Lovely Ladies Lunch

Everybody always has that 'go to' dinner. the one that you can make in your sleep and it makes everyone happy. Well I feel that you should have a few 'go tos' up your sleeve. This is my go to lunch for guests. It works especially well for ladies.... the men folk, not so much. So today you'll get three recipes for the price of one! Enjoy!

First up Chicken Salad. Anyone can make chicken salad. I do prefer to make mine instead of buying it as I do not like mayonnaise and having control over how much goes in, makes me happy. Also, this recipe have a surprise kick to it that I like to think makes it stand out!

Chicken Salad

Ingredients;
1 rotisserie chicken
3 stalks of celery
fresh parsley
1 lemon
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions;

1. Shred the chicken. I use rotisserie chicken a lot. It's not the most economical of choices but it's the easiest and the fastest. You can also do some slow-cooker chicken breasts, but that's another recipe for another time. On a side note, I only use white meat because I strongly dislike dark meat and my grocery is awesome and sells rotisserie chicken breasts only!

2. Chop the celery and the parsley. I make the celery into pea size pieces and finely chop a good handful of parsley. Try hard to use the fresh stuff, I prefer flat parsley. It really does add to the flavor!

3. Zest the lemon. If' it's medium sized, go ahead and do the whole thing. AND add at least half the juice of the lemon (approx. 3 T.), I typically juice the whole thing.

4. Toss everything together. Salt and pepper (before adding the mayo) to taste. At this point you can refrigerate what you've got, adding the mayo right before serving. I feel that this gives the lemon and parsley time to flavor the chicken. Again, just my preference.

5. Lastly add the mayo. Like I said before, I'm not a huge fan, so for this much chicken I added roughly 1/2 cup maybe a little more.... I add just enough to wet everything down. Add mayo as you see fit.

6. Serve! You can serve this on a lettuce leaf to be eaten on it's own, with crackers, or even on an English muffin! (see bonus recipe to follow)

(This makes approx. 6-8 good size portions!)


Fruit Salad

This next recipe is fairly straight forward and not really a recipe at all. I think nothing goes better with chicken salad, than fruit salad. Fruit salad only requires fruit and these two ingredients! :) After you get all your fruit chopped and in a bowl, add 2T. of lemon juice and 2T. of orange juice. If you only have one or the other, just do 4 T. of whatever you have. Trust me! It really adds to the fruit! My favorite fruit salad combination is as you see here.... cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and grapes,

The last recipe is a work in progress for me. While everyone always loves these muffins I am always disappointed in how they look. They taste delicious but getting them to look good has still proven impossible for me! Oh and this comes from the Food Network website. I got it off there about 4 years ago.... I think it's originally from Emril, guess that's why it's hard for me to perfect!

Mini-Orange Crumble Top Muffins with Orange Butter

Ingredients;
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Instructions;
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 small muffins tins (with 24 (1 3/4-inch) wells), and set aside. (I use muffin wrappers too and SPRAY THEM WITH PAM.)

Also, I've had more luck making these as larger muffins. Just adjust the cooking time by 2 minutes!

In a large bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a bowl, beat together the egg, 8 tablespoons of the butter, the milk, orange juice concentrate, and 2 teaspoons of the zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, combining just until moistened and being careful not to over mix. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling each halfway. (You're suppose to get about 30 mini muffins from this, I usually get a decent amount more....)

To make the crumble topping, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, the chopped pecans, the brown sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of grated zest. Mix to combine and sprinkle 1 teaspoon on top of the batter for each muffin. Bake until the muffins are set and golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes in the tins, then cool on wire racks. Serve with orange-butter on the side.

Orange Butter

Ingredients;
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
1 teaspoon honey

Instructions;
In a bowl, cream together the ingredients. Transfer to a decorative crock or small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm. Serve with the muffins or spread on toast.

Plan your next ladies lunch... and enjoy!!