Grandma's Kitchen Table

Eating with Ellie: Turkey Sausage and Chickpea Soup with Butternut Squash

       The 100th recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Turkey Sausage and Chickpea Soup with Butternut Squash, and can be found in Ellie Krieger's book Whole in One, on page 135. 

       Ingredients: turkey sausage, olive oil, onion, garlic, butternut squash, carrots, salt, cayenne pepper, chicken broth, can of diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and thyme.  (No chickpeas in mine as Mark will not eat them.) 

       It’s cold and wintery here, and although we haven’t had any snow this winter, it still seems like a fine time for soup most days.  This is an easy recipe full of flavor.  I cooked the various ingredients and threw them in the crockpot on low for the afternoon rather than let it simmer on the stovetop. Crockpots for soups and stews are the best, aren’t they…it always feels like someone else is doing the cooking and I just need to show up on time for the meal. This was a good meal, we had a slice of the Cheddar Loaf I made earlier in the week with it, and we watched the Indiana/Purdue basketball game…IU won.  Definitely worth repeat status, the soup recipe, the bread recipe, and the IU win over Purdue.  Life is good.

       Eating with Ellie participants: Margaret at Tea and Scones, and Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen.  You can check the Eating with Ellie category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making. (If you would like to join us, just leave a link at one of our blogs.)

      Note:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Spiced Meatballs in Sticky Chili Sauce

       My 164th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Spiced Meatballs in Sticky Chili Sauce. The recipe can be found in One Pan Perfect by Donna Hay on page 80.

       Ingredients:  ground beef, garlic, Gochujang (Korean Chili paste), scallions, ginger, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and rice, cucumbers, and kimchi to serve.

       One of us here loves Asian flavors.  One of us not so much.  The one that doesn’t love them so much will sometimes be patient and go along with an Asian-inspired meal that I am cooking...okay, Sort-Of.  As you see, in the photo above, is the meal as intended with the recipe, and a fine meal it was. The Sort-Of-Guy had his meatballs with mashed potatoes and carrots and none of the other things you see in the photo, which was just fine with me as the meatballs are the featured item. These meatballs are wonderful, sticky, spicy, full of flavor…a kind of Korean barbecue sort of flavor.  I loved them and I would make them often if the Sort-Of-Guy would agree, and he just might if he can have them with mashed potatoes because mashed potatoes are one of his favorite things on earth. So, I guess this is one of those mash-up meals for him.  I’m good with the meal as intended in recipe and book.       

       Participants: Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen and Margaret at Tea and Scones.  You can check the Wednesday with Donna Hay category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making.

       NOTE: In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Donna Hay’s books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes. There are also many of her recipes at her site here.  We know you will enjoy using Donna’s books again and again, as we all do, and that your money will be well spent.

TWD: Baking with Dorie - Grain and Seed Muffins

        The seventh recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Grain and Seed Muffins and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 67. 

       Ingredients:  whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, cinnamon, baking soda, oats, wheat bran, brown sugar, eggs, milk, canola oil, maple syrup, sunflower seeds flax seeds, sesame seeds, and dried cranberries.

       Gather all your ingredients, measure them out, and this all goes together quickly, you don’t even need to get out the mixer. Mine were done in the amount of time the recipe specified, a few of them got the little fissures on the top, but mine didn’t really have the peaks that others seemed to be getting.  Might need to check the freshness of my baking powder and baking soda before my next bake.  All in all, peaks and fissures or not, this is an easy and great tasting muffin, full of flavor.  We will happily make and eat them again anytime.

        If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  Currently there are two groups baking at this website:  this one, Baking with Dorie (BWD), and one that is in its final year, Dorie’s Cookies (DC), which uses recipes from that book.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them all at your fingertips, what a deal! 

Baking Rose's Breads: Cheddar Loaf

       The second recipe I made from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Bernabaum was Cheddar Loaf (pages 280-284).  This was an all-day project but almost all of it was various rising times (it’s winter here and I keep a cooler temperature kitchen, so very long rising times for me).  The actual hands-on part was maybe a half hour spread out through the day.

       Ingredients: flour, water, malt powder (or honey, sugar, or barley malt powder), yeast, dry milk, cheddar cheese, butter, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt.

       The recipe is written nicely with easy to follow directions and tips to help along the way.  There are a couple of places that I was happy to have some bread baking experience in the past, but nothing that would stymy a newbie.  I am very happy with the way it all went and definitely very pleased with the taste of the bread.  The inside is nice and airy and light and the outside crust is soft but crispy which doesn’t seem really possible, but there you have it.  When I sliced the bread, I saw all the holes that you see in the photo and had a bit of a panic…are these supposed to be like this in there? Is it from where the cheese melted? Is it because I formed it wrong before putting it in the pan? Did it rise too much too fast in the oven? It’s a mystery, so if you know, please comment and help me figure it out, thanks in advance.  (All that said, we didn’t mind the holes at all, they were just fine and the bread was light and airy, always a good thing.)

       Despite the long rising times (again, this could very well be from my cooler temperature kitchen in winter) and the need to be present several times throughout the day to facilitate the process, this bread is worth all that and I will be making it again.  Because the taste of the cheese is so prevalent in the final product, I would recommend buying a really good cheddar that is full of flavor, you will appreciate having done that when you taste that first bite. Our plans for using it, besides just eating it in hand, are grilled cheese sandwiches, ham sandwiches, a take on bread pizza, and I’m sure we will come up with many more ideas as this is really really good.

        If you would like to bake along with us, leave a comment.  You will need access to The Bread Bible recipes and you can blog it or not as you wish.  I don’t publish recipes that belong to cookbook authors out of respect for their work but sometimes you can search for and find the recipe online if you don’t have access to the book. We will choose two recipes for February, the first one will be Ginger Scones (pages 143-146). We’d love to have you join us.

       

 

 

Eating with Ellie: Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Delicata Squash and Brussels sprouts

       The 99th recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Delicata Squash and Brussels sprouts, and can be found in Ellie Krieger's book Whole in One, on page 188. 

       Ingredients list: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, Dijon mustard, black pepper, pork tenderloin, delicata squash, and maple syrup. 

       Mark loves pork so I’m pretty sure I’m going to work my way through the pork recipes in this book faster than the other recipes, it’s always nice to make something I know he is going to enjoy so much.  This is a very easy recipe and all you have to clean up is the sheet pan, which, if you line it with a sheet of parchment, is not much clean up at all.  You do need to put things on it at various times during the cooking process, but really nothing difficult about that, just remembering what to add when.  The flavors of everything are spot on delicious.  Each ingredient has its own flavoring so you don’t get that one-note flavor that you can sometimes get with sheet pan dinners.  This is much appreciated here.  We will be making this again and it will be nice to have the option of changing up the flavors or not. Definitely repeat worthy.

       Eating with Ellie participants: Margaret at Tea and Scones, Peggy at Pantry Revisited, and Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen.  You can check the Eating with Ellie category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making. (If you would like to join us, just leave a link at one of our blogs.)

      Note:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  

 

Wednesdays with Donna Hay: Tomato, Olive, and Mozzarella Meatballs

   
        My 163rd recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Tomato, Olive, and Mozzarella Meatballs. The recipe can be found in Simple Dinners by Donna Hay on page 96.

       Ingredients list:  bread crumbs, milk, ground beef, basil pesto sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, oregano, green olives, baby bocconcini, fresh basil leaves, and crusty bread to serve. 

       We needed a nice lunch to share while watching Big Ten Basketball games this past weekend and I had made Focaccia on Friday, so when I came across this recipe I knew it would be just the thing.  Once the meatballs are made, the rest is just a matter of assembling it all in baking dish to heat in the oven.  We really enjoyed it…those little tomatoes squish when you touch them and putting them, some cheese, and basil on the focaccia is delicious.  Definitely repeat worthy.   

       Participants: Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen, Margaret at Tea and Scones, and Peggy at Pantry Revisited.  You can check the Wednesday with Donna Hay category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making.

       NOTE: In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Donna Hay’s books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes. There are also many of her recipes at her site here.  We know you will enjoy using Donna’s books again and again, as we all do, and that your money will be well spent.

TWD Dorie's Cookies: Portofignos

       The Dorie's Cookies group recipes for January are Bruno’s New Year’s Waffles (page 253) and Portofignos (page 215).  This week I chose to make the Portofignos as the other recipe required the use of a pizzelle iron and I don’t have one of those and couldn’t think of a way to adapt it to make it work as intended.  
        Ingredients:  walnuts, salt, dried figs, ruby port, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract.

        Disclaimer right up front: I used dried cherries instead of dried figs as Mark does not care for figs and since he is the one eating the cookies, dried cherries it had to be today.  Sometimes one can substitute things and it really isn’t obvious, but since FIG is in the name, I felt I had to confess that my cookies are Pseudo Portofignos. There aren’t any figs in mine, sometimes these things happen.

        Mark liked them, and it’s a good thing as I made half a batch and that netted 24 cookies, he figured four a day for six days…you know, like they are some kind of vitamin dose or something. The man loves his cookies, he always has an emergency stash on hand in case I haven’t gotten around to baking any for him.  When I asked him why he didn’t like figs he said that his mother loved Fig Newtons and would buy them when they were children.  He said it was the most disappointing day ever if she only bought that kind of cookie as he didn't like the taste and wouldn’t eat them, which left him with no cookies when the others were eating theirs.  Childhood nightmares indeed. These cookies are easy to make and judging by his comments, should be on the Repeat Often List.

        The Tuesdays with Dorie group is baking from Dorie Greenspan's book, Dorie's Cookies.  The posts are the first and third Tuesdays of the month and can be linked at the main Tuesdays with Dorie website here.  You can also find the information on joining in and/or see the posts from those in the group baking along at this location.  I don’t publish copyrighted recipes, so if you’d like to bake along, buy the book, it’s well worth it. 

Baking Rose's Breads: Rosemary Focaccia Sheet

     
        Christmas has come and gone and I’m diving into a cookbook I received as a gift: The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Bernabaum with another friend, Laurie, who I met through the original Tuesdays with Dorie baking group back in 2008 and have baked with over the years. I already have Rose’s books The Cake Bible (a gift from my baking buddy Margaret) and The Pie Bible. I love how detailed her recipes are with the processes (she even gives the speed at which to set the Kitchen Aid Mixer when mixing) and measurements (she gives volume, ounces, and grams for the recipes). We are keeping it loose…not really advertising it a lot, although anyone who wants to join in can just do so at any time, no commitment necessary.  We decided to call our little group Baking Rose’s Breads as that’s really all we are doing, baking our way through this particular book, I decided to put mine on my blog so I can look back and remember what I’ve made along the way.  Our first recipe, Rosemary Focaccia Sheet (pages 205-208), we actually made together last Friday just chatting through the process and sharing photos and tips along the way, she in her kitchen in Pennsylvania and me in my kitchen in Indiana.  It was a fun day and while we might not be able to time the bakes so we can do it together, we are making the same recipe each time. 

       Ingredients: all purpose flour, instant yeast, water, sugar, salt, extra virgin olive oil, dried rosemary, and fluer de sel. (I decided to also use pizza seasoning on the top of the Focaccia.)

       We both enjoyed watching the very soupy dough come together into a ball while mixing in the mixer and then becoming like melted mozzarella pouring it into the rising container…as Laurie said, “It’s a miracle!” Fascinating.  It took longer to rise in my cool kitchen so I boosted it with a heating pad on low under the container and Laurie used her oven low/off so we could get to the required doubled status in a timely manner (about an hour longer than she had specified). When it came time to form the dough on the baking sheet pan we both felt that the dough was thinner than we thought it would be. Again, maybe we should have increased the rising time to account for our cooler kitchens this time of year.  I’m going to make it again at some point, maybe boosting the yeast a tiny bit and using a pan with slightly smaller dimensions to see if this will net me thicker pieces in the end.  Or maybe just letting it rise longer after formed in the pan will do the trick.

     
       The taste was really nice, and we did like the thinner pieces that had a crispy bottom with that light airy texture on the top.  I served it with a Donna Hay recipe that I made for this week’s group (warm meatballs, olives, tomatoes, and mozzarella) and it was perfect with all of that, definitely a repeat worthy recipe.

        If you would like to bake along with us, leave a comment.  You will need access to The Bread Bible recipes and you can blog it or not as you wish.  I don’t publish recipes that belong to cookbook authors out of respect for their work but sometimes you can search for and find the recipe online if you don’t have access to the book. We chose two recipes for January, this one and the next one we are making: Cheddar Loaf (found on page 280-284). We’d love to have you join us.

       

 

       

Eating with Ellie: EJ's Beef Stew

       The 98th recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is EJ’s Beef Stew, and can be found in Ellie Krieger's book Whole in One, on page 184. 

       Ingredients list: lean chuck roast, salt, pepper, canola, onion, garlic, beef broth, tomato sauce, lemon juice, soy sauce, bay leaf, potatoes, carrots, and red bell peppers.

       We are having a bit of a cold spell here in central Indiana…uncharacteristically we have had no snow, just a cold spell popping up now and again. The lowest it has gotten is 1 degree, but still…I’m counting that as a cold spell despite what my more northern relatives and friends believe. Snow or no snow, my crockpot sits on the counter more often than not with soup simmering away, such a nice thing to have for lunch or supper during this time of year. 

       The recipe comes together nicely, nothing much different than most stew recipes.  The addition of lemon and soy sauce to a beef stew is new to me so I was eager to see what that taste would be…turns out is quite nice and just a bit different than any other beef stew recipe I have made. I thought maybe the soy sauce would make it seem more Asian than it actually does, it’s not all that strong so it just seems like a nice roundness to the flavors.  The lemon I think made the beef very tender, which was really nice.  We also liked the red bell peppers in this recipe as that is not an ingredient I usually add to beef stew.  All in all, this is a really delicious recipe and I will be making it again from time to time when we are in the mood for beef stew.

       Eating with Ellie participants: Margaret at Tea and Scones, Peggy at Pantry Revisited, and Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen.  You can check the Eating with Ellie category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making. (If you would like to join us, just leave a link at one of our blogs.)

      Note:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Creamy Lemon Chicken Pot Pie

         My 162nd recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Creamy Lemon Chicken Pot Pie. The recipe can be found in One Pan Perfect by Donna Hay on page 160.

       Ingredients list:  puff pastry, olive oil, leeks, lemon thyme leaves, brown rice flour, chicken thighs, lemon rind, chicken stock, Tuscan kale, creme fraiche (or sour cream), salt, pepper, and an egg.

       Matt gifted me the newest Donna Hay cookbook for Christmas and I’m diving into it right away, starting with a nice warm comfort food recipe during this cold month of January.  Well, and because there are only two of us are here now so I always have leftover chicken and am in search of a nice place to use it.

       The filling for this recipe is very simple, only a few ingredients, whereas most of my chicken pot pie recipes have things like carrots and peas and celery and potatoes and any number of other things like mushrooms and a variety of seasonings. So, leeks and kale and chicken seemed fairly simple, maybe too simple.  After I made it and tasted it however, the other flavorings make up for the lack of additional vegetables and it was all a very nice mix with plenty of flavor and comfort, I am a big fan of kale.  I loved the lemon in there…you knew I would, lemon being my favorite flavor. The puff pastry crust just makes everything incredibly easy, not to mention tasty.  Definitely worth repeating.  

       Participants: Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen, Margaret at Tea and Scones, and Peggy at Pantry Revisited.  You can check the Wednesday with Donna Hay category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making.

       NOTE: In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Donna Hay’s books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes. There are also many of her recipes at her site here.  We know you will enjoy using Donna’s books again and again, as we all do, and that your money will be well spent.

TWD: Baking with Dorie - Steph's Bakewell tart

       The sixth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Steph’s Bakewell Tart and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 298-299 and page 355 for the All Purpose Tart Dough recipe. You can also search for it online.

       Ingredients:  flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, water (for the tart part) and almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, almond extract, raspberry jam (I used cherry jam), almonds, and confectioner’s sugar.

       We always watch The Great British Baking Show when it comes on and we always wondered what a Bakewell Tart was so I was very happy to see that this recipe was chosen this month and couldn’t wait to make it and see what all the fuss was about…everyone seems to love them and they are somewhat of a tradition in England.  They are easy enough to make…a tart crust, a layer of jam (I used cherry instead of raspberry because Mark wanted cherry and since he will be the one mostly eating it, Bob’s your uncle on that), and then a cakey type layer topped with almonds and a little drizzle of icing to pretty it up.  Not at all difficult.  The only thing I changed besides the jam flavor was making it a half size in my beloved 6” tart pan, because just how much Bakewell Tart can two people be responsible for in a timely manner?

        Now I see what all the fuss is about…this was delicious.  It certainly hits the sweet tooth, so smaller rather than larger slices are the better part of your decision on a given day, but the mix of almonds and cherry and cake and tart and drizzle…well, Bakewell Tart deserves its place in the rotation every now and again. Easy enough for everyday…fancy enough for company…a wonderful recipe.

        If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  Currently there are two groups baking at this website:  this one, Baking with Dorie (BWD), and one that is in its final year, Dorie’s Cookies (DC), which uses recipes from that book.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them all at your fingertips, what a deal! 

TWD: Baking with Dorie - Cheese Puffers

       The fifth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cheese Puffers and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 342-343. The recipe can also be found online, click here.

       Ingredients:  butter, flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, eggs, milk, cheddar cheese, and scallions.

       The recipe comes together easily with you-probably-already-have-these-ingredients-at-home so you can put the puffers together any old time you feel like it…they are quick, and if you use really good cheddar, the taste meets all that cheesy goodness you were hoping for when you saw this photo. Mark had no trouble with the quantity netted, he promptly ate five, I had two, and then he warmed up leftovers the next day to eat with his beef stew.  He thought they were just as good the next day.  Some things are worth the splurge, these would be those.

        If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  Currently there are two groups baking at this website:  this one, Baking with Dorie (BWD), and one that is in its final year, Dorie’s Cookies (DC), which uses recipes from that book.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them all at your fingertips, what a deal! 

TWD: Baking with Dorie - Mokonuts' Rye-Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

        The fourth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Mokonuts’ Rye-Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 163.  You can also find the recipe online in several places, click here for one of them. 

       Ingredients:  rye flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, egg, dried cranberries, poppy seeds, chocolate, and flaky sea salt.

       The cookies get their name from famous cookie made in a famous restaurant in Paris.  Dorie tells all about it in the book, which is another reason to purchase the book…you get all the little bits of information that make the recipes even more interesting. 

       The recipe comes together easily, but does require an overnight time to sit in the refrigerator before baking them.  Described as one of Dorie’s favorite cookies, they also achieved great acclaim here as well…Mark loves a cookie that is not too sweet but nice and chocolatey and these are that, win win.

        If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  Currently there are two groups baking at this website:  this one, Baking with Dorie (BWD), and one that is in its final year, Dorie’s Cookies (DC), which uses recipes from that book.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them all at your fingertips, what a deal! 

Eating with Ellie: Fennel Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple, Kale, and Sweet Potato

       The 97th recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Fennel Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple, Kale, and Sweet Potato, and can be found in Ellie Krieger's book Whole in One, on page 164-165.  You can also find it online, click here. 

       Ingredients list: fennel seeds, black peppercorns, loin pork chops, salt, olive oil, sweet potatoes, onions, red apples, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and kale.

       Mark loves pork chops and would eat one every week…I’m okay if they appear only once a month. The loin pork chop is my favorite as its very lean and it doesn’t taste too porky.  This recipe was made in one pan on the stovetop and I thought it was going to be easy, and it was easy enough, but there is a bit of moving things in and out at different times and then recombining them.  Not that that is a bad thing…I was just hoping it was more like the sheet pan dinners where you just put it all together and stick it on the stove and let it cook while you go do other things. Despite the standing and cooking and all, it did come together fairly quickly and all the flavors from the different ingredients went very nicely together.  Which means he would like to see it appear again most any time. It was tasty, each ingredient picking up nuances of the others in a most delicious way.  Worthy of repeating.

       Eating with Ellie participants: Margaret at Tea and Scones, Peggy at Pantry Revisited, and Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen.  You can check the Eating with Ellie category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making. (If you would like to join us, just leave a link at one of our blogs.)

      Note:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Lemongrass Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups

         My 161st recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Lemongrass Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups. The recipe can be found in The New Easy by Donna Hay on page 19 or online, click here.

       Ingredients list:  lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, grated ginger, caster sugar, fish sauce, vegetable oil, chicken breast fillets, baby cos (romaine) lettuce, green chilies, cucumbers, salted peanuts,  cilantro leaves, lime juice, and brown sugar. (I left out the chilies and cilantro due to personal tastes and added a tiny bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper.)

       The holiday season always tends to come with a lot of rich food.  After seeing so much of it, one just wants something simple and clean, like this chicken salad recipe served in a lettuce cup.  I make lettuce cups all the time, they are one of my favorite quick lunches.  Looking through The New Easy, I spotted this recipe and after a quick look at the marinade and dressing, knew that this chicken salad would be a little more special and festive than my run-of-the-mill chicken salad lettuce wraps and best of all, I had all the ingredients on hand, win win.

       Oh my, this is a wonderful recipe…just what I wanted, crisp, clean, a burst of flavor from the marinade and dressing, and a nice little crunch with the cucumbers and peanuts. It was nothing fancy, but it looked so pretty on my plate, and it felt special and festive sitting down to eat it. Definitely a repeat.  Sometimes the most simple of things are the very best.

       Participants: Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen, Margaret at Tea and Scones, and Peggy at Pantry Revisited.  You can check the Wednesday with Donna Hay category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making.

       NOTE: In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Donna Hay’s books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes. There are also many of her recipes at her site here.  We know you will enjoy using Donna’s books again and again, as we all do, and that your money will be well spent.