food for thought . . .

Sunday, being Sunday, I made a big dinner. I know, I know. It's a hold over from the days of the dinosaurs when Sunday dinner was a huge deal. We would wake up grumbling about not being allowed to sleep in, bathe, apply baby oil to our patent leather shoes, dress in our Sunday best, squirm and slide around on those big hard polished pews for an hour, come home and have to stay in our finery until dinner at 1:00. It was always something special . . . a juicy roast of beef . . . roasted chicken . . . a plump turkey . . . lamb. The rest of the week might be casseroles but Sunday dinner was my mother's claim to fame. And that made Sunday night a free for all, her night off, we fended for ourselves. Ode to PB&J.

Some traditions are hard to break and I still like to make Sunday dinner a little bit special. This time it was a roasted chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, steaming crescent rolls, homemade gravy and cranberry sauce. Yummo.

But then comes Monday and while the 9TS is not big on leftovers, I was happily googling new recipes for chicken salad. I found one. And it was good. So good in fact, I am going to make another batch this morning.

Chicken Salad - From Food Network Kitchens

2 cups diced poached chicken
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
1 teaspoon strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions and herbs. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cook's Note: Serve on a bed of lettuce with sliced tomatoes, in half an avocado or in a chicken club sandwich made with artisan bread, crispy smoked bacon, vine-ripened tomatoes and lettuce.

OK, for you purists, I modified it. I am not a raw onion eater. Sauteed, yes. Raw, no. Scratch the onion. I also didn't have fresh dill and parsley hanging around. Dry was good. Honest. The lemon was fresh. As in plucked off the tree minutes before squeezing.

Oh, and as for the 9TS and leftovers . . . he finished off what I didn't eat.