Chicken Salad Sandwiches

 

I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but here in the Midwest, it’s hot, hot, hot. 

I think I saw actual steam floating off my dash yesterday when I left work.  My plants are suffering, no matter how much water we try to give them; my husband has resorted to using our son’s slip and slide to attempt relief; and my makeup instantly evaporates when I walk outside.  

I am not one of these girls who have a “shimmery” appearance in this kind of weather.  Unless by shimmery, you mean sweaty.

Trust me, it’s hot.  And this is coming from a girl who wears a knee-length wool sweater around the office year round. 

Since my kitchen/dining area gets southwest exposure (good in the winter, not so much this time of year), I try to avoid using my oven in the summer months as much as I can.  Also, when it gets this hot, I simply can’t eat the heavy foods that I love during the fall and winter months.  Hmm…maybe moving to a warmer year-round climate would be good for my waist-size.

Anyway, this is a great, simple recipe that’s great for lunches or a light dinner.  And, if you’re like me, you typically have some leftover chicken in your fridge that you need to use up.

Chicken Salad (click to print)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 3 cups green grapes, sliced
• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2  tablespoons sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon each:
•  seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper

Preparation Instructions:

Toss first six ingredients to combine.  Mix remaining ingredients in another bowl, pour over chicken mixture and stir to coat.  Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

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Red, White and Blue Salad

What can I say, I looooove salads this time of year.  I don’t know about you, though, but I get awfully bored with the same old iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrots and tomatoes.  Bleck, who wants to eat that??

Coincidentally, in the summer, I always have huge containers of fresh berries in my fridge.  And while I do my best to eat as much fruit as I can during the week, I’m always looking for various ways to use up my berries by the end of the week.  This has become my new, favorite, summer salad.  It’s crisp and cool, and not your same old run-of-the-mill mixed salad.  Add some grilled chicken to this, and you’ve got a meal.

 Start by toasting some pecans on the stove top.  Almonds would also be yummy!  Melt some butter over low heat and add your chopped nuts.  Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and cook until lightly toasted.  Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to cool.

Meanwhile, thinly slice your cucumber and strawberries.  Mix with fresh spinach leaves, and toss with blueberries and freshly sliced parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with a berry viniagrette dressing.

Berry Viniagrette

In your blender, mix together:

• 1/4 cup fresh fruit spread (I used blackberry, since that’s what I had on-hand, but blueberry or strawberry would work great, also);
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Process until smooth.  With blender running, slowly add in 2/3 cup of vegetable oil.  Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

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Greek Pasta Salad

Carbs are not my friend.  Well, actually they are; just maybe a little too much.  I could probably live off of bowls of steaming hot pasta, warm bread straight from the oven, and my own personal downfall, tortilla chips and salsa.  In fact, I’ve found myself begging my husband to remove the chip bowl from the table at Abuelo’s, or asking him to throw his used, wadded up napkin into the bowl at the end of the meal so I didn’t keep eating them.

Embarrassingly enough, sometimes even that doesn’t stop me.

But not all carbs are bad, and certainly not in moderation.  Especially when you add a lot of vegetables, right?  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

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We have the best mediterranean restaurant near our house, and besides their hummus, my favorite menu item is their pasta salad.  While my recipe isn’t exact, it’s still pretty darn tasty.  Also, this is a great summer salad recipe; you can take it to picnics or barbeques and not worry about it sitting around wilting.

Greek Pasta Salad (printable recipe)

• 1 box penne pasta
• 3 dill pickle spears, chopped
• 1 small jar arthichoke hearts, marinated and quartered
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup capers
• feta cheese, to taste
• your favorite Greek dressing

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil.  Make sure to salt your water; it helps ensure your pasta does not turn out too bland.  While your pasta is cooking, grab your ingredients:

As soon as your pasta is done, run it under cold water to cool off:

Add your chopped pickles, tomatoes, artichokes, capers and olives.

Then mix with your favorite Greek dressing.  I used this recipe:

Greek dressing, from Our Best Bites

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (this will not make the dressing spicy, just flavorful)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 c. canola oil (or other salad oil)
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. dry oregano

In the jar of a blender, combine all the ingredients through the garlic. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and add the feta and pulse the blender a few times (more if you want a creamier consistency). Whisk in the herbs.

If possible, allow salad to set for 1 to 2 hours before serving, to allow flavors to meld.

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