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Summer Chicken Salad

     Here's a refreshing summer recipe for all of you landlubbers out there!  My very own take on chicken salad! 

     I like to use a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store because it's easier than having to do it myself, plus I don't own a rotisserie so that has something to do with it as well.  I only add celery and onion to the actual salad part because sometimes simpler is better and they add both great taste and crunch to the salad!

Summer Chicken Salad

by

The Pirate Chef

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken 

2-3 Ribs of Celery, diced small

1/2 Large Onion, diced small

     Dressing:

        1-1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

        1/2 Cup Milk

        1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar

        1/3 Salad Oil (I use Canola)
        1 Tablespoon Sugar
        Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1) Remove all the meat from the chicken, discard the skin and fat (you can save the bones for stock)
2) Cut the chicken into small, bite-size pieces (you can also shred it if you'd like)
3) Mix the chicken, celery, and onion in a bowl
4) In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing
     4.1) Start with 1/2 Tablespoon each of salt and pepper
5) Whisk the dressing ingredients together, adding salt and pepper to taste
6) Combine some of the dressing with the salad, folding together with a spatula
7) Add more dressing and fold again until you reach the consistency you like
8) Let sit for at least 2 hours in the fridge, or overnight
9) Serve on bread, crackers, or just by itself!

Legless, the Pirate Corkscrew

     So I have something a little different for you today.  Instead of a recipe or food review, this is a kitchen tool review for a tool many of us are familiar with, a corkscrew.  This is not your average, run-of-the-mill corkscrew though, this is a pirate's corkscrew!

     Meet Legless, the pirate corkscrew and waiter's friend!

by  SuckUK

     Like most of us pirates, he's very durable as he's made almost completely of stainless steel, with only a light coating of heavy duty plastic for his "clothing."  He weighs in at about 1/4 of a lb so he's not a lightweight but he won't weigh you down either as he rides in the pocket of your favorite waistcoat.    The plastic doesn't have a cheap plastic feel, instead it feels like a nice powder coating and the little skull & crossbones on his bandana is raised so it won't just rub off with time.  It even comes down a bit in the back so that it looks like he's wearing an eyepatch.   If you look to the right, he's sporting a small steel hoop earring as well.

     I tested out all three components of this tool and everything worked well and reliably.  I tested the bottle opener on some beer I had in the fridge and it popped the top off nice and quick, I didn't have to move it around to another spot to get the cap off so that's always a plus for me.  The foil cutter worked better than I had hoped!  The blade is not a plain edge, nor is it a traditional serrated edge, instead the makes at SuckUK had this made with a scalloped serrated edge.  For those of you not familiar with this kind of a knife edge, it tends to cut much better than a traditional serrated edge but is more expensive to produce and worth it in my opinion.  I really like having the curved pivot arm for the cork remover, it made it a little easier to pull out the cork using it as a lever than most other tools I have used before.

     Legless comes shipped in a blister pack and is definitely worth the $15 price tag.  He's durable and definitely stands out in a crowd or similar corkscrews, just like any good pirate!  Mine will be with me at every event I go to, just in case I need a hand opening a bottle or two.  So feel free to head on over to their website and check out all the other cool stuff they sell, just click on Legless below!

     Happy Memorial Day everyone. I think this marker says it all on this day. WE have the freedoms and rights that we do because of those who fought for them, those who died for them, and those who never came home defending them. If it wasn't for those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, who knows where or who we would be now.

      So please, show our vets the respect they deserve, this day may be harder on them then you could ever realize. They have seen things we could never comprehend, and have lost brothers in arms during times of war.

     This day is to remember those who gave their lives defending our rights and freedoms, so remove your hats when the national anthem plays and let their be a moment of silence to honor the fallen.

     A Happy Memorial Day weekend to all of you!  Please remember to honor the memories of those fallen soldiers who gave their all defending our rights and freedoms!

     I have a refreshing drink recipe for you today, may it please your tastebuds and quench your thirsts this holiday weekend.  It's a variation on one of many recipes for agua fresca, calling for fresh watermelon and vodka!  We often see lots of people at this time of year eating watermelon and drinking margaritas, but this drink is light and crisp while still packing a bit of alcohol to it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Watermelon Vodka Agua Fresca

by

The Pirate Chef

Ingredients:

2 Cups of cold water

2 Cups of watermelon (rind removed, seeded and chopped)

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (this will vary depending on how sweet the watermelon is)

Juice of half a lime

4 1/2 oz of vodka (I use St. Augustine vodka*)

Directions:

1) Cut the watermelon into cubes, roughly 1 inch

2) Combine all ingredients in a larger blender and blend till smooth and no chunks are seen

3) Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, pushing down on the pulp

4) Chill for at least 30 minutes

5) Pour into an ice-filled glass and enjoy!

* I use St. Augustine vodka because it's made with sugar cane and has a sweet taste to it, reducing the amount of sugar I needed.

     Well, I just took a small step and opened up a Cafe Press store featuring the logo on a selection of items.  If there's an item you want to buy there that I don't have listed, please contact me and I will try to get it listed as quickly as possible!  Have fun and I'll have a new recipe for you guys next week, just in time for Memorial Day!

Click Here to be taken to the store!

     Sorry for the long time since posting but we've been busy with closing on a new house and moving, lots of fun and excitement there!   Here's a recipe for you from a dish I made for last night's housewarming party, enjoy!


                                              Spinach Dip
                                           by The Pirate Chef's Mom

Ingredients:

1 C mayonnaise

1 C sour cream

1 small onion, chopped

1 can water chestnuts, chopped fine

1 pkg vegetable soup mix (I prefer Knorr, just make sure you remove the peas)

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Whole (unsliced) round loaf of dense bread (sourdough works well).

Directions:

1) Mix ingredients with spoon. 

2) Cover and refrigerate several hours. (I would do a minimum of 2-3 hours)

3) Cut round of crust from top of bread. Hollow out loaf and cut removed portions into large cubes. 

4) Put dip into hollowed out bread and serve with bread cubes.