Recipe Club and Potluck: September 2024

A graphic of an orange cookbook with a measuring cup and a wooden spoon.

We have some fantastic new recipes from Cromaine’s monthly Recipe Club and Potluck as we head into fall! Our foodie group shared a variety of cozy recipes, including curry chicken salad, pasta puttanesca, chocolate sundae pie, and more! See the recipes below, and don’t forget that Recipe Club and Potluck takes place on the first Friday of each month at 1:00 pm. Participants bring in a normal-sized dish and a copy of the recipe, and get to sample recipes from other attendees! Plus, everyone walks away with a copy of each recipe. We hope to see you at an upcoming Recipe Club program! 

Easy Curry Chicken Salad

One chicken salad sandwich, made on whole grain bread, stacked on top of another with a white background.

This flavorful chicken salad recipe from The Real Food Dieticians can be stuffed into lettuce leaves, eaten on whole wheat bread or a wrap, or enjoyed as-is! It's a great high-protein lunch recipe. 
Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1–2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (½ medium lime)
  • Fine salt
  • 2 cups cooled cooked chicken, diced
  • ½ medium apple with peel, diced
  • 1 celery rib, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup roasted and salted cashews, roughly chopped
  • 2–4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions 

  1. In a medium bowl mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice, and salt. Taste and adjust curry powder and salt to your liking. 
  2. Add the cooked chicken, diced apple, celery, and onions to the mayo mixture and stir until well combined.
  3. Fold in the raisins, cashews, and cilantro.
  4. Serve in a lettuce wrap, on a bed of greens or in a tortilla wrap or between slices of your favorite bread.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Pasta Puttanesca 

A close-up look at pasta puttanesca, a tomato-based pasta dish.

This spicy, tomato-based pasta dish from Ask Chef Dennis is bursting with flavor. Give it a try for a warm, cozy dinner dish that is sure to be a hit as the evenings become chilly! 
Ingredients 

  • 12 ounces spaghetti or your favorite pasta
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons anchovy paste more or less depending upon your taste
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 28 ounce San Marzano whole tomatoes crushed by hand
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup kalamata olives pitted and halved
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions 

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, anchovy paste and red pepper flakes to the pan. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Crush the tomatoes by hand then add them to the pan along with the salt and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. After allowing the sauce to cook, add the tomato paste, olives and capers to the pan.
  4. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, parsley and lemon zest. Season again with salt and pepper to taste as needed.
  6. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chipotle Chicken Pasta 
This creamy, cozy chicken dish is packed with flavor! The cream, red pepper, onion, garlic, chipotle, and chicken come together for a comforting cold-weather dish. The recipe is not an exact science, so portion out your ingredients to your liking to make this dish your own. 
Ingredients 

  • Short pasta of choice
  • 8 ounces heavy cream 
  • Adobe sauce from canned chipotle peppers
  • Parmesan 
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 onion (sweet yellow or white), or shallots 
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic 
  • Green onions (garnish)
  • Peas
  • Chicken thighs or breasts
  • Soy sauce
  • Honey 
  • Salt and pepper
  • Paprika 
  • Garlic powder
  • Olive oil 
  • Butter-- optional for chicken, depending on preferences 

Directions 

Pasta and Sauce 

  1. Cook pasta, salt to taste
  2. Dice the onion, red peppers, garlic (for red peppers, avoid seeds for spiciness and the white membrane for bitterness)
  3. Set saucepan to medium/medium high heat, and add oil. 
  4. Add onions and red peppers to the pan first. Add garlic after the onions start to become translucent (garlic 
    burns faster than other vegetables). 
  5. Cook until onions are translucent. 
  6. Lower temperature to medium / medium low, add heavy cream and adobo sauce and let simmer until bubbling. 
  7. Add peas, add dash of salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder and stir. 
  8. When sauce is bubbling, add generous amounts of parmesan and stir occasionally. 
  9.  Add the finished sliced chicken, and then pasta and continue to stir occasionally. 
  10. Garnish with green onions and additional parmesan-- I also recommend tortilla strips. 

Soy Honey Chicken (Skip if vegetarian, add honey to main dish instead) 

  1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. 
  2. Sear chicken on medium/medium high heat, cook to 165 F / 73 C using oil or butter (or both, but butter will burn easily at high temps so it's not recommended). 
  3. Add soy sauce around half way through cooking chicken, and honey near the end. 

Known restaurants that serve variations of this recipe include Cheesecake Factory and La Maya. 

Chocolate Sundae Pie 

A close-up look at a chocolate sundae pie, with one slice removed to reveal the chocolate filling.

This make-ahead recipe from Money-Saving Mom combines the rich flavors of vanilla ice cream, chocolate, marshmallows, cream, and pecans, all in a graham-cracker crust. 

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch graham cracker crust
  • 1 quart vanilla ice cream softened
  • 6 ounces chocolate chips
  • 16 large marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions 

  1. Spread softened ice cream on crust and freeze for 20 minutes.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips, marshmallows and milk until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
  3. Let the chocolate mixture cool a bit and then poor over ice cream and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
  4. Whip the whipping cream with beaters until stiff peaks form (feel free to add powdered sugar to taste).
  5. Spread over the top of the pie.
  6. Sprinkle with nuts and freeze for at least an hour.
  7. When ready to serve, thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature to make cutting easier.

Apple Dumplings 

Two rows of fresh-baked apple dumplings in a pan.

We have one more dessert to share from this month's Recipe Club and Potluck. This apple dumpling recipe from OMG Chocolate Desserts only requires seven ingredients, including 7Up, for a simple and delicious fall dessert recipe! 

Ingredients 

  • 2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup Sprite ( or 7 Up , or other lemon soda)
  • 2 apples (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)

Directions 

  1. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
  2. Preheat the oven at 350 F.
  3. Peel and core apples, than cut each apple into 8 slices
  4. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll and place in a buttered dish.
  5. Melt butter, stir in sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and when it’s thickened, remove from heat and pour over the dumplings.
  6. Pour the soda in the middle and along the edges of a pan (not over the rolls)
  7. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until they become golden brown.
  8. Serve warm!

 

Post Type
Post Tags