Bacon, Corn and Tomato Chicken Salad

Normally, I am not a chicken salad fan. First of all, it usually includes celery, and celery is an abomination. Second, it’s usually quite heavy on the mayonnaise, and I am only a fan of mayonnaise in very, very limited quantities. Third… I just don’t like it, okay?? Okay.

A few days ago, Crist emailed me a chicken salad recipe that actually looked APPETIZING, wonder of wonders! (First things first: there is no celery, and almost no mayo. SCORE!) Of course, I made a half dozen changes to the original recipe, but it turned out fantastically – to the point that I basically had to physically remove the bowl from my husband’s hands, lest he eat the entire thing in one sitting. I feel confident that this will make frequent appearances in our house – it’s perfect for lunch, a light dinner, or as an appetizer for a party!

Bacon, Corn and Tomato Chicken Salad
makes about 6 sandwiches

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast
6 slices bacon
8 oz corn, drained well
1 T finely chopped chives
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 T whole grain mustard
1 cup 2% plain greek yogurt
2 T mayo*
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Crackers, bread, english muffins – whatever you want to eat the chicken salad with!

*Crist, don’t hit me… but I think next time I would try leaving the mayo out. I’m just not sure it needs it!

1.) Start by cooking your chicken. I typically season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then bake it in a covered dish at 350° for about 25-30 minutes. When it’s cooked through, shred it finely (use your stand mixer to shred it, don’t be scared).

2.) While your chicken bakes, fry up your bacon until crisp. Drain it on some paper towels, and then crumble it.

3.) Add all the ingredients, aside from the tomatoes, to a large mixing bowl, and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until everything is well combined.

That’s it! You can spread it on some toasted bread and make a sandwich, spoon it on to some crackers, or just eat it by the spoonful, whatever floats your boat. We chose to eat it on some pita crackers – topping each one with a tomato half! I didn’t want the tomatoes to make the salad watery, or muddy looking, so that’s why I chose to just pile them on top of the chicken salad as we ate.

I think this particular chicken salad has SO MUCH more flavor and texture than a typical chicken salad – and using greek yogurt in place of the mayo keeps it pretty light and healthy, too!

I can’t wait to make this with some fresh summer corn,
Tina

Spicy Pickled Vegetable Hummus

As someone who really loves hummus, it’s kind of hard for me to believe that I’ve never made it before. Honestly, I think it’s mostly because, in my pre-dishwasher days, the idea of washing all 784 parts fo the food processor by hand made me die a little inside… and there is no hummus making without the food processor! (This is making me want to go lovingly caress my dishwasher, seriously.) Anyways, now that I have a machine to wash my dishes, using the food processor is no big deal – which means making hummus is about to become a regular occurrence in my household. So many flavors to try, so little time!

Spicy Pickled Vegetable Hummus
makes about 3 cups

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup hot pickled vegetables (giardiniera), drained
2 – 4 T pickled jalapeños
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 T olive oil

1.) To start, you want to remove the skins from the chickpeas. It’s a little tedious, but it’s really not that bad – just grab each chickpea, give it a little squeeze between your thumb and forefinger, and the skin will slide right off! You can skip this step, but I highly recommend it, as it results in a much smoother hummus.

2.) Throw everything but the olive oil into the food processor, and process until it’s relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. (I’d start on the lighter side with the jalapeños – taste as you go, and add more if you want more heat!)

3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Start the food processor again, and slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube, as the processor runs. Continue processing until the hummus is nice and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl again if necessary.

This hummus can be used in so many different ways – spread it on to a sandwich instead of mayo, serve it with pita chips, or (my personal favorite) dip your favorite cut up vegetables into it! It’s got a good bite from the vinegar, nuttiness from the tahini, and a spicy kick from the hot vegetables and jalapeños – hummus perfection, if you ask me.

(This hummus will last about a week in the fridge – just put it into an airtight container, or cover it with plastic wrap!)

What kind of hummus will I make next?
Tina

Cheesy Beef Cups

Well, I’m sure you’re here today because you’re in need of a delicious appetizer to make for this evening’s National Championship basketball game… and lucky for you, I am ON IT. I strongly believe that it’s impossible to cheer your team on to victory on an empty stomach – so make sure you have some delicious snacks on hand as you cheer for the Wolverines tonight!

Hands down, my friends and family request this dish more than any other dish I make. These little meat muffins are just SO delicious, they are irresistible! My aunt was the original creator/maker of these – though, I remember her making them in full size muffin tins, so a couple of them was actually dinner, instead of an appetizer. I got the recipe from her probably 15 years ago – used it a couple times, lost it, and then just kept making them from memory (so surely the recipe has morphed, over the years). Once you’ve made them, they will become a staple for any gathering you attend, I guarantee it.

Cheesy Beef Cups
makes 24 mini cups

1lb ground beef (I use 90/10)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sweet barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can refrigerated biscuits (make sure it’s a variety that says “flaky layers”, or similar)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble your ground beef, seasoning it with the salt and pepper. Once the beef is cooked through, add the mustard, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce, and stir to thoroughly combine.

2.) Give your beef a taste test – it should be noticeably sweet, but not overly so. If needed, add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar. Additionally, the mixture should be a little saucy (but not wet) – if it seems too dry, add a bit more barbecue sauce. When the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat, and set it to the side.

3.) Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Remove your biscuits from the can (if you have to have someone else open the stupid pressurized can, just know that I’m not judging you – I HATE those things). Take each biscuit, and separate it into three layers (this is why it’s important to buy the biscuits that say “flaky layers” – otherwise separating them into layers is impossible). Press one biscuit layer into each of the mini muffin cups.

4.) Add a spoonful of meat to each biscuit cup, and top with shredded cheddar.

5.) Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown, and the cheese is nicely melted.

These things are seriously addictive. The slight edge of sweetness in the meat mixture sounds kind of weird, but it’s the best part of the whole dish (especially paired with the sharpness of the cheddar cheese)! These are quick to make, and a nice change of pace from the usual spread of dips on the appetizer table! You can make these up to a day ahead, too – just completely assemble them, but DON’T bake them. Cover the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them!

GO BLUE!!!
Tina

Cauliflower Fritters with Smoked Greek Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds

Fellow cauliflower lovers, I have a fun recipe for you! It requires a few bowls and a little bit of work, but it’s totally worth it in the end, I promise.

Cauliflower Fritters with Smoked Greek Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds
adapted from here
serves 6-8 as a side dish
(makes approximately 15-18 two-inch fritters)

For the fritters:
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into 1″ chunks
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, grated
zest of half a lemon
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
olive oil

For the yogurt:
1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of smoked salt
pomegranate seeds

1.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it reaches a boil, add the cauliflower and cook for 5-6 minutes, until it is tender but still has a bit of a bite. Remove the cauliflower to an ice bath, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Once the cauliflower is cooled, drain it and spread it out on a kitchen towel-lined baking sheet, so it can dry out.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, grated garlic, and lemon zest. Add the cauliflower to the bowl, and use a potato masher to lightly mash it, until it is broken up into mostly pea-sized pieces. Mix the mashed cauliflower and egg mixture until everything is thoroughly coated.

3.) Add the crumbled feta to the bowl, and use a spatula to fold the cauliflower mixture and feta together.

4.) In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the cauliflower feta mixture, and mix with a spatula until all the flour is moistened, and all the cauliflower is evenly coated.

5.) Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, drop the cauliflower mixture by rounded tablespoons into the pan, and flatten the mounds slightly once they’re in the pan. Allow them to cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown; then flip the fritters, and allow them to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side.

6.) Remove the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. If you’d like, you can place a foil-lined baking sheet in a 200° oven, and transfer your finished fritters to the oven to keep them warm as you keep frying.

7.) While your fritters fry, mix your greek yogurt, smoked paprika, and smoked salt together.

8.) When all the fritters are finished, top each one with a dollop of the smoked greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, and serve!

My husband and I LOVED these. In fact, we ate them for lunch one Saturday… as our meal. We may or may not have polished off the entire batch. There’s a nice salty bite from the feta, a bit of spice from the red pepper flake, some smoky richness from the yogurt – and to finish it all off, the fresh, tart flavor of the pomegranate seeds! My husband didn’t love the pomegranate seeds so much, but I thought they were the perfect finishing touch. Your mileage may vary.

These would be great as a side dish for a simple roast chicken, or some great burgers. They would also make a nice appetizer, provided it’s in a sit-down, plate-and-fork setting – I’m not sure how well these would work as finger food!

I know they sound kind of weird, but I PROMISE they’re delicious,
Tina