Chicken, Bacon, and Blue-Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
8 slices crusty white bread, lightly toasted
1/4 cup roquefort or other soft blue cheese, at room temperature
4 leaves romaine lettuce (thick stem ends removed)
8 to 10 oz. meat from 1 whole rotisserie chicken, sliced
8 jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 avocado, cut into 12 thin slices

Preparation
1. In a medium frying pan over medium-low heat, cook bacon, turning often, until just crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Worcestershire, mustard, and garlic. Spread this mixture on 4 toast pieces. On each of the remaining 4 toasts, spread about 1 tbsp. blue cheese.

3. Layer each blue cheese–topped toast with a piece of lettuce, 1/4 of the chicken slices, 2 red peppers, 3 slices avocado, and a slice of bacon. Top each with a mayonnaise-spread toast. Cut sandwiches in half and skewer each half with a toothpick to help hold it together.

Grandmother's Chicken

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (4 to 5 lbs.), cut into 6 pieces (2 bone-in breast halves, 2 bone-in thighs, and 2 bone-in drumsticks)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen pearl onions
6 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and halved
3 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/4-in.-wide pieces
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed 4- to 5-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add skin side down to pot. Cook until skin is crispy and deeply browned, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.

2. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. cooking fat, reduce heat to medium-low, and add onions, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, then add potatoes and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is well browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat.

3. Add mushrooms and chicken stock, bring liquid to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced by one-quarter. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of vegetables.

4. Transfer pot to oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Tropical Shrimp Salad

Dressing

1/4 cup(s) canned coconut milk
1/4 cup(s) orange juice
1 tablespoon(s) sugar
1 tablespoon(s) jalapeño pepper sauce
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Salad

3/4 pound(s) cooked peeled shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
2 scallions, sliced
1 cup(s) Texmati or white rice, cooked according to package directions and cooled
1 can(s) (11 oz.) mandarin orange segments, drained
1 can(s) (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained

Directions

Combine dressing ingredients.
Stir shrimp, scallions, and dressing into rice. Gently toss in oranges and pineapple. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Salade Niçoise

Dressing

1/2 cup(s) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh rosemary, chopped
1 clove(s) garlic, minced
1/4 cup(s) red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
Salad

1 can(s) (16 to 19 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) Kalamata olive halves
1/4 cup(s) red onion, diced
1/2 pound(s) green beans, cooked
1 head(s) green leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoon(s) parsley, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon(s) lemon peel, grated
Tuna

3/4 pound(s) tuna steak
1/2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
1/8 teaspoon(s) pepper


Directions

For dressing, microwave olive oil and rosemary in a glass measuring cup on high for 1 minute. Add remaining dressing ingredients. Combine cannellini beans, olives, onion, and 1/4 cup of the dressing. Toss green beans with 1 Tbsp of the dressing.

Brush tuna with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil 4 to 6 minutes per side. Cool slightly and slice.

Toss lettuce with 3 Tbsp dressing. Arrange lettuce on platter, then top with tuna, green beans, bean salad, and tomatoes. Combine parsley, garlic, and lemon peel.

Sprinkle salad with parsley mixture and drizzle remaining dressing over tuna and tomatoes.

Sante Fe Cobb Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup(s) chipotle mayonnaise
1/4 cup(s) plain, low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon(s) lime juice
3 tablespoon(s) chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon(s) grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
8 cup(s) romaine lettuce, shredded
3/4 pound(s) smoked turkey breast, cut into strips
1/2 pint(s) grape tomatoes, halved
3 eggs, hard-boiled, quartered lengthwise
2 large beets, cooked and diced
1 ripe Haas avocado, diced
1/2 seedless hothouse cucumber, diced
1 small orange bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup(s) red onion strips
4 strip(s) cooked thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 ounce(s) Pepper Jack cheese, diced



Directions

Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk first 6 ingredients until blended. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water to thin slightly.

Assemble the salad: Line a large platter with lettuce. Arrange remaining ingredients, in rows, on top of lettuce. Serve with dressing.

Italian Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:
1 large can of tuna
1 jar(s) alfredo sauce (large jar, or use 2 small jars)
1 package(s) fresh sliced mushrooms
1 pound(s) corkscrew or other similar pasta
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup(s) grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
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Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain & keep warm.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, and saute' 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and some salt & pepper, to taste. Continue cooking until the mushrooms & onions are soft ( not browned).

Add the jar of alfredo sauce & the drained tuna. Stir to combine. Heat through and sprinkle with the parmnesan cheese before serving. It's that easy & it's yummy.

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise and Roasted Red Onions

Ingredients:
3 large red onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), each cut through stem into 8 wedges, peeled
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

6 4x3-inch pieces ciabatta,* halved horizontally
16 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
2 cups arugula

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Gently toss red onions, 5 tablespoons oil and vinegar in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange onions in single layer on prepared sheet. Bake onions until brown at edges and just tender, about 40 minutes. Cool.

Mix mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, lemon peel and 2 tablespoons oil in small bowl. (Onions and mayonnaise can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Spread mayonnaise over cut sides of bread. Place bottom halves on plates. Top with roast beef, onions and arugula. Cover with top halves of bread.

*Ciabatta is an oval-shaped flat Italian bread available at many bakeries and supermarkets nationwide.