How you doin’? Tuna and chicken salad sandwiches are perfect for summer picnics and boat deck picnics (provided you keep them well chilled). If you’re looking for come-back flavor, the combination of creamy sauce, tender chicken and bright sun-dried tomatoes creates a meal with tons of craveablity.
 
The resulting tangy and delicious dressing that binds shredded chicken together perfectly for making a sandwich or scooping up with crackers or chips. A little bit of minced shallot cuts through the richness and a splash of vinegar compliments the tang from the sun-dried tomatoes. For the shredded chicken, any leftover chicken is okay to use or make it easy on yourself and use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek unflavored yogurt
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (7-ounce) jar sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 cups (about 1 pound) shredded cooked chicken
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 finely chopped large shallot
1 tablespoon chiffonade-cut fresh basil leaves
 
Directions
To make the dressing

1. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar until combined.

To mix the salad

1. Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar into small pieces (you should have about 1 cup). Reserve the oil from the tomatoes.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes to the mayonnaise mixture.
3. Add the shredded chicken, Parmesan cheese and shallot and stir until well combined.
4. Taste, season as needed and serve garnished with basil.
5. Heap the chicken salad on top of toasted brioche slices or your favorite bread, croissant or roll.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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ChefSecret:  Any soft bread is perfect for my Summer Picnic Chicken Salad Sandwiches—lightly toasted brioche or a fresh-baked butter croissant are perfect.

Quip of the Day:  I made a chicken salad this morning... But he wouldn’t eat it.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Salad #SideDish #ChickenSalad #ChickenSaladSandwiches #Chicken #SummerChickenSalad #Shallots #SunDriedTomatoes #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                      ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? To those under fifty who grew-up on a ranch where they still say, “howdy,” if I mention the words "cowboy beans" to you, what comes to mind? Probably a delicious and hearty entrée or side. The rest of you may think about the cowboy beans scene in Blazing Saddles. Humorous cultural references aside, cowboy beans are actually great and the perfect accompaniment to summer outdoor barbecues.
 
There are probably as many versions of cowboy beans as there are barbecue cooks. There are usually one or more varieties of beans in the recipes and some also include smoked meat like bacon or a smoked ham hock together with sweet tangy barbecue sauce. What defines my scratch-made Bucking Bronco Rodeo Beans, besides the beans, is a sweet barbecue sauce, smoked ham hock and coffee—yes, I said coffee.
 
Coffee is the secret ingredient in many chili recipes. The story goes back to the days when cowboys added leftover coffee to their pot of beans because fresh water was hard to come by. Coffee adds a depth of flavor and a slight bitterness that keeps the sweet-spicy of the barbecue sauce in check.
 
For the smoked meat, I use smoked ham hocks. The pit masters at Fox Smokehouse Barbecue in Boulder City use shredded burnt ends from their smoked brisket. That’s only one of the many reasons they are considered one of the top 5 barbecue restaurants in America—they’re beans are so rich and meaty.
 
For my Bucking Bronco Rodeo Beans, I cook my beans from scratch, starting with dry pinto beans. The one problem that people can encounter when cooking beans from scratch in a recipe like this is that the beans don't soften up, even with long cook times. Many things can cause this.
 
Beans like to be stored in a cool, dry environment. If you store beans in a humid, warm environment, they'll get harder. Calcium can firm up beans, so if you are cooking with hard water, which can cause beans to be too hard as well (I’ll tell you the hard water story later in this blog). Finally, old beans take longer to cook.
 
Soak the dry beans overnight in plenty of water. This will help "open up" the beans before cooking them. Add a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to each quart of soaking water. Either will reduce some of the minerals that cause the beans to be hard. Add the barbecue sauce only after the beans are soft enough to eat. All barbecue sauces have sugar and calcium in it that will keep the beans from softening.
 
Bean soak time:  8 hours or overnight
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  3-4 hours
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups (about 12 ounces) dried pinto beans
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
6 tablespoons minced garlic
1 smoked ham hock
2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
2 cups brewed coffee
1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce (I prefer Masterpiece Original)
2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
 
Directions

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak the beans overnight and then drain.
2. Heat the bacon fat and the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, lidded pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and just beginning to brown.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the drained beans to the pot with the onions. Add the smoked ham hock, the water, salt and the coffee.
6. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 hours. (Some beans may take longer to cook, especially if they are older.) The beans should be soft enough to chew but not mushy soft.
7. Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat until the meat from the ham hock begins to fall apart from the bone, about 2 hours.
9. After an hour, check on the beans every 15 minutes. If the beans begin to break down, remove from heat.
10. When the beans are done cooking, pull the ham hock and strip the meat from the bone. Add the meat to the beans and discard the bone.
11. Add salt to taste.
12. Add Tabasco Sauce for a halo of heat.
13. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make it a barbecue feast. Serve with grilled chicken, spareribs, smoked brisket, braised barbecued beef sandwiches, fried pickles, coleslaw and potato salad.
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ChefSecret:  If you don’t have time for an overnight bean soak, bring a pot with the beans covered with 2 inches of water to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for an hour, then drain. If you want to use canned beans, use 4 (15-ounce cans), drained—Combine after step 7.  

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do you call a bean with a sense of humor? A. A funny bean!

The Water Story:  During the Civil War, Union soldiers discovered that their ration of beans never fully cooked to softened the beans. Most Southern water was very different than that of the North. The soldiers used to complain that it was the Hard Bean Water—today, it’s just HARD WATER.

A Little Medical Advice (very little):  To reduce the natural flatulence effects (the “fart factor”) of legumes, add a coin sized slice of raw ginger during the cooking process.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#SideDish #RodeoBeans #BBQBeans #CoffeeInTheBeans #BBQSides #SlowCooking #PintoBeans #BBQSauce #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                                    ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? The lazy days of summer are here! I love to pull my chaise lounge up to the pool and sip on a refreshingly tart Summer Strawberry Vodka Punch.
 
I truly love this punch for its freshness and the buzz that’s easy to get.  This punch recipe is easy to make and offers a new, puckering and pleasing twist to the traditional bottle or canned sodas or ordinary lemonade.
 
The term “punch” is widely recognized and enjoyed in various forms around the globe, from fruity and sweet to strong and even savory. However, the origins of the name “punch” and how it came to be associated with a drink are less commonly known.
 
The accepted history of punch dates back to the 17th century, when it was first introduced by British sailors and traders who had traveled to India. The word “punch” is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word “panch,” meaning “five,” which refers to the original five ingredients used to make the drink: alcohol (usually arrack or rum), sugar, lemon, water and tea or spices. This early version of punch was a significant departure from the punches known today, with a much stronger alcoholic content and a slightly bitter taste due to the inclusion of tea.
 
Today, punch, in its basic form, is a drink made from a mixture of ingredients such as fruit juices, soft drinks, and sometimes alcohol. It is often served at social gatherings and parties due to its refreshing nature and the ease with which it can be made in large quantities. The versatility of punch allows it to cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences, making it a popular choice for events and celebrations.
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups sliced fresh ripe strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons) or 1 (12-ounce) canned lemonade concentrate, thawed
16 ounces vodka
24 ounces sparkling wine
ice, as needed
 
Directions

1. Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice (or lemonade concentrate) and vodka to a blender in that order.
2. Pulse the mixture a few times.
3. Then blend the mixture at low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually turn the speed up to medium, blend until smooth.
4. Pour strawberry lemonade into a large pitcher or punch bowl.
5. Top with sparkling wine.
6. Serve over ice.

ChefSecret:  You can make this punch with sparkling water instead of vodka (without alcohol), but who wants that?

Quip of the Day:  Lining up for Drinks at the Party.

Two friends decide to throw a party to celebrate them getting their new flat and invite everyone they know. One of them prepares a huge bowl of punch for everyone and the other brings a soda fountain that he just bought.

The party rolls around and everyone is enjoying themselves; all of them in a huge line to try out the soda fountain right next to the big punch bowl that no one even touched.

The one friend sits slouched in the corner of the flat with a glass of punch. The other one walks up to him and says, "Hey, are you not enjoying the party?"

He looks up and says, "Everyone is lining to use that new soda fountain you bought, and not a single one of them has even tried the punch that I specifically made for the party..."
The party goes on with everyone still using the soda fountain and not a single person lining up for the punch bowl.

That's it... There's no punchline! 🤣​
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #StrawberryVodkaPunch #Vodka #SparklingWine #SummerPunchCocktail #RipeStrawberries #HappyHour2025 #Cheers #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025