Baby Shower Chicken Salad

 

It has happened.  I thought the worst had already begun, with friends getting married.  That was bad enough.  But now, a good friend of mine is having a baby.  I feel so old.  Thank goodness she’s a few years older than me, otherwise I’d have to do a pretty big reevaluation of why I’m still lame and single.

But, baby Most is coming either way, and we are VERY excited for his arrival.  So excited, in fact, that my dear friend (and former roommate) Jess and I decided to host a baby shower.  Needless to say, this is the first baby shower either of us had ever hosted.  Frankly, it’s only the 2nd baby shower I’ve ever attended…and since the first was for someone in high school, I’m not entirely sure that counts.

We had a Winnie the Pooh brunch themed baby shower.  It was adorable, but I was so nervous.  As you can expect, I was in charge of a lot of the food, and that is what I was worried about.  Nobody shows up and everyone has a bad time? Ehhhh, I can deal with that.  There isn’t enough food or nobody likes it? OMG, why am I such a failure?!  Priorities.

Luckily, my worries were unfounded.  Everyone loved my Apple Cheddar Scones (and the Lemon-Blueberry and Cranberry Almond versions I made too!), and this chicken salad was the talk of the shower.  I made a double batch, and I was kind of scared I’d made way too much, but everyone scarfed it down.  The water chestnuts add a nice crunch, and the grapes make it nice and sweet.  I’d also consider adding apples too, either as substitutes for the water chestnuts, or in addition just because.  The bacon, however, really is a must.  I made one batch with bacon and one without, me let me assure you, the one with bacon was infinitely more delicious.  But then, isn’t everything more delicious with a little bacon?

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C cooked chicken, diced

4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 C thinly sliced celery

1 C halved grapes (I prefer the red ones)

1/2 C light mayonnaise

1/4 C onion, finely chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

 

Directions:

1. Combine the chicken, bacon, water chestnuts, celery and grapes in large bowl; set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add to the chicken mixture and stir to coat. Chill until serving.

Chicken Couscous Salad

I made this light couscous salad about a month ago, and I’m only just now getting the recipe up here.  Sorry about that.  With the end of the school year and my slow process of moving, adding recipes got put on the back burner.

It gets hot FAST in Mississippi, and some days the mere thought of cooking seems unbearable.  Especially when you’re AC is broken, which is exactly what happened the day I decided to make this couscous salad.  The less time I had to spend with the stove on the better, and I figured since I already had leftover chicken I could deal with the 5 minutes of stove time it takes to make couscous.

This is a fantastic summer meal, it makes for a great light dinner or easy lunch. I’d even take it as a dish to a potluck.  Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and maybe adding a few more vegetables (maybe artichokes? yummm), I think it would still be just as delicious.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 C chicken broth

1 C couscous (or 1 box of the prepackaged kind like Far East)

3/4 C olive oil

1/4 C lemon juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 cucumber, chopped

1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 C kalamata olives, halved

1/2 C  feta cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare couscous according to package directions.  OR: Place olive oil and couscous in a medium pot, cook and stir until couscous is lightly colored.  Add broth, keep the burner on high until the water starts to bubble.  Turn the burner off and put a lid on the pot.  Allow couscous to set until all liquid has been absorbed (7-10 minute).

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar in a bowl and whisk until combined (to speed things up, you can always blend it in a food processor or blender). Stir in rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the chicken, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl. Stir in the couscous and feta.  Toss the salad with half the dressing. Taste, and add more dressing as desired.

Black Beans and Rice

The flavors of cumin and turmeric come together fabulously in this black beans and rice.  Use this easily as a side dish for a Mexican night or as a meatless main dish.  This recipe is quick, easy, and full of ingredients you probably have lying around your kitchen; perfect for those days when you want to make dinner, but just haven’t had time to get to the store.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 C uncooked rice

1 1/2 C chicken broth (or water)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp turmeric

dash of cayenne pepper

1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can corn, drained

1 (10.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chillies

1/4 c cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium sized pot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil.  Add rice, chicken broth, and spices; bring to a boil.  Cover, lower the heat, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until all the broth has been absorbed.  Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, and serve.  Top with cilantro if desired.