Classic Chicken Salad

 This is a great recipe for chicken salad sandwiches. You can use a roasted chicken from the grocery store in place of cooking your own.

Classic Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 3/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 3 stalks green onions, minced (or I prefer red onions, chopped and soaked in water for awhile)
• 2 T. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 T. dijon mustard
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dillweed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking sheet.
2. Season chicken evenly with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and onion powder. Place in the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until juices run clear and chicken shreds easily, about 1 hour 20 minutes, don't overcook. Temperature should register 165 degrees.
4. Remove from the oven, uncover, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Reserve any accumulated chicken broth.
5. Prepare dressing while chicken cools.  Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, sour cream, relish, onions, parsley, Dijon, lemon juice, dill and remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix until well combined.
6. Break chicken into large pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3-5 times to shred chicken to desired consistency.
7. Transfer chicken to a bowl.  Add celery and pour dressing over top. Toss to coat. If more moisture is desired, add reserved broth or more mayonnaise.
8. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Stir well before serving.

German Red Cabbage

 German Red Cabbage is usually included in our German night meal.  

German Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 2 large yellow onions
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 T caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, extra to taste
• 2 T. brown sugar, extra to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 large red apple, chopped

Directions:

1. In large cooking pot cook bacon and drain all the grease except 2 tablespoons. 
2. Remove bacon and sauté onions until golden in bacon grease.
3. Add shredded cabbage and remainder of ingredients including bacon. 
4. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until cabbage is soft.  Stir occasionally.
5. Serve!

Dan's 2 hour Caramel Rolls

 Another Dan special.  Caramel rolls in the oven by 7! What a treat!

Dan's 2 hour Caramel Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg yeast, or 2 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1 cup warm water, 100-110 degrees
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 3 T. sugar
• 4 cups flour

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with about 1/2 tsp sugar
2. Mix everything together in a mixer to form a dough.  
3. Put into a bowl and let rise until doubled.
4. While you are waiting make the caramel (Recipe to follow)
5. Form into rolls (roll out, spread with butter,  sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, slice)
6. Put into two small pans or one large pan, on top of caramel. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Caramel for Rolls

• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 T. butter

Add ingredients to a saucepan and heat to dissolve sugar.

Dan's Famous Friday Pizza

 My brother in law has made pizza almost every Friday night since they have been married.  We have enjoyed pizza at their house many times. This is his basic recipe.

Dan's Famous Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 cups flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Add sugar and yeast to water, dissolve yeast.
3. Add to flour and mix to make a dough.
4. But into a bowl and let raise about an hour.
5. Roll out or use fingers to spread into a pizza pan. Let set a couple minutes.
6. Add pizza sauce, as much as you would like.
7. Add chopped onion if desired.
8. Add mozzarella cheese, as much as desired.
9. Top with whatever toppings you want.
10. Add shredded parmesan cheese to top it all, if desired.
11. Bake 10 minutes.

To make a thinner crust use 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup warm water, 1 tsp sugar, and 1- 1 1/2 tsp. yeast.

Instant Pot Risotto

 My daughter told me about this recipe and sent me the link to try it.  It is an easy way to make risotto!

Instant Pot Risotto 

Ingredients:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 large sweet onion, diced to ½"
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 c arborio rice, do not rinse first
• ▢ ½ c dry white wine
• ▢ 2 c chicken broth
• ▢ 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 2 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated, preferably with a microplane
• ▢ fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• ▢ sea or kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

• Press the Saute function and allow the inner pot to heat up. Add the olive oil, heat it until it shimmers, then add the onion. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Add the arborio rice and toss to coat in the fat with the onions. Saute the rice 2 minutes, or until very fragrant and chalky white in appearance.
• Add the white wine to deglaze the pot; scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot and continue to saute until the wine has been absorbed, about 3 minutes.
• Press the Cancel button. Add the broth and stir to combine, then top with fresh thyme.
• Secure the lid and ensure the pressure valve is set to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook Button, adjust to High Pressure, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Once the time goes off, do a quick release for the pressure. Allow the pressure to release until the float valve has dropped.
• Remove the lid from the pressure cooker, then fish out the thyme stems (leave the leaves). Add butter and one-third of the parmesan cheese, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add another third of the parmesan cheese, folding until the cheese melts into the risotto; then add the last third of cheese and stir until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning and add pepper to taste and salt if needed (parmesan is salty, so you may need none). Garnish with fresh thyme if desired and serve immediately.

Sicilian Whole Lemon Cake

 A moist and dense cake make with an entire lemon. This uses a 8 inch springform pan or similar.

Sicilian Whole Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/3 cup butter softened
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt plain (vanilla yogurt works too)
• 1 Meyer lemon (I used a regular lemon), washed and cut into pieces (with the rind, but remove the seeds)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Glaze:

• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. water
• 2 7/8 T. sugar (a little less than 3 T.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Prepare an 8 inch springform pan by spraying with oil (or butter) and lining in parchment paper, then spray the paper, too.
2. Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Sift the flour with the baking powder then add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time along with the softened butter. Continue to mix until completely blended, then stir in the yogurt and the vanilla.
4. In a food processor, process the whole lemon until it is almost pureed.
5. Add this lemon to the cake mixture and stir until evenly combined, then put the batter into the prepared tin.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven), but test with a cake tester to make sure the whole Leon cake is done before removing from the oven.  Allow to cool about 15 minutes, then remove the side of the springform pan.

Make the Lemon Glaze

1. Prepare the glaze by melting the sugar in the lemon juice and water, and allow to simmer for a few minutes, just until the liquid has a syrupy consistency.  Spoon and brush over the top of the cake and allow to cool completely before cutting.
2. Let cool.
3. Garnish with a twist of lemon or a few lemon slices, or just serve plain.

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Potato Salad

 I am not the best potato salad maker, but have been working on a recipe for some time. I am putting this here so I can find the recipe when I want. Plan ahead and boil eggs ahead of time. Also add other ingredients you like if you want.

Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 medium potatoes, boiled
• 1 small red onion
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1/4 cup  sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish
• 1 T. dijon mustard or yellow mustard
• 1 T. lemon juice 
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
• 1 T. parsley flakes
• Salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. In large pot boil and cook potatoes until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 12-15 minutes. Drain and let cool. Peel and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. In large bowl mix mayonnaise and cream.  Add onion, celery, pickle relish, mustard, lemon juice, and paprika. Mix until combined.
3. Fold in potatoes, eggs, chives and parsley; salt and pepper to taste.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.