sunday feast

I whipped up a feast yesterday: chicken salad served on homemade rolls with rice pilaf and fresh pineapple. I'm happy to say that, for the most part, it turned out great. The only major problem was that I accidentally whipped up way too much. Happily, though, that was easily solved with the invitation of some friends who were willing to come over at almost the last minute to help us eat it.

The was my first attempt at homemade rolls. I recently found a recipe for frozen dinner rolls (much likes the Rhodes variety) that I wanted to try. Last Thursday, I made the dough and froze it. They didn't turn out very pretty looking, and they were a lot smaller than I'd anticipated, but they tasted great, which I guess in the end is what really matters.

The chicken salad was fantastic! Sweet and tangy and delicious. This one is definitely getting filed away in my recipe box with an A+ grade. To make the preparation easier and cheaper, I buy chicken breast on the bone, boil it to cook it ahead of time, and freeze it in portions for later use. (If you want to try this, just let the chicken sit in the boiling water for about 1 hour; when done, separate meat from skin and bones, portion out, and freeze for up to one month.) I didn't have slivered almonds or pimiento, so I didn't include any, and, in my opinion, it tasted perfectly fine. Oh, and do note that one batch makes quite a bit, and a doubled batch requires last minute dinner guests.

I cheated with the rice pilaf and pulled out a box of Rice-a-Roni. About a week ago, though, I made some from scratch and it was pretty tasty. I'll include that recipe here. The pineapple, though, was as fresh as can be. I picked one up cheap cheap the other day at 3 Guys and I'm glad I did. Garrett loves pineapple, so I love giving it to him.

So anyway, those are my notes, and here are my recipes. Do enjoy!

Frozen Dinner Rolls
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 pkgs Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup margarine
2 eggs (at room temperature)

In a large bowl thoroughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast.

Combine water, milk, and margarine in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm. Margarine does not need to melt. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour. Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, then a towl, let rest 20 minutes.

Punch dough down. Shape into desired shapes for dinner rolls. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, sealing well. Freeze until firm. Transfer to plastic bags. Freeze up to 4 weeks.

Remove from freezer; place on greased baking sheets. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

Note: These can be baked immediately, if desired

Chicken Salad Supreme
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 tbsp each, chopped pimiento and pickle relish
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds
2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
1 tbsp minced onion

Combine mayonnaise and mustard. Toss dressing lightly with remaining ingredients. Chill. Serve on bread, rolls, or a bed of greens.

Rice Pilaf
1/2 cup fine noodles, broken in pieces (I used thin spaghetti)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 can beef broth
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup raw long grain rice

In saucepan, brown noodles in butter; stir often. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20-25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Pineapple
Nothing to cook, obviously, but here's a video on how to cut one.