Brooke’s Chicken Salad Appertizer

Last night Jen and I attended a tapas party that was a lot of fun. The food was amazing and I had the night off cooking. I asked a friend of our’s to be a guest on my blog with her recipe for the party and this is a MUST TRY!

Brooke’s Chicken Salad on Croissants

3 skinless/boneless chicken breast

1 tablespoon dill weed (she prefers to use the dried spice in her recipe)

1 – 48oz can of chicken broth

1/2 cup of mayo

1/4 cup sweet pickle cubes

salt and pepper

In large pot add chicken broth and 1/4 cup of water over high heat.

Cut the chicken breast into strips.

Add the chicken to the pot.

Boil for 25 minutes and then remove from the pot and let cool.

Shred the chicken into a bowl, which Brooke did by hand.

Add dill weed to the bowl.

Add salt and pepper.

Add pickle cubes.

Add mayonnaise.  Depending on how you like your chicken salad, you may end up adding a little more mayonnaise until the mixture gets to the right consistency.

Mix all indgredents well.

Time to assemble, cut the croissants in half and add chicken salad.

And there you have it-one of the best chicken salads I have had. Thank you Brooke for sharing your recipe and being a guest on my blog. Here is picture of the two of us before we headed to the party.

Tonight Jen and I have date night so I am not cooking. We are going to eat dinner at CHOPS – one of my favorite resturants in Atlanta. Tomorrow we are going to see Art and Melanie who just a baby girl and I am going to grill out for them. Check back tomorrow for recipe and pics!

Happy Cooking!

Cuban Style Pork with Arborio Rice

I am stuffed and I have left-overs, which by the second day with this dish are EVEN BETTER! Tonight’s prep time took about 30-40 minutes and cook time is 45 minutes. I know this might seem like a long time but it goes by fast and I really think it is a fun meal to make (plus I made this all using just the dutch oven which makes for easy clean up). I made this dinner for around $36.

Cuban Style Pork with Arborio Rice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rum (and one shot for you)

3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops (1 inch thick), trimmed, and cut into cubes

2 cups of white onion, chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1 – 48oz chicken broths

1 can diced tomatoe

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups of artichoke hearts that have been in water

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips

salt and pepper

Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, rum, 2 teaspoons of the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a paste.

Add pork to the bowl and stir to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pork, and make sure you leave any excess spice mixture in the bowl because you will use it later. Cook the pork, stirring, until just cooked on the outside which is about 4 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a plate.

Put the dutch oven back on the stove and add onion and the remaining garlic and cook for 4 – 5 minutes (make sure stir often)

Add rice and cook, stirring until coated with the onion mixture.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, turmeric and any of the remaining spice mixture.

Preheat your oven to 350. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low simmer, cook for about 15 minutes and make sure you stir occasionally.

Stir shrimp and artichokes into the rice.

Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add pork and any accumulated juices from the plate.

Scatter roasted peppers on the top, cover and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Here is how I did the plating:

So if you are ever looking for a dinner that is full of spice and has exotic flavors you should really try this.

Tomorrow night we are going to a party and I will write on Saturday morning about the appertizers one of our friends Brooke is making.

Happy Cooking!

Dinner Tonight: Cuban Style!

Well it is raining again here in Atlanta. So on my way into work I decided to cook with my dutch oven tonight and bam it hit me. You haven’t cooked a cuban style meal for Jen. So tonight I will do pork cuban style using only the dutch oven.

Check back tonight for recipe/pics.

Happy Cooking!