Strawberry chicken salad

I was on strict bed rest for the last four months of my pregnancy with Sammy, which ended just over a year ago. Here are some things that remind me of that particular period of time: lots of staring at the walls, watching Mystic Pizza or Can't Buy Me Love on tv when my contractions got out of control and I had to lie on my left side, the many many books I read, eating hummus, eating ridiculous amounts of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, the dinners my wonderful husband served me every night because sitting at the table was often too much activity for me to handle, and...the delicious strawberry chicken salad that I made myself for lunch almost every single day.

It was one of the only trips off the couch that I allowed myself. And it was always worth it. I fell head over heels in love with this salad. I still adore it, even though it reminds me of having my butt glued to the couch for months on end.

I have only ever made this recipe as a single serving, and here is what I do..

Put as much green leafy lettuce (use a variety of different kinds, or just romaine) as you want onto a big plate.

Top the lettuce with:

10 strawberries, hulled and halved

4 oz. grilled or baked chicken breast, cut into strips

1 tomato, cut into chunks

Toss everything together.

Sometimes I throw a handful of feta cheese over the top, if I'm feeling crazy.

My two favorite dressings to top this salad with are Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette and Newman's Own Lighten Up Sun-Dried Tomato. Both are DELICIOUS and both are very low in calories.

And when you are finished with the salad, don't do anything silly like eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I would ever know about such gluttony.

Click here for a printable recipe!

Redhead in bed

This is Week #23 of my 2011 cooking challenge! Click on the above graphic to view all P&TC recipes. All recipes created for this challenge come from the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2010: An Entire Year of Recipes.

I'm a day late with this post again this week. I'm not sure how much time I will have in the coming days to post, so please forgive me for that. (If you are interested in following the progress of our son's surgery, you can follow us here.)

So, drinks! Summer drinks! I love them. For me, lovely Minnesota weather = fun drinks, bbq-ing and family/friend outside time. When you endure an insanely cold and treacherous winter, these things all become really exciting. I was excited to mix up a fun new cocktail for my husband and me to enjoy in the 95-degree weather this week. It's the kind of cocktail you can't drink more than one of, or at least I can't. Its sweetness satisfied me after just one, and we are saving the rest for another day. I have placed the remainder in the freezer for a post-surgery indulgence.

In a medium bowl, toss together:

3 pounds strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped

2/3 cup sugar

Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries release their juices, about 10 minutes.

In a blender, combine half each of:

The strawberries and their juices

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vodka

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup of ice

Puree and pour into a pitcher.

Repeat with the remaining strawberries, juices, vodka and lime juice and 1 more cup of ice.

Fill 10 glasses (or just 2, and chill/freeze the rest) halfway with ice. Pour into the glasses and top each with:

1/2 tablespoon chilled Riesling

Serve!

I hope you are all enjoying this hot summer weather as much as I am.

By the way, the pile of snow is gone. :)

Click here for a printable recipe!

Rhubarb strawberry pudding cake

This post written by the original Ebby.

Rain. Again. I have to say, dear Spring, that so far you have not impressed me. Tornadoes, wind, hail, rain, and cold. More clouds than sun. Don't you know that I endure six months of horrible weather and three more months of below average weather just to enjoy the remaining three? I live for THREE MONTHS! Three months when the sun is supposed to shine and warmth is supposed to radiate across my entire body, giving my pasty white skin a slightly darker pasty whitish hue. Well, Mother Nature, the time has come! Give me what I need! Or else I'll...I'll...move to Arizona! And that's not an empty threat!

Okay. I feel better.

Thank goodness there's rhubarb and her companion asparagus, two foods that brighten my mood each spring despite the weather. Every May I eat them until I can eat no more. I get my fill knowing it will be a year until we meet again.

Normally I have a problem with making a dish more than once a month. I like to mix things up to keep boredom at bay. But for some odd reason I usually don't get creative with asparagus, and never have. (Except for that one time I made some really good spring linguine.) I almost always steam it and sprinkle with salt. Time after time. After time. It may be boring, but it's good. It's also fast, and when I want asparagus I want it NOW!

By the way, no one has ever used the word "patient" when describing me. And I don't see that changing anytime soon.  

But every once in awhile I do find the strength within myself to wait. Perfect summer days on the lake, the smell of lilacs, Sunday afternoon naps, Italian vacations; those are things that can't be rushed. (I'm still waiting for that Italian vacation!) Rhubarb falls into the "things worth waiting for" category as well. Lately I've found myself combing through cookbooks, compiling recipes that feature the vegetable.

Don't you think it's odd that rhubarb is a vegetable? I find it hard to believe. There aren't all that many vegetables that taste good coated in sugar. Or maybe there are. I obviously need to experiment more.

Anyway, this cake is full of spring flavors from fresh, tart rhubarb and juicy strawberries topped with a moist, sweet, fluffy layer of golden cake, just right for enjoying at a picnic. If sunny spring days ever show up, that is.

Here's what you do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and butter an 8-inch baking dish.

Chop 3 cups worth of rhubarb and add to a saucepan along with 1/4 cup water, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for three minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of chopped strawberries.

Whisk together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk one egg, 1/2 cup milk, 8 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Reserve 1/2 cup fruit mixture and add remainder to baking dish. Pour the batter over the fruit, spreading it evenly. Spoon the reserved 1/2 cup fruit mixture over the batter.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Then really test your patience by waiting at least five minutes for it to cool slightly. 

While you wait, get out some ice cream and let it soften. Try to refrain from eating half the container.

Spoon a big scoop over a piece of warm cake and let it melt a little so the cream soaks into the top. Yum!

Click here for a printable recipe!