While You Were Out

Last weekend, I went up to Chicago for my good friend's bachelorette party.  And while I was gone, my husband (and the grandparents) did this:

This was some of the most amazing grilled chicken I have ever tasted.  There is a whole lemon, along with some herbs from the garden, stuffed up inside those bad boys.  I can't even share the recipe on here because this was the work of my dear darling husband (and he tends to fly by the seat of his pants - reading multiple recipes and using a medley of various ideas).  Now while I missed out on this action while it was fresh, let me tell you about the leftovers.  On Sunday night we enjoyed some very simple chicken sandwiches, with good 'ole white bread, a little mayo, a dab of stone ground mustard, and several slices of that savory, juicy, lemony chicken.  It didn't disappoint.  But seeing as how they cooked two whole chickens for five people, we had even more leftovers.  And since this week meant back to school for the kiddos, I took advantage of these leftovers and made them into a delicious lunch that I can grab as I walk out the door in the morning:

Most of my work colleagues are well aware of my habit to bring jarred meals to work.  Overnight oatmeal and salads in a jar are usually the only way I have nutritious and delicious meals at work.  Have you ever tried to get two small children up and out the door by 6:45 on a daily basis!?  My husband and I both have early work schedules so we have to be on the move EARLY.  If my breakfast/lunch is not 100% prepared the night before, then I find myself sipping on my chai all morning to tide me over until I make it to the drive thru line at Wendy's (or God forbid the local gyro joint) mid day.  So far that has only happened once this week (I know what you're thinking - it's only Wednesday, but that is progress for me from last year!).  And I have my breakfast and lunch all ready to go for tomorrow.  Here are two days of my salad in a jar:

1.  Chicken salad made from leftover grilled chicken (especially delicious lemony grilled chicken).  I just dice my chicken, mix with diced onion and celery and a bit of mayo and stone ground mustard.  I put the chicken salad down first, then diced tomatoes and a hard boiled egg and top with your lettuce (or arugula for me - my go to green).  I didn't bother with the dressing on these babies since the chicken salad was so flavorful.  I took half an avocado on the side to dice up and eat with the salad.  It was pretty good (save for the not so ripe avocado).

2.  Chicken, burrata, and tomato salad.  I started with my dressing in the bottom of the jar - just a little olive oil and a dab of some aged balsamic vinegar.  Then I added a layer of diced tomatoes and some diced chicken (from a can - shhhhh we didn't have any grilled chicken).  That's ok though, the layer of burrata (the next layer) will make up for it  I topped it again with several handfuls of arugula.  This gem is my lunchtime treat tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

What are your favorite quick and easy but still delicious breakfast/lunch ideas?

Postscript

P.S. The blog name has changed.  The previous name was too long and easily confused with other blogs.  Our #dining408 started with a foodie post on Instagram several months ago and has continued over the months as we have shared our culinary experiences via photos.  The new name just seems to jive well with the overall intention of the blog.  Here's to the new name, new posts, and new culinary experiences!

Upgrade Your Caprese

Today's post is not so much a recipe as grocery store advice.  Earlier this week, I realized we had a local grown tomato and overgrown basil plants in the garden that I could easily turn into a great caprese salad for dinner one night.  The only missing ingredient was the mozzarella.  When I went to the store, I was overwhelmed with the choices for fresh mozzarella - small bite size pieces, cherry tomato size balls, your standard large mozzarella chunk, etc.  But my eyes were quickly drawn to the container next to all these labeled burrata.  My cousin is a chef (like, an amazing chef) and I remember the first time I heard about burrata while visiting his restaurant.  The waiter described it as a very wet mozzarella cheese with a creamy inside.  We, of course, loved it that first time, but that doesn't really say much since we love every bite of food we eat when we visit him.  I was somewhat leery about buying burrata in the grocery store (there's no Whole Foods or Fresh Market here, folks), but I gave it a whirl.  The result was the best caprese salad I have ever had (at home or at a restaurant).

This picture really doesn't do it justice.  The burrata looks like a poached egg there, but trust me, when you bite into that creamy deliciousness, you won't be disappointed.  So next time you go looking for some fresh mozzarella, think twice about finding some burrata instead to upgrade your recipe!!