Month: June 2015

Cran-Raisin & Walnut Chicken Salad Wrap

done1I used to study at a little coffee shop in college just before the boom of the “internet café” that has long since closed.  They had great space to study, great coffee, great chess and one really special sandwich.  It was a chicken salad wrap with cranberries, raisins and walnuts in it!  As a college student who was bound to mediocre pizza and stale fries from the student cafeteria, something as unique as this wrap was a real treat, not to mention, somewhat of an education in my culinary journey through life.  This is my take on the first “wrap” I was ever inspired to teach myself to make.

The mixing of the sweet dried fruit and the crunch of the nuts pair really well with the creamy savory chicken salad.  Take that filling and nestle it in crunchy romaine lettuce and a smooth pumpernickel wrap and you may never be satisfied with a plain ole chicken salad sandwich again!

Let’s start by making the salad:

Chop up and slightly shred some left over chicken breast.

Add in your real mayonaise.

Add in your real mayonnaise.

I used to just get a bag of dried cranberries and then a box of raisins... but, I recently found this cool bag of already mixed cranberries and raisins. How cool is that?

I used to just get a bag of dried cranberries and then a box of raisins… but, I recently found this cool bag of already mixed cranberries and raisins. How cool is that?

Add them in to the chicken.

Chop up some walnuts… If you don’t like walnuts, you can swap this out for your favorite nut.

Next, add in some chopped walnuts.

Next, add in some chopped walnuts.

Now some salt and pepper and mix together.

Now some salt and pepper and mix together.

Now, let’s put build the wrap:

I found this pumpernickle wrap (and it's low-carb!).

I found this pumpernickel wrap (and it’s low-carb!). If you prefer wheat or plain, or sun-dried tomato, go for it, make it fun!

Lay out a few leaves of romaine lettuce.

Add the salad on top of the lettuce.

Add the salad on top of the lettuce.

Start by folding one side and then the other.

Now take the long side, fold it over and roll.

You shoul be left with something that looks like a burrito.

You should be left with something that looks like a burrito.

Cut on a diagonal and garnish with a grape tomato and a caper on a coctail tooth pick.

Cut on a diagonal and garnish with a grape tomato and a caper on a cocktail tooth pick.

Recipe for Cran-raisin & Walnut Chicken Salad Wrap:

(serves 2)

1 cup chicken breast, chopped

1/2 cup real mayonnaise

1/2 cup dried cranberries and raisins, mixed.

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 pumpernickel wraps

6 romaine lettuce leaves

grape tomatoes and capers for garnish

Directions:

Mix together first 5 ingredients.  Build wrap by placing the romaine lettuce on the wrap.  Scoop out half the salad and tuck into the lettuce.  Fold in the top and bottom and roll the alternating ends to wrap.  Cut in half on a diagonal, garnish with tomatoes and capers.

 

A Taste of St. Michael Sparkling Sangria

done3The beauty of St. Michael, Azores is made up of its lush and vibrant vegetation.  Not only are the rolling hills filled with hydrangea and honey suckle, but the St. Michael fruit is like

no where I have been in the world.  Passion fruit, pineapple, figs and exotic fruits not even found in the U.S. are found there in great abundance.  Many enjoy these deliciously sweet treasures plain and right off the trees, many make wonderful desserts like passion fruit pudding (one of my favorites), but today I have decided to apply it to a refreshing cocktail.

This week I am featuring left overs, so this is meant to use up some extra wine you have from the dinner or a party.  Add in a bit of juice, sparkling water and some fruit and you may start opening that bottle of wine just to make this light and airy drink.  It’s a simple drink you’ll come back to again and again.

Start by preparing your fruit... First up is the pineapple. I'll take you through how to easily slice up a pineapple, but if you don't have one available, you could used canned or frozen pineapple chunks.

Start by preparing your fruit… First up is the pineapple. I’ll take you through how to easily slice up a pineapple, but if you don’t have one available, you could used canned or frozen pineapple chunks.  I start by slicing off the bottom.

pine2

Then I cut off the top.

Now it is stable. So, I now start trimming off the sides.

Now it is stable. So, I now start trimming off the sides.

Once I go all the way around the fruit, I cut down the middle.

Once I go all the way around the fruit, I cut down the middle.

Then I quarter and cut out the inner core on a diagonal.

Then I quarter and cut out the inner core on a diagonal.

Next, I slice it up into chunks.

Now slice up an orange. I like to leave the skin in tact.

Now slice up an orange. I like to leave the skin in tact.

Now start measuring out your ingredients. Two cups of sweet wine. This is actually a sweet Sangria wine, but a white zin or a blush or just a plain sweet red wine would be nice here.

Now start measuring out your ingredients. Two cups of sweet wine. This is actually a sweet Sangria wine, but a white zin or a blush or just a plain sweet red wine would be nice here.

This drink that is a cross between a sparkling juice and a soda is a favorite amongst many Portuguese people and indeed can be found throughout the Azores and anywhere Portuguese people have migrated to. If you don't have passion fruit drink available, look for a passion fruit juice.

This drink that is a cross between a sparkling juice and a soda is a favorite amongst many Portuguese people and indeed can be found throughout the Azores and anywhere Portuguese people have migrated to. If you don’t have passion fruit drink available, look for a passion fruit juice.

Add in pineapple.

Add in oranges.

For best results, you will want to soak the fruit in the wine for 2-3 hours or up to over night.

For best results, you will want to soak the fruit in the wine for 2-3 hours or up to over night.

Once the fruit has been propperly steeped in the wine mixture, take a few pieces and place in individual glasses. (then I use fresh fruit to garnish the rims of the glasses as shown here)

Once the fruit has been properly steeped in the wine mixture, take a few pieces and place in individual glasses. (then I use fresh fruit to garnish the rims of the glasses as shown here)

Now fill about half way with wine mixture. You need to allow room for ice and sparkling water.

Add in ice.

Here is where you can really customize the drink on the spot. I like my drinks a little less sweet, so I allow more room for sparkling water (on the left). My husband enjoys his with a bit more sweetness, so his (on the right) is filled a bit more to allow for less sparkling water.

Now top with some sparkling water. Again, this is personal preference, but I use unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water. If you like a bit more sweet and still like all the fizz, you can grab a sparkling water with panache! A coconut or pineapple sparkling seltzer would be nice here as well, even a grape.

Now swizzle together. I am using a butter knife. if you have an official drink stirrer, use that of course 🙂

done2

Enjoy!

Recipe for A Taste of St. Michael sparkling Sangria:

(serves 4)

2 cups sweet red wine (or any type of sweet wine you have left over)

3 cups Sumol Passion Fruit drink or passion fruit juice

1/2 pineapple, chunks

1 orange, sliced

1 cup sparkling water

8-12 ice cubes

Directions:

Prepare fruit.  Add wine to a pitcher or 10 qt. bowl.  Add in passion fruit drink or juice.  Add fruit to the liquid.  Soak fruit in the liquid for 2-3 hours before serving if possible and up to 1 day before serving.

Pour into glass over ice.  Top with sparkling water to match level of sweetness desired (the more water, the less sweet the drink) Mix with stirrer.  Serve with fruit rimming the glass.

Beef Stroganoff

done3Have you ever wondered what you can do with left over steak from your fabulous weekend of grilling?  I know I don’t care for plain reheated steak, because as good as steak is right off the grill, to me, it has a funny taste in the microwave or even in the oven.  So, I came up with some creative ways to reuse it, not least of which is this amazing comfort food.  And with the steak already pre-made, you actually take half the work out of the meal!  It’s a win win.  Now I find myself making and saving a bit of extra steak to add into this creamy hearty meal.

The steak I use in this recipe is my Grilled Montreal Steak (about 8-10 oz) cooked to medium.  So, the steak is not only cooked, but seasoned.  Additional ingredients you will need are some sliced mushrooms which you can slice yourself as I did or buy pre-sliced (same price in the store, so save yourself the work!), some fresh herbs, onions, white wine, beef stock and sour cream.  And then I always like to ladle my stroganoff over some lovely buttered egg noodles, yum.

Before you get started, take your steak out of the fridge so it isn’t so cold when you need it.  Then grab yourself a nice big skillet, I am using a big 14″, but a 12″ will be fine too.  Then get your water salted and heated for to drop your noodles because this recipe doesn’t take long at all once you are prepped.

Here is my left over steak.

Here is my left over steak.

If you don’t have left over steak, of course you can still make this recipe, just grill up a steak and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Slice up the steak and set aside.

Start by dicing some onions and get them goin on the skillet over medium heat with some butter and olive oil.

Dice some onions and get them going on the skillet over medium heat with some butter and olive oil.

Prepare your mushrooms if you bought them whole like I did. Brush off any residue from the growing and just cut nice even slices. (But, like I said above, you can save yourself this step by buying them pre-sliced)

Prepare your mushrooms if you bought them whole like I did. Brush off any residue from the growing and just cut nice even slices. (But, like I said above, you can save yourself this step by buying them pre-sliced)

Now add your mushrooms in with your onions in the skillet. Saute the two for a couple minutes (don’t add salt at this point)

Now crush one clove of garlic. You can either just peel it an throw it in at this stage (then fish it out later) or you can mince it and leave it in... depends how much you like garlic, I mince it.

Now crush one clove of garlic. You can either just peel it and throw it in at this stage (then fish it out later) or you can mince it and leave it in… depends how much you like garlic, I mince it.

Chop up some thyme after removing from the stem and toss in the pan. That's the last chopping you will need to do.

Chop up some thyme after removing from the stem and toss in the pan. That’s the last chopping you will need to do.

Grab some flour. About two heaping soup spoons should do it.

Spread the flour over the contents in your skillet and add a pinch of salt at this point. Mix in to cook the flour for about a minute.

Add in about a cup of dry white wine. Cook for a minute until it starts to come to a boil.

Now, add in one small can of beef stock. If you have homemade beef stock, great! Add in about a cup and a half… but, I didn’t have any on hand, so I took some help from my pantry.  Again, cook this stirring pretty frequently until it comes to a boil. Then turn your burner down and let thicken up a bit (4-5 mins).

Add in your beef at this point. Remember your beef is already cooked, so you are really just reheating in your gravy.

Add in a few dollops of sour cream and stir. Turn off your burner as soon as you have mixed in. Crack about 4-5 cracks of fresh cracked black pepper.  Taste for salt and you’re done.

Serve over egg noodles.

Serve over egg noodles, sprinkle with some fresh ripped parsley, an extra dollop of sour cream and enjoy with a nice glass of wine!

Recipe for Beef Stroganoff:

(Serves 4)

1 8-10 oz. grilled steak, sliced

1 cup sliced Baby Bella mushrooms (or white is fine too)

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove of garlic (either crushed or minced)

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme

1 cup dry white wine

1 small can of beef stock or 1 1/2 cups home-made beef stock

1 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. flour

5 Tbs. sour cream

4-5 cracks of fresh cracked black pepper

Kosher salt to taste

Fresh ripped parsley over top

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt in butter and add oil.  To this add onions, saute for a minute.  Add in mushrooms, saute for a few minutes.  Add in garlic, saute for one more minute. Add in thyme. Add in a pinch of salt and flour. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Next, add in wine,  bring to a boil. Add in beef stock, bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Add in steak and sour cream.  Cook just long enough to heat steak through.  Shut off burner.  Taste for salt, add if needed.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve over warm buttered egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream in each plate and enjoy!