This is a really neat dish my mom makes. We often eat it by itself as a side dish for lunch but it’s also quite tasty as a sandwich. The dill in it gives it a nice flavor and goes well with the chicken and mayo. This salad isn’t complicated but it does take a little while to make because you have to cook the chicken and then wait for it to cool. This dish keeps for up to 4 days, covered in a fridge.
Chicken Pecan Salad
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast
- 1 medium-sized sweet onion
- 1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 Tbsp dill
- 1 cup mayo
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1) In a medium pot, put in chicken and then enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and then lower over mdeium-low heat. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.
2) Once chicken is cooked, remove it from the water, set aside, and wait until it is cooled completely. Once cooled, pull chicken into bite siized pieces. Put into a medium sized bowl.
3) Chop onion and add to chicken. Add pecans, dill, salt and pepper. Stir in mayo until coated completely. Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Well, yet again I am behind on my posting. But on the bright side, I have uploaded pictures for the past two posts! I think for a little while I’m going to have to break from my schedule until I figure out a new routine. But I will continue to update regularly, and with pictures.
So for today’s post, I’m doing one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes– her pot roast, which is so simple and fantastic. The meat is so tender and her oh-so-easy gravy ties everything together nicely. It’s great as leftovers, too.
Mom’s Simple Pot Roast
Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of pot roast, cut
- 1/2 large onion
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp milk
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Brown pot roast with onions in a pot in olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. After meat has browned, add water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
2) Approximately 15-20 minutes before being ready to be served, add potatoes and carrots to the roast. Continue to simmer, covered.
3) Remove meat and vegetables from pot. Add flour and milk to juices. Whisk while bringing to a boil. Allow the gravy to thicken before pouring into a seperate dish. Again, salt and pepper to taste. It’s just that easy.
This was an experiment I made last week, which turned out rather well. I was a little exuberant with the ginger, so I cut it back in the recipe below. I also recommend adding some sugar to give the stir fry some sweetness, but I did not use any when I made it. You use whatever vegetables you’d like; I used peppers and zucchini. I think carrots would be a good addition. Serve over rice.
Ginger Beef Stir Fry
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound beef, in strips
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into chips
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
- other veggies, sliced (opt)
Directions:
1) Put 2 Tbsp of the soy sauce and the 1 Tbsp of ginger into a gallon plastic ziplock bag. Add beef and seal. Turn bag to coat beef and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
2) After beef has marinated, put beef and onion into a frying pan with some olive oil and brown beef over medium heat. After beef has browned, add the rest of the vegetables, seasoning, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
3) Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are cooked all the way through. Stir occasionally.
4) Serve over rice.
This yummy pasta dish is best when you use fresh ingredients. We have a basil plant on our deck and I love garnishing this dish with some fresh basil leaves–they have a lot more flavor than dried basil that is often used for seasoning. Fresh tomatoes make it sweet and hearty. I just love the way all the flavors blend together to create a delicious pasta that’s great for summer.
Caprese Pasta
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 box miniature pasta (I use Farfalline)
- 1 large sweet onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 pkg fresh mozzarella
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil for garish
Direections:
1) Put enough water on to boil in a large pot for the whole box of pasta. As the pasta is cooking up, heat up olive oil over medium heat in large frying pan.
2) Dice onion and mince garlic. Sautée in heated oil for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
3) Chop tomatoes and add to heated oil. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4) When pasta is cooked completely (about 6 minutes), drain, and put back into pot. Chop up mozzarella ball and add to pasta.
5) Pour tomatoes over pasta, stir to coat, and cover until mozzarella is melted (it will be stringy).
6) Garnish pasta with fresh basil leaves.
Now I know this isn’t exactly a main dish, but it’s great for grilling, with it being Memorial Day and all. This sauce is a nice way to spiffy up some burgers or chicken. It’s perfect for either charcoal or propane grills, but I prefer charcoal because it adds a nice flavor to the meat by itself.
For both burgers and chicken, grill them like normal (about 5-8 minutes per side, or until done) but baste the meat with some sauce for the last 5 minutes or so that they’re grilling. This will help lock in the good, smoky flavor in the meat. Reserve the rest of the sauce to be used as a topping.
Happy Memorial Day! Eat some good food and enjoy this lovely weather.
Barbecue Sauce
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tsp prepared mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1) In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients.
2) Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
3) Remove from heat, setting aside approximately 1 cup to be served with burgers/chicken.
4) Use the remaining sauce to baste the meat while it is grilling.