Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: The Best Damn Chicken Salad

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Today’s recipe is one of those pulled from our family archives, an almost long-forgotten favorite that tumbled to the bottom of the proverbial stack years ago.

I first posted this recipe on our fly fishing blog ChiWulff years back in 2012, with the following introduction back then (the reference to my orthopedist and pending surgery was about a tibial plateau fracture I suffered on a trip to Montana…) –

The risk of opening with a trite platitude duly noted – life has it’s ups and downs.

One doesn’t have to look very for examples this week.

It’s still hotter than hell’s kitchen in much of the country, it’s already mid-August and not nearly enough fishing has been done, the domestic and world equity markets have been whipsawing up and down like a cheap roller-coaster and more than one pundit has proclaimed it’s the end of the economic world as we know it.

The proverbial shit has hit the fan a bit closer to home this week too, though we’ll leave our whining at that for now.

What’s a fly fishing foodie to do when the times get tough?

Easy – go fish and reach for some comfort food. As my ill-humored orthopedist has condemned me to crutches prior to surgery, rendering wading nigh impossible, reaching for comfort food has taken on new importance.

She Who Must Be Obeyed has returned home after a 10 day business excursion and graciously consented to make dinner last night – serving a camp Chi Wulff fave and powerful comfort food -The Best Damn Chicken Salad on the Planet.

Life looks a little better this morning. I don’t know how something so simple can look so good, but this one just works magic. Simple and direct with ingredients to cover all the essential elements of gustatory sensation – this is a great one.

Three points to note if you please; one – use any sort of cooked chicken you like in this creation, though our favorite of late is a smoke/grilled bird done on a pellet grill. You can use any rub or slather you like on your own smoke/grilled bird, oven roast your chicken, or even pick up a rotisserie bird from your favorite grocer.

Two, this, like most chicken salad recipes begs to be adjusted to using what’s on hand – though I’d challenge you to try it once as written – it really is damn good.

And three, we first stumbled across this recipe back in a pre-keto / pre-low carb days, and used to eat this one on the river (or hiking trail, or drive) on kaiser rolls with a hefty sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles thrown in, along with several generous shakes of Cholula. I have no idea what the hell makes that combination work so well, but it just does. Though we’re no longer in the sandwich camp, a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles on this chicken salad sends it over the top. The inclusion of a few grapes might be seen by some as being too carb-friendly, though we make this one on our carb refeed day and call it good.

Just try it.

4 cups grilled /roasted chicken, chopped
1 generous cup celery, chopped small
1/2 cup sliced green onions, white and green
1/2 cup toasted pecans, rough chopped
1/2 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced small
1/2 apple, grated (firm fleshed, tart – we like Granny Smiths or Pink Ladies)
1/2 cup avocado or olive oil mayo
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled blue cheese at service (optional)

This one couldn’t be easier to put together.

Prep, roast, cool, bone, and cut up your chicken, then combine with remainder of the ingredients and mix well.

Adjust the amount of mayo, salt, and pepper to suit; add the blue cheese crumbles at service.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Carrot and Pepita Salad with Ginger Dressing

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Today’s Friday Feast recipe is going to be one that’s very much like the style of cooking I’m trying to do these days – damned tasty, colorful, a bit out of the ordinary, and a quick, straightforward prep.

My lovely wife has been clamoring for carrots as we’ve jumped from record cold to the sunny 70s here in North Texas in less than two weeks; she’s a big hummus fan and enjoys it immensely with crudite (carrots are pretty much always on the crudite platter around our camp).

That said, I’ve been digging around for new spins on carrots as the star of salads and fresh, uncooked side dishes of late, and this Carrot and Pepita Salad with an easy, Asian-inspired Ginger Dressing is a nifty one and probably the pick of the litter so to speak of all that we’ve tried lately.

I pulled this one together after reading several similar recipes, the one that looked the best on paper called for 5 to 6 ounces of fresh pea shoots along with the carrots, which for the life of me I’ve been unable to source (the pea shoots) this time of year and post the freeze of the century in Texas.

Digging around a bit for likely subs for pea shoots, which appear to be damned easy to grow at home by the way, the most commonly recommended were baby arugula, baby boc choy, or even baby spinach. We happened to have some baby arugula in the fridge, so that’s what you’ll see in the images today, though I’ll bet this is great with the pea shoots as well.

The recipe is ridiculously easy overall, and calls for a somewhat unusual step of dry toasting your pepitas in a skillet, removing from the heat, and then adding 4 tablespoons of tamari or soy to the hot pepitas and letting them soak as they cool.

Give this one a spin as spring rolls into your neighborhood, it’s a keeper.

1/4 cup pepitas
6 T tamari or soy sauce
4-5 medium carrots in matchsticks
5-6 ounces pea shoots, baby arugula, baby spinach, or baby boc choy
3-4 green onions, trimmed, sliced on an angle

Dressing
3/4-1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled, grated
2 T mirin
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar
Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Dry fry the pepitas until they begin to color (keep them moving so they don’t burn); remove from the heat, add 1/4 cup soy/tamari and set aside to cool.

Combine the dressing ingredients, whisking or shaking in a jar until well combined; hold in the fridge until you’re ready to dress the salad.

Combine the prepped carrots, pea shoots or sub of your choice, and the green onions in a small bowl, stir in the dressing, and top with the toasted pepitas.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Jalapeño Garlic Cucumber Salad v. Quick Pickle

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We’ve long been fans of what most folks call quick pickles around our camp. Quick pickles are a great way to add a burst of flavor to meals or snack time, and you can make great quick pickles out of just about any vegetable you favor.

Some might argue that a quick pickle is just as much a salad as a pickle (count me among those who ponder that now and again); call it what you want, these types of recipes are quick to prepare, simple enough for those with the most basic kitchen skills to cobble together, and score very highly on the taste to effort scale.

By the way, some of our favorite quick pickle recipes I’ve shared her on OBL before: Quick Pickled Beets and Onions, Tasty Quick Dills, Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes, and Quick Turmeric Zucchini Dills.

Today’s recipe, this Jalapeño Garlic Cucumber Salad v. Quick Pickle, is one we’ve been playing with a bit after talking about the recipe with Chef Libby after Thanksgiving. Serve it within 30 minutes of preparation and it’s more like a salad; let it rest in the fridge for an hour or two ahead and give the vinegar time to work its magic – and you’re more in the quick pickle zone.

We like this with two cloves of grated garlic, though some might find that level of garlic a bit strong. And I prefer it with a bit more heat (occasionally adding a teaspoon or two of crushed red pepper flakes or a sliced serrano) though my wife thinks the recipe as written below is right on the money.

This one is a nifty addition to any meal during the long, cold January to come, and if you can’t find Persian cucumbers (as I haven’t been able to in my neighborhood of late) hothouse English cucs work just as well.

6 Persian or 2 English cucumbers, see note above, sliced on diagonal
1 tsp (scant) kosher salt

1 large jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, grated
3/4 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 tbsp good honey
1 tbsp avocado oil

Combined the prepped cucumbers and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to coat the cucumber slices with salt. Let sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes, stirring twice more, until the cucumbers release some liquid.

While the cucs are resting, whisk the rice vinegar, oil, honey, garlic, and sliced pepper in a medium bowl.

Now squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumbers, add to the pepper vinegar and stir to coat well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed, these need to marinate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Zucchini Jalapeño Salad

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Now that summer is in full swing for most of the country, or soon will be, it won’t be long before we’ll all be seeing oodles of zucchini at our favorite farmer’s market or grocer.

We’ve been seeing the really good fresh, younger zucchini here in North Texas for several weeks now, and while I’d probably rather slice it thin length-wise and grill it quickly over high heat, my lovely wife is a huge fan of spiralized zucchini salads.

This past week I started fiddling around with several of our favorite salad preps and dressings, and cobbled together this Zucchini Jalapeño Salad with an Asian-inspired dressing featuring the gently sharp acidity of rice vinegar with a healthy splash of toasted sesame oil.

Throw in one or two finely diced red jalapeño or Fresno chiles and some of that delicious chile crisp from last week, and you’ve got a nifty, bright tasting, unique, and healthy as can be side or salad for your next feast with the family.

There’s not much to this one, though note in the recipe below that a little resting time is called for to let these flavors mature. And as always, given the Asian inspiration here on flavors we’ve played with adding a bit of sweetness, though at least around our table, we prefer it without.

No spiralizer? No sweat, just chop into matchsticks and go to it.

2 medium zucchini, trimmed, spiralized or cut into 3-inch matchsticks
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1-2 red jalapeño or Fresno chiles, seeded, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 and 1/2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Optional
1-2 tsp chile crisp (homemade is far better)
Up to 1 tbsp sweetener of choice (see note above)
Toasted sesame seeds as garnish

Prep the zucchini using your method of choice, place in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Note if spiralizing your zucchini, consider cutting the longer strands into roughly 3-inch long pieces. Let rest 30 minutes or so, drain, and return to the bowl.

In the meantime, combine the prepped chiles and garlic, the rice vinegar, sesame oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and sweetener of choice if using in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Set aside to let the flavors develop.

After draining the zucchini, stir in the dressing to combine well. Let it rest in the fridge for another 30 minutes or so before serving (could probably go up to 5 or 6 hours), cover if resting longer than 30 minutes.

Stir in the chile crisp right at service and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds if using.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Butter Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Ginger

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This past week I was chatting with a Chef Libby in Austin about different ways to prepare and enjoy the bounty of summer and fall tomatoes coming in these days.

She’d recently catered a dinner where she prepared a big batch of these Butter Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Ginger which she spooned over big, juicy rib eyes sizzling hot from the grill. She went on to say how her favorite way to enjoy these was simply as a side, almost like a warm salad, though she admitted she’ll polish the leftovers off cold right from the fridge too, even with the butter set up amongst the tomatoes and juice.

The recipe extends really easily, and works wonders with any fresh tomato you might have on hand, just cut the whole tomatoes up into roughly 1-inch pieces and go to it.

1 cup cherry tomatoes, some sliced in half length-wise
3 green onions, whites and pale green parts finely chopped, dark green thinly sliced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped
2 tbsp grass-fed butter
2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
Good salt to taste

Prep your ingredients; melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Now sauté the ginger and the white parts of the green onions until the ginger is fragrant (it won’t take but a minute or so), then add the tomatoes and sauté, basting with the butter until the tomatoes are warmed through.

Remove from the heat, stir in the tamari / coconut aminos, toss to combine, then season to taste with salt and top with the green onion green slices.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Grilled Summer Squash, Feta, and Pepper Salad

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Like many of you, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to prepare grilled vegetables along with our favorite proteins, especially given the bounty of summer gardens and farmer’s markets coming in these days.

One of our favorite restaurants years ago served a simple side of grilled summer squash slices hot from the fire; we always ordered one or two for the table, and you had to be quick or they’d be gone in a flash. Being avid gardeners, we’ve always had plenty of zucchini around to grill at home too.

I came across the predecessor of this recipe in Bon Appetit a couple of months back, and changed up the onions and herbs a bit to suit our family palate. We’re big fans of grilled onions, and in the land of 1015s here in Texas, it’s hard not to throw one on the grill anytime we’re roasting the protein of the day.

By the way, the oregano plays very well with the feta sprinkled over the top here, and the pepperoncini adds a sharp, acidic bite to the ocean of vegetables you’ll throw together. This one is really good and will be in our weekly rotation during the summer…

4 medium large summer squash (yellow, zucchini, etc), sliced as per below
1 small sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges through the root end
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges through the root end
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano
Good salt and fresh ground pepper

For the dressing
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
1-3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

To serve
6-8 pepperoncini, drained, stemmed, and sliced thin
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
More good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Fire the grill; this one is great over real wood charcoal. Whisk the dressing together and set aside.

Scrub the squash, trim the ends, and then slice length-wise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut the two onions into 8 wedges each through the root end (keeps the onion layers together).

Now toss the cut squash, wedged onions, and oregano sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet with 3-4 tbsp oil, then aggressively salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill and cook, turning the squash pieces when well-marked on the first side (roughly 3 minutes pending your fire) and cooking another 1-2 minutes on the second side, taking care not to overcook (it make the slices too soft).

Remove the squash to the baking sheet; the onions will need a few minutes longer to take on good color; remove when marked and beginning to brown.

Plate the squash and onions on a large platter or shallow, wide bowl, then crumble the feta over, followed by the sliced pepperoncini. Drizzle with the dressing and go to it.

Enjoy.

Recipe Update: Thai Inspired Celery Salad

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Like most of you, we love to fiddle around with recipes in the kitchen, and we’re constantly tweaking most of our recipes around the edges, just trying to make them a little bit better.

Here’s a great example, our Thai Inspired Celery Salad that I posted back in November. Our buddy Chef Libby in Austin suggested trying it with another dressing (rice wine vinegar, organic toasted sesame oil, crushed red chile flakes, with good salt and pepper). We whipped that up yesterday to accompany a couple of grass-fed ribeyes, and it was delightful.

Never be afraid of fiddling around with a recipe to suit your (or your family’s) palate, or what happens to be in the fridge or pantry today – you might just craft something magical.

Updated recipe options at the link above.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 16 January: Grilled Cabbage, Jalapeno, and Onions

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For the next several days here in North Texas we’re about to enjoy a reprieve from winter (such as it is down this far South); we’re adjusting our menu accordingly, breaking out the grill and pondering several nifty grilled protein options.

One of the things my lovely wife asked for was this Grilled Cabbage, Jalapeno, and Onion dish; you could call it a side, a salad, or probably even a slaw.

Grilled vegetables are ridiculously tasty and in reality shockingly easy to prepare; you might not have grilled much cabbage before, if not, this recipe will be one you’ll come back to again and again.

There’s nothing overly fancy about the simple lime, onion/shallot, cilantro, and oil “dressing” here, you could of course substitute any favorite vinaigrette in here (maybe a warm vinaigrette with bacon…).

As always, consider this a starting point; it would probably be great with grilled endive or radicchio, a quarter of red cabbage, different peppers, and even grilled avocados…

1 medium head of green cabbage, core intact, quartered
2 medium sweet onions, halved, root end intact
3-4 jalapeno peppers, stem intact
1-2 bunches green onions, trimmed
6 tbsp avocado oil (or EVOO)
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

1/3 C fresh lime juice (or more)
1/4 to 1/2 small red onion or large shallot, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Fire your trusty grill (or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat).

Prep the cabbage, sweet onions, jalapenos, and green onions, then drizzle with 4 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until well marked/charred, 3-4 minutes for scallions, 5-7 for the peppers, and 10-12 for the cabbage. Remove from the grill when done, and cool slightly.

Now cut the peppers, green onions, and sweet onions into bite-sized pieces; core the cabbage quarters and cut into bite-sized pieces, place everything in a large bowl.

Toss to combine the vegetables, then add the red onion (shallot), lime juice, 2 remaining tbsp of oil (may want more), and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir to combine well.

Serve immediately or hold in the fridge for a few hours.

Enjoy.