Creamy Coleslaw

May 17, 2015May 23, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

Happy National BBQ Day!

One of the best things about Barbecues, besides the meat, is the side dishes! We mean, you can’t really have a BBQ without side dishes, and one of our favorite BBQ sides is Creamy Coleslaw!

This recipe is a classic and a definite crowd pleaser, and a must at any summer BBQ.

Ingredients

1 Bag of Coleslaw Mix
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise (We use the one made with Olive Oil)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Celery Seed
2 Teaspoons Mustard Powder
1/2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Step 1:

In a small food processor put the mayonnaise, sugar, celery seed, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and white vinegar and blend until smooth.

Step 2:

Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper to your like. Blend for five more seconds.

Step 3:

Place your coleslaw mix in a bowl and mix with some of your dressing. Toss until fully coated, serve almost immediately.

Personally we dress our coleslaw 10 to 15 minutes before we serve it, that way it lightly breaks down the coleslaw mix and it’s not too soggy.

Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad

April 4, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

Today’s recipe is a nice change of pace from your typical picnic salad. A cucumber salad is light, crispy, refreshing and can withstand sitting out on a warm day without getting “funky” like any mayo salad. This particular salad is slightly sweet and a has a nice warm after-bite.

Marlee’s dad, Bob, makes a fantastic cucumber salad where he uses a mandolin to get paper thin half moon slices, it’s so freakin’ good that we cannot share that recipe. So, we found one that was completely different.

Ingredients

4 to 5 English Cucumbers (skin on)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
Red Onion (Half)

Step 1:

Slice your cucumber into bite size pieces, we prefer half moon slices. Place the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them with salt. Mix thoroughly and place a plate on top of them or something heavy, like a can, to push the excess water out. Set aside for at least 40 minutes. Next, chop your onions.

Step 2:

In a saucepan, mix together the vinegar, water, sugar and red chili flakes. Bring mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat and reduce for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add onions. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Step 3:

Rinse the cucumbers in cool water and let drain for a couple more minutes. Before mixing, lightly pat the cucumbers dry. Put in a bowl and mix with “dressing”. Refrigerate and then serve.

Classic Rosemary Chicken Salad

March 26, 2015May 22, 2015 ~ Marlee And Christie ~ Leave a comment

There’s nothing worse than a boring and flavorless chicken salad, but have no fear, you won’t find that here! This recipe is the perfect balance of chicken to mayonnaise, not to creamy but not to dry either. It’s the perfect balance.

Did you know that the first noteable chicken salad consisted of leftover chicken, mayo, tarragon and grapes? Yeah, we didn’t either, but it sounds good, except the tarragon, we’re rosemary girls ourselves.

Anyways, this first chicken salad was made by the owner of a meat market, Liam Gray in 1863. He was so successful that he turned his meat market into a deli.

What You Need

Sheet Pan
Mixing Bowl
Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup celery (chopped finely)
1 whole shallot (chopped finely)
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rosemary (chopped)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Rub all over the chicken, then sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces and set aside. You can put the chicken into the freezer for five minutes, or in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 2:

In a mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice together. Season with pepper.

Step 3:

Add the chicken to the dressing, mix in the shallots, parsley, rosemary, and celery. Mix until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.