Recipe Review from 5/30/2016

It rained.  It was foggy.  It rained some more.  I can only say thank heaven's I don't live in Houston or Paris right now.  Egads. 

I'll leave you with a picture of the baby chicks that were delivered week before Memorial Day.  This much cuteness should be illegal.  

The Meal Plan:
Sun (L&S)  leftovers
Mon (L)  chicken salad   (S)  ham and corn chowder
Tues - leftover chowder
Wed - leftover chowder (or pasta)
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Fri - TBD
Sat -

Lunches (Husband) Sandwiches, carrots, yogurt, fruit
               (Me) chicken salad, croissant, yogurt, fruit


Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad (Life Currents Blog via Pinterest)  gluten free
I roasted two of our home grown chickens for this - two because they are a bit on the small side (2 1/2 lbs tops).  I did add a big handful of grated carrot because I had leftovers on hand from a coleslaw dish I made previously I didn't want the rest of the bag to go to waste.  Plus it added a nice dash of color and veggies.  Otherwise, pretty much made as written.  It's a chicken salad, what more can I say?

Photo from Life Currents Blog

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup chopped celery
1/2 cup grated carrot
¾ cup chopped pecans
½ cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour to allow flavors to combine. Serve chilled.

Ham and Cheddar Chowder (My Gluten Free Kitchen via Pinterest)  gluten free
This comes together moderately quickly and tastes like ham and potato gratin.  Except better 'cause it's a soup! 

I didn't make any sigificant alterations or substitutions other than baby reds for Yukon Golds.  Unpeeled because peeling is generally a waste of time, especially with soups.    The blog owner noted that this re-heats well and indeed it does!  I did have to add some extra water though, to return it soup rather than thick paste.   This is great for leftover ham.  Recommended! 

1 3/4 cups water  (I needed  two cups)
2 cups peeled, cubed Butter Gold or Yukon Gold potatoes (cubes about 1/2" to 3/4") 

Photo from My Gluten Free Kitchen Blog

(I used baby reds, unpeeled and cubed)
1/2 cup sliced carrots (I used store bought grated carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced (Oops, I used 3 cloves)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese (cubed or shredded)
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 1/2 or 2 cups cubed ham (fully cooked)

1. In a large pot, bring water, potatoes, carrots, and garlic to a boil. Stir in salt, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the ham cubes and frozen corn. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the cornstarch.
4. Add the milk to the butter/cornstarch mixture and whisk together.
5. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
6. Add cheddar cheese cubes or shreds and stir until melted.
7. Pour creamy contents of medium saucepan into the large pot of ham and vegetables. Heat through over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until read to serve. Taste a little to see if you would prefer additional seasonings.