I made these sandwiches for my son's first and my husband's thirty something birthday this weekend.  They disappeared quickly off the platter, so I thought I would share the recipe!
     I really like how simple these were to make.  You use a rotisserie chicken, so you really just have to put the ingredients together, rather than  doing much cooking.  The other bonus is, you can make the chicken salad ahead of time.  Then when it is time to eat, you can quickly throw together the sandwiches.  All of the condiments and seasoning are already mixed in. The recipe makes a lot, so this is good for a party, or a few days worth of lunches.  I am not usually one for mayonnaise based salads, but I enjoyed this!

 I got the recipe from the food network. I pretty much followed these ingredients except I added about a cup of roughly chopped walnuts (make sure to warn anyone with allergies).

Ingredients
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, skin removed (I used the whole chicken)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise with olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Pinch of paprika
Freshly ground pepper
6 whole-wheat sourdough rolls, split and toasted Lettuce and tomato, for topping

Directions
Combine the chicken, celery, carrot, red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, celery salt, granulated garlic, paprika and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix until combined.

Serve the chicken salad on the toasted rolls with lettuce and tomato.

     Quinoa: You know you've heard the word.   But you always kind of wonder how it is pronounced, well it is /keenwuah/.  This seems to be the new superfood, the thing you hear everyone talking about, the food people are trying to incorporate into their diets.  Well there is a reason why! 
     Quinoa has over 9 grams of protein per cup, and it is high in fiber so it fills you up fast and you stay that way.  It is also known to be a detoxifier, bone builder, and a brain food. 
   Besides the great health benefits, it is easy to cook and has a creamy, rich, nutty flavor.  
      My teaching partner Miranda gave me this recipe.  She got it from her friend when she was trying to find tasty, diet friendly foods for her and her husband.  I then made it for my husband and I and we loved it.  So... quinoa has made it through the gauntlet and been approved. 
     I think this would be a great salad to bring to a summer barbecue. It has a light delicious flavor with diverse pops of creaminess and acidity depending on what morsel ends up in your mouth.  I added a cup of garbanzo beans and we had it as a meal all by itself.  I am now on the hunt for other good quinoa recipes.  If you've got them, try this, and then send me over your recipes!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa (dry)
1 avocado sliced
1 cup walnuts (the original recipe called for 1/2 C but we kept hunting around for the walnuts, so add more)
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup garbanzo beans

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to directions. Rinse it under cold water and put it in the fridge to chill.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the chilled quinoa, walnuts, feta cheese, onions, spinach, avocado (save some slices to set on top to look pretty), tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. 
3. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard.  Pour the dressing over salad and toss to combine,  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

    I made this salad last weekend and it was nice to see some bright vegetables during winter.  The green beans had a nice crunch and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes contrasted well with the beans.  This salad would probably be better suited for summer when all these ingredients are in season locally, but it was delicious now too!  We ate it at our friend Mary and Ryan's.  They made delicious garlic steak sandwiches.  The salad was a nice accompaniment to something rich and heavy. 




Ingredients:
Green beans
Kidney beans-1 can
Garbanzo beans-1 can1 red onion (optional)
Cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1. Bring a medium sauce pan full of water to a boil.

2.  Wash the green beans, trim the end off, and cut them in half so they are easier to eat.  

3.  When the water is boiling drop the green beans in to blanch them.  This will take a about two minutes.  The beans will turn bright green.  You want them to still have a firm crunch but not have that hint of bitterness that raw green beans have.  Immediately put them in a strainer and run cold water over them so they stop cooking.  Put them in the serving bowl.  

4.  Slice the tomatoes in half long ways and add to the serving bowl. 

5.  Drain both the kidney beans and garbanzo beans and add them as well.

6.  The red onion is optional for those that enjoy raw onions.  The key here is to not over do it!  Slice the onions as thin as you possibly can.  Put about four slices of the onion in.  You want there to be a hint of flavor rather than bombard the salad.   

7.  Pour oil and vinegar over the whole salad.  Sprinkle in salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  

8. Toss and serve!