Chicken Salad Sandwiches

WOW!  I can't believe I'm actually back blogging!  My life has been consumed with kids activities...mainly Baseball.  We entered the All-Star season right before school got out, then finished the last tournament of the season this week!  It's been a SUPER busy summer and actually hasn't felt much like summer at all.  We're home now...no more baseball scrimmages, baseball practice, baseball tournaments, washing and scrubbing baseball pants...until the Fall.  So for now, we will sleep in, enjoy playing in the backyard, peaceful evenings at home, home-made dinners, and maybe I'll get a chance to do some reading.  Simple things that make summer feel like summer.  

This sandwich is one of those things that I enjoy so much!  I love chicken salad, but I'm a little picky when it comes to texture...I'm not a fan of super creamy chicken salad.  This particular recipe was great...not too creamy, nice and chunky, with a lot of different textures.   Make this in the morning and then serve for lunch or even dinner with a pasta salad.  Perfect for the summer months when you don't feel like spending all evening in the kitchen!  

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES  {recipe adapted from Cooking Classy}

INGREDIENTS: {makes about 3-4 sandwiches}

• 3 bone-in chicken breast halves, roasted and cut in chunks {about 3 cups chicken}
• 2-3 celery ribs, diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped {I used dried cherries}
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped {you could use walnuts or cashews too}
• 1/2 cup mayonaise 
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• romaine lettuce
• sliced bread or croissants 

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Rub chicken breast halves with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place in roasting pan and bake for 1 hour.  Turn oven off, cover chicken with foil and leave in oven for another 20 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let chicken cool before you cut in chunks.  

In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken chunks, celery, cranberries, and toasted pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, onion powder, and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir to combine.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for a couple of hours, or until ready to use.

Pile on thick pieces of bread, add your lettuce, and you have a super delicious lunch or an easy dinner!

Lemon Chicken Breasts...Barefoot Contessa

I love making this chicken dish!  It's super easy to prepare and is perfect for company.  Just throw everything in a baking dish, bake, then keep warm in oven until guests arrive.  I like to use the thin-sliced chicken breasts when I can find them, or at least cut large chicken breasts in half.  I almost always double this recipe, because the leftovers are SO good!  I usually serve this with toasted orzo and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.
Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken Breast {recipe by Barefoot Contessa }


INGREDIENTS: {serves 4}

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced {about 9 cloves}
• 1/3 cup dry white wine {like a chardonnay}
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest {2 lemons}
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts {I buy boneless/skinless}
• 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute, but don't allow the garlic to brown.  Remove from heat and add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 tsp. salt.  Pour the sauce into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Place chicken breasts on top of sauce, brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Cut the lemon into 8 wedges and tuck them among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the top is lightly golden.  If you would like the chicken to be more golden on top, then put underneath the broiler for 2 minutes.  Cover the pan tightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Serve chicken with sauce.

Jamie Grace - God Girl (Lyric Video)

My 6 year old daughter introduced me to this song recently.  It's a sweet song, but hearing her sing it makes it even sweeter!  Her knowing how much she's loved and letting the whole world know how she wants to live out her life...that's pretty cool!
"God Girl" by Jamie Grace

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

I feel a little like a slacker with this whole blogging thing!  I'm not sure what happened, but if I let a little more than a couple of weeks pass without blogging, then I almost forget about it altogether!
I've made some fun, yummy recipes in the past few weeks, but have not remembered to snap a pic or jot down the recipe.
Can you believe it's nearing the end of the school year already?  I remember thinking the school year was soooo incredibly long when I was little, and now it's either a holiday, inservice day, or some "day off" every time I turn around!  If I was in charge {which I'm not}, I'd get rid of some of those silly days off and shorten the length of the school year so the kids have more summer!!  My kids can't wait for summer and honestly, I'm looking forward to a change of pace as well.  I'm sure it will be here before I know it!

I usually seem to start out really strong at the beginning of the school year with making breakfast for my kids.  Then around this time of year, I'm throwing out granola bars or cereal in a hurry...no planning whatsoever!  So this morning I decided to make these breakfast cookies.  They have very few ingredients and are really healthy.  I added a little powdered sugar glaze to make my kids feel like they were worth eating :) I got the thumbs up from my pickiest little breakfast eater and from my husband!
Try these...they were delicious!


Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies {recipe slightly adapted from Perry's Plate }


INGREDIENTS:  {makes about 12 cookies}

• 1 cup flour {I used all-purpose flour}
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp. flaxseed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• scant 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts {I used pecans}
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed just until melted
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp. brown rice syrup *if you don't have brown rice syrup, just add a few more tbsp. of maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.  

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Whisk to combine. Add nuts and carrots to dry ingredients.  Mix well.

In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and butter over low heat just until melted.  Add maple syrup and brown rice syrup to the pan. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well combined.  

Drop by 2-tablespoonfuls on prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are barely golden brown.  I shaped the cookies a little with my hand to make them nice and tight and round.

**To make the powdered sugar glaze: whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about 2 tsp. of milk until the consistency becomes easy to drizzle.  Use more or less milk to adjust thickness.

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

We loved this pasta salad!  It was a fun spin on an asian salad and was great as a main dish, just serve with some french bread.  I think it was the dressing that made this taste so yummy!  It may seem like a lot of dressing, but pour it all on because the pasta will soak up a lot of it.  I added a few extra things to the recipe just to add some crunch.  Next time you head out for a picnic or a potluck, make this!

SESAME CHICKEN PASTA SALAD { recipe adapted from HERE}


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 {16 oz} package bow-tie pasta
• 1/2 cup canola or olive oil
• 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut up into chunks
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced {I added some of the green parts as well}
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly in a dry pan
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a dry pan
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

  Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add sesame seeds and sliced almonds.  Toast until golden brown and set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.  Add pasta to large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and next 6 ingredients.  

Add sliced green onions, cooked chicken, sliced bell pepper, sesame seeds and almonds to the bowl with the cooled pasta.  Stir to combine.  Pour in the dressing and mix well.  You can serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

I really wish I knew how to take better pictures. I'm lacking in that category, but I guess that comes with time, which is something else I'm lacking right now!  So, for now I apologize for my weak photos.
My kiddos have been off for Easter Vacation for a week now and we've still got one more week to go!!  I have to admit, it's been really nice having a little change of pace.  Being sick last week, I was actually able to stay in bed a little longer than normal and my kids even let me!
My boys have a friend over tonight so I made these cookies for them. Ok, I really made them for me.  I'm a lover of all things chocolate-y.  Especially a good brownie.  I've been looking for a really good brownie/cookie and I honestly think I've found it in this super-simple recipe!  You will not regret making these little treats...trust me!!

FUDGY BROWNIE COOKIES  {Recipe slightly adapted from Craving Chronicles}


INGREDIENTS: {makes 18-24 cookies}

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder {I suggest sifting the cocoa powder}
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup {1 stick} unsalted butter
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips {I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao}

DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and chopped bittersweet chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and Sugar at medium speed until light yellow in color and satiny, about 3-4 minutes {this is important}.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.  Add flour mixture and beat on low just until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a spatula.  

Scoop dough with a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.  {The outside will be set but the centers should still be soft and slightly under-baked}.  Cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Potato-Crusted Quiche with Bacon, Mushrooms and Spinach

I'm a HUGE fan of quiche!  I could eat it any time of the day...unfortunately my family, not so much.  Which means I only get to make quiche when I'm going to a bible study, or a brunch, or hosting something at my house.  I have seen this potato crust before but never tried it.  Will definitely be doing this again, it was easy and really yummy!  If you're not into making a pie crust or have some extra potatoes lying around, give this a try.  Really sorry about the picture...I was in a hurry to take this to bible study and I didn't have time to take a decent picture!

Potato-Crusted Quiche with Bacon, Mushrooms, Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
 {recipe adapted from cookincanuck }


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. potatoes, unpeeled, cut into really thin 1/8 inch slices {I used Yukon gold potatoes}
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (packed) Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 cup (packed) fresh baby spinach, torn roughly
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk {I used 1/2 cup low fat milk/1/2 cup half & half}
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded {I used Parmesan/fontina blend}
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch strips

DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  

In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, melted butter, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.  

Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and arrange the potatoes in concentric circles on the bottom and sides of the dish.  Be sure to overlap the potatoes to avoid gaps between the potatoes after baking.  Bake until the potatoes are light golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and lay on paper towel.  Pour out all but 1 tbsp. bacon drippings.  To the pan, add the mushrooms and saute about 4-6 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until barely wilted, about 30 seconds.  

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.  Stir in the cooked mushrooms and spinach.  Pour the egg mixture into the potato crust.  Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes and cooked bacon evenly over the egg mixture.  Bake the quiche until the eggs are set and golden brown, 30-40 minutes.