A Summer Supper from Leftovers

After cooking dinner for guests on Sunday, I had some leftover grilled chicken and some pasta – very small amounts.  I also had one large ripe peach and a little bit of rhubarb from my garden.  I thought if I put all of the small amounts together in the right way, I might have a nice supper for myself.

I used the peach and rhubarb along with some staples to make a Fruit Betty.  I found this recipe in a 1976 Redbook cookbook which I had gotten way back in the day for subscribing to Redbook magazine.  It’s been a good source for me all these years, although I had never made this dish before.

While the dessert was cooling, I put together a simple  salad with the chicken, pasta, some onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and one of my favorite dressings.

It was a very easy, fast and tasty meal.  I might have to come up with these particular leftovers again sometime.

RHUBARB AND PEACH BETTY

• 1-1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1-1/2 cups fresh peach slices
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 slices white bread, cut in 1/2″ cubes
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, peach slices and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

In a small skillet over moderately low heat, melt the butter.  Add the bread cubes and raise heat slightly, toss cubes with butter and heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Watch the bread cubes so that they don’t get too brown.

Place half of the fruit in a 4 to 6 inch buttered baking dish.  Top with half of the bread cubes.  Repeat layers.  Sprinkle top with 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar.

Bake uncovered @ 375 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes.

Serve with half-and-half cream.

I really enjoyed this dessert.  It’s good warm from the oven or at room temperature and the cream is perfect to temper the tartness of the fruit.  Actually, I have more leftovers to contend with since the recipe made 3 servings, but I don’t mind a bit.

CHICKEN AND PASTA SALAD FOR ONE

• 1 cup cooked pasta
• 2 oz. grilled chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp. chopped sweet onion
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Red Wine Dressing
• 2 Tblsp. fresh basil for garnish

RED WINE VINEGAR DRESSING

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise)
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
• Sprinkling of salt
• Grating of black pepper

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss together the pasta, chicken and vegetables.  Add the Red Wine Vinegar Dressing and garnish with fresh basil.

This is a very good light salad.  Of course, any vegetables and herbs could be substituted – this was what I happened to have in the refrigerator.

Being frugal and using up all the leftovers is a pretty good idea.

A Picnic at Cincinnati’s Coney Island

For generations, Cincinnati families have been going to Coney Island on the Ohio River for picnics, rides and swimming.  Until the mid-1940s, there was a beautiful boat which made the trip, bringing people from the public landing in downtown Cincinnati to this lovely spot just outside Coney’s old riverside entrance. 

Then, up the hill and through the stone entrance to a day of fun.

Everyone enters  Coney Island these days by car, coming in the main front gate, but it’s still a fun way to spend a few summer hours.  I came along with my youngest daughter and her two children to see Lake Como….

….try out the ferris wheel….

…and bounce up and down on The Frog.

The best feature of this old park is the abundance of big, leafy trees and lots of shade.  We picked a shady spot to eat the picnic lunch I had prepared – chicken sandwiches on foccacia bread, brownies and our favorite Broccoli Salad.  Here’s the recipe for the broccoli salad which is a little lower in fat than the original:

BROCCOLI BACON PECAN SALAD

• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 3 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins

Blend mayonnaise, granulated sugar and vinegar and refrigerate until ready to mix with vegetables.

Blanch broccoli by steaming for just a few minutes – just until the broccoli turns bright green.  Place broccoli, bacon, cheese, onion, pecans and raisins in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to mix.

AT LEAST ONE HOUR BEFORE SERVING, mix mayo dressing with salad and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

Yield:  4-6 servings.

A Good Sunday Lunch

I offered to fix lunch for my two daughters and two grandchildren before they headed for the large pool at Coney Island in Cincinnati.  One daughter suggested an oriental style pasta salad would be good and I found one on Allrecipes.  This is my edited version with a few changes.

SESAME PASTA CHICKEN SALAD

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 8 oz bow tie pasta (Barilla Piccolini)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• few gratings of black pepper
• 2 chicken breast halves, baked and shredded
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat.  Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.   Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes.  Drain pasta and rinse under cold water.  Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine canola oil, Teriyaki sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger and pepper.  Shake well.  Pour dressing over pasta and toss to coat evenly.  Gently mix in chicken, cilantro and toasted almonds.

The three adults loved this salad – it was exactly what I was looking for in flavor and I would suggest that you not omit the fresh cilantro.  It just adds so much to the salad.

For dessert, I pulled out a recipe for a pie that my oldest daughter had made for a pie contest at the Hamilton County Fair (Cincinnati) in 1985.  She won an award and as soon as we tasted it, we could see why.  It’s incredibly rich, so plan on at least 8 servings.

NANCY’S CHOCOLATE LIME PIE

• 16 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (Oreo)
• 2 Tblsp. butter, melted
• 3 egg yolks
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
• 2 envelopes of Nestle Choco-Bake pre-melted chocolate
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 3 egg whites
• 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Crust:

In a 9″ pie pan, combine crumbs with melted butter.  Press onto bottom and up sides of pie plate.  Bake @ 375 degrees  F for about 8 minutes.  Cool while preparing filling.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.

Filling:

In mixer bowl beat egg yolks at high speed about 4 minutes.  Add condensed milk, pre-melted chocolate and lime juice, mixing well.  Pour into prepared crust.

Meringue:

Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding marshmallow creme, incorporating well and beating to stiff peaks.  Spread over filling.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 12 minutes until meringue is golden brown.

Chill for 2-3 hours.

Note:  It’s important to chill the pie well and to chill any leftovers to make the pie easier to serve.

Chicken & Fruit Orzo Salad

For about 10 years, this has been one of our favorite summertime salads.  Full of chicken, orzo pasta, fruit and topped with toasted almonds – what’s not to like? 

CHICKEN & FRUIT ORZO SALAD

• 1 cup dry orzo pasta

Fruit:

• 3/4 cup pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
• 3/4 cup green grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 2 medium bananas, sliced (reserved)

 2 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed (about 2 cups)

Dressing:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp. curry powder
• Sprinkling of salt and a couple gratings of black pepper

1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds

Cook orzo pasta in boiling salted water for approximately 7 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and drain well. 

Place orzo in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, grapes, raisins and lemon juice. 

Place fruit mixture in bowl with orzo.

Add cubed chicken breast to bowl with orzo.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, curry and salt/pepper. 

Add to dressing to orzo/chicken bowl, mixing well to blend.  Place salad in a covered container and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

When ready to serve, mix in reserved banana slices and sprinkle slivered almonds on top of each serving.

Yield:  Approximately 6 cups of salad.

Shannon’s Curry Chicken Salad

This chicken salad with curry, apples and almonds has become our favorite over the past 4 or 5 summers.  Following is the recipe for one generous serving but, of course, it can be multiplied by as many people as you want to feed.  I like to have this salad with a good homemade roll.

SHANNON’S CURRY CHICKEN SALAD (One Serving)

• 1 cup of cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 tart apple, chopped (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith)
• 1 Tblsp. toasted slivered almonds
• 1 Tblsp. raisins
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I like to use Hellman’s Light)
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder

In a small bowl, combine chicken, apple, almonds and raisins.  In a cup, combine mayonnaise and curry powder.  Mix the mayonnaise mixture with the chicken mixture, cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. 

Makes one delicious serving.