Horton's Home & Garden

Lavender Lemonade And Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Hello Everyone!
We are back with the promised recipes!

To start with...When we first began thinking of different drinks that could be served in our Patisserie on a hot summer day....Lemonade made the top the of the list. It's always good and refreshing. But how do you improve on a timeless classic?

Well Karen Kay did some research and found this twist...Lavender!

Oh yeah! One of our favorite herbs/flowers!

So here it is:
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
7 sprigs  of lavender(stems and buds) plus additional for garnish*
2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons) We used a combination of fresh lemons and concentrate.
1/2 cup fresh lime juice(from about 5 lemons)
Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill.
Serve on ice with additional lavender to garnish.
This batch makes about 16 servings..so guess how many batches Karen Kay made?
I don't exactly know...but she was up late on Friday night making more for Saturday!

Now for the Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

As you might have heard...On Saturday, lunch was served to our wonderful vendors. I wanted something light and that could be served hot or cold.

I turned to a recipe that we fix year round at our house.
It is amazing hot or cold and it makes a large amount! Perfect!

ingredients:

salt

1/2 pound bowtie pasta

3 cloves garlic,chopped

2 tablespoons McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 palmfuls

2 teaspoons Tabasco hot sauce (eyeball it and add more if you wish)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, cut into thick slices

6 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 bunches arugula

1 small head radicchio

2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

3 ribs of celery

Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 pint grape tomatoes

*I occasionally add pine nuts for a fun flavor twist

Directions:

Heat a grill to high heat ( I use my foreman grill in the winter and outside in the summer)

Bring a large pot of water to boil, once the water boils, add the salt and the pasta, cook until al dente...about 9-11minutes

In a small mixing bowl, mix the garlic, grill seasoning, tabasco,Worcestershire's sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls. Add the sliced onions to one and the chicken cutlets to the other. Toss to coat and marinade for a few minutes.

In a salad bowl, combine the mustard and the remaining 3 tablespoons of vinegar with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and then add the Parmesan Cheese.

Once the pasta is cooked,drain it thoroughly and add it to the salad bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. by adding the pasta while it is hot...it soaks up all dressing!

Grill the onion slices until they are soft and well caramelized...Grill the Chicken until done (about 3 to 4 minutes on each side) Remove both the onions and the chicken to a cutting board and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the onions and grilled chicken and then add them to the pasta.

Add the arugula, radicchio, basil, parsley, celery and grape tomatoes. Toss to coat. Add the Mozzarella and a little more salt and freshly ground pepper.

Ta Da!
Super simple really and as you know oh so good!

So there you have it...another french flea market wrapped up and tied with a bow!


The photos that Tracey took have arrived at the store...but I have yet to see them. so...I will show you a few when I get back to the store. Until then...
Thank you again for stopping by !
And to our vendors, families and faithful customers....We love you! And Appreciate your support!

Until Next time...Have a wonderful Weekend!