Connie's Chicken Salad

My mom's friend Connie had a catering business and this was her chicken salad recipe. My mom would help her make it for weddings and showers. It is different than any other chicken salad I have tried and I really like it. It is excellent served on croissants - especially if they are homemade.

Cook 1/3 cup rice in 2/3 cup water with 1/2 tsp boullion. Cook until water is absorbed.

Mix:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup under cooked broccoli, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives
Cooked rice from above

Sauce:

1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp Dejon mustard
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix everything together and chill. Just before serving add 2 to 3 chopped tomatoes.

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

Before I made this recipe I had never tried Orzo before. I am now a big fan. This recipe was a yummy side dish. I loved that it was quick and easy and the pasta was rich and creamy. I did cut back on the butter. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter and I only put in 1/4 cup. I'm sure it would be even better if you used the full amount of butter, but it still was really good and I felt better about eating it with half the butter. I also added more Parmesan cheese. I can never get enough Parmesan!

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

3 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more if desired

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in butter until tender. Drain orzo; add to skillet. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt and pepper; heat through.

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting

I love anything with apples in it, so when I came across this recipe I was very excited to try it. I laughed because it was very similar to an Apple Cake recipe I had copied down from Paula Dean years ago, but never made it because my husband is allergic to apples. So when I invited a few girlfriends over one night I decided it would be a perfect time to try it out. It was so delicious! The cake was moist, the apples were tender, and the caramel sauce was to die for. I liked it so much I made it the next weekend for a family gathering.

Apple Spice Cake
recipe courtesy Martha Stewart

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 cup chopped assorted nuts, such as pecans and walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan; set aside. (Make sure you grease the pan very well, the second time I made it some of the cake stuck to the pan.
In a large bowl sift together flour,
cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a separate bowl combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just incorporated.
Add apples and, if desired, nuts, to batter; mix to combine. Add
vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted
in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.
Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on
rack, and serve drizzled with caramel sauce


Caramel Sauce

1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook,
stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

I am a fan of broccoli. My husband is not. So I really don't serve broccoli a lot at our house, but when I came across this recipe I had to try it. It did not disappoint. It was a terrific side dish. The bread crumbs and cheese were a great combination with the broccoli.


Oven Roasted Broccoli
recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar (I used parmesan)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8 inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spread the panko bread crumbs in a 13X9 inch metal cake pan and place in the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture back in the cake pan. Roast until broccoli is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Japanese Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite salads. Not only does it taste delicious but the dressing is low fat, so I don't feel as guilty when I eat a lot of it. You can prepare the chicken as described below or to make it really fast and easy I like to use left over chicken from this recipe.

Japanese Chicken Salad
recipe courtesy Cathy Richards

1-5 oz. can LaChoy Rice noodles-not chow mein noodles
3-4 chicken breasts-sprinkled with powdered ginger and garlic salt, wrapped in foil and baked for 1 hour at 350, cooled and shredded.
1 head lettuce-shredded (I use red or green leaf lettuce or a combination of the two if I double the recipe)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1-2 oz. package slivered almonds, toasted
2-3 green onions, sliced

Combine above ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss with salad dressing - recipe below.

Dressing:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
Heat until sugar dissolves — cool

(All ingredients, except noodles and dressing, may be prepared in advance, covered and stored.)

Warm Broccoli Cheese Spread

Wow I can't believe it has been a whole two months since I've posted a recipe! Some of that time I was on vacation, but still that is no excuse. Hopefully I can get back in to the swing of things and post some yummy recipes if any one is still out there after my hiatus.

I tried this warm broccoli cheese spread the other night for book club and it was a hit. It was really easy and fast to put together and tasted delicious!

Warm Broccoli Cheese Spread
adapted from Taste of Home

1 package low fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained and patted dry
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and salad dressing mix until blended. Fold in the broccoli and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

Spoon into a shallow 1 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with crackers.

Cheesy Rolls

Lately I cannot get enough of frozen dinner rolls, like Rhodes Rolls, but I just buy the generic brand at our grocery store. They are not just plain frozen rolls though. My friend Stephanie brought some rolls over where she had put melted butter on top of the rolls after they had risen, then sprinkled them with a little kosher salt, baked them, then she brushed them with a little more butter once they were out of the oven. They are divine!!! Seriously you need to try it.
This recipe also uses frozen dinner rolls and it too is fabulous!! My other friend Stefanie gave me the recipe and I decided to try them out for a girls luncheon we had and they were a hit. Super easy, super delicious!!

Cheesy Rolls
recipe courtesy Stefanie Carter

Use equal parts:
Mayonnaise (I used light)
Butter, softened
Parmesan cheese, grated (I probably added twice as much parmesan cheese)

(To give you an idea of how much to do I think I used about 2 Tbsp of mayo and butter to cover my 7 rolls that I made below.)

Lay your frozen rolls out in a greased pan.


Once rolls have defrosted, but haven't rise, top with mixture.


Let rolls rise following package instruction and bake as directed.