Around here, we are always looking for something yummy to make at lunchtime. My husband works from home (although we are in a season of him working with some clients away from his home office right now) so I often have to be creative with lunches so that we aren’t eating the same things all the time. It’s not that it’s NECESSARY to have a constantly changing menu, but in doing so, I feel like we always find new recipes we enjoy more than the last ones.
This chicken salad was the product of leftover roasted chicken, a bulb of fennel, fresh herbs, and some dried apricots we had lying around. It was AMAZING. There is something about the unexpectedly good that really makes my day. Plus, this dish is perfect for springtime since fennel is still found at the farmers markets! The sweet dried apricots and fennel work together so nicely with the chicken in this dish. Chicken isn’t boring unless you make it boring.
Bonus: the kids loved it too.
Fennel & Apricot Chicken Salad
4 cups chicken, roasted and cubed
1/2 cups fennel, finely chopped
1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped chives (or rosemary!)
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo
salt and pepper, to taste
fennel frond for garnish
Combine all chicken salad ingredients in a bowl and season to your liking. Garnish with a piece of the fennel frond you saved from the fennel bulb.
Hint: I keep the fennel fronds in a jar of water in my fridge for future uses like roasting salmon.
San Diego food sources:
Descanso Valley Farm‘s chicken
San Diego Public Market for:
Maciel Family Farm‘s fennel
Smit Orchard’s dried apricots (seasonal)
Suzie’s Farm‘s spinach, parsley, and chives
Eat Local!
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Isn’t it great how some of the most enjoyable foods are the simplest? A scrumptious garden tomato with a simple sprinkling of salt is a delicious gift.
So simple.
I made my case for peaches being one of the greatest foods of summer, but tomatoes are right up there too. The kids and I had an opportunity this past weekend to pick at a local farm here in San Diego, Suzie’s Farm. We’ve done many farm tours there for school and we love being able to pick baskets and baskets of produce goodness. The Best. When summer fruits and veggies are at their peak, very little needs to be done to improve upon them. God created a tomato or a pepper to go from incredibly sour and inedible, to juicy and sweet in just a few days, thanks to that glorious summer sun.
What a fantastic overseer and gardener God is.
Thank you, God, for tomatoes.
I think gazpacho is a such an amazing soup. It actually existed way way back in the deep dark corners of the history books. Maybe it’s just my love of history, but I think it’s pretty cool to eat something like they did in Rome long ago, don’t you think? It was created to both enjoy the produce of summer but also to eat on a hot day. Quite simply, it is a tomato-based soup served chilled. All of the ingredients are thrown into the blender, so no cooking over the stove or turning on the oven for this recipe! The pickled onions add a little tang and the parsley oil adds some fun flavor and color.
Ok, let’s blend…
Toss all of the gazpacho ingredients in the blender. Puree for a few minutes or until completely smooth. Season to your liking.
Pour into bowls.
Done.
I find arranging buffet style toppings for meals encourages kids to create their own meals and eventually try things which would normally cause them to freak out. Having a small level of control even helps mine to branch out and try new things.
Above, I have hard-boiled eggs, pickled red onions, parsley oil (see below), bruschetta, goat cheese, cucumber, and avocado. If you had shrimp or crab available, that would be fantastic too!
I also served ours with bread since it is an automatic comfort to my kids when they are eating something with a texture like a soup. Gazpacho or even tomato soup are delicious with torn pieces of bread in them.
Enjoy!
Tomato Gazpacho with Pickled Onions and Parsley Oil
For the gazpacho:
6 regular size tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1 large avocado
1 sweet pepper, any color
1 regular size cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1-2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
For the toppings:
pickled onions
avocado, chopped
hard-boiled egg, chopped
fresh bruschetta (chopped tomatoes, dash of olive oil, garlic, salt)
goat cheese, crumbled
cucumber, peeled and chopped
Parsley Oil:
1 c. of fresh parsley
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
Blanch the parsley for 1 minute in boiling water. Strain and blend with the olive oil in a blender. Serve, salt, and refrigerate.
Add all of the gazpacho ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Season to your liking. Add the toppings and enjoy!
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We’re back.
Wait.
You didn’t know I was gone, but we slipped away for 6 days to Kentucky for a beautiful wedding and a visit with some very special friends. The weekend before that we had another wedding in the middle of the Mojave desert.
Fun times.
You can see some picture on my Instagram. I’m @agoldenafternoon so come find me!
God blessed our trip and made it even a little restful. Crazy, considering we were traveling with our 3 littles. We got to help out too, which is always a wonderful bonus.
Garlic.
It is wonderful. It is awesome. It is a lovely gift to its often boring friend, Mr. Chicken.
This dish begs for friends to gather and partake of it. Garlic, slowly simmering with wine into a marvelous sauce, is exactly what a group of buddies needs to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. Bread should also be involved, if possible. It’s a great dish to take someone who just had a baby (like Rebekah soon!) or someone who is ailing.
I love the way God brings people together around a table, sharing delicious food and uplifting conversation. We need those close friends around, to remind us of the joy we have in Jesus that gets paused when we feel tackled by the every day life. I’ve felt tackled recently and am so thankful for friends God has placed so carefully around, to comfort me with His promises of peace and rest. When I share a meal with these wonderful friends, it means so much more than words in an e-mail, blog comment, or text can mean. Hugs and tears are an important part of a relationship, that extend far beyond a computer or phone.
Food makes those moments happen.
So, let’s make some food so we can invite our friends over :)
Sound good?
40 Clove Garlic Chicken with a side of brussels sprouts it is. Yes, brussel sprouts. It won’t take a lot of work at all…
Start by patting dry and then browning your chicken in the butter or oil, like the little guys are exhibiting above. Medium-high heat works best to get nice coloring. Throw a little salt n’ peppa on them while you’re at it.
Saute the garlic until browned.
Mmmm. Sauted garlic.
Can You tell I love it?
Next, add the Brandy/Cognac, wine, thyme, and parsley to the pan. Bring it to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan and cook with the lid on for 45 minutes or longer. Cooking it longer will cause the garlic to soften and therefore become all the more wonderful. Once cooked, remove the chicken and then stir the flour and milk into the garlic “sauce”. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour some of the garlic sauce over the chicken and serve.
40 Clove Garlic Chicken
40 cloves of garlic (I always toss in a few extra)
2 T. butter or canola oil
1 whole chicken, in pieces
salt and pepper
4 T. Brandy or Cognac
1 1/2 c. white wine
1 T. thyme
1 T. parsley
3 T. Gluten-free flour (or regular)
3 T. almond milk (or whole milk/cream)
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Apples
1 lb. brussel sprouts
1-2 apples, medium
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
curry powder, to taste
Cut the brussels in half length-wise and slice the apples. Toss both with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake on a bit of curry powder if you like. It helps to balance the bitterness brussels can have sometimes. Roast at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Sometimes I drizzle a little maple syrup over the top, once it’s roasted, to help the littles out a bit. :)
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I love Holidays. They are an awesome way to get people together, eat good food, share a bit of happiness, and maybe even relax a little (if you’re not the hostess, of course!) St. Patrick’s day is no Christmas, but there’s a little piece of history there for everyone to celebrate in.
St. Patrick (or Maewyn Succat, as he was known) is a really incredible person. He was actually an accidental slave brought to Ireland, who seemed to know, even then, that God had a reason for sending him to such a crazy far-away place. Years later, when returned to his home country, he felt the need to go back to Ireland and share Jesus with as many people as he could. Now, how many times have we complained about something horrible or even just inconvenient happening to us and we wonder what God could possibly be thinking? I do it all the time. I probably did it today. I’m sure Maewyn wondered, but he still went. He trusted God’s plan even though it meant a complete 180. Sometimes we are meant to have u-turns, like Joye said the other day, even though they are confusing and sometimes painful. God was with Maewyn and He is with US through every decision, giving us the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and FAITH.
Anyone out there Irish? I may have red hair but I am not the teeniest bit Irish (that I am aware of). 99% of the people who ask me about my hair color, assume I’m Irish. My kids have some Irish in them from their Daddy’s side but Scotland is where it’s at for this girl!
I wish you could all come over for a big party on St. Patrick’s day, so instead I’d like to share my shepherd’s pie recipe.
Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness
potato top:
1 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes, pealed and cut into large chunks
1 cup milk
4 T. butter
salt and pepper
meat filling:
a few T. canola oil for pan
6-8 medium carrots, chopped
1 c. red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, miced
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb, turkey, or beef
(Lamb is the traditional meat, but I’ve made it with all 3 meats successfully)
salt and pepper for seasoning
3 T. Gluten-free flour (or whole wheat)
1 T. tomato paste
12 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. rosemary, chopped
1 T. thyme, chopped
1 1/2 c. Guinness beer (you can sub a broth for this if you prefer)
1 c. peas, fresh or frozen
1 tsp. parsley, for garnish
Start by boiling the cut potatoes until tender. They usually take at least 30 minutes, which is why it’s best to start with them. Then, saute the carrots, onions, and garlic with a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. You can find some lovely carrots this time of year if you have a local farmer’s market. Add some salt and pepper (to taste) and cook until the onions are browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the meat to the veg mixture and cook through. While this is cooking you can measure and prepare the seasonings above.
After the meat is cooked, add the flour. Stir. Then, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and beer. Add more salt and pepper as needed. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid thickens a bit.
Put the meat filling in an oval baker or 11×7 in. pan. Mash the potatoes or put them through a ricer. Add the milk, butter, and salt and pepper and stir until combined. Spread the potatoes over the filling. Place on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles over a bit) and cook at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.
I found these adorable St. Patty’s printables from Ellinee. Enjoy the food and invite a few people over for some good Irish beer and some laughs :)
Oatmeal is definitely a comfort food for me. When I eat it in the morning it sits in my tummy and says,
“Your day is gonna be awesome”.
I started making this oatmeal quite a few years ago and I love it (some of our frequent guests even ask for it which is sooo sweet). Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Starbucks oatmeal, but nothing beats making oatmeal in pjs and slippers. Kinda saves money too.
To start, I’ll try to share how I make my browned butter (I’m no pro…just sharing). On a lot of days I will just use olive oil but I’ll show you the “real” way here:
 
Oatmeal with brown butter apples
2 medium apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c. raisins
1 1/2 c. old fashioned or steel-cut oats
3 cups nonfat milk (or your choice of liquid)
dash of sea salt
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon, plus a dash for garnish
sliced apples for garnish (optional)
Start by putting the milk and oatmeal in the pot with a dash of sea salt, on medium-low heat. Stir it every few minutes so the milk doesn’t scorch. I start it first because I cook mine for a looong time…at least 30-45 minutes. You can cook it less, I just prefer mine to be super-creamy and not chewy. However, nonfat milk has less of a tendency to scorch because of it’s lower fat content.
Second, dice the apples and measure the raisins. That way, they are ready to toss in the butter after you make it below.
Third, begin melting the butter in a pan. Basically, you are trying to brown it without burning it to create the brown butter. Shake it every 10 seconds or so. Stay right next to it, though, as it changes pretty fast. The top 3 photos show the slight changes leading to the slightly golden brown result which will smell like toasted butter.
Yes, toasted butter is possible and you maybe didn’t even know it.
Yes, it’s awesome.
Fourth, toss the apples in the butter and saute until slightly golden brown. Add the raisins.
Fifth, add the brown sugar to the pan. As it mixes it will form a kind of caramel with the butter.
Last, add the apple mixture to the oatmeal pan and cook until your desired consistency.
I always serve mine with sliced apples and a dash of cinnamon. I’ve been doing it forever and ever so it’s really not just for show.
Ask my family.
It really does cheer my spirits up, though. You should try it :)
It has been an awesome few weeks for me. Yes, there have been whiny children that beat up on each other, a traveling husband, a few rough school days, and some disappointing pieces of news. However, when I think about the last few weeks I think about…
laughter
More than almost anything in friendship, I love laughing together. I’ve been doing a lot of it and LOVING it.
It makes all of my cares melt away and I go to sleep very thankful for God giving me people I can laugh with.
I’ve also been doing some, dare I say, cleansing things in my life. I recently cleaned out nearly my entire house (feel awesome!). I attacked drawers and closets. I pretty much just have my craft supplies and one counter-top and I should be good. I fully expect it to build up again, but if you don’t do it a few times a year you might show up on that hoarders show or something.
That would be bad.
I also cleaned out my social “spaces”. I’ve been really focusing on being a good friend and being there for people who might need me right now in February, not just someday when my kids are grown and I “get the time”. As an extension of this, I went through my ENTIRE facebook and twitter pages and “hid” people who were negative influences. I made a decision last year at this time to lessen my facebook presence on my personal facebook page. I felt super-bummed when my friends were only reaching out to me through facebook comments so I learned from this experience and applied the changes to my own life. A “like” doesn’t mean nearly as much as uplifting words shared over a cup of coffee or tea. The lines of friendship are so skewed over the internet. I love keeping up with people so I just tried to refocus my efforts to the real-life friendships I have while also not feeling guilty for every relationship I can’t invest in (so hard!).
I also want to have encouraging people around with common goals.
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