Food Stuffs!

Over the past few days we've had some fun food adventures. First, for dinner the other night I made Ina Garten's Fresh Pea Soup. It was very easy to make-- I substitutes vegetable stock for some of the chicken stock (but also used some chicken stock) and I used cream instead of creme fraiche. I also didn't serve it with garlic croutons, instead I made goat cheese toasts. It was very easy to make and it was tasty-- the Husband and even Miss B. liked it. Personally, I prefer Ina's Split Pea Soup. I find the Split Pea more favorable, to me the Fresh Pea Soup was a bit like mashed peas.

Then, the next day, Ina's recipes were continued-- I chose to make her Curried Chicken Salad. For the chicken salad you're supposed to bake 6 chicken breasts. Instead, I boiled three breasts and then cut them into cubes once they were cooked. Then I added salt and pepper to the chicken and proceeded to make the curry dressing. The curry dressing includes mayonnaise, chutney (I chose to use apricot chardonnay chutney, rather than Major Grey's, since Major Grey's Chutney contains Mango), curry powder and white wine. You blend these ingredients in a food processor until smooth and then pour that mixture over the chicken. I also tossed in with the chicken diced celery, golden raisins and chopped cashews. I served the chicken salad on croissants and the Husband had picked up salt and pepper potato chips for us. The salt and pepper potato chips were a perfect complement to the sweet chicken salad.

Finally, tonight's dinner was all German.

I had picked up some veal bratwurst at Whole Foods and got some great onion/poppy seed ciabatta rolls to have the bratwurst on. I also made hot German Potato Salad. I used the recipe from Gourmet magazine but also added a bit of beef broth to the potato salad dressing and I also included parsley. I also substituted a red onion for a regular white onion. The potato salad was really authentic tasting, but can I just tell you, nothing says unhealthy meal like German food! Bacon, vinegar, mustard, onions-- do we really need all of these ingredients together? Sure they're tasty, but geesh!