Grilling Up Fun...and Salad.

Even though I haven't had any actual "grilling" posts, we've grilled out quite a few times already this month. For some reason, it's one of things that I end up outside and busy and forget to take pictures...I start talking or basking in the sun or chasing around kiddos or running from the sprinkler, so I haven't really had anything to show you. Well yesterday, I strapped on my camera as I headed out the door with a couple of trays of food that were destined for the grill. Although it almost feels incomplete because I don't have any "before/naked food" photos. I have been craving corn on the cob. It has ALWAYS been one of my absolute favorite things to eat. For the last couple of years, I've been waiting until it's actually in season to eat any. I gave up that this year...because I wanted it, craved it, NEEDED it!! I found some gorgeous, bi-color sweet corn...(Florida in origin...I almost feel guilty)...really I think I'll just blame on my youngest, sweet-faced, angel-eyed son. I mean, he would not let me pass by the corn stand in the market. Seriously would not let me!! He was determined to walk around carrying a few ears of corn right up to that register if I wasn't going to. So, I gave in (to both of our weakness). There is seriously not much better than corn on the cob fresh from the grill. On the menu: *Arrachera (Mexican-style, thin-cut, tenderized skirt steak) -I marinate this in lime juice, minced garlic & salt...I'll do a whole post on just this someday

*Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

-Marinade: honey, chipotle chiles in adobo, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper

*Corn on the Cob

-peel off only the outermost layers of the husk. I used to think you HAD to soak the corn like this before you set it on the grill. Mexichef gave me all kinds of guff about this saying they NEVER soaked it "in Mexico"...blah, blah, la, la...okay, whatever you say...well, tail between my legs. He was so right. Enlist the kiddos if there are any around to do this easy-peeling task right outside by the grill. Mine WANT to do it...ASK to do it, so why not! On a separate note, I decided to start an "off topic" blog to post miscellaneous stuff like this that some people may not be interested in seeing...less foodie related (even though I always seem to end up back in the kitchen). Check it out if you're interested.

*Poblanos

-just washed.

*Tortillas

Now, just give everything it's own time on the grill. Do the corn and poblanos first, then set them on the warming rack keep warm while cooking your meat. Throw on the tortillas toward the end.

Don't freak out...that corn is PERFECT! The husks are black, but the insides are smokey, sweet and perfectly tender. So, raise a toast to the gorgeous weather, time with family and friends and enjoy your grilled goodies! Salud! Yes, once I've pulled down the husk (the silks come right with it), I slather it in crema, squeeze a lime wedge all over it and sprinkle it with chile powder of some sort. I usually roll it in queso en polvo (basically powdered Mexican cheese), but I forgot to pick some up this time. Still killer.

From the leftover bounty, I decided to throw together 2 different kinds of South West Salads for lunch the next day (today).

Grilled Southwest Salad- 2 ways

by girlichef

2 corn tortillas

1 head Romaine

1/4 seedless cucumber

1 small tomato, cut into 1/4's lengthwise, then sliced thin into wedges

1-2 ears of corn on the cob, cooked on the grill

1/2-1 Poblano chile, roasted on the grill- peel, seed, chop

1 c. cooked black beans

avocado

grilled steak OR grilled chicken

lime for squeezing

shredded or crumbled cheese

for Lime Vinaigrette:

Juice of 2 limes

Olive oil

salt & pepper

First, cut tortillas in half. Stack on top of each other and cut into thin strips. Fry in shallow oil until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to soak up grease and cool. Set aside.

Wash & dry Romaine. Chop it up and put in a large bowl. Slice the cucumber into thin slices and add to bowl.

Add the tomato. Slice the corn from the cobs and add to bowl.

Add the poblano. Add the black beans. Toss everything together.

Whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette (ratio of 3 to 1, lime juice to oil). Pour over salad and toss well.

Place salad into serving bowls. Top with your choice of grilled Steak, cut into strips or grilled Chicken. Squeeze another lime wedge over the whole thing. Add some avocado, tortilla strips and cheese as garnish. Serve & enjoy!

This was a perfect salad for this hot & steamy weekend...I'm sending it over to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for this week's edition of SOUPER SUNDAY...be sure to check out this week's other entries!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway...last day to enter is this coming Wednesday, the 27th of May!

Inspired by this week's Farmer's Market offerings...

There is an awesome little Italian Deli permanently located at my Farmer's Market (Oh, Mamma's!). This is where I get all of my prosciutto...and it was screaming my name this time. So, my first item of inspiration was this beautiful Parma Prosciutto. A few stalls down, there sat some thin little asparagus spears...flaunting their purple tips...item numero dos.

I also found a few bunches of sage...which magically disappeared from my photos...guess it was some shy sage...so I decided to use it in a dish where it is not very visible, but it's flavor shines through. With the crazy heat we've been feeling here in Northern Indiana lately (87 degrees already!! Hey, Northern Indiana, people). I haven't really been feeling like roasting in the kitchen along with my tasty morsels, so I've been thinking "quick". Not every meal, but more than the cooler months. I picked up some thin-cut chicken breasts on sale the other day and decided to make a quick version of Chicken Saltimbocca. I saw them make a similar dish on America's Test Kitchen once, but didn't write down the recipe...I know this is fairly close to their version, though. Did you know that Saltimbocca translate roughly to "jump in your mouth"?! Ha! Jump in my mouth, chicken!

Quick Chicken Saltimbocca

by girlichef...adapted from a recipe seen on America's Test Kitchen

2 lb. thin-cut Chicken breasts

~1/3 lb. Prosciutto, sliced thin

bunch of sage, leaves picked and chopped

flour

black pepper

1/2 c. dry white wine

1 c. chicken stock

1 Tbs. butter + extra for pan

1 Tbs. parsley, chopped

First, pat the chicken dry with some paper towels. Mix flour and freshly cracked black pepper on a large plate, for dredging. I know you're tempted to add salt...but DON'T DO IT!! The salt in the prosciutto is plenty! Dip each chicken breast in flour and shake off excess. Sprinkle each breast with an even amount of the chopped sage. Cover with a slice of prosciutto. In a heavy skillet that has been sitting on the burners getting hot, drop in a small pat of butter. Add the chicken carefully, prosciutto side down. Once it is cooked about 1/2 way (just a couple of minutes with this thin-cut chicken), flip over and finish cooking (another couple of minutes). The prosciutto will adhere to the breast with the help of the heat, via shrinkage...and the flour. Remove to a rack set over a sheet pan to make the sauce. While pan is still hot, pour in the wine and deglaze (scrape up those flavorful bits) the pan. Add the stock and reduce to about 1/2 c. total. This only takes a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and parsley. Spoon over chicken. Before you start cooking, I put on a pot of this awesome whole grain blend by Rice Select called Whole Grain Royal Blend....it contains Texmati brown and wild rice with soft wheat and rye berries...YUM! I also just steamed that lovely asparagus. Voila...quick meal for those days when it is just too hot to stand around in the kitchen all day (well, with all the hot stuff going full-steam, at least)! Don't forget to enter my giveaway and chile pepper round-up...just 5 more days to enter, including today!! ****I have been having trouble opening some people's blogs lately (and believe me, I've given it the good, old college try...). Please excuse me if I haven't stopped by to visit you lately...as soon as I can figure out what in the world is going on, I'm gonna have to devote a whole day to catching up!!!****

Baked Goat Cheese for TFF

I love that scene in French Kiss; the one where Kate is on the train in France and Luc walks up to find her slathering that amazing fromage all over her bread...and there is so much cheesy goodness on the table in fron of her! Well, this recipe from Tyler Florence for Baked Goat cheese reminded me of that cheese-lovers moment. The only downside is that I was unable to find a firm goat cheese. But I like to defy the oven gods. I went ahead and bought 2 kinds of soft goat cheese...AND I even put them in the oven to bake. Pfft..I showed them. Baked Goat Cheese from Tyler Florence's Dinner at My Place p. 78

1 French Baguette

extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 log or medallion (~8 oz) firm goat cheese I used one log & one pyramid of soft

1 c. store bought olive tapenade I made my own...recipe to follow

I also tried a couple of other toppings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make crostini, slice the baguette into thin rounds and set on a roasting tray. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes, until golden, then set aside.

Simple Olive Tapenade by girlichef

garlic stuffed green olives- ~4 large

kalamata olive, pitted- ~10

olive oil

herbs, if you wish

Chop up the olives. Drizzle in some olive oil & toss. Add some freshly chopped herbs. See...easy.

Place goat cheese on a roasting tray and top with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until it is warmed through and just starting to melt. Soft goat cheese won't be all gooey and melty like the firm would, but it is still warm & soft. Serve warm goat cheese with crostini and olive tapenade. I also tried serving with some store-bought sun-dried tomato tapenade and some chutney...hmmm, neither were as good.

This was a fun afternoon lunch to share, paired with a bottle of white wine. The nice crisp of the crostini with the soft, earthy goat cheese spread and the saltiness of the olives was nicely washed down with a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio. Head on over to Tyler Florence Fridays to see what other Tyler recipes will tempt you this week! ...and hooray, today was the kiddos last day of school!! Perfect way for mom & dad to celebrate. Don't forget to enter my giveaway...time is quickly passing.

Food so good it may send you "over the edge."

To compliment my "all things lead to food"-type obsession...I also find myself drawn to movies with great "food scenes". Chocolat, Under the Tuscan Sun, Tortilla Soup, Woman on Top...the list goes on. One movie in particular, amidst the violence, gore, people- who range from unsavory to Oh-So-Savory (Johnny Depp...aaaahhhh), is Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Johnny's character (Agent Sands) orders his favorite dish in any cantina, taqueria or restaurant he's in. Have you seen it? Remember when he practically forces somebody else to try his Puerco Pibil? He is so obsessed with this dish and finding the best version of it, that when he DOES find the perfect plate of it, it sends him over the edge (don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it...and want to).

Since I enjoy most of Robert Rodriguez's work (Director/Producer extraordinaire..think Spy Kids, From Dusk til Dawn (Clooney, Donna), Sin City, Planet Terror and the two movies that basically find their finale in this particular movie, El Mariachi and Desperado), I did end up buying the movie as soon as I could. Now, as much as I enjoy the movie, it's the "extras" that make me particularly pleased with myself. Good thing you bought the movie, or you may not even know this was here, girlichef!! The special features include a featurette titled 'Ten Minute Cooking School'. Rodriguez himself teaches us how to make that amazing Puerco Pibil that was just too much for Agent Sands to handle. And believe me, it's definitely a "killer" recipe....

Puerco Pibil
by Robert Rodriguez
5 Tbs. annato seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns
8 whole allspice
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
2 habanero chiles
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. white vinegar
2 Tbs. salt
8 garlic cloves, peeled
Juice of 5 lemons
splash of Tequila
~5 lb. pork butt (shoulder)
banana leaves
First, place first 5 ingredients into a spice grinder (or coffee grinder...kept separate for spices) and grind until it is a very fine dust. Annato (or achiote) seeds are super hard, so be sure to get them to a powder or you'll be cracking a tooth on them later.

Next, carefully dice your habaneros. Remove the seeds & veins...or leave them in if you'd like to set your mouth on fire.

Add the habanero, along with the orange juice, white vinegar, salt and garlic cloves to the jar of a blender. Dump in your spice mixture and blend. Add the lemon juice and splash of "best quality" tequila (tequila is "optional", but come on...Rodriguez says this was that extra little something that sent Sands over the edge). Blend everything together until well combined.


Cut your pork butt into 2" chunks. Place in a large zippered baggie and pour the mixture in the blender over the meat. Close it and make sure all the meat is covered well. Set aside for a bit.
Line a large, deep pan with the banana leaves. Pour in all of the contents of the baggie. Cover again with more banana leaves to seal it all in. This will add flavor and keep all the steam inside. Before I put it in the oven, I also cover the whole dish with foil.


Cook in preheated 325 degree F oven for 4 hours. Remove from oven carefully and remove foil.


Carefully (steam!!) pull back the banana leaves.


Serve over plain rice (white or brown...I used brown)...scooping some of the juices over the meat. Eat as is or roll some into a warm corn tortilla. Beware...this dish is so good it could push you "over the edge", too!!

This plate of goodness contained habaneros....another tasty addition to my chile pepper roundup!! Don't forget to send me a link to any of your recipes containing chile peppers (along with a photo) by May 27th...can't wait to sweat my way through this tasty lineup!!

I think I will also send this over to Gloria at Tex-Mex Recipes for Taco Tuesdays...mmmm, Puerco Pibil filled tacos....

A Simple Sunday

Hope everyone has a perfect Souper Sunday! I'm just lazing around, eating one of my all-time favorite sammies, a BLT.

To see if anybody was more ambitious than me today, head on over to visit Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for this week's installment of Souper Sundays...which now includes sandwiches and salads! And then head over to enter my Giveaway if you haven't yet...enjoy the day. :)

The best flan (that isn't an old family recipe).

When I first started blogging, I armed myself with a notebook to write down my ideas and plans. I am no good without a list of some sort (all the women in the family blame it on genes). I mean, I'll even put something I did for the day on my list, just so I can cross it out. Well, one of the first things on my "to blog about" list was flan. My hubby loves flan and for many years asked me to make it for him (especially around birthdays). It was something I hadn't made previous to meeting him, although I'd eaten it...and loved it. All of the recipes I'd found were so involved and you had to take the time to make a custard. You had to make caramel and coat individual ramekins. You had to put them in a roasting pan and set them into a water bath. Well, back then I didn't have any ramekins. I didn't have a roasting pan. I didn't have the tools!!! I did eventually get my ramekins...and my roasting pan. What this really meant is that I now had NO excuse NOT to make flan.

 I looked to my favorite Mexican cooking guru (everyone together now...the genius...Mr. Rick Bayless). He had a few different methods, ending in different results and I kept thinking I just don't know. I procrastinated a bit longer. I procrastinated right up until the day I bought a newly released cookbook called Nigella Express, by the lovely Nigella Lawson. What, you say? Nigella is British!! What does she know about making flan? She knows she's a Brit, she acknowledges that her recipe is a simplified one...but she also says that a Mexican camera assistant she once worked with said that her flan was as good as his mother's (!).

And yes, it was the opposite of intimidating. The recipe is almost too simple. So, I made her version (no ramekins required); just a pie plate and my antsy roasting pan (use me, use me). Mission: accomplished. This was the best flan I'd ever tasted. It was smooth, creamy and perfect. I have made it countless times since. It's one of the things I send along for workplace potlucks (people actually request it) and various celebrations. Nobody is the wiser that it isn't made from a recipe passed down through the generations (on hubby's side).

 I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can FINALLY cross flan off that list started some 3 months ago. It was actually Spryte who gave me the motivation...she made a flan last week...and I knew it was time for me to share this ridiculously simple recipe. Just don't tell any of hubby's friends my secret...hey, I enjoy being praised.
Flan 
recipe slightly adapted from Nigella Express 

3/4 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put on a kettle or pot of water to boil.

  Put the sugar into a 9" pie plate (**metal), and place over low heat until the sugar begins to turn into a liquid syrup. Swirl the sugar every now and then as it melts. The sugar will begin to caramelize-just before the sugar reaches the color of maple syrup, take the pan off the heat and place it on a cool surface.

  I use a regular spoon to stir it around because the pan gets so hot after a bit. It helps to press down the sugar chunks towards the end of the caramelizing process. Yes, it will be covered in caramel when done...just run it under the hottest tap water until it melts off. Also, note the dark ring formed around the middle of my pie pan, this WILL happen to you, too...it's from the gas flame. It doesn't affect the pans performance, but if you want yours to stay pretty for pies & what-not, set aside a separate one just for making flan- you will definitely want to make it again. While the pan is cooling down a little, swirl the caramelized sugar a little up the sides of the dish before it sets. Empty the evaporated and condensed milks into a bowl and whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Yup, it's just that easy. Pour this mixture over the syrup-lined pan. Set your pie plate into the roasting pan first; it makes it much easier. Put it into a roasting pan, Fill the pan with boiling water, about 1" full. I try to set the roasting pan on the oven rack before I do this. But, inevitably, while pushing the rack back into the oven, I slosh some of the flan mixture into the water. EVERY TIME! It has become kind of a ritual. I think of it as part of the process. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until firm and set. Even though you may be tempted to leave it in longer than 50 minutes...DON'T!!!! It should look a little wobbly. Honest. 


Lift the dish carefully out of its water bath and set aside to cool. I just let it sit on the counter until cool. Then wrap it well with plastic film. 


Leave the flan in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, turn the flan out onto a dish with a enough of a lip to stop the syrup running off. If the flan is going to travel, I leave it wrapped, in the pie plate, and send along a plate to turn it out onto. It's much easier to turn it out at your destination point. After setting a slice on the plate, use a spoon to get some extra caramel sauce to drizzle over the top. Be prepared for requests to make this again. The nice thing about this flan, other than it has worked perfectly every time, is that you can change it up a bit if you like. I have subbed almond extract for the vanilla. I have added expresso powder to the evaporated milk (stir & dissolve) before adding it...and Spryte, I bet you could even stir in some lemon zest and it would be awesome. I think I'm going to sprinkle in some cinnamon and mexican chocolate for fun next time!

1 Post, 2 Food Network Inspirations

This week's Barefoot Bloggers challenge was chosen by Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails...and it was fabulous! At first I thought I wasn't going to be able to participate because I could not find fresh tuna ANYWHERE!!! It is not 4:26 in the p.m. of the day this recipe is due to be posted and guess what? I finally found some fresh tuna...but not much. I checked a few local grocers who I thought may have it (I'm in lake territory, not ocean) but was out of luck. While the kiddos and I were heading home from the library I decided to run into a different market to grab some lemons...and decided to check the seafood counter; you know, just in case. BINGO! There sat two lovely tuna steaks. Now, the recipe calls for Ahi and this was Yellow Fin, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it...or didn't it say Ahi? Hmm, where'd I get that? Anyhoo... there were only the two and they totaled just under a pound, so I went ahead and halved the recipe. I happen to love fresh tuna...heck, any fresh seafood for that matter. But, it HAS to be super fresh or I get kinda creeped out (I know, weirdo). Hubby on the other hand is not a big seafood fan...and he's even less a fan of rare meat (of any kind...makes me cringe when he orders his steak well-done). So, instead of leaving the tuna steaks rare, I cooked them through so that he would help me eat the salad. In all my tuna-euphoria, I forgot that I didn't have a couple of other ingredients called for, so I ended up subbing horseradish for wasabi (just as good, I think) and leaving out the scallions and my one of my favorite foods, avocado. Tuna Salad by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa (halved)

1 lb. tuna steaks (1" thick)

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling I used Himalayan Pink sea salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

1 lime, zested

1/2 tsp. wasabi powder I subbed horseradish

3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. soy sauce

5 dashes hot sauce

1 avocado, diced I omitted this, boo hoo :(

1/8 c. scallions, sliced I omitted, didn't have

1/8 c. red onion, minced I just sliced them up thin

Brush tuna steaks with a little olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. In a piping hot pan, sear for one minute per side longer if your hubby won't do rare.

Mix the next ingredients (lime zest through hot sauce) well to make dressing I just put everything into a jar and shook like crazy.

Chunk the tuna and toss it with the onions and avocado. Pour over the marinade and toss gently. Serve.

This is seriously delicious! I almost wish I had cooked the tuna rare so that I'd have to eat it all by myself. Great choice, Kate. This paired wonderfully with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Head on over to see what the other Barefoot Bloggers did with this recipe! And, since I did this so late in the day, I decided I'd just head on over to visit Tyler while I was at it. I was still barefoot and it was absolutely gorgeous outside, we went ahead and cooked up some of Tyler's dads awesome Chili Dogs. These were super simple, as well. Chili Cheese Dogs by Tyler Florence Eat This Book p. 186 slightly adapted Extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 1 c. ketchup 1 tsp. chili powder 2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard Negra Modelo- few glugs Himalayan Pink Sea Salt freshly ground black pepper 4 hot dogs 4 hot dog rolls 1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese Put a skillet over medium heat and drizzle in a 2-count of olive oil When the oil gets hazy, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, and cook until nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the ketchup, chili powder and mustard and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Don't forget to add your extra ingredients (my additions), a few good glugs of negra modelo (before simmering) and the Pink Himalayan sea salt to season. Cook your hot dogs on the grill, or know what...any way you like them. Put your dog in your bun, spoon over the hot chili and sprinkle with cheese. Dig in! I actually forgot to take any photos until I had already bitten in (I was so excited to eat them). So, two great Food Network personalities and chefs, one post....double duty! Be sure to head over to Tyler Florence Fridays to find out what everybody else cooked up with Tyler! If you haven't entered my giveaway for the month of May yet, be sure to head on over and do so, it'll only take a minute :)

My Secret Identity: Mystery Solving Caterer

Can I just begin by telling you what a crazy few days I've just gone through? It all began with a wedding I was catering. The drunken, estranged father-of-the-bride decided to crash the wedding because he wanted to be in his daughter's life. After (unhappy) tears, yelling and a smashed wedding cake...all leading up to an ambulance ride, I might add...the wedding continued without any further interruptions. There was joy and laughter and dancing...oh, and EATING of course! Everybody raved over the food and we even hauled in a hefty tip! This may sound like a lot all packed into a few short hours, but this dear friends was only the start. Two days later I catered another wedding for an evil bridezilla (a job I knew I would regret taking). Can you say last minute changes and additional guests...lots of them! Keep in mind these said changes were communicated to me less than 48 hours before the wedding was to take place. We even had to change kitchens and work in the kitchen of a Spa retreat. Turns out somebody slipped something into the food at this spa (something not so legal)...simultaneously hooking the guests and breaking the law at the same time. My godfather (whom I adore) ended up being seriously injured at this reception. So seriously that it ended in his passing. But, ever the clever one, he left me a clue...a puzzle of sorts. So, I decided I was going to figure out what in the world was going on. I was going BACK undercover. But knowing my loving hubby, I decided to make up some food to put in the cooler first...surely he (oh great detective/cop/law-abiding-citizen that he is) would need a little buttering up when he realized what I was up to. I decided to make him some Chilled Curried Chicken Salad. That should give me a little leeway. Chilled Curried Chicken Salad serves 4-6 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts Himalayan Pink sea salt freshly ground black pepper 2 (11 oz) cans mandarin orange slices, drained 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into tidbit-sized pieces 1/2 c. raisins 1/2 red onion, chopped fine Dressing: 1 1/2 c. light mayonnaise 1 Tbs. curry powder 2 Tbs. chutney 3/4 tsp. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt 2 Tbs. OIKOS Greek Yogurt, plain variety 2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice Garnish: Spanish Peanuts Romaine Lettuce Cilantro, few leaves Red Onion, thinly sliced Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook on a HOT grill pan until golden and cooked throughout. Set aside to cool. Place all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk together until combined thoroughly. Put mandarin oranges, pineapple, raisins and red onion in a bowl. Chop the cooled chicken and add to bowl. Prepare to add dressing. Gently fold in about half of the dressing. Add more until it is coated to your liking. Cover and place in cooler to chill for ~24 hours. Arrange some Romaine lettuce, cilantro leaves and red onion slices on a serving plate. Scoop some of the chilled salad on top. Garnish with as many peanuts as you like. Serve chilled. After the Curried Chicken Salad was chilling, I set off to do some investigating. I finally figured out what my godfather was trying to tell me, but not after being slapped (hard!) across the face by bridezilla and getting a huge lump on the head...from being conked with a lamp. And...OH WAIT!!! THIS WASN'T ME!!! This was my favorite mystery-solving caterer, Ms. Goldy (Baer) Schulz. How silly of me...sometimes I get carried away. Diane Mott Davidson has done it again with her latest novel, Fatally Flaky. I've managed to get myself entwined in the middle of my cherished characters (they're like old friends, ya know?!)...this was actually a little sneak peek into Goldy's latest adventure. The Chilled Curried Chicken Salad is actually one of the recipes included in this book (I have adapted it, but the original is on p.315). Yup, mystery and food all rolled into one. What more could a girl ask for? And it never fails that I want a few cups of coffee while joining in the adventure (if only I had Goldy's Espresso machine). This is Diane Mott Davidson's 14th Goldy Schulz novel. I am totally addicted...I've read them all more times than I can remember. These are just pure fun. My first DMD novel was actually her 7th Goldy mystery (Grilling Season). It was a gift from my grandma one year for Christmas. I had never heard of her and I thought maybe Gram was just getting a little, um...how shall I say it...senile-ish in her old age. Surely she thought she was giving me a cookbook (on grilling). I figured she just saw the grilling and didn't look inside. I sort of put it aside and forgot about it for quite some time. When I mentioned it sometime later, Gram says she knew what it was. She meant to get it for me. (Oops, sorry...not senile. I'm just dense.) So,, one night I picked it up and didn't put it back down until I was finished. The next day I headed straight for the library to get the previous 6 novels in the series. And then I continued on after number 7. Now I own all of them (in paperback and hardcover...why!?). I'm always in such a hurry to get the next novel and I sit down all rippling with excitement...then I see that I'm almost finished and I try to slow down. I can't wait another year (or so)...hurry up Diane. Write Faster!

For the record....I totally think I'd make a great mystery-solving caterer.

Many thanks to Kristina from Stonyfield Farm for sending me coupons for FREE Oikos yogurt...this is the first thing I've used them for (other than eating) so far. More to come...

Also, if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, be sure to head over and do it now!