot of leftovers to eat for dinner.  Since I never like to let anything go to waste, the pizza would have to wait.  But I still did not want to let that thought go.  So, I compromised. We needed a little bread to go with dinner, anyway.  At least that is how I justified making this easy focaccia to jazz up our plates.  And, today, there is barely any left.  So, I guess I didn’t need to make any justifications, anyway.

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Fast and Easy Turkey Meatballs in Red Sauce

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turkey meatballs in red sauce over pasta with a glass of red wine

Sometimes you just need to get dinner on the table. Am I right? Springtime in my household presents numerous challenges when it comes to making a warm, satisfying dinner that can be served at different times throughout the evening. One kid is off to baseball practice not to return until well after 7:30pm but the dancer would like to eat before class which starts at 6:00pm. And what about the hangry parents? (Who do you think will finally get to drink that glass of red wine likely after 8:30pm once everyone is home and showering before bed?) I also like to make lighter versions of favorite meals since it means I may not be eating until well after regular dinner hours. That’s where the turkey comes in. But then there is the problem of dense, dry meatballs due to the lowfat nature of the turkey meat. I solved that problem by adding ricotta cheese and eggs as well as crumble feta for some extra flavor. Don’t be alarmed form the meatballs, they are super sticky. Relax. Just set up your rolling station right next to your pot of simmering sauce and drop the meatballs in as you roll them. Boil up some pasta and pour yourself a glass of wine and in no time, you will be a dinner hero.

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Orzo, Lemon and Chicken Soup

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soup with lemon, eggs, orzo, spinach and lemon

There is something so refreshing about adding lemons to any dish or dessert.  You definitely cannot be sad when eating anything where the lemon shines through.  The tart nature of the fruit forces your mouth to smile and kicks your taste buds into gear.  And what is more comforting than a bowl of chicken noodle soup?  I really cannot think of anything except maybe my mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, warm from the oven.  Lemon, chicken, noodles and a boost of extra flavor, color and vitamins from some added spinach.  A comforting hug on a cold day.

This recipe has been adapted from one of my favorite soup cookbooks: New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein. Check out their location in Newton, MA http://newenglandsoupfactory.com/

Orzo, Lemon and Chicken Soup

(Serves about 6)

1 package skinless, boneless chicken thighs

olive oil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried garlic

salt and pepper

10 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup orzo

4 eggs, lightly beaten

zest and juice from 3 lemons

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2-3 dashes Tabasco Sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

 

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and lightly spray with cooking oil.  Lay chicken thighs flat on prepared pan.  Rub the tops with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle the dried parsley, garlic and some salt and pepper on each one.  Bake the chicken thighs until cooked through for about 30-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cook to room temperature.  Chop chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.

  Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large stock pot.  Add the orzo and cook for five minutes.  While stirring constantly, drizzle in the eggs and continue stirring for about 30 seconds, until the eggs cook into threads.  Add the lemon zest, juice cooked chicken and spinach.  Season with Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces.  Heat through.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.