Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish)

Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish) accented with sliced beets sprinkled with goat cheese and honey roasted pecans.

I had the in-laws over for Easter dinner this year (2024). I wanted to have a touch of Polish flavor so I made ham and kielbasa, along with potato and cheese and sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi. I also made, for the first time, a Polish vegetable salad called Sałatka Jarzynowa in Polish. I don’t remember any of my Polish relatives making this dish, but I reached out to folks on the I Love My Polish Heritage Group on Facebook and so many folks recommended it. It was absolutely delicious and everyone enjoyed it! There are many variations, but I experimented and made my own combination. The only odd items were the apple and the parsnip. I highly recommend including both.

Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish)

INGREDIENTS

5 medium red skin potatoes

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2” dice

1 medium to large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

2 cups frozen baby green peas

1/2 cup celery, chopped finely

1 medium dill pickle, chopped finely

1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into1/2"dice (I used Fuji)

3 green onions, white part and a little green, chopped finely (optional)

DRESSING

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced

DIRECTIONS

In a medium pot, boil potatoes in their skins in salted water until fork tender. Drain potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate medium pot, gently boil carrots and parsnips in salted water until fork tender. Cook peas in salted water for about 4-5 minutes. Drain vegetables and then put into an ice bath. Drain and let sit for about 1/2 hour or until most of the water has drained away.

When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2" cubes.

Transfer chopped cooked vegetables, chopped pickles, chopped apple, and chopped green onion in a large mixing bowl and carefully mix vegetables.

In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise with lemon juice, sugar and vinegar. Pour over mixed vegetables. Add chopped egg and mix dressing and egg into the vegetable/apple mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in minced parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Cover, chill in refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

Creamy Chicken with Spinach, Garlic and Shallots with Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken with Spinach, Garlic and Shallots with Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken with Spinach

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into halves and gently pounded to even thickness

1 teaspoon McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning (if unavailable use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper plus a 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced or run through a garlic press

1 shallot, halved, then thinly sliced

2/3 cup chicken bouillon

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 bag baby spinach (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup half and half

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta

3 cups extra wide egg noodles

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pesto sauce

1 teaspoon butter

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each chicken seasoning or salt and pepper and bouillon powder. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Poke hole in bag of spinach, then cook spinach in microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Check to see that spinach is wilted after 1 minute as microwave oven temperatures vary.

Melt butter in frying pan and add shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

Mix cornstarch with chicken stock. Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken stock. Cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return heat to medium and stir in spinach, cream and the remaining chicken seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper plus 1/4 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon. Simmer for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve with egg noodles.

Pasta Pesto

Cook egg noodles as directed. Drain. Return to pan. Mix in pesto sauce and butter. Serve along side or under chicken.