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

Roasted Garlic, Sausage, and Tomato Pizza

Pizza is basically the perfect food, right? There are a million and one ways to change it up; you can add any crazy combination of ingredients that pops into your head!

A great pizza joint recently opened up in our area, and they make these ridiculous wood-fired, thin crust pizzas. One of the topping options they offer is roasted garlic, which I love, but have never had on a pizza before. Some friends and I were ordering up some dinner one night, and after about 20 minutes of tossing topping ideas back and forth, we landed on this: sausage, roasted garlic, and tomato. And it might just be my favorite pizza topping combination ever!

Roasted Garlic, Sausage, and Tomato Pizza
makes one medium, thinner-crust pie

one batch pizza dough
pizza or marinara sauce of choice
1 head garlic, with the top 1/2″ cut off
olive oil
1/4 lb hot italian sausage (pork or turkey), cooked and crumbled
1 large tomato, sliced thin
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

1.) First, you need to roast your garlic. While your pizza dough rises, heat your oven to 400°. Place your head of garlic in the center of a square of foil, and drizzle it with a bit of olive oil. Close the foil tightly around the garlic, place it into a small baking dish, and roast for about 40 minutes until golden brown and soft. Allow the garlic to cool until you can handle it easily, and then gently squeeze the cloves out of their skins. Slice each clove into about 4 pieces.

2.) Preheat your oven to 475°. Lay your sliced tomatoes out on a paper towel to draw a bit of their moisture out; lightly season them with kosher salt. Mist your baking sheet with olive oil, and stretch your pizza dough out. Spread a thin layer of your sauce onto the dough.

3.) Evenly sprinkle the sausage and sliced, roasted garlic over the sauce. Cover the pizza with the grated cheese, and then lay the sliced tomatoes on top. Brush the exposed edges of the dough with a bit of olive oil.

4.) Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese has browned nicely. Allow to cool and set for approximately 5 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Sweet, nutty garlic, spicy and salty sausage, and juicy, slightly acidic tomatoes. YES, PLEASE.

You’re going to want to make this REAL soon,
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

Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon Parmesan Cream Sauce

For those of you who hate cauliflower: just relax. You can take it out of this recipe if it truly offends you that much. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, because it’s a big part of what makes this recipe so delicious. So… proceed at your own risk.

Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon Parmesan Cream Sauce
Serves 4-6

1 lb penne (I prefer Barilla Plus)
half a large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan (plus more for the topping)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

1.) Preheat your oven to 400°. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Allow the cauliflower to roast while you make the sauce and the pasta.

2.) Get your pasta water heating. Once it’s at a boil, add a generous handful of salt, and add the pasta in. Cook as directed. In a heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, and pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Bacon makes everything better!

3.) Add your onions to the hot bacon grease, and saute until they’re very soft and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

4.) Add the heavy cream and grated parmesan to the pot (this is a good time to use the pre-grated stuff from the store, rather than freshly grated). Lower the heat to medium low, and allow the cream mixture to come up to a gentle bubble. Let it bubble for 5-8 minutes, until it thickens just slightly. Stir in about half a teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper. (At this point, you can taste the sauce to see if it needs salt; with the bacon grease and the parmesan, it will likely only need a small pinch. If the sauce tastes a bit bland, it’s because it needs salt!)

5.) When the sauce is ready, the cauliflower and pasta should be, too. Turn your broiler on high, and then add the drained pasta, the roasted cauliflower, and the cooked bacon back to the pot, and stir to combine everything well. Pour the entire mixture into a large baking dish. Top with the panko, and some freshly grated parmesan, and a light mist/drizzle of olive oil.

6.) Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs and cheese are nice and golden brown.

This pasta is GOOD. I mean, it’s hard to go wrong with a sauce made of heavy cream, bacon, and parmesan cheese – but this dish didn’t taste heavy AT ALL, somehow. I think that skipping a traditional bechamel sauce (flour + butter + milk or cream, cooked into a thicker sauce) in favor of cream thickened just enough to coat the noodles, really helped keep it from being super heavy. Additionally, the combination of the nutty cauliflower and parmesan cheese, plus the salty and smoky bacon, and sweet onions? RIDICULOUS, I tell you. A (somewhat odd) flavor combination made in heaven, I swear.

If you really hate cauliflower that much, you can omit it and use broccoli instead… just know that I will feel sad that you’re missing out on all the cauliflower goodness. Also, you could make this a day ahead, if you wanted – cook everything as directed, and place into the baking dish, but don’t add the panko and parmesan cheese topping. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate; when you’re ready to serve it, place it into a cold oven, and turn the heat on to 350°. Once the oven has reached 350, let the dish heat for another 5 minutes or so, then top with the panko and parmesan, and broil for 1-2 minutes.

Seriously, just embrace the cauliflower – it’s good for you!

(For any March Madness fans out there… I assume you’ll be cheering for my Wolverines this Saturday night?? GO BLUE!!)
Tina