Secret Recipe Club Reveal – Chicken Potato Salad Mold?! No, its Causa Rellena…in a mold

Secret Recipe Club

For my second month in the SRC, I was given assigned the blog Oh! You Cook! to peruse.  As soon as I realized that Dena was a kosher cook, I had to bring Lara in on the fun to help me choose what recipe to make. We had a tough time choosing between Mock Chopped Liver, Passover Almond Cake with Lemon Honey, and all types of other yummy recipes that are just in time for the upcoming Passover holiday! Chicken Salad Mold 2

But there was no question when we found it, the winner was the Gold Potato and Chicken Salad Mold…if for no other reason than pure curiosity. The pictures were not showing up when we tried to view this recipe, so you can imagine the things that popped into my head! Think 1960′s floating jello mold made out of chicken… Chicken Salad Mold

But then I read further and saw that this dish is based on a traditional Peruvian dish called Causa Rellena. The traditional version looks more like arepas than a jello mold…but I didn’t let that stop me!Chicken Salad Mold 3

This recipe involves 3 “sub-recipes”. A chicken salad, a mashed potato salad and a tapanade. I have listed each recipe separately, then instructions on how to put it all together. Enjoy!

Causa Rellena

Chicken Salad Ingredients

  • 2 cups cook chicken breast, shredded (I boiled 1 ld of chicken breast and shredded)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 tsp brown mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika

Chicken Salad Directions

  • Place all ingredients in a bowl
  • Mix well with a fork, breaking the chicken down further as you go
  • If using in Causa Rellena, set bowl aside. If eating on its own, refrigerate until cold.

Mashed Potato Salad Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (about 4 potatoes)
  • water
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1 large lime
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Mashed Potato Salad Directions

  • Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water
  • Place on medium-high heat and bring to a boil
  • Once boiling, continue to cook on a slow boil for 12 minutes until potatoes are cooked through
  • Drain potatoes and place in a mixing bowl
  • Add chili powder, crushed garlic, oil and lime
  • Mix, using a spoon, crushing the potatoes as you stir
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • If using in Causa Rellena, set bowl aside. If eating on its own, may be eating chilled or warm.

Tapanade Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 20 Stuffed Manzanilla Olives
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Tapanade Directions

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender
  • Pulse 10 -20 times until parsley is blended into all ingredients

To make the Causa Rellena:

  • Potato salad and chicken salad should still be warm
  • Line the bowl you would like to use as your mold with plastic wrap. Make sure plastic wrap comes up over the sides of the bowl.
  • Place the potato salad into the bottom of the bowl
  • Smooth down potatoes so the top is smooth and even
  • Spread the tapanade over the potato layer
  • Smooth chicken salad onto the top of the bowl. Make sure to smooth this layer down
  • Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator
  • When dish is cold, remove plastic wrap from the top of the bowl
  • Place your serving dish, upside down, on top of the bowl
  • Flip bowl over so that mold is now on the serving dish. Pull on the plastic wrap a little if the mold doesn’t come right out.
  • Once mold is out of the bowl and on the serving dish, remove the rest of the plastic wrap
  • Traditioinal toppings you may want to sprinkle over the top are parsley, olives and hard boiled eggs.



Football Food: Asian Inspired Spicy Chicken Wings

Last football Sunday, I made my now routine Football Wings. As we were licking the remnants of sauce off of our fingers, Ryan suggested we try a different flavor next time, maybe a sweet and sour. As if on que, the next morning I received 2 sample jars of Stir It Up Cuisine, Sweet Heat Pepper Jelly made just a few miles away in Weymouth, MA.I have tried pepper jelly quite a few times. There always seems to be some variation of it at food sampling events to try. Short of pouring over cream cheese and serving it as a dip (like the demos always do), I have never really thought of a way to use this sweet and spicy condiment in my cooking. But with Ryan’s request, and the great timing of this package, the recipe was pretty much written for me!The wings came out exactly as I had pictured them in my mind. The pepper jelly carmelized on the wings in the final grilling stage, to create a sweet, spicy, messy, delicious glaze. I was a little worried that the sauce would overpower the wings, but that did not happen at all. It was perfectly balanced, and something I will definitely cook again.

Now…what should I cook next with pepper jelly…..

Asian Inspired Spicy Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs chicken wings (I use whole wings)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fresh chopped ginger
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Red pepper flakes (to taste – optional)
  • 1 cup Pepper Jelly (I used Stir It Up Cuisine – Sweet Heat Pepper Jelly)

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, honey and ginger
  • Place wings (skin side up) in a deep dish, oven proof pan
  • Sprinkle wings with the desired amount of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Pour sauce over wings
  • Let marinade for 15 minutes
  • Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minute
  • Remove pan from oven, turn the wings over, reduce oven to 300 degrees
  • Cook for 30 minutes
  • Remove pan from oven, flip wings again (to skin side up), and bake for an additional 30 minutes
  • Remove wings from oven
  • Place pepper jelly in a wide bowl and add 1/4 cup of the liquid from the wing pan
  • Whisk sauce until smooth
  • Heat either a grill, or a non-stick pan over the oven, to high heat
  • One by one, dip wings in the jelly, covering the whole wing
  • Place wings in pan or on the grill and cook until crispy
  • Flip and cook on the other side until crispy
  • Repeat with remainder of wings
  • Plate, serve with your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!

Vote for Eat.Live.Blog in the Fire on Ice Contest!

 

Remember last week when I made that refreshing Chile Berry Cooler and the potluck perfect Smokey Spiced Bruschetta? Well it was all part of Marx Foods’ Fire on Ice Contest! This contest was so much fun! And today you get to vote! Please visit all of the entries in the Fire on Ice Contest, and vote for my Chile Berry Cooler! Voting closes at midnight tonight, so get to voting… and as always, thank you for your support!

My 100th Blog Post!

Here it is, the big 1-0-0. I hate milestones. They just put pressure on you for no real reason. I mean, who decided that 100 is a big deal, and not 74?

Regardless, I have to do something special for #100, right? Well, I thought, and thought, and then thought some more. And then I realized, I had the perfect 100th post! It should be VERY special, right? Well, what could be more special than sharing a milestone with your mom on mother’s day (or some time during mother’s day week, as the case may be)?

So, I dedicate my 100th post to my wonderful mom. We like to refer to her as Doris Day. Really, she has been the perfect mom. She worked 9 – 5 and some how still managed to have a hot dinner for us every night, help us with science projects, and teach us how to be truly kind, good people.

Mom & I with fabulous 80's hair on our family "yacht"

Now, we are mother and daughter, which means we do not always get along perfectly. But in all honesty, I am seriously one lucky girl to have been raised by this amazing woman! If you ask me about my ideas on raising kids, I would tell you that unless you can repeat the way my mom & dad raised me, you shouldn’t even bother.

Mom and I with my aunt Peggy, cousin Marian, and my sister Debbie.

Mom and I with my aunt Peggy, cousin Marian, and my sister Debbie.

My parents taught me to be a strong, independent woman. And while I think they some times think I am a little TOO independent now, I think they gave me every tool I could ever need to be a successful adult. And above all else, they taught me how to be a very happy person. I like being happy!

College graduation w/ mom & dad

So readers, for my special 100th blog post, I ask a favor of you, a gift if you will. Please leave a comment here to wish my mom a happy mother’s day (her name is Sue) and help me make this milestone post special for some one who truly deserves it.

At Debbie's wedding shower

Love you moms!

PS- I entered my mom and I in a look-alike contest on Eversave’s Facebook Page! Please “like” their page, then ”like” the photo colage of my mom and I to help us win! We are photo # 50 in the contest!

Live Tweeting & Chocolate Tasting!

I have a love that I often ignore. A love that brings a smile to my face, makes my heart race, and stresses me out all at the same time. That love is…Live Tweeting. American Idol, the Grammys, dinner at a restaurant. The thrill of tweeting everything that happens, and including my own snark, is enough to keep me buzzed all night! I am not going to apologize for it.

Tonight, Tuesday, March 8th, I get the privilege to live tweet an amazing chocolate tasting at one of my favorite dessert meccas, Finale Desserterie & Bakery. The Tasting will feature Finale’s newest sweet sensation – the Chocolate Crescendo plate. Executive Chef Nicole Coady will take guests on a culinary adventure by incorporating hints of exotic Thai flavors into her chocolate creations.

Guests will enjoy a sampling of five decadent desserts including Noisette Cupcakes with Nutella cream and chocolate glaze; White Chocolate Panna Cotta with five-spice infused apricots; Pad Thai Truffles with lime and peanut cream in white chocolate finished with cayenne pepper; Coconut Truffles with creamy coconut in semi-sweet chocolate; and the Symphony Square with white, milk, and dark chocolate mousse, ginger anglaise, and chocolate crisp. In addition, a selection of dessert wines will be paired with each sweet treat.

How lucky am I!!!! Check out my live tweets from the event here!

To make a reservation, please call 617.232.3233. For more information, please visit the Finale website at www.finaledesserts.com.

WHEN: 6:30 – 8:00pm, Tuesday, March 8, 2011

COST: Chocolate Tasting Event: $19.99

WHERE: Finale Coolidge Corner

1306 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446
Disclosure: I have been given the opportunity to live tweet this event courtesy of Finale. However, everything I tweet or post is my own opinion.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Filling

So on Tuesday, my guest blogger Michelle (from Taste Cafe in Safety Harbor) taught us how to turn a whole pumpkin into usable baking pumpkin. Now you are probably wondering, well what do I do with my pumpkin. Well good thing Michelle passed along the recipe for her amazing Pumpkin Pie! So without further ado…

Ingredients

  • ¾ C sugar
  • ¼ C firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • or 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 C pumpkin (see how-to here)
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 3 eggs yolks
  • 3 room temperature egg whites
  • 1 single crust pie shell uncooked (see recipe here)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Combine sugars, spices and salt, stir well
  • Add pumpkin and sour cream to sugar mixture, stir well
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored
  • Stir egg yolks into pumpkin mixture
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
  • Fold egg whites into pumpkin mixture
  • Pour filling into unbaked pie shell
  • Bake for 10 minutes
  • Reduce  heat to 350 degrees
  • Bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until set.

*If edges begin to brown too quickly, shield edges with foil.

#30 & 31- Find out my blood type & Donate blood

After one failed attempt, the day finally arrived…I would donate my life juice to the benefit of those in need! Well, that may be a little dramatic…I went to donate blood at a local temple were the Red Cross had set up. From the second I walked in this set-up was much more promising than my last try. There were more donation booths, more nurses, and a quicker check-in process.

Donating blood for the first time since I was 16!

I gave the desk my name, signed the waiver and went to the waiting area. It was a meat locker in their! It must have been 50 degrees at the most, but that was fine because I only waited about 4 minutes. Not even enough time to tweet that I was giving blood! So they called my name and I went to the screening area. The nurse took down all of my vitals and information, and then handed me the computer to answer all of the screening questions. The only question that slipped me up was about having been to an African country. Well, I was born in South Africa, so yes, I have been there, and I am not about to lie to the Red Cross.

When the screening nurse came back, she was purplexed by the situation. I would not really think that having some one born in Africa is all that unusual, but I digress. She quickly made a note that I was not “at risk” and we were off to the blood donation beds!

Note to readers: Do NOT wear a skirt to donate blood. You will be lying on a table, and there will be a creepy person lying across from you enjoying the fact that you wore a skirt! However, the nurse sensed my intrepidation and produced an extra bed cover for a little extra coverage! Thank you nurse!

Apparently I am allergic to iodine, and there are signs all over the center stating to make sure the nurse knows if you are allergic to iodine or latex. I must have told the nurse 8 different times, each time fearing I wouldn’t be able to complete #31. But never fear allergics out there, they just use an alternate prep method to get you ready. I can not discribe the next part of the process to you, because my head was firmly turned in the opposite direction in the hopes that the “ostrich” method works with needles too. If I don’t see it, it can’t hurt, right?

Well it wasn’t so bad. A minor uncomfort as the needle went in. There were a few more minor uncomforts during the times I squeezed the stress ball to make my blood flow faster (every 5 – 10 seconds is suggested), but nothing that would keep me from donating again. About 3 minutes in, all of the nurses came over to marvel at how quickly my blood was pouring out, apparently I am the fastest blood donar this side of the Mississippi! Do I get a badge for that? No, but I do get to see the horrified look on the nurse’s face when my blood doesn’t stop flowing after the needle is removed! Never fear, it went from gushing to completely stopped in about a minute.

When I was done, I am happy to report I did not pass out like the time in the Doctor’s office. I sat up slowly, took my juice and cookies, and headed to the car…only to be followed by a running nurse screaming at me that I can’t leave right away and have to sit for at least 15 minutes…oops. The other donars at the “post-op” snack table made a snyde comment about me being young and thinking I don’t need recovery time. Whatever, it just means a second pack of Oreos!

6 weeks after donating blood, new donars receive an ID card in the mail stating their blood type (A-) and containing a bar code for quick check in on future donations. Did you know that only 30% of donars return to give blood again? I am not sure why. It saves lives and only takes an hour (at the most) out of your day. I can give blood again come September, and I fully intend to do so. I remember my mom giving blood as much as she could when we were little, and thinking I couldn’t wait to grow up and be able to do that much good with that little effort.

If you would like to find out about donating blood in your area, visit http://www.redcrossblood.org

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