Chicken Salad with Greens

I apologize for the lack of posting in the last week.  Unfortunately, we caught the flu that has been lurking around, and there hasn’t been much cooking in this kitchen.  But we’re all better now and excited to share some delicious meals.

As I’ve mentioned before, Sam and I like to make our own vegetable and chicken stock.  It’s healthier- you know what ingredients you’re putting in, especially the amount of salt.  Throughout the month I save odds and ends of various vegetables, and add them to a bag in the freezer.  Using up these scarps (asparagus ends, broccoli stems, celery ends or parsley) also helps with less garbage, and better use of all of your groceries.  The broth or stock is then frozen, and can be defrosted any time we need it for soups.

My favorite part is actually taking the chicken meat, and making something with it.  The last time I posted a recipe like this it was the Indian Chicken Soup, which is a top 3 most viewed post on this blog.  To make the Indian Chicken Soup, or this Chicken Salad, you can also use cooked chicken breasts or leftover rotisserie chicken.

This is a perfect recipe for an easy lunch, or dinner.  And with the weather getting nicer by the day (spring, where are you?!?) hopefully you’ll be attending cookouts and get together with friends soon enough.  Eat it with a fork, or enjoy it between two slices of fresh bread.  It’s light, refreshing and it’s got a little crunch.

Chicken Salad with Greens
A Fifth Floor Kitchen Original

4 cups of shredded chicken
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup green peas
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Add all of the ingredients into a large bowl, then stir together.  Taste test if the salad is wet enough for you, if not add a little more mayo/yogurt mixture.  Also, check on the salt and pepper amounts if they are to your liking.

*The wetness and salt amounts will differ on what kind of chicken you’re using- rotisserie or fresh, or one that has been used to make broth.

Egg Salad with Whole Wheat Bread

Let me tell you, it’s hot here in DC…and it’s going to get hotter.  And more humid.  And more uncomfortable.  Those are the days where I wish we could walk out of our home and into our air conditioned car, and that car would drive me right next to the front door of my work, so I could step into another air conditioned building.

Unfortunately, that’s not how it is.  I hold my breath before taking a step out of our building, where I hope and wish it’s not too hot and humid.  You see, the news keeps telling us that the Midwest is hot and uncomfortable (100°F or higher), and I’m dreading the day this heat wave rolls into DC.  Since we don’t have air conditioned cars, we have the metro cars that “sometimes” might be air conditioned (it’s a gamble).

So, as you can tell with my little rant, the idea of turning on the oven this week is unbearable.  So sandwiches for dinner!  Easy, delicious and no oven required- the perfect dinner when it’s still 95°F at 8pm.

Egg Salad with Whole Wheat Bread
Adapted from: Bella Eats

6 eggs
4 tbsp capers, rinsed & drained
3 tbsp green onions, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chili poweder
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 stalks of celery, diced

Add the eggs into a pot filled with water.  Turn on the water until it boils, then turn off the burner.  Leave the eggs in the warm water for 10 minutes.  Then remove the eggs, and soak them in an ice-cold bath.

Once the eggs are cooled, peel the shells and chop the eggs coarsely.  In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs and the rest of the ingredients together.  Mix well, and serve on whole wheat bread.