Mom's Day Recipes
To make her feel like a Queen 👸
This Sunday is Mother’s Day! For any men reading, I repeat, this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Also men, your wife should receive gifts on Mother’s Day, even though she’s not YOUR mother. If you have children with her (or even a dog) that counts.
Moms, we are getting so close to Summer break. I love when my kids don’t have a crazy morning routine. I’m looking the most forward to that. I also don’t plan on working less this Summer, so that will be interesting with my kids home. You think it gets easier as they get older, mine are 8 & 13, but really they just bug you to take them more places.
Our dog, Hutch, is becoming a much better pup. I’ve been walking him 2-3 times daily and what a change that has been versus just one long walk. It’s also really helping my stress levels, which is such a win win. Sometimes I listen to a podcast and sometimes I just really enjoy the quiet. It’s been amazing and I highly recommend. It really changes your mindset and I feel like I’ve been getting so much more work done because my mind is operating at higher levels.
The Recipes
I worked on three new recipes this week, all of which would be great for Mother’s Day. The first is just a super simple appetizer, Pineapple Pico de Gallo, that’s also really great paired with fish or grilled chicken. It takes about 10 minutes to chop up and it is fruity with a hint of spice and just incredible flavor. I ate it all week with tortilla chips as a snack.
Next up, we have this Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad. It’s so easy, ready in 15 minutes and goes great on croissants, bread, wrap it up into a lettuce wrap, or scoop over a salad.
The Video
If you’re having a cookout this weekend, this Dill Potato Salad is a must try recipe! It’s a little bit of prep time (about an hour), but it can be made up to a day ahead, so you can just pull it out of the fridge when you’re ready to eat.
Plus, I promise it’s worth the extra work. This is a family recipe, that I’ve added a bit more dill into, because I love dill flavor. It’s great to pair with my pulled pork recipe, hot dogs, bbq chicken or Smash Burgers.
I hope everyone enjoys a great Mother’s Day weekend & see you next week for more Summer favorites!
Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Fridge Time: 30 Minutes
Makes 2-3 cups, enough for 4-5 servings
Serve on Croissants, with Bread, or over Romaine Hearts for Lettuce Wraps!
Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, then meat diced small
½ cup pecans, whole or roughly chopped (not chips, which are too small)
½ cup yellow onion, diced fine
2 celery stalks, diced fine
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
½ cup mayonnaiseÂ
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
â…› teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken. Carefully hand pull the meat from the bones, and dice the chicken into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Into a stainless steel skillet over medium high heat on the stovetop, add in the chopped pecans. Cook for 2-4 minutes until toasted, stirring frequently. As soon as the pecans start to brown and smell fragrant, remove to a plate.
Place the pecans on a cutting board and give them a rough chop.
Into a large bowl, add in the diced chicken, toasted pecans, onion, celery, parsley, cranberries, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Stir to combine, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!Â
Substitutions and Variations:
If you don't want to use rotisserie chicken, substitute with two chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper & bake at 350 degrees on a baking rack over a cookie sheet, for 25-35 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. The time required in the oven depends on the thickness of the chicken.
Love grapes in chicken salad? Feel free to slice them in half and add about ½ cup into the mix.
For a creamier chicken salad, add in 1 tablespoon at a time of mayonnaise until you get the desired texture.
Instead of pecans, toasted slivered almonds or walnuts can be used.
Buying Tip:
This recipe only calls for a ½ cup of pecans. If you don't want to buy a giant expensive bag or container of pecans, look for a small bag in the baking isle.
I was able to find the Fisher brand, chopped pecans, in a tiny ½ cup bag for only a few dollars.
Expert Tips:
When working with the rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and make sure to remove all the bones from the meat before chopping.
Watch the pecans while toasting and remove from pan as soon as they are toasted. They can burn really quickly.
Thanks so much for supporting my small business and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
xoxo~Tara