parsley sage sweet

Overloaded Chicken Salad (or Tuna) with Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch “Mayo”

Lisa — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:22:22 +0000

Before I get to this incredible, overloaded, dreamboat of a chicken salad (or tuna), a brief and kinda corny rambling is in order.

I wrote a long preface to this post, but was told to ditch it. Too personal, too revealing, too much apologizing for being gone so long, they said. So, I gave in and ditched it. All that matters is that I’m finally here, so let’s celebrate with sandwiches or wraps, whichever you prefer.

Messy and blurry, but oh so good.

Did you just hear the dull, hollow thud after I said that? Yeah, it’s there, an apropos response to sandwiches after 8 months away from blogging, not counting my last post, and my brief appearance to pay tribute to my dear, late friend, Lis.

For my second post back, I wanted to make something spectacular, and I tried, and I failed…twice. It was the most disgusting thing I’d ever put in my mouth. Then I felt sick again, so I gave up and made this easy overloaded chicken salad, which really isn’t much of a recipe when compared to some of the crazy recipes I usually churn out, but it’s the best I can do for now. Plus, I can sit and chop, so small victories.

I’ve been making this chicken (or tuna) salad since I was 12 and learned how to roast peppers. I add roasted peppers to all of my mayo-based salads because it makes them substantially better; the sweet, roasty undertones adding a nuance and pop to it. You get your crunch from the celery, so nothing is missing texture wise.

Back in the day, when I’d make chicken salad, I used to mix some of those ranch seasoning packets into the mayo before mixing it in with the chicken and veggies. I thought I had discovered something brilliant, but people have been mixing ranch seasoning packets with mayo long before me; they just add buttermilk and call it ranch dressing. This time I decided to go as a fresh as possible, eliminating the salt lick packs they call ranch seasoning. I’m not at all mocking those who use them; it’s just personal preference. If I had them around, I’d probably eat the powder right out of the package and blow up like a Macy’s parade float. In other words, they’re really tasty, but I like to have control over the amount of salt that goes into my food.

That said, I also switched out most of the mayo for Greek yogurt, but, by all means, use all mayo or all yogurt in this chicken (or tuna) salad, because either way is delicious.

Doesn’t it look good? Not beautiful, just good in the way a big, fat sandwich or wrap should be. No matter what the vessel (the above photo is this unbelievably delicious pumpernickel bread from a fantastic ‘hidden treasure’ bakery on the lower east side), I think this is the greatest chicken (or tuna) salad in the world. Yes, I said it – the greatest chicken (or tuna) salad. There goes my “nothing is best” theory, huh? Well, as I wrote back then, what’s best for some may not be best for others since it’s all a matter of personal taste.

I still think this is the most perfect savory chicken salad recipe I’ve ever come up with and ever tasted. Extremely PARTIAL? Yep. Well, outside of this chicken salad, I used to also make a chicken salad with just BBQ sauce and mayo, nothing else. Straight outta the jar and bottle! Quick, easy and scrumpdillyicious!

All that being said, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I like my sandwiches big, overstuffed and messy, If the filling falls out while eating it, even better. However, this tuna or chicken salad is so pretty, it would make delightful, dainty tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off, especially for those ladies who lunch. BUT, when it comes to this chicken (or tuna) salad, I’ll always choose the former, with lots of napkins.

No need to pick up after me, I’ll get to it eventually.

The GREATEST OVERLOADED CHICKEN SALAD

OK, a few more notes, if you would call all of the below ‘notes’..

You can also make this salad with chopped shrimp or cocktail shrimp for a shrimp salad! OH, AND don’t forget the holidays! What better way to use up leftover turkey? Readers have made it with ham, salmon, and even used it for macaroni, cabbage and potato salad! That’s how great and conformable the dressing is!

Overloaded Chicken Salad

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Jam-Packed Overloaded Chicken Salad (or Tuna) with Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch “Mayo”

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Yield: Depends on size of sandwiches

If you want to take chicken or tuna salad to a realm above and beyond the norm, a realm that elicits “OMG” with eat bite, this is the way to do it. Makes a good amount of sandwiches, depending on how much salad you use per sandwich.
Allow 1 to 2 hours of time to strain the yogurt, or don't strain it at all and just mix the unstrained yogurt and 2 tablespoons of mayo with the garlic and ranch herbs and spices to dress the chicken salad! Just as yummy! Also, try it with smoked honey chicken breasts and/or thighs! OR add Sriracha for a spicy sriracha chicken salad!

ingredients:

3 to 4 cups shredded or chopped chicken (I use a whole roast chicken; a mix of white and dark meat) or 4 cans of white albacore tuna, drained
2 green onions, both the light and lower dark green parts, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small carrot peeled and grated or shredded (sometimes I steam the carrot shreds in the microwave. about 1 to 2 minutes, for more flavor)
1 or 2 stalks of celery, peeled (this is the best way to add it to salads; no strings), thick white end cut off, split vertically three or four times, finely diced, LIKE THIS
1 very small red onion or one-quarter of a large red onion, diced LIKE THIS (or 1 large shallot, diced)
1 to 3 avocados, depending on how many sandwiches, each half slightly mashed, seasoned with a little salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Greek Yogurt Ranch Mayo (recipe follows). the amount depending on how 'wet' you like your chicken salad
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, if needed.

Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch "Mayo" *

⅔ cup Greek Yogurt (Use all mayonnaise instead of yogurt, if desired)
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (if using all mayonnaise, just 2 extra tablespoons to ⅔ cup)
¼ cup chopped. fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh dill weed
1 garlic clove chopped and smashed into a paste with a pinch of kosher salt, LIKE THIS
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup buttermilk (more or less, taste as you drizzle it in and stir, or 2 teaspoons buttermilk powder **) You can omit all the buttermilk, if you like. It's still great without it since yogurt is already tangy. If using all mayo, you need to use it.
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

For the Salad

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in as much of the Greek Yogurt ranch mayo as you desire.
The Secret - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I refrigerate it overnight) before serving to allow the flavors of the chicken salad and yogurt ranch to really blend or shall I say 'sing'? Because it really does sing! You'd be amazed at the difference it makes, not unlike beef stew eaten the day after it's cooked. Season it with extra salt and pepper after letting it chill, if need be.
Serve as sandwiches, slightly mashing an avocado on top or spreading the avocado on one or both slices of bread (which I should have done for photos - neater) then layering Butter, Bibb, Boston (all three are basically the same, my fav soft lettuce) or Romaine lettuce and tomato, if desired, or roll into whole wheat flour tortilla wraps or flatbread. Keep it low-carb and gluten-free by serving as is on a salad plate or spooned into a ripe avocado half.

For The Greek Yogurt Garlic Ranch

Place Greek yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth (or a paper towel) over a bowl. Cover the strainer and allow excess liquid to drain for about 1 to 2 hours. You'll be replacing the liquid with buttermilk to make it 'ranch'. (While it's draining, start roasting the peppers and prepping the rest of the vegetables for the salad).
If you're using all mayonnaise, obviously you can skip the above step.
Also, to make it even easier, but just as delicious, I've made this without straining the yogurt, just mixing in all the ingredients but the buttermilk into plain Greek yogurt and/or mayo, with great results..so that gives you three dressing choices!
In a medium bowl, stir together strained Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, dill, garlic paste,, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in buttermilk. Add more or less buttermilk for desired taste and consistency. I like it thick, like, well..mayo. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
IF you have the time, although it's not necessary, wrap and refrigerate the dressing for several hours before adding it to salad. The reason is,when added to the salad, it will marinate IN the salad for a while, intensifying the already intensified flavor from its lone flavor enhancing sit in the fridge! I call it 'double; flavor enhancing!

notes:

*Double or add add another half of the Garlic Ranch recipe for more 'mayo'
** You can usually find buttermilk powder in the baking or dried milk aisle in supermarkets. If not, you can order it online.

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Creamy Tomato Alfredo Linguine

Lisa — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 01:49:30 +0000

Is anybody still out there? I hope so.

I’m so sorry for my exceedingly long absence from blogging. I truly feel awful about it, and I’m so happy and relieved to finally get something up, especially since it’s a favorite cheesy, LUSH, creamylicious, tomato-y linguine dish of mine.

As many of you know, I’ve been sick for some time, and it’s been extremely difficult to pull off even the most mundane tasks.

A Beautiful Plate

Since last June, for about 5 months, I could barely write, much less peel a carrot. I was able to get in a paragraph or two maybe once a month, and that was what I called a good month. Around late January, I felt a little better so I started writing a little more, and now I’m here. For how long, I don’t know, but I’m here.

Naturally, I couldn’t put this “Hi, I’m back!” post up without a recipe, since it is a food blog, but much to my disappointment, I couldn’t play outside the box, which is what I enjoy most about cooking and baking. So, I had to choose something basic and simple, but basic and simple doesn’t make it any less amazing. In fact, it usually makes it more amazing and difficult because every single step and ingredient must be spot on since there are no extraneous components and preparations to hide behind.

I attempted to build a linguine tower with a fork and tongs. Obviously, it didn’t work out too well. With natural light, it would have looked magnificent just dumped on a plate. Without it, you need to get creative.

This creamy tomato alfredo linguine recipe is a derivative of an alfredo sauce I make via cutting down the cream and adding tomatoes. But, I shouldn’t refer to my favorite alfredo sauce as alfredo because true alfredo does not contain even a speck of cream. To digress somewhat, authentic alfredo is a remarkably creamy amalgam of just butter, parmesan cheese and pasta water, and, when done right, it’s actually better than alfredo made with cream. I know, shocking, but it makes up for it with twice the butter!

BUT, BUT, BUT..what is butter? Butter is heavy cream whipped into thick, solid submission, so essentially, Alfredo with cream is liquid butter combined with solid butter; somewhat of a saucy redundancy, right?

Speaking of, remind me to show you all how to make cultured butter!

Having said all that, I would have much rather posted one of the amazing cakes, pastries or breads that have been blistering my brain for 8 months running, but due to my current circumstances, those ideas can’t be fully executed yet. I miss playing with batters, dough, fillings and frosting, so much so, it literally breaks me to tears on a pretty daily basis. Not being able to cook or bake sucks the life out of me. Feeding people is my heart light.

On another note, I forgot how awful it is not having enough natural light to take photos in! Heavy duty bummer moment when I uploaded these linguine photos, especially after months of pinning other blogger’s gorgeous, naturally lit photos. Why did I think it would be any different this time? Well, I’m mostly to blame because I let my tower of linguine sit too long before snapping away, and since we immediately eat what I make and post about, this tower of linguine was the last serving; no back up. But trust me, it’s a lot more lush and creamy than it looks in the photos. Time, air, and artificial lighting are not a friend to saucy pasta photos.

I just realized something; I sound totally pathetic. Please excuse the whining and let’s focus on this amazingly creamy linguine dish! I’m done waxing kvetchic; I suhhwear!

So, I want to share with you one of my favorite and most requested pasta dishes; Tomato Alfredo Linguine (Creamy Tomato Alfredo, Tomato Cream Sauce, Creamy Tomato Sauce; add vodka and it’s a Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce; A la potato potahto, whatever you want to call it!) with or without Peas and Prosciutto (your choice). If you don’t like prosciutto and/or peas, of course you can eliminate them because this sauce is perfection on its own.

Now I’m going to go DEMOLISH another plate of this!

Creamy Tomato Alfredo Linguine

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Creamy Tomato Alfredo Linguine

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Peas and prosciutto optional since the sauce is phenomenal on its own. However, it's also really great with cooked, chopped bacon or seafood, like shrimp or crab. Try it with other pastas too, like,penne, fettuccine, bows, rotelli, spaghetti, etc.!

ingredients:

1 pound linguine (any other pasta is fine and fresh is ideal since sauces cling better to fresh pasta)
kosher salt
Set aside about 1 cup of the water the pasta was cooked in before you strain the water out of the pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped finely
1 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with liquid
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
red hot pepper flakes (the amount depending on how hot you like it)
1½ cups fresh or frozen peas (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
¼ lb sliced prosciutto (optional, but taste it before buying if using; you don't want it too salty)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or freshly grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

directions:

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water plus a generous pinch plus plus of kosher salt to a boil (about 1 tablespoon per 2 quarts water, so 3 tablespoons in this case). Taste the water, it should be salty like the ocean.
While waiting for the water to boil, pour the can of tomatoes with juice into the work bowl of a food processor. DO NOT turn on the processor at full speed because you will end up with pink foam. Just pulse until you have a smooth puree. If you want a chunkier sauce, just dump the can of tomatoes and juice into a large bowl and crush the tomatoes with your impeccably clean hands.
Over medium heat, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep pan or skillet. Add the chopped garlic and chopped shallot to the oil. Saute until soft and translucent, then slowly pour in the pureed tomatoes and their juice. Bring the tomato sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, seasoning it with salt and pepper to taste as it simmers (go easy on the salt because of the cheese that will be added). If you're using the red hot pepper flakes, add them now. Simmer until it reduces a bit about 10 to 15 minutes tops.
While the tomato sauce simmers, add the linguine to the boiling pot of water and cook until al dente (about 6 to 8 minutes, keep checking by biting into a strand). In the mean time, once the sauce has simmered for 10-15 minutes, stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter, then add the peas (if using) and let them cook for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on their size (fresh peas are bigger). Slowly pour the cream into the sauce, swirling the pan and stirring, then add the sliced prosciutto (if using), stirring to distribute it evenly.
Immediately strain the linguine, pouring some of the pasta water into a cup (about 1 cup) in case you need to initially thin the sauce once the cheese is added, then cook it down until the starch in the pasta water thickens it so it's creamy. So, essentially, it thins the sauce, then thickens it in a good way, if that makes sense!
If your pan or skillet is big enough, dump all the linguine right into the sauce and toss, adding all the parmigiano-reggiano cheese at once and tossing over the heat until it coats the linguine. If your skillet or pan isn't big enough, dump the pasta into a large bowl and pour the sauce and cheese on top of it, tossing until all the pasta is coated.
If the sauce is too thick once tossed with the linguine, add in some of the reserved pasta water,(in this situation, since it's no longer cooking in the pan or pot, heat the pasta water in the microwave until very hot before adding it to the linguine in the bowl) which will at first loosen it, then bring it together in a creamy way (the starch in the water) as you toss it.
Top with the chopped parsley (if using), some more fresh ground pepper, if needed, and serve immediately, passing extra Parmigiano-Reggiano or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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A Shocking Loss. Farewell, Sweet Lis.

Lisa — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 05:03:54 +0000

I know I haven’t been around in a long, long time, and I do owe you all an explanation, but for now, there’s something more important I need to touch on. I will be back..and definitely back soon with the end of the BBFL story, but today I need to talk about a wonderful, amazing lady.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, when I’ve put up Daring Bakers or Daring Cooks challenge posts, you’ve probably seen me talk about my friend, Lis, on occasion; the co-founder of The Daring Kitchen; the girl I jokingly referred to as wifeypoo.

Lis passed away, suddenly, on November 12th. She was taken from us way, way, way too soon, and I know she’s really pissed off.

I’m so heartbroken.

Today, via a tribute page set up by Kelly from Sass and Veracity, current and former Daring Kitchen members/friends are paying tribute to Lis with blog posts and/or instagrams, facebook and tweets in her honor. We were asked to choose anything from the many Daring Kitchen challenges to bake or cook in her honor. Some are baking pretzels, the ‘first’ Daring Bakers challenge. This first challenge was just Lis and Ivonne wanting to tackle something they never tried before and post it on their blogs simultaneously. This became a monthly thing and soon more and more bloggers joined in. Voila – The Daring Bakers was born.

My first Daring Bakers Challenge – Eclairs.

I wish I could bake something, but I can’t at this time, so I just linked back to the first Daring Bakers challenge I participated in, in 2008..and the first ever Daring Cooks challenge back in 2009.

Lis, along with Ivonne, were pioneers in getting food bloggers together to cook or bake a challenging treat once a month; creating a community where we could share our culinary successes and failures, supporting each other and having fun throughout the process. This led to others starting food blogger cooking and baking groups..but Daring Bakers, prior to the addition of Daring Cooks, and finally The Daring Kitchen as a whole, was and will always be the first.

When I joined The Daring Bakers in 2008, Lis took me under her wing and made me feel so welcome. We became fast friends, and when I was going through a difficult time in my life, she was there, even sending me aromatherapy to soothe and relax me. This is the kind of person she was; unselfish, kind, and caring. She was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever known, always bringing me to tears of laughter during one of our several hours long phone conversations. In addition, she was the queen of the ‘epic’ email, and I’m going to miss her weekly emails keeping me up to date on what was going on in her life. They always made me smile, laugh and/or gasp, and even when things were not going well, she had a way of putting a funny spin on them to lessen the bulk.

Her glass was always half-full.

I’ve been reading through her emails the past few days, and the tears came when I realized I’d never be typing lamiacuc and waiting for the rest of her email to come up underneath so I didn’t have to type it in when replying to her…ever again.

I don’t think this sadness will ever dissipate.

The first ever Daring Cooks challenge..Ricotta gnocchi, although mine were more like Gnudi. I made them way too big..but they tasted great!

If you didn’t know Lis, you can get a taste of her amazing wit and humor at her food blog, La Mia Cucina. She stopped posting about 3 years ago, but that never stopped me from begging her to start again, especially for posts like THIS ONE. I literally cry with laughter every time I read it. Nothing cheesy about her!

I was just re-reading her post from the Daring Bakers cheesecake challenge, April ’09. She wanted to make a cheesecake using the flavors of her favorite ice cream…Haagen Dazs Caramel Cone. Bittersweet fits of laughter when I read this..

HEY YOU PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS.. DON’T YOU DARE! GO BUY THIS ICE CREAM. IF I GO TO BUY IT AND IT’S SOLD OUT I WILL HUNT! YOU! DOWN! AND! BEAT! YOU! ABOUT! THE! HEAD! AND! SHOULDERS! WITH! MY! HUSBAND’S! DIRTY! TUBE! SOCKS!

On the other hand, his cotton, reinforced toe socks were not to be used as weapons.

And then….

“…when the day comes that I stop breathing.. I’d like to be buried, completely submerged, in Caramel Cone ice cream.”

If only, Lis..if only.

Having said all that, The Daring Kitchen was Lis’s baby, and it made so many people happy. If she had a last wish, keeping it alive would be it.

Sleep well, wifeypoo, and rest assured, The Daring Kitchen will continue on exactly how you’d want it to. We will see to that. xoxoxo.

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