Classic Chicken Salad

I had 3 chicken breasts in the freezer left over from last week. I threw together a chicken salad for dinner tonight. I hesitate to call the following a "recipe", because chicken salad is the type of thing that I throw together without measuring or preplanning. I add in whatever tickles my taste buds on a particular day. Green onions and curry powder, dried cranberries and almonds, the possibilities go on!

Tonight I made a very classic version that calls up memories of the ubiquitous baby shower finger sandwiches from the 90s.

Classic Chicken Salad

3 chicken breasts

1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

2 bay leaves, dried

pinch salt, dash pepper

1/3-1/2 cup mayo (per your preference)

juice of 1/2 lemon

chopped parsley

1 small rib of celery, minced

sprinkle of paprika

1) Place chicken breasts in a deep skillet and cover with cool water. Add bouillon, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover, and poach over medium high heat until cooked through.

2) Let the chicken come to room temperature. Chop chicken into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and combine well.

That's it! So simple, so satisfying.

Pan Fried Tofu with Basil Curry Sauce

J and I try to eat vegetarian for a large portion of the week. We do this partly to reduce our environmental impact, but also because vegetarian food is delicious. I love to cook asian dishes at home and this particular dish was inspired by my favorite Thai restaurant. I served this with grilled asparagus and steamed jasmine rice, but it would be wonderful with the accompaniments of your choice.

Pan Fried Tofu with Basil Curry Sauce

basil curry sauce:

20 oz coconut milk

2 tbsp curry powder

3 cloves of garlic, minced

handful of basil leaves, cut into ribbons

1/2 tsp chili paste

2 tsp light brown sugar

pinch of salt, dash of pepper to taste

1) Combine coconut milk, garlic, chili paste, curry powder, and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2) Throw in the basil and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

fried tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp powdered vegetable bouillon

1 tsp curry powder

dash of cayenne pepper

pinch of salt, dash of pepper

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1) While curry sauce is simmering, cut tofu into 1 inch cubes. Whisk flour, powdered stock, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish. Dredge tofu in the flour mixture.

2) Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry tofu cubes until golden and drain on a paper towel.

Serve curry sauce over fried tofu. Enjoy!

DIY Candlelit Date

It's easy to get caught up in the details of wedding planning. Unfortunately, the process can leech some of the romance out of the day-to-day. Before I got engaged, I assumed that the time right before the wedding would consist of giggly dreamy excitement. That was before the reality of guest list cutting, budgeting, and wedding party wrangling.

I decided that we needed a night of planning-free relaxing romance. We had a candlelit dinner at home, a DIY date if you will. I made the dinner and he made dessert.

When it comes to recipes, I tend to favor simplicity. For dinner I chose Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Clams with Linguine.

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

2 cups chopped vine ripened tomatoes, seeds removed

1 clove garlic, minced

handful of basil leaves, chopped

splash of EVOO to taste

splash of balsamic vinegar to taste

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

crusty bread, sliced into rounds

parmesan cheese

1. Combine all ingredients (except bread). Allow the tomatoes to marinate for 30 minutes. This isn’t entirely necessary, but the flavors combine better if the mixture sits out at room temperature for a bit.

2. Toast bread rounds in 375 degree oven for 8 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler. Top bread rounds with tomato mixture, and shredded cheese.

4. Put under broiler until cheese browns slightly.

Clams and Linguine

2 lbs clams (I used little necks)

450 mL dry white wine

1 head of garlic, roughly chopped

¼ cup EVOO

3 dried bay leaves

fresh linguine

parsley, roughly chopped

1 lemon

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Rinse clams gently in cool water to remove any grit. Discard any open clams.

2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. 3. Combine clams, garlic, EVOO, wine, bay leaves in a separate skillet. Cover and steam until the clams open. Discard any that do not.

4. While the clams steam, add linguine to boiling water. Cook until tender 3-5 minutes.

5. Serve over linguine. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Greetings & Introductions

Hello Blogosphere. Welcome to Garlic & Ganache, a blog dedicated to the complementary culinary compatibility (say that five times fast!) of my husband-to-be and me. I love the savory, and J loves the sweet. We have our respective strengths in the kitchen. I fry and he frosts. I chop and he whips. I start kitchen fires and he puts them out. I may occasionally stray away from the food-related and into matters of life, love, and wedding planning, but this blog will focus mainly on our adventures in the kitchen.