This week I’m away visiting my family and my sister and I always manage to get in at least one picnic whenever I make the trip, so this chicken salad sandwich recipe – a picnic classic – kicks off picnic week here on the site!
I inherited a huge love of sandwiches from my mother. And of all the many different kinds in the world, chicken salad sandwiches are among the best in my opinion. They’re a type of sandwich that can be changed or altered however you choose, and they really are so easy to whip together – especially if you have leftover chicken in your fridge.
Ingredients:
2 slices white bread 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or about 1 cup of cooked chicken) 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more if needed 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon dried dill 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 stalk celery, diced 1/2 onion, grated 1/2 cup shredded lettuce Cucumber and tomato slices, if desired Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Place mayonnaise and rice vinegar in a bowl and stir to combine. (You can add more mayonnaise later, but be sure to start with just this small amount so you don’t add too much. Remember, it’s much easier to add more than it is to take it out!) Add in the dill, crushed mustard and coriander seeds, garlic powder, celery, and onion. Stir thoroughly to combine. Now is the time to add more mayonnaise if you wish.
2.) Spread chicken salad over one piece of bread. On the other, spread a bit more mayonnaise just to moisten the bread if you choose, and then layer on the shredded lettuce, followed with the cucumber and tomato slices. Place this piece of bread on top of the bread with the chicken salad.
Yesterday we talked about chicken salad sandwiches, and today we look into another one of the best sandwiches you could bring to any picnic – egg salad sandwiches. I know a great many people put pickles into their egg salad, but I prefer to stick with plain cucumbers. I find they complement the salad better, rather than completely taking it over, and they provide even more crunch. Other than that, I leave it pretty simple. I mean, it’s egg salad. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here.
Ingredients:
3 eggs 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 stalk celery, finely diced 1/4 cup English cucumber, finely diced 1/4 cup onion, finely diced 1 tablespoon dill, chopped 1/4 cup mayonnaise 4 slices white bread Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Fill a small saucepan with water and the one tablespoon of vinegar. Add the eggs, cover, and put over high heat. Bring to a boil and when it’s rapidly boiling, turn the heat off, leaving the saucepan on the burner. Allow the eggs to steam in the hot water for about 10 minutes, and then remove the eggs from the hot water. Place them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and let them sit for at least ten minutes.
2.) Meanwhile, start making the rest of the salad. Place celery, English cucumber, onion, and dill in a bowl and stir just to combine.
3.) To peel the eggs, remove them from the ice bath. Gently crack them on the counter, and then roll (just as gently) along the counter to break up the shell. Place the entire egg under running water and peel the shell away from the egg. When all eggs are peeled, chop them in a rough dice and place them in with the salad.
4.) Add the mayonnaise to the salad, stir and season with salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5.) Spread half of the egg salad onto one slice of the bread, and then spread the other half on another slice of bread. Top with the two remaining slices of bread and slice in half.
Egg salad sandwiches aren’t the only egg dish that can be taken along on picnics – deviled eggs are another classic (and they’re great for potlucks too!) Just like many others, I grew up on deviled eggs, as it was another dish that my mom absolutely nailed. I remember any potlucks or picnics that we went too, my mom was right there with a platter of those divine-looking eggs, with their puffy clouds of yellow goodness sticking out. Of course, you can change them up however you’d like but these are the ones that started all those variations off. And they’re also the ones I grew up on.
1.) Cut each of the eggs in half and using a spoon, gently remove the egg yolks and place them into a large bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, and mash together so that all ingredients are combined. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2.) Spoon or pipe yolk filling back into the hollowed-out egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish.
3.) Serve, or store in the fridge until serving time, and enjoy!
The best part of a picnic is when someone drags out the old Hibachi or other portable grill and grills up, well, anything. But of all things that can be grilled, hot dogs are surely some of the best. These are typical dogs that you’d find at just about any picnic, with a little Asian coleslaw on top.
Ingredients:
6 hot dogs 6 hot dog buns 1/2 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 orange pepper, thinly sliced 2 green onions, thinly sliced 4 radishes, julienned 1/4 cup olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions:
1.) In a large bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh ginger, soy sauce, honey, and chili pepper flakes. Whisk to thoroughly combine all ingredients together.
2.) To the dressing add the red cabbage, orange pepper, green onions, and radishes. Stir to mix the vegetables with the dressing entirely, and set aside for 20 minutes.
3.) Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium heat. When hot, add the hot dogs and cook for a few minutes before turning and cooking for another few minutes on the other side. Remove from grill and place one into each hot dog bun. Top with Asian slaw.
Egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, and chicken salad sandwiches are all great for picnics, but what about when it comes time for dessert? When it comes to satisfy your sweet tooth at a picnic, there’s only one option – s’mores! But what if you’re picnicking in an area that doesn’t have a fire pit, or allow open fires? Then you just have to make them in the oven, wrap them in foil, and bring ‘em with you in your basket. This is how you do it.
Ingredients:
8 graham crackers 2 Hershey’s chocolate bars, or other solid chocolate bars that can be easily broken up 4 large marshmallows Powdered sugar for sprinkling, if desired
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2.) Place four of the graham crackers on a cookie sheet. Break up the chocolate bars and evenly distribute them among the graham crackers. Top with one marshmallow each and place in oven. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with remaining graham crackers to make a sandwich, pressing down slightly.
When my mother-in-law, Jennie, handed me a tub of beige dip, I have to admit, I thought it was hummus. Then she told me that it was actually something much more unique than that – it was a dip, made out of cashews. After tasting it, I knew I had to try it. She said it consisted of very few ingredients (which only intrigued me even more) – cashews, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, water, and seasoning. My version uses the peanut instead of cashews (only because of the price difference) and because of their overwhelming taste (especially when there are so many of them ground to bits,) I found I had to add a bit more seasoning and spices. Both dips were really good though, so I suggest you try both versions.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups peanuts Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon cayenne 1 teaspoon dill Salt Tortilla or pita chips for serving
Directions:
1.) Place everything but the chips in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Lemon, lime, and pork tenderloin go so well together, I thought I’d mix ‘em all up, throw the pork on the grill, and see what happens. Turns out, it was something pretty good.
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin Juice of two lemons Juice of two limes 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons fresh dill Salt Pepper Lemon and lime wedges, for garnish, if desired
Directions:
1.) Combine the lemon juice, lime juice, honey, olive oil, Dijon, dill, and a touch of salt and pepper in a resealable bag. Rinse the pork and pat it dry. Place the pork in the bag, turn to cover in the marinade, and refrigerate for about two hours, turning occasionally to ensure the pork is covered evenly.
2.) Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill to medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade, wiping off any excess, and place on hot grill. Cover and cook for 7 minutes before turning and finish cooking on the other side, about another 7 minutes. Make sure the grill cover is closed to keep in as much of the heat as possible. Pork is done when you can poke it and it feels firm but still has a bit of give.
3.) Remove pork from grill, turning heat source off, cover, and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into 1″ thick slices.
Steak is one of my favourite foods, and chimichurri is one of my favourite sauces. Put them together, and you have a thing of magic. This whole entire meal is really good, and comes together in under 20 minutes (minus the marinating time.) I’m not kidding. Put the rice on before you start anything else, and it will just be finishing up by the time your steak is rested and ready to be cut.
Ingredients:
2 sirloin tip steaks 1 1/2 cups cold coffee 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or white) 1 cup fresh basil leaves 1 cup fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 teaspoon red chili flakes 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice 2 cups water 1 tablespoon butter Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Add cold coffee, white wine, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, a touch of salt, and pepper to a shallow casserole dish. Whisk to thoroughly combine all ingredients. Add the steak, turn to coat in marinade, and then place in fridge for at least one hour (it can be left in there for several hours if need be.)
2.) When ready to start cooking, place uncooked rice in a medium-sized saucepan along with two cups of water, butter, and a touch of salt. Cover and place over high heat until it comes to a boil. As soon as it’s boiling, turn heat down to low and allow the rice to finish steaming for about 10 minutes. Then shut heat off and leave on the burner while you finish the rest of the meal.
3.) Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce. Place basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and red chili flakes in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and pulse until everything is broken down. Run the food processor again and with it running, slowly stream in 1/2 cup olive oil. You may need to scrape down the sides of the processor once or twice to ensure that everything is blended together.
4.) When the chimichurri sauce is done, heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove steak from the marinade and allow excess to drip off. When grill is hot, place the steak on and cook for about three minutes before turning and cooking for another three minutes (for medium-rare steak) on the other side.
5.) Remove steak from the grill, place on a cutting board and cover to allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then, slice it very thinly.
6.) Place all of the rice on a large serving platter and arrange steak slices over top. Drizzle with the chimichurri sauce.
When we think of cabbage as a side dish, too often we limit ourselves to just coleslaw. But there’s a lot you can do with this cruciferous vegetable, and braised red cabbage is one of the prettiest side dishes of all. I’ve kept it pretty basic this time, but you can add nearly anything you’d like to it, and even turn it into the classic cabbage and bacon side, just by crisping up some bacon first and using the fat from it instead of butter and oil.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 small head red cabbage (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 4 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup water
Directions:
1.) Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onion and cabbage and stir to coat in the fat. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about three minutes.
2.) Add the vinegar, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar if needed.
Recently I took a trip to my hometown of Niagara-On-The-Lake and while there, my mom and I got talking about Cobb salad one day. We discussed the things that typically went into it, as well as how it got its name. Ever since that conversation, I’ve been thinking about the Cobb, which was also one of the very first things I learned to make in restaurants. There’s definitely a lot of chopping that goes into it – maybe that’s why prep work was always my favourite in the kitchen. Once you’ve got it all done though, it’s really just a matter of assembling this composed salad, and all you need for the vinaigrette is a blender and a few simple ingredients.
As for the conversation that began my reminiscing of the Cobb salad? Turns out it was created by Robert Cobb way back in the 1930s, and just like Caesar salad, it was invented by Cobb throwing together whatever he had on hand in his own kitchen that day. There are typical ingredients that go into it and they can be remembered through the mnemonic EAT COBB: Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue Cheese. Of course, today’s recipe standards are a bit looser so you can substitute some of the ingredients, according to what you have on hand in your own kitchen. I did away with the blue cheese, tomato, and avocado and substituted them with roasted asparagus (at least I still got the “A” in there,) Cheddar cheese, green onions, and carrots. It was all still very, very good!
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 head of lettuce, ripped into pieces, washed and dried 4 pieces bacon 2 large carrots, peeled and julienned 1/2 English cucumber (about 1 – 1/2 cups), peeled and diced 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded 3 eggs 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 cup asparagus (10 – 12 thick stalks) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed 2 green onions, diced Salt Pepper
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sugar 1 green onion, roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, smashed 1/3 cup olive oil Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Dice up the bacon and place it in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon bits are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels, and set aside.
2.) Meanwhile, place eggs into a medium-sized saucepan and fill with water. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it’s come to a rapid boil, turn heat off, leaving the lid on and the pan on the burner. Let sit for ten minutes before transferring eggs to a bowl of ice water. Once the eggs have cooled down, gently crack and roll along the countertop. Hold under cold running water while gently peeling the egg away. Once all the eggs have been peeled, dice them up and set aside.
3.) Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roughly chop up the asparagus, place them in a shallow casserole dish or baking tray and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn them to ensure that all ingredients are fully combined and then place them in the hot oven. Allow to roast for about 10 minutes before removing and setting them aside to cool down.
4.) In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing except for the olive oil. Blend until smooth and then slowly stream in the olive oil to thicken. Set aside.
5.) Arrange lettuce on four plates, allowing it to completely cover the bottom of the plate. In columns, arrange veggies and proteins in columns. You can do this any way you feel is the prettiest, but to mix up the colours a bit this is the order in which I did mine: bacon, carrots, cucumber, cheese, egg, asparagus, and cooked chicken. Sprinkle green onion over top of each plate and then drizzle vinaigrette over top.
