Chicken salad with fresh tarragon and peas-cold lunch ideas

Chicken salad is an easy quick and mostly healthy cold lunch option. I get bored making (and my husband must get bored eating) a turkey sandwich everyday so this is a nice (easy) option to add to the repertoire. If you buy frozen grilled chicken strips it's very fast! You also have the option to cook a couple chicken breasts or even use a rotisserie chicken. Just depends on your preference and time available.
When I cook I tend to alter the amounts of ingredience by taste so measurements don't have to be exact. Add or subtract to your liking.

3 green onions -chopped
2 celery stocks -chopped
3T of mayo -I use best foods canola cholesterol free (could use Greek yogurt as healthier option)
2T of lemon juice -fresh or bottled
1T Dijon mustard
1-2T FRESH tarragon -chopped
1/2cup frozen peas
2-3 chicken breast or 2-3 handfuls of frozen grilled chicken
1tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Chop the green onions and celery and add to bowl. Add the mayo lemon juice mustard and tarragon  to the bowl and mix. It's important to use fresh tarragon as apposed to dry. They're just very different flavors.
Add frozen peas.
I made this the day before I'd be serving so I left the peas frozen they will defrost in the fridge but you could stick in the microwave for 30-45 secs to defrost.
If using frozen grilled chicken put in a microwave safe dish and defrost for 1min. Doesn't have to be completely defrosted if prepping the day before. Fully defrost if immediately serving.
Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and add to bowl with peas and garlic powder. Stir to combine then add sea salt and pepper to taste.
I use grinders and I did about 3-4 turns of both sea salt and pepper. I prefer sea salt to table salt as it retaines all the minerals that benefit our body as apposed to processed table salt/kosher salt which tend to just raise your blood pressure.
If your bowl gets too full you can always place a lid on your Tupperware and Shake.
Set in the refrigerator to let the flavors combine.
This could be served just as the salad or on bread as a sandwich or even a tortilla for a wrap.

Curried chickpeas-cold lunch ideas

I found this recipe online and altered it mildly. My husband LOVES curry so I figured this would be right up his ally(I was right). I'm constantly looking for healthy cold lunch options for my husbands work lunches. So here it is
Makes 3 large servings
2 cans Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well and drained 
2 T olive oil 
1 small onion finely chopped 
2 tsp. turmeric 
2 tsp. cumin 
1 tsp. ground coriander 
1/2 tsp.cayenne pepper 
Handful of cilantro chopped 
Lemon juice drizzled on top to taste
Sea salt to taste

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Let them drip as you chop onion.
Measure and combine all seasonings (turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne) to a small bowl/cup and set aside. This saves time so you don't burn as your cooking.
Chop all cilantro and set aside.
Add olive oil and onions to pan. Cook until translucent and just starting to crisp on the edges. Don't over cook or they will become bitter. 3-5 mins on medium heat-frequently stir.
Add all seasonings to pan. Cook until fragrant, 2 mins roughly.
Add chickpeas to pan. Stir until combined. Cook for 3-5 mins so flavor scan fuse together.
Add cilantro stir 1 min then remove from heat.
Add sea salt to taste while still warm.
Remove from pan and add to a container to be placed in refrigerator. Drizzle lemon juice over the whole surface of the top.
Let it sit out covered but not sealed until room temperature before transferring to the fridge. This will help to avoid condensation building on the lid.
Can be served cold or room temperature.


Original recipe here-http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/03/recipe-for-curried-chickpea-salad-from.html
I upped the amount of seasonings I felt it was a little bland instead of full bodied curry like my husband likes.

Dill Potato Salad

I made this recipe for a party we went to so it's made to feed about 8-10 people.
It's a fresher lighter kind of potato salad

Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes. you can use any kind you prefer-red is also recommended, chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs of dijon mustard
1/4 of a large yellow onion chopped
4 stocks of celery chopped
9 stocks of asparagus chopped
1 package of fresh dill chopped
1 Tbs garlic salt
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs paprika
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
boil a large pot of water
peel and dice potatoes into bite size pieces. add to boiling pot of water
dice celery, asparagus and onion. remove tips of asparagus and celery
about halfway through the cooking process add celery, asparagus and onions to the boiling water
cook until the potatoes are tender with a fork
drain and cool
add all remaining ingredients to a large bowl with all the potato mixture and lightly mix as to not mash the potatoes.
let cool in fridge and serve.
if you like a crunchier potato salad then don't boil the onion or celery

Buttery cookies with Jam

My mom used to make a version of these when I was a kid, hers were a bit fancier in presentation but the taste is still there. These are always a hit with everyone I serve them to.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
3 egg yolks
2 1/3 cups of flour
Jelly-I used raspberry this time but you can use any flavor of preserves that you like, you can also do half one flavor half another for variety.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375

In a medium bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and egg yolks. This works best with a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Add in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms.

Refrigerate for 5-10 mins to make a more solid dough easier for forming.

Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.

Use your finger, spoon or something similar to create a well in the center of the cookie. Fill the hole with desired amount of jelly.

Bake for 8-10 mins until golden brown on the bottom.

Let cool for a few minutes then remove from cookie sheets.

Rosemary Bread

Now this bread is just like Macaroni Grille if you've ever been there but you get to eat it at home and with the self satisfaction that you created it yourself (bragging rights too.) ALSO there are no Macaroni Grille's in the Los Angeles area so heres how I get my fix.
I found this recipe online years ago but found when I made it that some modifications needed to be made in addition to I googled how to make your bread crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside like the French do and it came out great!! so here it is

Ingredients
1 package of dry active yeast
1 Tbs of sugar
1 cup of warm water (about 100*F no more then 115*F)
3 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
2 Tbs of fresh rosemary
1 Tbs of butter

Directions
warm a cup of water in the microwave, depending on your microwave wattage the time will vary, for MINE I did 45 secs-1min. Place a thermometer  in the water to check the temperature, you want it to ideally be between 100-115*F. If it is too cold it wont activate the yeast and if it's too hot it will kill the yeast. Place the sugar in the water, stir as to dissolve, then poor the yeast on top, don't stir.

Wait about 5 mins to see if the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly. If the yeast simply falls to the bottom of the bowl then your yeast is dead and you must start over. This is crucial as you wont have fluffy bread if there is no yeast so this step is the most important.

mix in 1 Tbs of butter, salt, and 3 cups of flower add 1 Tbs of fresh chopped rosemary.

knead for about 10 mins by hand or 5-7 mins with a mixer. Don't use a hand mixer. I use my stand mixer with a special attachment. Knead until smooth and elastic, if you require more flour then add it, you don't want it too sticky you want a unison piece of dough.

oil a bowl and put the dough in it, cover with a damp towel, let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, until size has doubled.

punch down the dough and divide in half, let the dough rest about 5 mins

spray a baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray. I put down a layer of foil and spray that as to have less clean up.

Shape dough into 2 small oval loaves.

Sprinkle 1 Tbs of chopped rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.

Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 mins

cut 2 slits on the top as to help vent the steam

preheat oven to 425

Now to get a crusty outside and chewy inside you need STEAM. How I did this is I placed a baking pan in the bottom rack of oven while the oven pre-heats. I then boiled some water in a teapot then RIGHT before you place the bread in the oven you pour the water into the pan to create steam. Now to keep the steam going strong I would add a bit more every 5-10 mins of baking so it wouldn't get low.

After 5 mins of baking reduce the heat of the oven to 400

bake for a total time of 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool, you can brush with butter if you'd like but I didn't.

Salmon Chowder

As I was watching Iron Chef America the secret ingredient was salmon! Both teams made a chowder dish. As I've been trying to eat healthier I have a bag of frozen Salmon filets in my fridge and thought delicious, I will make that for dinner. I found 3 recipes online to try and get an idea of what ingredients would be good and roughly how long to cook it. Here is what I came up with...
p.s. my room-mates and boyfriend LOVED this and it's pretty healthy

Ingredients:
1 Tbs of butter
1 Tbs of olive oil
1/4 of a large yellow onion-chopped
5 stocks of celery-chopped
2 large carrots-peeled and chopped
2 large potatoes-peeled and chopped
1 can of beef broth
4 cups of chicken broth-made with bouillon cubes
1 Tbs of fresh baby dill
1 Tbs of dried thyme
2 Tbs of paprika
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
2 Tbs of garlic powder
1/4 cup white wine
2 lemons-juice only
1 Tbs hot sauce
1 cup half and half
1 can creamed corn
1 handfull of cheddar cheese
1 large salmon filet seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste


Turn stove to medium, melt the butter with the olive oil and add onion, celery, and carrots. Saute until onions start to become translucent.
Add cubed potatoes and saute about 5 minutes.
Add beef broth and chicken broth, also add thyme, garlic powder, dill, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Let simmer, covered, for 15 mins.
While simmering cook the salmon filet.
Coat a pan with olive oil. Season the salmon filet with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook salmon filet until it has changed colors and has a slight brown crust on both sides, about 5 mins each side. Then cut into cubes.
Add wine, lemon juice, salmon, hot sauce and creamed corn, lower heat and simmer for 15 more minutes.
Turn heat to low and add 1 cup of half and half and handful of cheddar cheese cover and simmer about a half hour. Don't let the soup boil after half and half is added.
add salt and pepper to taste