This chicken salad is a far cry from the plain, mayonnaise-laden versions of my past. It’s made mostly with yogurt, which gives it a much lighter texture. I used nonfat yogurt this time around because it’s what I had on hand, but I know this would be fantastic with Greek yogurt too. This chicken salad is amped up with curry and a bit of cayenne. There’s added texture from the grapes, and you could even add nuts if you wanted. I roasted my chicken, but you could cook it in chicken broth or even use a rotisserie chicken. The great thing about this recipe (besides the fact that it tastes delicious) is that it’s highly adaptable. You can increase or decrease the amount of curry and cayenne to suit your tastes. Don’t like grapes? Try adding a handful of dried fruit (I think apricots would be great) instead. I ate this as a salad over a bed of arugula and on crackers, and I enjoyed it both ways. Think of this recipe more as a jumping off point, and you can create your own chicken salad masterpiece.

Even though it’s only Monday, I know this week is going to be a crazy one. With a week to go until Baby C is due to arrive, last-minute preparations have taken over my life. I know people say you can never be truly ready for a child, but I want to be as prepared as possible. This means lots of cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning and crafting. Since Eric will be taking off two weeks once our little girl gets here, I knew I needed to find a few lunch recipes to have on hand. I didn’t want us to eat sandwiches or leftovers (assuming we have them) every day, but I was having trouble thinking of what I might want to eat. Eric suggested pasta salad, and I was sold.

The weather has been unseasonably warm around here, and this recipe immediately jumped out at me as something I would enjoy in the spring or summer. I decided to make it this week so we could give it a try before Baby C arrives, and I’m so glad I did! It made an excellent lunch, and it’s something that we can easily throw together while we’re adjusting to parenthood. I love sun-dried tomatoes and was intrigued by their use in this recipe. Not only are they chopped up and put into the salad, they’re also the base of the dressing. The dressing has a bit of kick to it thanks to the red wine vinegar and a bit of saltiness from the capers. This salad was light and refreshing and reminded me of summer. I made a few changes to the recipe to suit our personal tastes. Since neither of us are big fans of olives, I omitted them completely. I added a shallot and slightly increased the amount of pasta. One thing we both noticed while eating this was that there was a lot of cheese and tomatoes and not that much pasta. I think adding a little more really helped balance out the salad, and I’ve reflected my changes below. Once we finish this batch, we will definitely be making another one to have when the baby arrives.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
For the salad:
3/4 pound fusili pasta
1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 shallot, diced
For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool. Place the pasta in a large bowl with the tomatoes, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and shallot.

To make the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined and almost smooth. Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle on Parmesan and basil and toss well.

Adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

We order Caesar salad frequently at restaurants, so it was only a matter of time before we tried making it at home. I actually can’t believe it took us this long, but we’ve made up for it since finding this recipe. Hands down, my favorite part of this dressing is the garlic. It’s toned down some from being grated and steeped in lemon juice, but it still has that garlicky punch that I so love. The anchovies add a savory, salty flavor to the dressing. They’re minced to a paste before being mixed into the dressing, so you don’t have to worry about having a big piece of fish in your salad. Please don’t be turned off by the inclusion of anchovies because they add so much flavor to this dressing, and it would certainly be lacking without them. (Also, check out this article about them from NPR; you may change your mind.) One aspect of this recipe that I found especially interesting was the use of two oils. Canola oil is used to cut through the fruitiness of the extra-virgin olive oil, and I liked that the olive oil taste wasn’t overpowering like it can be in some dressings. Finally, egg yolks are used to hold everything together and temper the strong-flavored ingredients.

A note on the croutons: I made the croutons included with this recipe, and, while they were delicious, I found them to be no better than my regular croutons. Normally, I toss crusty bread cubes with a bit of olive oil, garlic seasoning, salt and Parmesan. I bake the bread cubes at 325º for about 15 minutes, toss and continue baking until crisp.

Caesar Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon garlic paste (from 1 large, grated clove)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets, patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork (1 tablespoon)
2 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons canola oil
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 lightly pressed cups)
croutons (see note above)

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together garlic paste and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in Worcestershire, anchovies and egg yolks. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in canola and olive oils until the dressing is fully emulsified. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan and pepper to taste, then whisk until completely combined. Add romaine and toss to coat, then gently toss in croutons. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, January/February 2011

I’ve mentioned several times my love of the farmers markets here in Virginia.  I really just can’t get enough of them.  Soon, though, all the wonderful summer produce I’ve grown accustomed to will be a distant memory.  I love fall, and I’m definitely ready for cooler weather, pumpkins, soups and sweaters.  However, I’m not quite ready to give up fresh tomatoes and corn.  That’s why I’ve been reading quite a bit about canning and other techniques for preserving foods.  I haven’t tried my hand at canning yet, but I hope to in the near future.

The recipe that follows here is hardly even a recipe, but I knew the moment I tasted these tomatoes that I had to share them with you.  I found several methods for making oven dried tomatoes, but I had a hard time finding the best way to store them.  Since I couldn’t find conclusive evidence on whether or not it is safe to store the dried tomatoes in oil, I opted to store them on their own.  Some sources said oil-packed tomatoes need to be refrigerated and only last up to five days, but others said adding vinegar would eliminate the need for refrigeration but could turn the oil rancid if kept at room temperature.  Some said it was okay to add garlic, while others said garlic could lead to botulism, especially if using a water bath.  With my tomatoes drying away in the oven, I decided the simplest solution would be the best (thank you, Occam’s razor).

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how the tomatoes actually taste.  I’m happy to report that they are much better than any store-bought sun dried tomatoes I’ve ever tried.  The tomato flavor concentrates, so these have an incredibly rich flavor.  Unlike the store-bought variety, these aren’t as leathery.  Rather, they have a chewier, more flexible texture.  So far, we’ve only tried ours in a couscous dish, but I know they’ll taste great on salads, pizza or in any pasta dish.

Oven Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds Roma or Juliet tomatoes
Coarse salt
Olive oil
Fresh herbs of your choice (I used thyme and oregano.)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to lowest temperature possible.  (Mine was 170ºF.)
-Wash and dry tomatoes, then slice in half lengthwise.
-Place on a rimmed baking sheet cut side up.
-Sprinkle with salt, then drizzle with olive oil.
-Place herbs on top of tomatoes.
-Bake for 8-12 hours.  (This will depend largely on the size of your tomatoes and what temperature you choose to bake them.)  The tomatoes should be flexible with curled edges, and no juice should run out when you press on them.
-Cool on racks.  Once completely cooled, store tomatoes in an airtight container in the pantry or freezer.

Cook Like a Champion original

Balsamic Candied Pecans
Ingredients:
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
-Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set near stovetop.
-Using a rubber spatula, stir together sugar, oil and vinegar in a medium sized skillet set over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture begins to bubble, about three minutes.
-Add pecans and stir to coat. Continue cooking five to six minutes until pecans are toasted and evenly coated with syrup.
-Immediately turn out onto prepared baking sheet and use two forks to separate.
-Allow to cool completely.
-If not serving immediately, cooled nuts can be stored in an airtight container for one month.

Source: Adapted from Helen Rennie

Candied Walnuts
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°F. Use middle rack in oven.
-Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
-Bake for 5 minutes.
-Test for doneness. If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn.
-Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.
-Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time.
-Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt.
-Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber.
-As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.
-As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined either with a Silpat non-stick mat, or with wax paper or parchment paper.
-Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly.
-Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Source: Simply Recipes