This month, we are introducing our new bloggers not only with their posts, but with a video!

Meet Rhonda:

By Rhonda Woods

I am the Chef/Instructor for the Pelion High School Culinary Arts program.  This is my 18th year of teaching Level One and Level Two students in grades 10-12.

I began compiling recipes of my Chef Woods Facebook page when I accompanied my late “sweet husband” to his doctor appointments and chemo treatments.  He lost his short 18 month battle with Metatastic Melanoma Cancer.  I thank God for healing him and taking him home, but miss him greatly.

Cooking is and has been my stress relief.  I now get to teach others my passion for cooking…and especially baking.  So, let begin with a favorite of our faculty and staff, Autumn Chicken Salad!

Tips:

1. Mise en place, a French term that means to “put in place”, or have all of your ingredients washed, prepped, measured or weighed and all tools. This helps prepare the recipe quickly…kinda like a food network show!
2. Use a sharp knife for cutting. A dull knife is less safe because it takes more pressure to use than a sharp one.
3. A food processor with a “pulse” button is your friend. Makes quick work on chopping and give you the control over how much chopping needed to be done rather than just using the “on” button.
4. Chicken salad is highly perishable, also know as TCS food. Foods that require minimum time in the temperature range from 41 degrees F-70 degrees F. Six hours total without refrigeration, but the internal temp cannot exceed 70 degrees F.

5. Chicken salad has a refrigerated shelf life of 7 days, counting the day it was made.

Ingredients

1 lb. cooked, diced white meat chicken

1 hard boiled egg

1/4 c. Onion (@1/4 of a small onion) cut into large chunks

2 ribs celery, washed and cut into large chunks

1/4 of a Granny Smith Apple, small diced

1/4 c. Dried cranberries, rehydrating is optional (just soak in some hot water to plump up, the drain)

1/4 c. Sliced almonds

1 t salt or lite salt

1/4 t. Ground or coarse black pepper

1/2 c. Light Duke’s mayonnaise

1/2 c. Light Daisy sour cream

Directions:

1. In the food processor bowl with a blade attachment, pulse the chicken @ 6-8 times and remove to a non-reactive bowl.
2. Pulse the onion and celery to the same consistency as the chicken and remove.
3. Pulse the hard boiled egg 3-4 times and remove.
4. Combine the chopped chicken, vegetable and egg mixture with the remaining ingredients.
5. Adjust the consistency with additional mayonnaise and sour cream, and flavor with salt and pepper.
6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Serve with crackers, bread or on a bed of salad greens.