Easy as Pie Test Kitchen

Sandwich for when you're in a curry... I mean hurry

I have to admit, I'm not the world's biggest fan of chard. But my produce delivery service keeps sending it, and I keep forgetting to tell them not to. Plus, I'm not really someone who thinks gluten-free bread is worth the effort (to find or make), so while it's not super great on its own, chard can serve as a nice break from my rice cake or corn tortilla sandwiches. Here's an easy recipe for a wrap filling that is good with chard.

Curry Chicken and Cherry Wrap Filling
1 12.5 ounce can of chicken (white meat is best)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use vegan to avoid eggs. I honestly like it better than real mayo anyway)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 cup dried cherries (cranberries are also good, but not very summer, IMHO)

Mix it together and put it in a wrap or sandwich-like vehicle, and voila--a new and interesting lunch. (Oh, and tasty.)

This is also a great recipe for leftover chicken.

This is why it’s called the test kitchen—one not to try at home

I had some magnificent organic beets from my fairy food-mother that needed to get from raw to delicious stat. I was hungry. I found a website that said I could roast a beet in the microwave. The first one was fine. The second one literally caught fire. I stepped away from the kitchen for a minute and came back to a cracked plate and a microwave full of smoke. So, the first beet is the lovely photogenic one you see pictured here. I suggest using the canned stuff if you don’t have time to let your beet roast in the oven for an hour.

Chicken salad with beets and horseradish dressing

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breasts (I used leftovers)

4 cups bok choy, chopped

1 cup lettuce, shredded

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola

1 large beet, roasted, peeled, and sliced (or a small can)

 

Dressing

1/2 cup sesame seed oil

2 tablespoons horseradish

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 

Busy doing Christmas shopping? Try this recipe.

Reader Jacob--who cannot eat wheat, sugar or any sweeteners, or preservatives-- shared this recipe with me over email. I added a little cilantro, corn, and tomatoes, plus some vegan mayo to get what you see in the photo, but it's a similar idea. Very easy. Very tasty. For a full meal, just add some meat. Thanks, Jacob!

1 large onion

1 large green bell pepper

1 large red bell pepper

4 cloves garlic

1 chili pepper

1 lime

1 can black beans (ingredients of black beans, water and salt only)

onion powder

garlic powder

sea salt

pepper

¼ cup olive oil

 Chop onions and bell peppers in any size you want.  Put in a large bowl.  Chop garlic and chili pepper and add to bowl.  Squeeze lime juice into mixture.  Add onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Mix and let stand 30 minutes.

Add olive oil to a pan.  Heat to med-high.  Add mixture and cook until vegetables are soft.  Drain and rinse can of black beans and add to pan.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

"Whoopy once, whoopy twice, whoopy chicken soup with rice"

In honor of the new "Where the Wild Things Are" movie (that I haven't seen yet), here's a recipe inspired by one of Maurice Sendak's lesser known books, "Chicken Soup with Rice". The book is a poem about eating chicken soup every month of the year. October ends with, "Whoopy once. Whoopy twice. Whoopy chicken soup with rice."

Besides having Sendak on the brain, I wanted to make something for my burly Alaskan husband who was sick with the flu. What better remedy than chicken soup? I like my soup thick, so you are welcome to add more water or broth if you prefer yours to actually be soupy. I used red wine, which gave it a nice fall kick and also a neat purplish color.

 
Chicken soup with rice ($7.24)

1 1/2 cups rice (I used a wild rice mix from Trader Joe's, but I don't remember how much it cost. $.75 for everyday grocery store rice)
2 large carrots, sliced ($.50)
2 stalks celery, sliced ($.50)
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes ($1.49)
4 cups broth ($2)
2 cups red wine ($1 from Trader Joe's)
2 cups pieces of chicken ($1)
3 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and heat on high 4-6 hours. Or, if the chicken is already cooked, just nuke it until it's hot. Whoopy twice and enjoy. 4-6 servings.

Easy dairy-free, egg-free potato salad

This is a really versatile recipe that you can make with leftover green beans and/or potatoes. It's also healthier than regular potato salad because it has green vegetables and no mayonnaise. I cooked up some chicken sausage to go along with it and we had a filling meal.

Potato Salad with Green Beans

1 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt

One or more of the following (I used the first two, but there are a variety of combinations)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon capers
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
4 slices cooked bacon (of course!!), crumbled

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a colander to drain and cool. Set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, spread the walnuts on a plate or paper towel.  Toast them in the microwave on high for about one minute.

Steam the green beans in the microwave. Using a steamer bag, microwave on high for about 6 minutes. Allow the bag to sit for a minute before opening it to avoid being burned by the steam.

Whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper.

Toss all ingredients together until everything is well coated with dressing.