News Taffy

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th. One thing I think most mothers really appreciate is a good meal whether you decide to take Mom out or give it a go in the kitchen yourself. I prefer a home cooked meal as nothing says you care more than making the effort to cook.

Here is a delightful, easy to prepare lunch menu. I recreated the chicken salad from one I had in a restaurant in Baltimore recently, complete with the Arnold Palmer ice tea, a refreshing change from the usual. This salad has many healthy vegetables and so many different flavors that blend together beautifully. My whole family really enjoyed it.

Chicken Quinoa Pesto Salad

3 or 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
purchased pesto sauce
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 package arugula, or your favorite salad greens
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 cup feta cheese
roasted red pepper for garnish (buy the jarred variety on the pickle isle)
1 bunch fresh asparagus

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan, add the quinoa and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of pesto sauce to the quinoa and stir well.
Heat a pot of water to boiling; add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 or 3 Tbsp. olive or canola oil to medium high in a large skillet. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and sauté about 4 minutes per side until lightly browned. Let cool, then slice into thin strips.
Place quinoa, chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken in a large bowl and mix gently. To serve, place a handful of arugula on each plate, top with the chicken mixture and strips of roasted red bell pepper. Place 3 or 4 asparagus spears on the side. Drizzle with the lemon dressing. Serve slightly warm or even chilled.

Lemon Dressing

zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together by shaking in a clean bottle or stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Peach Arnold Palmer

2 1/2 cups lemonade, try Simply Lemonade
2 1/2 cups prepared ice tea
1 12 oz. can peach nectar
Mint leaves and lemon slices for garnish

Simply mix first three ingredients together in a pitcher and chill several hours. Serve over ice and garnish as desired. You can adjust ingredients to suit your taste, adding more or less of each ingredient.

Keep dessert simple by topping a store bought pound cake such as Sarah Lee with fresh fruit like strawberries or try the following peach topping.

Peach Topping for Ice Cream or Cake

3 to 4 cups fresh, frozen or in pinch, canned peaches, the less sugar the better
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter
splash of bourbon or amaretto

Place peaches in a sauce pan with the remaining ingredients. If the peaches are tart, add a tablespoon or two of sugar. Heat and stir until peaches have softened and become juicy. Spoon over cake. Hint: toast the cake or place on a grill until warm and light brown.