I had a variation of Tyler Florence's ultimate chicken salad tonight and I really, really like it. So here's the recipe variation:
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
About 1 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 celery stalks, small diced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded roasted chicken meat, roughly chopped
8 slices bread, your choice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Roughly chop the walnuts and then gently toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until they brown and are slightly fragrant. Season walnuts with salt once they are finished toasting. Add the walnuts, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large mixing bowl and combine. Fold in the shredded chicken and set aside while you prepare the bread. Toast the bread in a hot oven until golden. Top with a scoop of the chicken salad and cover with the other half of the bread to complete the sandwich. Serve.
I made scones for the first time this week. I made my own variation of a Barefoot Contessa recipe for savory scones. This recipe is so easy and the texture of the scone was perfect. This recipe makes 16 large scones so it's perfect for bringing to the office
Cheddar Rosemary Scones
Ingredients
•4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
•2 tablespoons baking powder
•2 teaspoons salt
•3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
•5 large eggs, beaten lightly
•1 cup cold heavy cream
• 80z bag shredded extra-sharp yellow Cheddar or more if you like
•1/2 Cup rosemary chopped finely
•1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.
