New Year’s Salad and welcome Otis

December 31, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Fresh and healthy, Salad, Seasons Tags: gorgonzola, grapefruit, hazelnuts, orange vinaigrette, Otis, peppers, red onions, salad 46 Comments

New Year's Salad & Otis-5 Just a little hello on the last day of 2012.

Here is a salad inspired by my friend Jen who’s roots grow from Sweden. This salad, her mother’s holiday special is a great way to ring in the New Year.

Here are the nuts and bolts:

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Tarragon Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Hazelnuts & a side of Asparagus

April 17, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Fresh and healthy, Main: poultry, Salad Tags: asparagus, avocado, chicken, cranberries, hazelnuts, orange vinaigrette, radishes, tarragon 29 Comments

This tarragon chicken salad with cranberries and hazelnuts, exploding with flavor and texture, easily kept my mind off the cupcakes and yeasted cakes I’ve temporarily sworn off. And it will yours too. I didn’t search for any recipe this time because I didn’t want to know if someone’s already done it. Sometimes, with the access we have online to practically everything, it can take a bit of the thrill out of thinking you’ve discovered something for yourself. Now I know tarragon chicken salad is nothing new. And I know somebody out there has put cranberries or hazelnuts with chicken. Maybe they even used an orange vinaigrette to dress it. And yes, once I publish this post I might very well google it… but until then I’m enjoying having put this together myself.