Tag Archives: picnic

EDAMAME QUINOA SALAD and PROSCIUTTO SANDWICHES WITH BROCCOLINI PESTO

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in lunch, Recipes

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My daughter still loves to ride, but after competing for a few years, she has decided to take a break from the shows. They come around once a month during the year, involving early mornings and impeccable grooming – although after the first year, they weren’t quite as intimidating and overwhelming.

Elise with friends at the 2017 NWAHJA Banquet

the girls from the horse barn

On show days, I tried to pack our trainer a lunch – although she often wouldn’t find time to eat during the day, transforming the food instead, into a quick and convenient dinner. She would start her days earlier than everyone, transporting horses and completing necessary chores at the farm before leaving to spend the day at the competitions.

EDAMAME QUINOA SALAD

edamame quinoa salad

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 cup of water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover, simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine edamame, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. Add quinoa, toss to combine. Add lime juice and olive oil, toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2014

www.bhg.com/

PROSCIUTTO SANDWICHES WITH BROCCOLINI PESTO

proscuitto sandwiches with broccoli pesto

BROCCOLINI PESTO

1 pound of broccolini

salt

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated Pecorino

2 teaspoons honey

ASSEMBLY

8 slices bread

8 ounces sliced provolone cheese

4 ounces sliced proscuitto, lightly cooked in pan

BROCCOLINI PESTO

Cook broccolini in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 30 seconds, drain. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out water, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Combine broccolini, garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes in pot. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until broccolini is very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Let pesto cool, mix in Pecorino and honey.

ASSEMBLY

Build sandwiches with bread, provolone, prosciutto and broccolini pesto. Brush a large skillet with oil, heat over medium-low heat. Working in batches and brushing skillet with oil as needed, add sandwiches to pan, cover and cook until bread is toasted and cheese melts, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2013

www.bonappetit.com/

PAN BAGNAT

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by in burgers and sandwiches, Recipes

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I made this hearty, flavorful sandwich for my daughter and I for dinner one night when all the boys were out of the house and it was just the two of us. It was glorious to sit outside, just us girls, and eat our simple meal and chat – enjoying the beautiful evening and each others company.

PAN BAGNAT

pan bagnat

Chop one garlic clove and 1/4 cup pitted green olives, combine in a bowl and cover with olive oil. Cut a large loaf of peasant-style bread in half (I used challah rolls and adjusted the amount of ingredients to suit the lesser amount of bread). Drizzle additional olive oil on cut sides. Flake 2 (6-ounce) cans of tuna and distribute over bottom half of bread. Slice 3 hard boiled eggs and 3 tomatoes and layer over tuna. Spoon on garlic-olive mixture and top with basil leaves and a few grinds of black pepper. Cover with top piece of bread. Wrap in waxed paper, place heavy skillet on top of sandwich and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours. Cut into slices.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Readers Digest, May 2013

www.rd.com/

TRAVEL TUESDAY – RUSH, ARKANSAS and TARRAGON WALNUT CHICKEN SALAD

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Chicken, Recipes

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We wanted one more fun adventure before school was back in session, and travel was once again restricted by the school schedule. We chose a ghost town as our destination – Rush, Arkansas, which we first heard about when we were out for dinner at a local restaurant, and our waiter had just returned from the uninhabited town. Zinc carbonate ore was discovered in the late 1880’s, which resulted in many mines being built, and the town growing to support the workers and their families. At its height, Rush was said to have 5000 people living there. After World War 1 the bottom fell out of the zinc market and the mines were abandoned. The buildings date from the early 1900’s and were inhabited until the 1960’s.

We investigated the deserted homes, which immensely disappointed my youngest, who was expecting something more like the Wild West – with tall buildings you could walk in and out of, and tumble weeds blowing down a dusty street.

rush arkansas
house, rush arkansas– abandoned homes in Rush, Arkansas

We then drove on a little further and found a beautiful, peaceful spot in a campground by the Buffalo River, spread out a picnic and enjoyed a lovely lunch. After we had eaten, my husband and I relaxed on a blanket while the kids played near by, doing cartwheels, exploring the river bank and attempting to catch fish in the net we had bought along the way when we stopped at a Dollar General for the mayonnaise I needed to mix into the chicken salad. We finished our restful day with a short walk around the well sign posted ruins of the mines and buildings.

TARRAGON WALNUT CHICKEN SALAD

DSC_0210

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons walnut oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

lettuce leaves for serving

Place chicken in a large pot, add enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 minutes or until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from liquid, cool and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

In a small bowl, blend together mayonnaise and sour cream, stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in walnut oil until blended. Stir in chopped tarragon, walnuts and apricots, mix well. Stir in the chicken, cover and refrigerate.

Place lettuce on plates, top with chicken salad.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Pleasures, April/May 2002

www.magazine-agent.com/Cooking-Pleasures/Magazine