Rosemary Chicken Salad Pitas - Weekend Recipe

This is a light and simple dish to take on your next picnic.  Get out enjoy the weather!

Rosemary Chicken Salad Pitas

Serves 6

3 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb.)

    + I marinade them in Backyard Patch Italian Dressing before roasting in the oven

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped smoked almonds

1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3  whole-grain pita bread, sliced in half

Directions

Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well. Spread about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of chicken inside each pita.  For an extra special treat, add bean sprouts, romain leaves, sliced tomato, or sliced grapes to the pita.  

Enjoying an Outdoor Picnic - Menu & Recipes

There’s nothing like the thrill of packing up a scrumptious meal in a picnic basket and gathering together your friends and family to enjoy an outdoor picnic on a bright and sunny summer day. That is my favorite way to spend my birthday.  We pack a picnic into our bicycle saddle bags and off we go. 

courtesy of Ravinia Festival

Another favorite activity for my hubby and I in the summer is to go hear the symphony play, either the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival and Outdoor Theater or Elmhurst Symphony on their annual Fourth of July concert on the grounds of Elmhurst College.  We also like to hear the Wheaton Municipal Band play in the band shell at Memorial Park in Wheaton on Thursday nights.

courtesy of Wheaton Municipal Band

Any of these musical events can include a picnic.  So when I was sorting recipes I pulled together this collection of picnic recipes so you can take your dinner along to any outdoor event.  All you need is a basket and a blanket with these quick to prepare herbal dishes.

The MENU

Chive Dip with raw vegetables

Caraway Coleslaw

Garlic Chive Pasta Salad

Chicken Salad with a Stuffing Twist on a wheat or herb flavored bread or focaccia

Egg Salad with Salad Burnet in Pitas

Lemon Basil Fruit Salad
Rosemary Shortbread

The RECIPES

Chive Dip
This dip is a wonderful accompaniment to fresh raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes.

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives or garlic chives - snipped with scissors
1 tablespoon fresh sage - minced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

½ teaspoon granulated onion

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix add all ingredients and mix well. Let chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before using to allow all the flavors to meld together.

Caraway Coleslaw
2 cups green cabbage - shredded
1 cup red cabbage - shredded
1 cup carrots - peeled and shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tarragon or thyme herbal vinegar or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Use a food processor to shred the cabbage and carrots then add them to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients until all the sugar is dissolved to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and mix together. Store the coleslaw in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 4 cups of coleslaw.

Garlic Chive Pasta Salad
2 cups dried bow tie pasta
1 cup tomatoes - chopped
1 cup yellow or green bell peppers - seeded and chopped
1/2 cup green onions – sliced

½ cup diced, peeled zucchini
1/2 cup black olives - sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh garlic chives - snipped with scissors
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
fresh grated parmesan cheese – optional

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, cover with cold water and drain again. Place the prepared pasta into a large bowl. Stir in the tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, oil, vinegar, garlic chives and marjoram. Let chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese prior to serving if desired.

Chicken Salad with a Stuffing Twist
The stuffing twist comes from the use of sage and thyme two herbs that are normally used in stuffing.  This is another terrific sandwich spread to serve on top of the whole wheat herb bread or a seasoned focaccia.

2 split chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely diced celery
2 teaspoons fresh sage - chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or lemon thyme – chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves - chopped fine
salt & pepper – optional

Drain the liquid from the can of chicken breast. Flake with a fork and add to a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise, celery hearts, sage and tarragon and mix well. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Egg Salad with Salad Burnet
To make a hearty sandwich to serve at your picnic serve this egg salad on fresh slices of whole wheat herb bread.  For an easier to manage picnic sandwich used a pita to hold the salad.  The cucumber flavor of the salad burnet will lend a unique flavor to this perfect dish.  If you like it a bit more robust, add a Tablespoon of herb flavored mustard, like tarragon.

12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh salad burnet - chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

courtesy of Ravinia Festival

Place the eggs in a large pan, fill the pan with water and place it on the stove on high heat. When the water comes to a boil turn the heat down to medium and cook the eggs for an additional 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, drain the water and run cold water over the eggs until they have cooled down. Remove the shells from the eggs and chop them up then place them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve this salad with assorted breads and crackers if desired.

Lemon Basil Fruit Salad
2 cups fresh raspberries or blackberries
2 cups fresh strawberries - hulled and sliced
2 oranges peeled and deveined and the sections left whole
One (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained
2 tablespoons white grape juice
¼ cup fresh lemon basil – minced or sliced in ribbons

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Rosemary Shortbread

Walnuts and pecan can be used instead of pistachios if you don’t have them.  This is a perfect make-ahead item for the picnic as shortbread will keep for a week or two.

1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachios (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves - minced fine
additional confectioners sugar for garnish

In a large bowl cream the sugar into the softened butter using a large mixing spoon. Add the flour 3/4 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract, pistachios and rosemary and mix until well blended. Place the dough in a greased rectangular cake pan (9” x 13”) and press down the dough until it is about ¾ of an inch thick.  Prick the top with a fork in a pattern of squares or rectangles to make it easier to break later.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 17 to 20 minutes until light brown.  Cool completely before breaking into pieces and storing in an air-tight container.

Happy Birthday Beulah - Weekend Recipe for Fruit Salad Dressing

This weekend we are celebrate the 90th Birthday of my Mother-in-Law - Beulah.

My Mother-in-Law is a great woman.  She is still on her own, and loves to chat via email and quilt. She is the one who sews my Microwave Potato Bags!

Although she was born before the invention of the computer she has embraced it.  I get email from her every day!

Everyone in the family was tasked with bringing a dish to feed the army of relatives and friends coming to celebrate this grand accomplishment.  My husband and I were asked to bring Fruit Salad.  Which is an inside joke I will not get into.....

We have great fruit markets here in Chicagoland, so we pulled together a combination of traditional fruits, seasonal fruits and exotic fruits like Kiwi and Dragon fruit to make a large container of salad - well maybe two or three containers. (You see where the joke might come from?)

This time I wanted to serve a dressing with the fruit medley, but rather than dress the salad in advance we are serving the dressing on the side in  containers.  I am waffling between a ketchup-like squirt bottle to serve and a dish with a pretty spoon.

I thought for the recipe of the weekend I would share the dressing recipes I will be serving.

Savory Fruit Dressing

1/3 cup orange juice

4 teaspoon canola oil

4 teaspoons brown mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh mint (or ¼ tsp. dried)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a lidded jar and shape well to combine.  Chill until ready to serve. Drizzle over salad once placed in salad bowl just before serving.

Yogurt Fruit Dressing

16 ounces of orange flavored Yogurt

1 Tablespoon Backyard Patch Poppy Seed Dressing Mix (or 1 tsp poppy seeds)

Stir together the yogurt and poppy seeds. / Dressing Mix.  Allow 1 hour to meld, then pour over fruits salad.

 

Blueberry Vinaigrette

1 cup blueberries

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (you can also used anise seed – not star anise)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Chill until ready to serve. Pour over fruit or greens and fruit salad.

Picnic and Tailgates - herb recipes for FUN!

Football season has finally started and I am thrilled.  I love the sport of football.  In part, this is due to the fact my father taught me the terminology and strategy of the game while we watched together on Sundays giving me the ability (unlike most other girls in the marching band) to understand what was going on when I sat through the games in high school.

His teaching gave me the tools to like the game and I still do.  Once the car racing season ends I love nothing more than a football game on Sunday!

Being that Labor Day weekend and the football season are linked this year. I am going to share some great appetizer and picnic recipes so you can enjoy the last harah of summer before Fall in upon us! 

Recipes

Spinach Tomato Appetizers

This recipe is great for using the abundance of tomatoes this time of year!

1 10-oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 green onions, chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tbls butter, melted
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more for garnish
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
6 thick tomato slices
ground black pepper

Cook spinach according to package directions and drain well. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, bread crumbs, green onions, eggs, butter, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, white pepper, thyme, and Tabasco sauce; mix well. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on a
greased baking pan. Sprinkle with black pepper. Mound an equal portion of spinach mixture on each tomato slice. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Walnuts and Parmesan Bruschetta

1 Tbls. fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)

1 Tbls. fresh parsley (1 tsp. dried) 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 french baguette loaf
1 cup walnuts
1 cup grated Parmesan

Thinly slice half a baguette. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and broil them until they're golden brown (about 1 1/2 minutes per side).

Pulse the walnuts, Parmesan, herbs and salt in a food processor until crumbly. Add the lemon juice. While the machine is running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Spread the mixture on the rounds. Garnish the bruschetta with additional Parmesan, if desired.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Marinated mushrooms and artichokes

1/2 to 1 cup prepared BYP Caesar Salad Dressing

fresh button mushrooms or sliced portobello

frozen cooked artichoke hearts

Marinade fresh mushrooms and frozen cooked artichoke hearts in prepared BYP Caesar Salad Dressing for several hours in the refrigerator.  Drain and serve on picks.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 t. garlic salt

1 c. sour cream

3 T. dill vinegar (may substitute regular vinegar and 1/4 t. dill)

4 t. minced green onions

Sprinkle cucumbers with salt in a colander and allow to drain for one hour.  Rinse with clear water and drain 5 minutes.  Mix sour cream, vinegar and onions in serving bowl.  Add cucumber slices and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.  Keeps well on ice!  Serves 4 to 6.

Picnic Burgers

You can make these ahead and just warm them on the grill or in the broiler before serving.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork or turkey

2 Tbls. garlic powder

1/2 Tbls. black pepper

2 Tbls. mixes fresh herbs, finely chopped

2 Tbls. light soy sauce (do not add extra salt)

3 4 Tbls instant oats or bread crumbs

Mix ground meat with herbs and seasonings.  Add soy sauce and oats.  Mix well.  Shape into mini paddies (make a golfball-sized meatball and smash flat.)  Cook on a griddle or grill until internal temp is at least 170 degrees.  Serve on buns with all the fixins.