YUM!

As promised, here are the recipes from this past Wednesday’s Mah Jongg lunch chez moi:

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CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD
6 servings
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise (recommended: Hellman’s)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Grey’s)
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces.For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature.
NOTE: I find that the salad needs more dressing than just enough to moisten well. Since the recipe makes more than enough dressing, I often put the dressing in a serving boat on the table for people to add more should they so choose to do so.  I also put a bowl of the roasted and salted cashews on the table, just in case!
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WATERMELON AND ARUGULA SALAD
6 servings
1/2 lb. baby arugula leaves
2 pounds seedless watermelon, 3/4-inch-diced (3 pounds with the rind)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. chunk Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese
Place the arugula and watermelon  in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Pour enough dressing on the arugula to moisten. Toss well and place on 6 salad plates.
With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and sprinkle them on the arugula and watermelon.
Sprinkle with salt and serve.
NOTE: I find that a 1/2 lb. chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is quite a bit so I don’t shave all of it onto the salad but instead, I take a piece of the chunk that is left over and put it on the table for everyone to shave a bit more onto their salad if so desired. 
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RASPBERRY SAUCE
1 half-pint package fresh raspberries
A scant 1/3 cup granulated sugar
A scant 1/4 cup water
1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon Framboise liqueur
Place the package of raspberries, the scant 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and a scant 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes.
Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and Framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
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Recipes adapted from and/or courtesy of Barefoot Contessa.

4 thoughts on “YUM!”

    1. jonggjoy

      You certainly set a pretty table also! Looks like you are a woman with many interests and I’m glad Mah Jongg, cooking, and photography are some of them, including this wonderful blog. Our group didn’t play this week :O( but hopefully next week! (can’t wait to try these recipes…YUM indeed)

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