Chicken Pasta Salad

I love chicken salad. I've been refining this recipe for ten years. I finally settled on one that is very low fat, yet tangy enough for me to love it. My best chicken salad recipe ever. But first...

If you love chicken you need to know about Frankenmuth, Michigan. It's a Bavarian village in central Michigan known for their all you can eat chicken dinners.

I think they put crack in the seasonings, because I have never met anyone who doesn't speak reverently about the last time they overate when ordering the famous chicken dinner and how they anxiously await the next opportunity to overindulge. I use the secret Frankenmuth chicken seasonings blend in a lot of recipes because it is unique, versatile and reminds me of good times with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 tbs. Frankenmuth or other chicken seasoning
2/3 box of Rotini pasta
2 dozen seedless red grapes halved
5 celery stalks chopped
1 medium red onion chopped
1/3 cup Miracle whip
1/2 cup fat free Zesty Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and let cool.
3. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips, coat lightly all over with chicken seasonings. Arrange strips into a single layer in a glass dish for baking. Do not over-crowd the dish.
4. Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, chop into 1 inch cubes and let cool.
5. Combine pasta, chicken, grape halves, celery, onion, relish, salad dressing, Miracle Whip and mix thoroughly.
6. Refrigerate and try to wait to eat some!
7. Serve with red grapes, cold water, crackers and girls fanning you on the chaise.

What's left makes about 4-5 salads for lunch, if you didn't scarf it down when you made it.

Braised Beef Stew - Slow Cooker Style

The best thing about this recipe is that today at 3:30pm I realized all I had to do was heat up last night's dinner slowly in a crock pot and I was going to have THIS! for dinner again tonight at 5:30. I couldn't go anywhere and get this dish for any amount of money.

I admit, it was quite a bit of effort the day before. I think it took me 45 minutes to put this together and then it takes 4-5 hours to cook. But it is worth it.

INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing and drizzling
4 onions, very thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
3 pounds chuck, bottom round or top sirloin steak
1/2 cup of sweet red wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-5 starchy potatoes
2 cans Italian tomatoes (32 oz.), sliced or roughly crushed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, divided
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 handfuls)

PREPARATION
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic to the hot olive oil and sweat them until very soft and very light caramel in color, 20-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve.
2. Add a thin layer of olive oil in another skillet and heat to medium high. Pat the meat dry and season very liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat to a deep brown all over in the skillet, 12-15 minutes.
3. Peel the potatoes and very thinly slice them lengthwise into planks. Slice the tomatoes, working over a bowl to catch their juices.
4. Turn the crock pot on high and add the beef. If the meat is thick slice it in two and cover the bottom in one layer approximately 1- 1 1/2" thick.
5. Deglaze the meat skillet with 1/2 cup of red wine and add the sauce and drippings to the meat in the crock pot.
6. Arrange half of the onions over top of the meat. Season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme.
7. Arrange half of the potatoes over the onions and dress with a liberal drizzle of olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, salt, pepper, half of the rosemary and a handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Top the potatoes with on can of tomatoes and their juices and season with salt and pepper.
9. Repeat the layers.
10. Cover the crock pot and cook on high until the meat is very tender, 4-5 hours.
11. To serve, cut down through the layers of the potatoes, tomatoes and onions to portion the meat. Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread and pan juices....or cool and store for make-ahead meal.

Adapted from Rachael Ray's "Grandpa's Braised Beef".

Serves 5-6