Twenty-four for 50 - Thoughts on memoirs and on how pasta can be considered salad

It had been smoky in MT all week - the one day it was not we went back to Lake Como for my photo shoot.

Whew. I made it through September. Between some family members with health issues, a memorial service for Grandma and the accompanying travel (both a physical trip to western MT and back, and a trip down memory lane complete with laughs and tears) and family time, training/on-boarding 2 new hires, the joys of quarter-end even though I am not in production anymore, a shake up at work that will funnel more responsibility my way - I am TIRED, y'all!

"But what else did you do, Hallie?" I finished a few more books, blogged a couple times (including this one), walked some (including a hike in the mountains which made my heart happy), a few more delicious recipes tried. I may be behind in just about everything but I am still moving forward, which is all I can ask for some days.

Book 24 - The Art of Memoir

The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr was a book club selection. It is not your typical discussion book but did give us a chance to talk about memoirs in general, our likes and dislikes, why people write memoirs, what makes a good memoir. I happen to like memoirs and have often thought about writing one (though I don't think I want to actually publish it ever), and I enjoyed the book. I have read at least 2 of Karr's memoirs, and liked her insight and instruction. It read a bit like a college course syllabus or class lecture notes, which appears to be what it is based on (she teaches courses on memoir writing), but made me want to seek out some of the other books she discusses, and, yes, try my hand at my own memoir. I'll let you each pick out your own pseudonym if I do publish - haha!

Recipe 24 - BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

I love that cooled pasta is considered a salad. That means it's healthy, right? Just like a giant taco salad served in that delicious fried shell.

This is one of the few recipes that I forgot to take a photo of. Imagine, if you will, a pasta salad  with chunks of chicken, crispy bacon, fresh corn and a creamy BBQ dressing - that image may be kind of what it looked like. The recipe I used was from Closet Cooking, though I apparently thought I was making a different recipe and had some purchased some ingredients that are not in this recipe and did not purchase others that were. I plan to try THAT recipe another time. Here's a link to the original  and then see below for how I ended up making it (my notes in parentheses). We liked it and would make it again - it was quick and easy. How many times have I said that about a recipe? A lot. It reminds me of an old joke - If it's true that you are what you eat then I must be fast, easy, or cheap. Man, I crack myself up.

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (Any shape will do but I like one that will hold a little bit of dressing in it, like farfalle or rotini. I believe I used whole wheat pasta. You can also use gluten-free pasta if that is your thing.)

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional but why in the world would you not include bacon?? You can also just crumble it after cooking crisp, instead of cutting into pieces.)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used about 1.5 cups of rotisserie chicken cut into chunks)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup red bell pepper (I did not add this for 2 reasons - I did not have any and I cannot eat red pepper)

1 cup corn (fresh off the cob is best but frozen or canned/drained will do in a pinch)

1 cup black beans (Did not add for 2 reasons - I didn't have any and someone won't eat beans)

1/2 cup red onion, diced (not added, see black beans for reasons)

1/3 cup BBQ sauce (next time, I think I would bump this up to 1/2 C. It may have been the pasta I used but it seemed a little dry to me)

1/3 cup mayonnaise (same as BBQ sauce)

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional - I used because we like cilantro and it blended well with the other flavors. Feel free to leave it out if you are one of those who doesn't like it.)

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (not added, see black beans)

Directions

Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Drain then mix with olive oil and let cool, mixing every 5 minutes. The oil and mixing helps prevent it from sticking together while it cools.

Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside on paper towels to drain. (if you did not chop before cooking, wait until it is cool and then crumble)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, and grill (or pan fry), over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside to cool, and slicing into bite sized pieces. (Chop your pre-cooked purchased rotisserie chicken if you are slightly lazy, like me. I think this would be more delicious with grilled chicken though.)

Assemble salad with the pasta, bacon, chicken, bell pepper, corn, beans, and onion. (or whatever ingredients you actually have - see also options below)

Mix the BBQ sauce and mayo to make the dressing.

Toss the salad and dressing along with the cilantro and green onions and enjoy!

(I didn't do any of the following options but think the avocado would be delicious. Or the ranch. Or the cheese. And who doesn't love crunchy corn chips - just add at time of serving if you don't want them to get a little soggy.)

Option: Season the chicken with your favorite chicken seasoning instead of the salt and pepper. (I think Justice or Southwest seasoning from Penzey's would be delightful.)

Tip: Cook the chicken and bacon the day before.

Option: Add diced avocado!

Option: Add diced tomatoes!

Option: Add 1 packet ranch seasoning to the dressing! (Or add: 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder)

Option: Add shredded cheddar cheese!

Option: Top with crunchy corn chips!

Fifty for 50 Tally

Books completed – 32 (7 more in progress)

Recipes tried – 31

Blog posts published– 24

Miles walked in September - 34.2

    Miles walked year-to-date – 430.78

Scrap book pages completed –27

Hats donated – 20

Hours volunteered – 25

Summer Salads and Reading Review

Eating: I like salads, most any kind, and summer is a great time to try new ones, with all the fresh veggies and herbs from the CSA and garden.  I like to make the salad the meal so I tend to add meat to pasta salads, to give it a bit more substance.  Here are some of my favorite summer salads.

In the spring/early summer, we get a lot of leafy greens in the CSA because that is what grows that time of year in Minnesota.  Then it gets hot and the lettuces bolt, get bitter and are done, so we enjoy the green salads while we can.  This year we got several different types: Romaine, red romaine, beet greens, kale, leaf lettuce.  Plus we grew arugula and leaf lettuce.  Since it is so fresh when we get it, the lettuces last way longer than the stuff from the store would.  I always triple rinse the greens, sprinkling table salt in the water the first rinse to kill off any bugs or lettuce worms that may be hiding in there (I have only found one or 2 in the past 2 years, but I am not interested in THAT kind of protein in my salads), and spin it out thoroughly with my salad spinner.  I then shred the whole thing and put it in a sealed bowl in the fridge, so it is ready to go for any lunch or dinner at anytime.  This is the key, for me.  If it is not ready to eat easily, I will not eat it.  I am lazy, as I have said before.  Composing the salads, then, is an individual process.  Each of us makes his or her own salad (we often do this with guests, too), choosing from the other fresh chopped veggies available.  Early in the season this means green onions, radishes, peas or pea pods, zucchini, broccoli, summer squash, cukes, carrots.  Sometimes there is a little fresh dill, maybe an early bell pepper or some grape tomatoes.  We will add a little corn (frozen corn, rinsed to thaw), croutons, slivered almonds, cheese, maybe some chopped chicken or deli ham, some crispy crumbled bacon (from the last time I used bacon in a recipe and then fried up the remaining and stuck it in the freezer) then top it with the dressing of our choice (I like mine with my own creation of salsa ranch - you can probably guess how I make it).  I have been known to eat my lunch salad out of a serving bowl because it sometimes gets a little large.  You get the idea.  The key for us is to chop the veggies up ahead of time so we can just focus on building the salads when it is time to eat.

Pasta salads are great anytime, but especially after the greens are done for the first part of the summer.  I like tuna macaroni salad.  E does not.  So I make it for myself.  Tuna, well-drained, medium shell pasta (no, it doesn't have to be shells but they say "summer" to me more than other shapes), chopped celery if I have it, a little onion, frozen or fresh peas.  This last time I even tossed in some chopped tomato, because I have a whole lot of tomatoes right now.  Then the dressing, as my mom taught me - a "glob" of mayo (I use Miracle Whip because I like it better), little bitsies of milk until it is the right consistency to pour but not too runny, a sprinkle of sugar until you can't taste just the mayo, salt and pepper.  That's it. 

The easiest pasta salad is one that E likes.  We mix the pasta with some chopped meat (leftover smoked sausage or kielbasa/Polish sausage, thick sliced deli ham (I ask for one slice 1/4" thick), rotisserie chicken, or whatever), frozen corn rinsed to thaw, chopped or julienned carrots, shredded cheese.  Then we top it with enough ranch dressing to cover and sprinkle with slivered almonds for crunch.  Naturally you could add whatever else you like - celery, onions, peas, chopped tomatoes, (drain them well or it will get soupy), peppers, etc.

Another one of E's favorite pasta salads is Satay Chicken Pasta Salad, though I recently found out that he doesn't actually like it cold as a salad and will heat it up when he takes it for lunch.  Whatever.  I like it as a salad.  The recipe is from Pampered Chef, Season's Best Fall 2008.  My adaptations are in parentheses.

Satay Chicken Pasta Salad
8 oz. farfalle (bow tie pasta), uncooked
1 C light Asian vinaigrette (I make my own Asian-style dressing, sometimes)
2 T Asian seasoning (from Pampered Chef, though I am sure there are other versions available)
2 T peanut butter (creamy blends best)
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 C dry roasted peanuts
1 C lightly packed fresh basil
3 C diced cooked chicken

Cook and cool the pasta (unless you are making it for E, then don't cool it).  Combine vinaigrette, Asian seasoning, and peanut butter.  Mix well.  Julienne the carrots, dice the peppers, chop the peanuts and basil.  Add all to the pasta and mix well.  You can reserve a bit of the peanuts and basil for garnish, if you like. 

Reading: Last time I wrote, I promised to write about 3 books that I read earlier this summer (in June and early July).  I have only read a handful since that time so should be able to catch up with those soon, as well.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a novel about an Indian family, the Gangulis, who has immigrated to the United States.  Most of the story follows Gogol, the son who is born in America, from the time of his birth, until his early 30s, as he struggles with fitting in, being stuck between the culture of his parents and that of the country they are now living in, and with the curse of his name (after Russian author, a name which causes problems for him from the minute he is born).  There were mixed reviews of this one in our book club, but I enjoyed the story, both Gogol's story (interesting to think about how our names define us and shape our lives), as well as his parents' stories.  Parts of the story could be the story of any immigrant's experience, the struggle of the younger generation to fit in, often defying their parents' "old-fashioned" wishes and ways, but I was interested in learning about the culture and food of the eastern Indians, too.  I would recommend this one.

I re-read Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz for Friday night book club, because it had been several years since I read it and all I remembered about it was that I liked it and it took place in Wisconsin.  Those things were still true on the second reading of it.  Only Mary and I met for this book club discussion, but we both enjoyed it.  This novel is well-written and intriguing.  On the surface, the story is that of Ruth and her aunt Amanda, living on the family farm after Ruth's mother has drowned.  Ruth's father returns from fighting in World War II to his daughter whom he has never really met (she was a baby when he enlisted) and his wife's sister who doesn't appear to like him much.  What we are led to believe, from the perceptions and actions of the main characters, may or may not be the truth.  Why does Ruth say she remembers drowning when in reality it is her mother who drowned?  Why doesn't anyone go out to the little house on the island anymore?  Why is Amanda so protective of Ruth?  Little by little we learn the story of these strong, well-drawn characters.  And what we learn may challenge our belief that we can ever really know anyone.

Onto a completely different kind of book, No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels by Jay Dobyns.  This was different that most any other book we have read for book club.  It wasn't well-written (though that is not what made it different from some of the books we have read), but it was definitely interesting.  I don't know about you, but I was not that familiar with the Hells Angels, or indeed any OMG (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang).  I didn't know how they operated (apparently with a surprising number of rules, a specific hierarchy, and with more drugs, violence and misogyny than necessary), or what it took to become a part of a gang.  I also knew very little about undercover work.  I learned a lot about both from this book, and it was intriguing.  There is a lot more to the gangs than riding loud Harleys in large, intimidating groups, and a lot more to undercover work than wearing the clothes of the group you are infiltrating.   I have added a similar book to my list of books to read someday: Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, by William Queen. 

Weeding: The stump garden has progressed some - we have 5 shrubs and a beautiful hardy hibiscus planted so far.  The entire area has been cleared, leveled/graded, weeded, mulched and edging installed.  We have plotted out where the walkways are going, decided to put the water feature in where the fire pit was planned (moving the fire pit to a different location in the yard), and have been shopping for stepping stones. 

The tomatoes are producing well, as are the carrots.  Today I made a roasted tomato soup (recipe and pictures to be posted at a later date). The asters are starting to bloom, the sedum is turning a lovely shade of red, and the mums are somehow almost already done.  The black-eyed Susans are still blooming their little heads off, though, so the yard is awash in yellow.  The trees and sumac are just starting to change ever so slightly.  Fall is coming, I keep reminding myself, though it is mid-80s again today.

Until we weed again,
Hallie

Recipes for a Pampered Chef party

Eating: The other day, I hosted a Pampered Chef party, the first one in 4 years.  I had a terrific turnout with a really fun bunch of friends.  Since it was around lunchtime and the recipe demonstrated was a salad, I decided to supplement with some additional food.  I like to feed people, what can I say?  I think I inherited it from my grandma.  Many people asked for recipes so here they are.

Thai Chicken Salad - This was the recipe demonstrated.  I somehow did not get a copy of the recipe so this is what I remember it being - one of the party attendees who received the recipe can correct where I am wrong.  Also, the consultant said something about serving the chicken part with rice for a meal - not sure if that is just the chicken or with some of the veggies or what.  I really liked this salad and am happy to have enough of everything that I can make it again!
Chop 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts into about 1" cubes.  Cook in skillet with a little olive oil until no longer pink. 
Pour 3/4 C. creamy poppyseed dressing into a small bowl or measuring cup.  Grate 1" of fresh gingerroot (can leave the skin on) - squeeze the juice from the ginger into the dressing.  Add 3 cloves of garlic, pressed.  Stir.  Pour just enough of dressing mix onto chicken in pan (about 1/4 C) and toss to coat. 
Chop one small bunch of fresh basil and about 1/4 C. peanuts together (in the Manual Foodprocessor, if you have one).  Stir that in with chicken.
In a large bowl, combine a 6-8oz bag baby spinach, one 8-10oz bag of brocolli slaw, 1/2 red pepper diced, and 1/2 medium cucumber sliced and halved.  Add in the chicken mixture.  Pour on remaining dressing mix and toss all together. 

Chicken Rice Soup - I won't post my chicken soup recipe again - you can read it here.  This time I added some cooked brown rice, frozen peas, and sliced zucchini.  I made the stock and cooked the chicken the night before, then put all the ingredients in the crock pot and heated it for lunch.  It was not my best soup effort ever - stock was weak and soup overall kind of bland.  Sorry, for those who ate it - I can do better.  I also apologize for the coffee - I had trouble with the new grinder and ended up with brown slightly coffee-flavored water.

Taffy Apple Pizza - This recipe goes back to the days when I was selling Pampered Chef, around 2002/2003.  I made this recipe at all my first shows.  Easy and yummy, it is "old school Pampered Chef".  It helps to let the cookie dough and the cream cheese soften at room temperature.
Spread the contents of one tube (18oz) of sugar cookie dough onto pizza stone with a rolling pin until you have a 14" circle.  Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes.  Carefully loosen cookie from stone using a serrated bread knife.  Cool completely.
Combine one 8oz package cream cheese, 1/2 C packed brown sugar, 1/4 C creamy peanut butter and 1/4 tsp vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread mixture evenly over the cookie.
Peel, core and slice 2 medium apples (the recipe says "Granny Smith" apples but that is mainly because they work the best with the Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer.  Any good crisp apples will work - I used Gala.)  Arrange apples evenly over cream cheese mixture.
Heat 1/4 C caramel ice cream topping in microwave on High for 30-45 seconds, or until warm.  Drizzle over apples.  Top with 1/2 C peanuts, chopped.  Cut into wedges with pizza cutter and serve.


Reading: I am nearly done with the book for Sunday bookclub (which will meet Saturday this week for our annual potluck), The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang.  It is the memoir of a Hmong woman and her family who comes to Minnesota from Laos (by way of Thailand) in the mid 80s as refugees.  She tells the story of her family's escape from Laos, about life in the refugee camp where she was born and lived the first 6 years of her life ("camp" makes it sound like a better place than it was), how they came to Minnesota with virtually nothing but a debt to pay for their flights to the US.  She ties in a lot of cultural information along with the story of the family's struggle to adapt, to learn the language, to find work and raise their children.  I really am enjoying this book.

I am also almost done with Winnie the Pooh - just one more chapter/story.  I have to finish it by the end of the night tomorrow to meet my 2012 prediction of reading 3 books per month.  Wouldn't want to miss that predicition in the first month.  That would be like a new year's resolution then!

Well, off to read.  I'll have a new recipe for you next time, and promise it is easy, tasty, and gives you another option for what to do with chicken. 

Until we eat again,
Hallie

Reading: I am not reading anything new/different so I will write about some books I have read in the past that stuck with me. Gap Creek was an Oprah book but don't hold that against it. It takes place at the turn of the last century (weird to have to specifiy which century was turning) in Appalachia and is the story of Julie's first year of marriage. The descriptions of Julie's daily life in the hills and all the work she has are very vivid. I found myself tired just reading about slaughtering pigs and chopping wood and hauling and cooking and... You get the picture. I was also talking like I was from the hills when I got done. "There is snakes dancing! I ain't seen no snakes dancing." Anyway, I liked the book a lot and thought it well written.

Eating: A couple of quick summer recipes from Pampered Chef! I will leave out the references to which PC tools you should be using. Perfect for lunch after a trip to the Farmer's Market for fresh produce: Strawberry Spinach Salad The dressing: 2 T. lemon juice, 2 T. white wine vinegar (or whatever kind of vinegar you have), 1/3 C. sugar, 1 T. vegetable oil, 1 t. poppy seeds. Whisk all together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The salad: 1/4 C. toasted sliced almonds, 8 oz. strawberries, hulled and quartered, 1/2 of a cucumber, sliced and cut in half, 1/4 small red onion (I don't add this because I don't like raw onion in this salad), 6oz baby spinach (or shredded regular spinach). Combine all salad ingredients (except almonds) in a large bowl. Whisk dressing and pour over. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately. Very tasty and refreshing.

Picnic Sausage and Potato Kebabs 3/4 pound petite new (red) potatoes, cut in half. Cook in microwave with 1/4 C. water for 5-7 minutes, until fork-tender. Drizzle with 1 t. olive oil. Add 1 clove garlic, pressed, 3/4 t. dried dill weed, salt and pepper (actually add the salt to the water when cooking potatoes) and gently stir together. Cut 6 large green onions into 2" pieces. Cut 1lb of bratwurst or Polish sausage into 1" pieces. Using six 12" skewers, alternately thread bratwurst, potatoes, onions and cherry tomatoes. Grill uncovered 6-8 minutes until brats are browned, turning frequently. Can be served with a mustard sauce made with 1/4 C. mayo and 2 T stone-ground mustard. I don't like mustard so I have never made the sauce. This is an easy grill recipe but nice enough to serve guests.

And for dessert, Candy Bar Parfaits. Coarsely chop 1 (1.55 oz) chocolate candy bar, 1 C. mini pretzels, 1/4 C. peanuts and mix together (freeze the candy bar for 5 minutes for easier chopping). Whisk together 1/3 C. chocolate syrup and 2 T. peanut butter. Place 1 scoop vanilla ice cream in each of 4 parfait dishes. Top each with one fourth of the candy bar/pretzel/peanut mixture and then another scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate/peanut butter sauce and sprinkle with additional pretzels and peanuts. This is SO GOOD! And I do have to say it is perfect for PMS cravings. I keep a sealed dish of the crunchy topping and one of the sauce on hand to have these whenever I need one.

Gardening: The cosmos are blooming their heads off. The coreopsis is growing like a weed. Speaking of weeds, that is what I will be doing this weekend.