mustard – The Pajama Chef

10 Minute Lunches, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches and Wraps

10 Minute Lunch #7: Curried Chicken Salad

April 10, 2015December 14, 2015 Sarah

Chicken salad… it can be boring, or awesome. This version is pretty darn amazing! I hope you give it a try. 🙂

Back in the days of grad school, I was ALL about the 10 minute lunch. These working days, I am ALL about leftovers for lunch… or special salads. 🙂 But I resurrected the 10 minute lunch lately with this fantastic curried chicken salad! I saw a few pics of curried chicken salad from different folks on Instagram, but I just made my own version based on what I had in my fridge.

I enjoyed this chicken salad on some fresh, homemade whole wheat bread. Recipe coming soon! But back to this chicken salad…it’s filled with all sorts of deliciousness. Golden raisins [golden > regular in my book!], crunchy celery, curry powder [duh], cinnamon [for a sweet kick!], and real mayo! I’ve tried to like using greek yogurt in the place of mayo, but I almost never like it… So why skip the good stuff?

This curried chicken salad was a great few day’s worth of lunches. I used leftover shredded chicken from one of the whole chickens we roast a couple times a month, but you could also use store-bought rotisserie chicken or just poach some chicken. It made for some great, hearty sandwiches. Creamy, crunchy, and flavorful! And fast! Just what I like for busy lunchtimes. 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Coconut Curry Popcorn
two years ago: Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
three years ago: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
four years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Curried Chicken Salad

Servings: 2
Time: 5 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 of an apple, diced – about 1/2 cup
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
bread, lettuce, crackers for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, apple, celery, and golden raisins. Add mayo, lemon juice, and mustard and stir to coat. Sprinkle curry powder and cinnamon on top then stir again.

Serve on good bread, a crisp lettuce leaf, or with crackers.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

#10DaysofTailgate: Chipotle Mustard Pork Chops

September 28, 2014September 29, 2014 Sarah

Pork chops quickly marinated in a spicy chipotle mustard sauce are an easy and yummy weeknight dinner option!

We’re in the homestretch of #10DaysofTailgate! This is my second to last recipe for this fabulous event! But you can still enter the giveaway…go here for more info asap!

I always forget about pork chops. It’s not that we don’t like pork. When we have company over or want a dinner with loads of leftovers, I don’t hesitate to make pulled pork or carnitas. Ben’s obsessed with bacon and sausage. [True story.] But pork chops seem to sit in our freezer for.eve.r. before I make something with them. And I’m not sure why. In my opinion, they’re easier to cook than a regular old chicken breast, and they feel fancier too. But as soon as I heard about one of the sponsors for #10DaysofTailgate I KNEW I was going to be making some pork chops, because one of our sponsors is El Diablo Hot & Spicy Mustard. And mustard pork chops are amazing!! These mustards come in all sorts of fun flavors like Mango, Smoky Chipotle, and Jalapeno. I’ve already used two–Mango in an aoili for sweet potato fries [yummm!] and the Smoky Chipotle for these pork chops. Another #10DaysofTailgate sponsor came in handy for this recipe too–ThermoWorks’ ThermoPop, a pocket digital thermometer. I didn’t have a good meat thermometer before this–just a cheapo from our wedding five years ago that didn’t really work–so I’m really excited to use this thermometer in my kitchen now. 🙂 And it’s red too! Super cute. Anyways, these pork chops were so simple and so flavorful… just a mixture of spicy mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Thai basil. I grilled them indoors because it was getting dark but they can be grilled outside too obviously. If you can’t find El Diablo, any spicy mustard plus a tablespoon of chipotle peppers will do.

Thanks to El Diablo for your delicious mustards–check ’em out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and thank you to ThermoWorks for the fun red thermometer! They’re on Twitter and Facebook too. You can win products from both awesome companies in the giveaway. And hey, do you guys see what state my pork chop looks like??! If you say INDIANA you’re right! 🙂 Happy Sunday!

three years ago: Butternut Squash Apple Soup
for years ago: Whole Wheat Pancakes

Chipotle Mustard Pork Chops

Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes
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Ingredients:

1/3 cup El Diablo Roasted Chipotle Hot & Spicy Mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped
4 pork chops – I used a thin cut since I was grilling indoors but use whatever you like, thicker is better outside

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together mustard, vinegar, and Thai basil. Add pork to the bowl and combine to coat. Let rest for 40 minutes. If you prefer to do this in a plastic bag, that works too.

Grill until cooked through, about 4 minutes for me on my George Foreman grill. You can also grill these outdoors if you prefer.

Here’s what the rest of the team brought to the table today…

Starters

‘Da Bears in ‘Da Blankets by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Philly Cheese Steak Eggrolls by Cooking In Stilettos

Ketchup & Mustard Glazed Meatballs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Duck Bacon, Pear, Brie Baked Wontons by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Mains
Buffalo Chicken Sliders by girlichef

Chipotle Ranch Chicken Wings by Cheese Curd In Paradise

White Chicken Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Saucy Maple Leaf Duck Sliders by Making Miracles

Three Pepper Burgers by Eliot’s Eats

Chipotle Mustard Pork Chops by The Pajama Chef

Sides

Salads in Jars by OnTheMove-In the Galley

Disclosure: I received a complementary stash of mustard from El Diablo and a complementary Thermopop as part of my participation in #10DaysofTailgate. I was not compensated in any way–for my time, to create a recipe, or to publish positive comments. I was not required to use these products as part of my recipe. My opinions are my own.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces

Baked Honey Chicken Nuggets with Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce

August 6, 2014August 4, 2014 Sarah

These baked chicken nuggets and homemade honey mustard sauce are an easy way to satisfy fast food cravings at home!

Even though I love salads, vegetables, and all sorts of healthy goodness, as well as eating at local restaurants, sometimes fast food just sounds SO good. Do you know what I mean? I rarely indulge, except on road trips or nights that I really really have no desire to cook and we have no leftovers. [This is super rare.] To be completely honest, the health aspect is only part of the reason I don’t indulge that often. It’s the cost. It just seems ridiculous to me to spend $7+ on a “good” fast food meal… especially keeping in mind what fast food is really made of. So what to do, what to do. Make my own fast food, of course! Chicken nuggets and chicken tenders are my absolute fave. Always have been, always will be.

True, it takes longer. And it’s not exactly like what you’d get at a fast food place. But seriously… if it’s just the crunch of chicken and the endless vats of dipping sauce that you desire, this will be well worth it! I’m not going to lie; these chicken nuggets aren’t healthy. They’re baked, not fried, so there is some redeeming qualities to them, but healthy they are not. Their breading is held on by an unexpected blend of balsamic vinegar and honey, a combination that’s sweet and savory all at once!

Though you can dip these chicken nuggets in whatever sauce you like–ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard… might I suggest this homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce? Before seeing this recipe I didn’t realize that Chick-Fil-A had their own special sauce besides their honey mustard, so I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this recipe. I can speak for the taste though–it’s amazingly, utterly, wonderfully delicious! So next time you have a craving for fast food, why not make some at home? I bet you have most of these ingredients in your pantry and fridge right now! I know I do. 🙂 Enjoy!

one year ago: Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
two years ago: Pesto Potato Salad
three years ago: Salmon with Lemon, Tarragon, and Garlic Sauce
four years ago: Summer Mexican Soup

Baked Honey Chicken Nuggets with Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce

Servings: 4-5
Time: 45 minutes
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from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Ingredients:

for chicken nuggets

1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, Panko if possible – if regular bread crumbs you may want to toast in a dry skillet for a few minutes until golden brown
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

for Chick-Fil-A sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce

Directions:

Line a large sheet pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together honey and balsamic vinegar. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Roll chicken in honey then dip in bread crumbs, being sure to coat each side. Place on prepared pan and repeat until all chicken is used. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

After chicken is in the oven, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate while chicken cooks, about 30 minutes, to allow flavors to marry.

Serve chicken nuggets with sauce, ketchup, etc. Extra sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

Potatoes, Recipes, Sides

Mom’s Potato Salad

July 13, 2013July 12, 2013 Sarah

Everybody has their own favorite potato salad recipe. You know, the only one you’ll make. Well, this is mine. Actually my Mom’s, or more likely her Mom’s. Or something like that. Anyways. This potato salad is absolutely perfect. Creamy, crunchy, classic–with just the right ratio of potatoes to eggs to celery to onion, with a super simple mayo-mustard dressing. The only catch? You must make it in this very yellow bowl for its perfection to truly shine through.

Yes, that faded Pyrex yellow bowl is the potato salad bowl. A piece of family history, if you will. If you don’t have one, don’t despair. Just be sure to serve it up with tons of paprika and it’ll even out. 🙂 Lots of paprika on potato salad is key, imo. Do you agree?

Maybe it’s easier for me to make it in this bowl because it’s one of those recipes where you just eyeball everything without measuring [though I did provide rough measurements in the recipe below, recorded from when I recently made this].

Regardless of the bowl, this is seriously the best potato salad I’ve ever had, and I hope you’ll give it a try too! But even though I think this is the best, I’m curious to know… what’s in your potato salad? Links welcome! I’m super curious. 🙂

P.S. I know I don’t usually post on Saturdays but I just joined The Salad Bar, which is a new monthly blogging group challenge. Wendy of The Weekend Gourmet started this group last month and I am so happy to be part of it. You can request to join by clicking on the above image [linking to our Facebook page]. The theme this month is potluck salads, so please check out the other awesome recipes below. I know I cannot wait to do just that later today!! 🙂 Have a great weekend!

Mom’s Potato Salad
click to print

Ingredients:

6-8 white potatoes [about 2 lbs]
3-4 hardboiled eggs, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
about 1/2 to 1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
about 2 to 4 tablespoons yellow mustard
freshly cracked black pepper
paprika

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add potatoes, and cook until soft. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into chunks and place in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, celery, and onion, then enough mayonnaise to coat. Add mustard to taste, then season with a little pepper and a lot of paprika.

Serve warm or chilled.

Time: 60 minutes.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Sweet Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops

July 26, 2010December 5, 2014 Sarah

Last night for dinner we had some fabulous grilled pork chops. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had grilled pork chops before, but I have a feeling we will be grilling them more often from now on. Yum! I’m not exactly sure where I found the recipe that I adapted for this meal–somewhere in the newspaper, I believe–but it sure was a tasty meal!

Sweet Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops

Servings: 4
Time: 15 minutes + overnight marination
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Ingredients:

4 pork chops
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Directions:

Combine the brown sugar, pepper, onion powder, and paprika and rub the mixture on both sides of pork chops. Cover and refrigerate overnight [I let mine sit for about 22 hours]. The next day, combine honey and mustard and set aside. Grill pork chops [husband used the George Foreman] until they are approaching desired doneness, then brush on glaze for last minute or so of cooking.