Sharing in a Blogoversary (While Cooking With Mortal Instruments)

Check out my guest post on my friend Lisa's book-lovin' blog Lisa Loves Literature...it involves young-adult fiction and this Ukrainian chicken salad! We are co-celebrating our third-year blogoversary....






CHICKEN SALAD (recipe from the Veselka cookbook by way of the Cooking with Veselka blog)

2 small onions
3 celery stalks
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
1 parsnip, peeled & chopped
2 bay leaves
4 allspice berries
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
salt & fresh ground pepper

Roughly chop 1 of the onions, 2 of the celery stalks, the carrot and the parsnip. We used one whole chicken instead of several chicken parts (as it was cheaper that way) and put it whole in a stock pot with 8 cups of water (or enough to cover the chicken). Add your chopped vegetables plus the bay leaves and allspice berries. We also put in six whole peppercorns. Let it simmer on low for two hours. Meanwhile, dice your remaining celery and onion as well as the red bell pepper and set aside. When the chicken is done simmering, remove it from the pot and pick that bird clean. Mix the shredded chicken with the mayo (we used a low-fat variety to cut those irritating calories) and diced veggies, salt and pepper to taste and you are good to go.

Happy Blogoversary Lisa!