Curry Chicken Salad

There's nothing like chicken by the lake on a sunny summer day. A girl can dream right? In the need of some serious comfort food, I decided to make a winter version of one of my favorite warm-weather party dishes. Add some cranberries, nuts and curry powder, and you have a spicy version fit for a cold, rainy day.

I have to admit, I can't take all of the credit for this recipe.  My mom puts curry in a lot of her chicken dishes so this is definitely a meal that's close to my heart :)

What You'll Need:

1-2 pounds chicken

4 tablespoons mayo

Juice from 1 lemon

Curry powder

Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

Salt and red pepper

1/3 cup cranberries

1/3 cup toasted pecans

What to Do:

Place chicken and 1/2 cup water in a crock pot overnight or until tender (about 8 hours). Shred chicken and the mayo, one tablespoon at a time until well coated (you can use more or less depending on your preference). Add lemon juice and spices. I usually use about a tablespoon of curry powder and a few teaspoons of the other spices. It doesn't hurt to taste as you go :) Toss in the cranberries and pecans and enjoy. I love this on yeasty rolls or over lettuce. 

So, how do you like your chicken salad?

Kitchen Update

So I know it's been a while. Ok. Almost 2 weeks. But we've been kitchen-less and, let's face it, it's kinda hard to keep up a food blog without a kitchen :) We are close to being done though (yippee!) so I thought I'd share a few photos of the progress.

Here's the kitchen demolition in progress. I am sad that we got rid of the old ironing cabinet but it's going to make the space so much more functional.  We're keeping the old sink for porch parties too.

And here's the cabinetry starting to go up and the new kitchen color. The yellow with black granite counters would not be cool. Too much like GA Tech colors. My dad would never come over if we kept the yellow. 

Oh, and did I mention we actually have cabinets on more than one wall and around the fridge now. Who knew some wooden boxes could make a girl so happy? Bonus: we're getting a new laundry room. If if weren't so drafty, I'd love to keep the exposed brick. 

I promise I'm getting back to cooking tomorrow so check back Sunday for a delish curried chicken salad recipe. 

Vanilla Caramel Bourbon Sauce

A few weeks ago, a co-worker brought me some amazing vanilla. I mean the real deal. Made in an actual tropical country and everything. And the bottle is huge! So what do you do with a ginormous bottle of vanilla? Make caramel homemade sauce, obviously. It's so much better than anything you could buy at the store. This recipe seriously has me digging caramel now.

All of your key food groups are included too. Butter. Sugar. Bourbon. And it pairs nicely with my favorite food, ice cream.

What You'll Need:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon

What to Do: 

Mix sugar and water over medium heat until mixture turns a pretty amber color. Be careful not to burn it! Reduce heat to low and slowly pour in heavy cream (it will sputter and bubble so watch out). Mix in remaining ingredients until smooth. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

This is also awesome in coffee (that would be food group #4) and makes a great gift. 

Blue Cheese Dip

Tangy, creamy, salty. I could eat my weight in cheese and blue cheese is one that's grown on me in recent years. While you can get fancy with the dishes you add it to, I love it in a classic dip. So, in honor of the Super Bowl, I'm sharing two versions of my fave blue cheese dip. 

What You'll Need (Heavier Version):

6 ounces cup sour cream

4 ounces full fat blue cheese

1 tablespoon mayo

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Dash hot sauce

What You'll Need (Lighter Version):

6 ounces plain greek yogurt

4 oz light blue cheese

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Dash hot sauce 

What to Do:

For both versions, melt half of the blue cheese in the microwave. Add remaining ingredients and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve with veggies, pita points or add a bit of olive oil and use as a salad dressing. Now, time to watch some football. 

Winter Slaw

What do you bring to a cookout in January? I know, we're strange here in the South but we grill out year-round. We also have 70 + degree days this time of year. Go figure. Well, all good southerners know how to make a mean slaw. But if you're looking for something seasonally-appropriate, just swap cabbage for a winter root vegetable. Like celery root. 

It is a real food, I promise. Think potato that tastes like celery. Seriously. If you've never tried it, they look a little hairy and scary on the outside, but are delicious raw or cooked.  This recipe is an easy-to-make introduction for all you celeriac virgins. 

What You'll Need:

1-2 pounds celery root 

3 crisp, pink apples

1 tablespoon mayo

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/4 cup apple vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

What to Do:

Cut celery root and apples into match sticks. This is easy with the right grater or, if you're not feeling fancy, a sharp knife will work. Toss with the remaining ingredients and let sit for at least a few hours for serving. That's it!

So celery root, yes or no?

Kitchen Inspiration

I know. It's been a while. But I swear I have a good excuse. We're remodeling our kitchen! Woot! Ok, so we haven't actually started yet but we are going to soon. Needless to say, I've been drooling over hardware and countertops, not blogging.

I'd thought I'd share a bit of the inspiration I've been seeing lately. For me, the perfect kitchen includes shaker-style cabinets, dark stone countertops, painted wood floors, subway tile and lots of open shelving. The goal is to keep the 1930's charm minus the 1930's functionality (or lack there of). Let's put it this way. We have about 3 feet of counter space and our one lower cabinet has no bottom. Um yeah.

More details and before shots coming soon. For more kitchen ideas and sources for the pictures above, you can find me on pinterest: http://pinterest.com/armcg/kitchen-overhaul/.

And I promise to squeeze in some cooking before we start demolition! 

Nacho Average Pot Roast

Forgive me. I couldn't resist the pun. Ok, lame moment over. Today's post is inspired by these amazing pot roast nachos the boy and I had in Chattanooga. I took a few liberties but I think my recipe is pretty close to the original awesomeness. 

What You'll Need:
2-3 lb roast (beef or pork)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Chipotle seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 large bag tortilla chips
1 pint cherry tomatoes, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced 
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
Scallions 
1/2 avocado, diced
Jalapenos (optional)
Sour cream

What to Do:
Add roast, maple syrup, seasoning, garlic and 1 cup water to your crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours until the meat starts to fall apart. Saute bell pepper and sweet onion to bring out the sweet, caramel flavor.

Layer chips on a cookie sheet and top with 1/2 of the meat and veggies. Save the rest of the roast for another meal. Liberally cover chips with cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is bubbly. Top with scallions, avocado and jalapenos. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and dig in! 

These are delicious with a Brown IPA or stout. They are also excellent for bribing your friends to let you watch football on their TV because you don't have cable. Not that I would know anything about that...