Mustard Chicken Salad (Thanks Ina!)

I am so excited to be moving into Spring. I have already planted some herbs and I am ready to start again with cooking lighter, Springy type meals. This chicken salad is just the type of lunch/dinner I am talking about. Typically, I am not a fan of chicken salad. Perhaps that is because I imagine it being made from canned chicken....which really really freaks me out. Anyways, oddly enough a few nights ago chicken salad sounded like the perfect dinner. Thankfully, Ina has a great recipe that was a bestseller at her store, Barefoot Contessa, for years. I encourage you to try this easy, simple recipe for any spring or summer lunch or dinner. I have learned from reading cookbook after cookbook that the best way to enhance the flavor of chicken or shrimp or veggies is to roast! So, this chicken salad is made with roasted chicken and is one million times tastier than a poached or canned chicken salad. Good luck! Happy Spring!

Mustard Chicken Salad
adapted from Ina Garten, ingredients/amounts may be altered slightly
Ingredients
2 organic chicken breasts-boneless and skinless, roasted and cubed
3-5 cups broccoli florets, or frozen pieces
1 1/2 cups Best Foods Mayo(I always and only use Best Foods or Hellman's)
1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Grey Poupon Whole Grain mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
10 small on the vine tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 regular container of baby romaine, Organics brand available at Vons/Safeway
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts on sheet pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. When chicken is finished roasting, set aside on plate to cool. When chicken is cool, cut into 1 inch cubes.

In the meantime, steam the broccoli in colander over a pot of bowling water. When the broccoli is bright green and still firm it is done. Remove and set aside.

In a medium size mixing bowl combine mayo, Dijon, whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar. Mix welll and season to taste with salt and pepper. (about 1-2 teaspoons). Add in the cubed chicken along with tarragon, tomatoes, and broccoli. Serve over bed of baby romaine.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Spaghetti with Ricotta

Such a simple meal for Spring! (Spring officially began yesterday:) It is a great way to go go for "Meatless Monday" at your homestead too! Although this technically is not yet the season of tomatoes, when you roast them slowly they tend to be just as flavorful of a ripe tomato in the summertime.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
14 medium tomatoes on the vine, cut in half
1/2 jar roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons basil, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 Fresh sprigs of oregano
1 pound spaghetti
olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 dollops of ricotta cheese per serving (about 4)
1/3 c Parmasasn cheese, grated in food processor

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tomatoes, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped oregano and oregano sprigs. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours. Add roasted red peppers after tomatoes have roasted for the 1 1/2 hours. Roast for about another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover in foil to keep warm.

Cook spaghetti according to pasta directions. I use De Cecco or Barilla pastas. Reserve 1/4 c cooking liquid. While spaghetti is cooking, heat 1/4 c olive oil in a skillet. When pan is hot add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute. Be careful not to burn the garlic. When the pasta is cooked add the spaghetti to the saute pan along with half of the reserved cooking liquid. Stir in roasted peppers and tomatoes. Add chopped basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Heat for about 3 mintues, tossing frequently. Serve the pasta in large bowls topped with a few dollops of ricotta cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Banana Bread

This morning I found myself with a few overripe bananas on my hands and a few hours of downtime. I couldn't stand the thought of tossing out the bananas. So, what better way to utilize them then classic banana bread?? I have made a few different recipes over the years, (because I always have overripe bananas) but I still think nothing beats a good old classic. Nothing fancy about this bread.
Banana Nut Bread
8-10 slices
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas, (or 4 smaller) I think the browner the better
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in mixing bowl. Set aside. In another small bowl mash 1 (or 2 if using 4) of the bananas with a fork. Set aside. Using your mixer, mix the remaining bananas with the sugar until really creamy and smooth. Slowly add in eggs, butter and vanilla. Mix again until smooth. With mixer running, very carefully and slowly add in flour mixture. Mix (again) until smoooth and thick. Remove mixer. Fold in chopped walnuts and bananas from the small bowl. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. The bread will rise quite a bit and will crack in the last half of baking. Don't worry, cracked banana bread is totally normal!

*Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence's Classic Pecan Banana Bread as seen in Family Meal. I used less bananas, walnuts and added nutmeg.

Favorite Sides

Here are a few of my favorite, couldn't be easier sides that go great with a million different meals!!

Roasted Baby Peppers and Shallots
Serves 4

2 boxes baby peppers, stem removed and cut into bite size pieces
2 large shallots, chopped
Drizzle of olive oil
1 teaspoon-ish Kosher salt
1 teaspoon-ish Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chopped shallots, baby peppers on tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with hands. Roast for about 20 minutes (depending on how many peppers you have) or until peppers are soft and glossy.


Smashed Lemony Potatoes
Serves 4

24 oz Yukon Gold potatoes
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt
pepper
1 spoonful sour cream

Rinse potatoes in strainer. Fill medium sized pot with water. Salt the water. Place potatoes in pot, cover and bring to a boil. The reduce heat and simmer. Continue to cook until potatoes are tender. About 20 minutes. Once potatoes are cooked through, strain water from them and transfer to a serving bowl. Smash potatoes using a fork. Add lemon zest, butter and season to your liking with salt and pepper. If you want your potatoes even more tangy add a dollop of sour cream. Mix, being sure to keep the smashed texture of the potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley for a hint of green.

Turkey and Spicy Sausage Meatballs

I love a good meatball!!! These were a concoction I came up with few weeks ago. I wanted to do something with ground turkey instead of the typical pork, veal and beef. I took tips and ideas from my mom, Tyler and Ina and came up with this TO DIE FOR meatball recipe. If you don't like hands-on cooking then this is not the recipe for you! These are phenomenal meatballs that you'll want to add to your recipe box.

Ingredients
Makes about 20 meatballs
2-3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2.5 cups Italian bread, cubed
Milk
1.25 lb Jennie O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey
1 lb Hot and Spicy Italian Sausage
1/2 c Parmesan, plus additional for serving
1 large egg
2 tablespoon Parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Fresh Basil Leaves
Optional- Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Start by placing cubed bread in bowl and soaking in milk. While bread is soaking combine turkey, sausage, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, parsley, and red pepper flakes in large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Be generous with the S&P, at least a teaspoon of each. Remove soaked bread and transfer to mixing bowl with all the other ingredients. Be sure to squeeze out any excess milk. DO NOT PUT ANY EXCESS MILK IN MIXING BOWL. Begin mixing ingredients with your hands until thoroughly combined. (I suggest you take off your rings:) When ingredients are well combined, shape into balls. You should have about 18-22 balls depending on how large or small you make them. I froze 12 of them and baked 8 meatballs. Line balls on lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and another sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. When meatballs are finished baking remove from oven and top with slices of mozzerella and fresh basil leaves. Serve with Marinara and Spaghetti. Top with Parmesan.

Tip: This recipe sure makes a ton of meatballs. You can usually count of people having 2-3 meatballs if they are pretty hungry. If you are cooking for 4 people or less I suggest freezing a part of this recipes. I froze 12 of the meatballs. This is a great recipe to make ahead and have ready in your freezer to defrost and bake when you are short on time but are craving something spectacular! When I freeze anything I make a note of it on an index card on the side of the freezer, so I am not guessing or missing out on what's ready to go in there. I have cookie dough, meatballs, marinara sauce, chicken stock, pot pie, and chicken carcasses ready to go in the freezer right now!