The World According to Bella

Check out my latest story for WWN called Beach Buzz.

http://www.wwnrockport.com/2014/04/the-world-according-to-bella-beach-buzz.html#more

and Mrs. S thought you might like to check out the link below to this week's food column: Seasonal Plate. 

http://www.walkermn.com/health/homelife/the-seasonal-plate/article_9c3c8dec-ba6c-11e3-9ad2-001a4bcf887a.html
Love, Bella

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Despite the forecast, live like its spring. — Lily Pulitzer (fashion designer)

So being mindful of  this quote, enjoy these spring-like recipes for lunch or brunch. Pictured clockwise-sliced strawberries, Lemon-Rosemary Coffee Cake, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and Mango-Chutney Chicken Salad.

Mango-Chutney Salad
Cook's notes:This is not your standard deli style chicken salad with mayo, celery, and sometimes, chopped up eggs. No, this one is the kind that you get when you go to lunch with the ladies at 'Tea Room Restaurants' all across the country. But it did get a huge stamp of approval from my husband. 

Plain Greek Yogurt can be substituted for the mayonnaise. This recipe can be easily doubled. Use the ratio for dressing equal parts of mayonnaise and mango chutney. Curry spice is strong so I recommend starting out  small with 1/2 tsp. taste then increase as needed.

The curry and chutney is what makes this salad really take center stage over traditional chicken salad.
Recipe adapted from deepsouthdish.com and serves 4
Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 3 TB. green onion,chopped
• 3 TB. Miracle Whip or lite mayonnaise
• 1/2-1 tsp. curry
• 2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 3 TB. mango chutney ( I tested with Major Grey's Chutney)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or slivered almonds-reserve 1/4 cup
• 3/4 cup dried cran-raisins (plump up in a cup of boiling water and drain) or substitute 1 cup sliced red grapes 
• 1/2 cup crisp apple, diced
• glazed walnuts or almonds
• optional: 1 small can of water chestnuts, drained and diced 

Directions:

• Cut chicken into bite sized pieces
• In a large bowl mix chutney, mayonnaise, green onions,curry powder and parsley flakes
• Add in diced chicken, 1/2 cup nuts, cran-raisins or grapes, apples, celery
• Chill several hours 
• Serving options: on a bed of lettuce with rest of nuts as a garnish , or as a croissant filling or as an appetizer placed in mini-phyllo cups 

   

Lemon-Rosemary Coffee Cake

Cook's notes: A perfect coffee cake for lunch, brunch or tea. Fresh or dried rosemary compliments the lemony flavor. Buttermilk makes it very moist. A 9 inch spring form pan was suggested for baking but I substituted using a 9 inch round cake pan.

recipe adapted from Southern Living February 2012

Ingredients:

• 1 large lemons or 2 medium ones
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 tsp. apple pie spice or 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter cubed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1-1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 
• 1/3 cup prepared lemon curd (found in aisle with jellies)
• powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees-line bottom and sides of cake pan with foil and spray with PAM
• Zest lemons to equal 3 TB and squeeze lemons to equal 5 TB juice
• Reserve 1 TB. zest and 1 TB. lemon juice
• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse 3-4 times until blended or use a mixer
• Add in small butter cubes and pulse 6-7 times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs or use a pastry cutter
• Add in baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon or apple pie spice and rosemary, beat on low until blended
• Add to flour/butter mixture buttermilk, egg, 4 TB. lemon juice and 1 TB. lemon zest, beat till smooth
• In a small bowl mix 1/3 cup lemon curd, 1 TB. lemon juice and 1 TB. lemon zest, whisk until well combined
• Pour half batter in prepared cake pan or springform pan, spread evenly over batter lemon curd mixture, add rest of batter on top and smooth out
• Zest a bit of lemon over the top of batter and bake for 35 minutes
• Cool 30 minutes on a cooling rack then remove foil and continue cooling lemon cake on rack

that chutney is like a form of savory jam - a fruit preserve with the addition of some savory elements - like onion, garlic and vinegar. Chutneys are found in your grocery store on the shelf with the other fruit preserves and jellies or near the olives. If commercial fruit chutney is not available, substitute a similar preserve.