Are you looking for a recipe in one of our books?  Are you searching for easy, great-tasting recipes?  Then you've come to the write place!  Warning:  I think to be a good cook, you need a basic recipe, so don't expect me to give exact measurements, unless it's necessary.  Just put in enough of an ingredient so it tastes right.  That's why God gave us taste buds!

Chicken Salad

  • Canned chicken
  • Celery (chopped)
  • Walnuts (chopped)
  • Red seedless grapes (cut in half)
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • Mayonnaise

I normally use at least two big cans of chicken.  Put into a bowl and add celery and walnuts.  Stir long enough break apart the chicken.  Once done, stir in the grapes.  (Red seedless are the best.)  Finally, add the mayo, salt, pepper, and stir.  Taste it.  Add more mayo or grapes if it doesn't taste right.  You'll be able to tell.  You want it moist, so don't skimp on the mayo.  This will last several days in the refrigerator.

Tips:

Use flat bread to save on calories, or better yet, use a lettuce leaf and make a wrap.  It tastes great that way, too.

If you prefer, you can use pecans instead of walnuts.

If you can get your hands on Pampered Chef peppercorns, that's the best pepper to use.  If not, try to use pepper from a grinder. A multi-peppercorn mixture makes it taste pretty special.

You can use low fat, low calorie, fat free, or any kind of mayonnaise you want.

Potato Salad

  • Potatoes (duh)
  • Onions (diced)
  • Dill pickles (diced)
  • Hard boiled eggs (mashed or diced)
  • Celery (diced)
  • Chopped black olives (small can)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mustard
  • Lime juice
  • Salt/Pepper
  • Paprika

Everyone makes me bring the potato salad.  I think it's my secret ingredients of lime juice and paprika.

Peel and cube your potatoes (1/2" cubes) and boil.  While they're cooking, chop up everything else.  If I'm feeding a bunch of people, I'll use 5 pounds of potatoes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, put in the bowl with the onions, pickles, eggs, celery, and olives.  Squirt/sprinkle lime juice all over them.  Stir, add salt/ pepper.  Add mayonnaise and mustard.  You can do to taste, but I do about 6 parts mayo to 1 part mustard.  Once it's mixed up, sprinkle paprika over it and stir again.  Refrigerate.

Tips:

Try to make the day before, because the flavors are always better on day two.  You may need to add more mayo.

If you're taking it to a gathering, sprinkle paprika on top.  It makes it pretty.

Make sure your potatoes are nice and cooked.  If they get a little "mushy" they really absorb the flavors.

Chicken Pinot Grigio

  • Fettucine (or Linguini) cooked
  • Chicken breasts, 1” cubed
  • Oil
  • Flour
  • Salt/Pepper
  • Nutmeg
  • Garlic Salt
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Small can sliced olives
  • Heavy whipping cream (one of the small cartons)
  • Cornstarch (may be optional)

While the pasta cooks, pour a little oil in a skillet with high sides.  About enough to just cover the bottom of the pan.  Combine the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic salt, then coat the cubed chicken breast in that.  Cook until done.

Once the chicken is cooked, increase the burner’s temperature and add in the pinot grigio and sliced olives.  I usually use at least a half inch of wine in the pan.  Reduce it down.  Once it has reduced, decrease the temperature and pour in the heavy whipping cream and sprinkle some more nutmeg in there.  Let it cook until it thickens and comes out about the consistency of gravy.  If it never thickens, sprinkle some cornstarch over it and continue to cook.

Last steps:  Drain the pasta, put in your dish and cover the pasta with the chicken mixture.  Enjoy!

Tips:

I usually use frozen chicken tenders.  I put them on a paper plate in the microwave for about a minute to partially thaw them out, then cut them up with kitchen shears.  Make sure you wash the shears or knife afterwards to avoid cross contamination.

You can completely leave out the nutmeg and black olives.  If you do use the nutmeg, don’t skimp on it.  I probably use a total of a couple tablespoons between what’s in the flour and sprinkled on the cream.

You can also add chopped onions or minced garlic.  If you do, fry them at the same time you fry the chicken and leave out the garlic salt.  Also, before serving, you can put chopped green onions on top of the pasta dish, if you want