Summer and salads just seem to go together.
Make-ahead cooling dishes that may be brought out at a moments’ notice and savored by all.
The following recipes are three easy to prepare dishes that I often serve.
They are great go to dishes for harried hosts and hostesses, who are short on time, but want to serve a memorable meal.
Round out these three salads with a crisp farm stand salad with your favorite salad dressing, served on the side and you have an easy to make feast.
If you are feeling a little ambitious…add sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella and fresh basil to round out your seasonal meal.
Whether you make part of this menu or all of it, your guests are in for a delicious repast.
Menu
Serves 6
Culinary Architect Catering’s
Fabulous Chicken Chutney
Suzy’s Pasta Salad
Peggy’s Potato Salad
Farm Greens with Your
Favorite Dressing*
Tomatoes Pinwheel*
*Recipe Not Given
Culinary Architect Catering’s Fabulous Chicken Chutney
2 lbs. boneless and
skinless free-range organic
chicken breasts, sliced
into chunks
4 cups chicken stock
(preferably homemade)
1 red onion, sliced thinly and
soaked in water to cover with
1 tblsp Sugar, overnight
1 jar Major Grey’s Chutney
3 tblsp Penzey’s Curry
Forward (available at
Penzey’s, Voice Rd., Carle Place)
1 bunch green and red
grapes, sliced in half
1. Make the chicken. Bring stock to a boil, add chicken and poach until done, approximately 8 minutes. Remove chicken from stock.
2. In a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, puree chutney and curry.
3. Place chutney mixture in a large bowl. Add chicken, drained onion and grapes. Gently combine. Refrigerate until serving.
Suzy’s Pasta Salad
1 lb. medium-size shrimp,
peeled and deveined
1/2 lb. pasta (penne works
great)
1 cup peas frozen, defrosted-
if you use fresh peas boil
them 1/2 cup sweet red pep
pers, diced
1/2 cup purple onion,
minced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup sliced black olive
1/4 cup artichoke hearts
1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta. Return to boil. Cook until pasta is tender. Remove pasta.
2. Boil water again, remove from heat and add shrimp to cook for 4 minutes. Drain. Toss shrimp and pasta into a large bowl.
3. Add peas, peppers and onion. Toss again. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and basil together. Add and toss.
4. Add artichoke hearts and season to taste. Toss again.
3. Sprinkle black olives over top and serve.
Peggy’s Potato Salad
8 Yukon Gold potatoes,
mashed, cut into chunks,
boiled
1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
2. Add drained potatoes and gently toss. Refrigerate until serving.
OPTIONAL:
Additions: You may add freshly chopped herbs,red pepper squares, scallions, sliced thinly, celery, thinly sliced or your favorite vegetable, thinly sliced…be creative.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 33-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. For more photos and presentation follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook. Please email me photos of your dishes at party@culinaryarchitect.com
The Culinary Architect: End of summer salads to savor into fall
By Alexandra Troy
