Posted on 05/25/2017 3:33:48 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
While roaming on Youtube last week, I found a video from the Southern Foodways Alliance about ‘Sally Bell’s’, a little Richmond, Virginia bakery which is famous for it’s boxed lunches. This is a very interesting short video about a family business that has become beloved for its made-from-scratch-everyday menu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVm0CaOxEQY
I searched to see if some of their recipes might be available, with no luck; but I did find a recipe for Cheese Wafers with Pecans, which looks similar to those that are always included in Sally Bell’s lunch boxes:
http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/food/my-happy-dish-cheese-wafers-with-pecans-1
Apparently the Chicken Salad is the favorite sandwich at Sally Bell’s; and since they aren’t giving their recipe away, I’ll share mine again. The lemon-basil butter is what really makes this, and for parties I do this on little flower-shaped tea breads made from a special mold. I believe I first found this recipe in the booklet that came with my ‘Pampered Chef’ molds:
Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Lemon-Basil Butter
To make butter spread:
Combine ¾ Cup softened butter with 2 tsps. Lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped, or 2 T. dried basil.
To make filling:
Combine 1 C. finely chopped cooked chicken with ½ Cup mayonnaise, ½ cup slivered almonds, and salt and pepper to taste. (I shred the chicken in the food processor, to get a very smooth, consistent texture.)
To make sandwiches:
Carefully spread each slice of bread on one side with thin layer of butter spread. Then place filling on one bread slice, and top with second buttered slice.
If you take these to a party, they can be made the evening before, and stored in a container with a double layer of paper towels between each layer of sandwiches. The butter spread will help keep the bread from going soggy.
(If you DO want to make fancy bread: I usually use the Bridgford frozen bread dough, cutting dough in half and baking each half in a canapé bread mold sprayed with PAM. To slice the bread for sandwiches, it helps to partially freeze it. Slice thinly.)
Here’s a link to Sally Bell’s website, in case you make it to Richmond this summer:
http://www.sallybellskitchen.com
I know that some of our cooking thread members are familiar with ‘La Tienda’, the online purveyor of gourmet Spanish food items; but I didn’t realize that they have a retail store and a tapas bar at Williamsburg, VA:
https://www.tienda.com/aboutus/retailstore.html
La Tienda has lots of recipes on their website; I’ve never made Paella, and want to try theirs.
-JT
This week: a couple of interesting Virginia eating-places; and Chicken Salad!
(Having computer glitches; hope this comes through!)
If you’d like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.
-JT
looks delicious
I saw that on YouTube a few weeks ago. Sounds great!
There’s a lot of wisdom in that video about Sally Bell’s.
(I wish we could find someone who’s tasted their potato salad, and knows why folks will line up for an hour to get it - must be something more than just having someone else make it for you ;-)
What flexibility this restaurant Almond Chicken Salad Recipe provides!
This restaurant recipe can be used to make a sandwich, a salad or a number of really great appetizers!
This restaurant recipe is one of my customers' favorites. I know because they always clean their plates and ...have asked for this secret restaurant recipe many, many times.
Here is the basic Almond Chicken Salad Recipe. (Don’t worry. I will tell you how to “tweak” it for sandwiches and several different kinds of appetizers after you have the basic recipe.)
Preparation time: 20 minutes. This restaurant recipe makes approximately 8 servings if used as a sandwich or a salad. For appetizers, much more.
Ingredients:
Ingredients for Dressing:
Instructions:
That’s it. Just scoop the portion size you want onto a little lettuce arranged neatly on a plate, garnish with a couple slices of tomato and serve with some bread or one of my award-winning bran muffins.
Option: If you do not have sun-dried cranberries, use canned pineapple, grapes or fresh chopped apples, although I believe the sun-dried cranberries really are BEST in this restaurant chicken salad. It is what has made this a secret restaurant recipe for so many years.
To use the chicken salad for sandwiches just combine two slices of bread (your choice), 2 lettuce leaves, 2 - 3 slices of tomato and a little mayonnaise if desired.
Now what do you do to use this best restaurant recipe for creating appetizers?
Chop the chicken salad a bit finer. That’s all you have to do!
And then what? Use the chicken salad to fill small cream puffs, or cherry tomatoes. Use it as a topping for canapés or as a spread on a variety of crackers.
Thank you for your interest in recipes that REALLY work like this chicken salad recipe.
The website has many more restaurant recipes for you to try. Happy “clickin’.”
Enjoy your chicken salad and the company of those you share it with!
Donna
Did you know? An almond is really a seed of the fruit of the almond tree. Like its cousins (the peach, cherry and apricot) the almond tree bears fruits with stone-like seeds (or pits) within. The seed of the almond fruit is what we refer to as the almond nut.
...that was just something I found doing a Google search for “Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich”.
I like the addition of fruit - sweet and savory together.
Yes, it sounds and looks so good. Numbs the mind how many great foods there are to make and eat. Yet, for one reason or another, I basically eat the same 3 or 4 things day after day. Mostly pasta and chicken.
LOL!
People laugh because I usually order one dish over and over, from each restaurant that I visit; because I liked it the first time and can count on it.
If you’ve found something satisfying and done well, why change?
I did a search. Pickle juice and lots of celery seed.
It’s a guess recipe ... but here it is:
Sally Bell Potato Salad
That’s great! I’ll have to try it.
I’ve never put eggs in my potato salad before, having grown up on my Virginia Granny’s potato salad that had nothing but mayo, mustard, and onion; but it’s interesting that if you look up ‘Amish’ and ‘Southern’ potato salad, they both have eggs.
I don’t use eggs, but when they’re added, I love them.
Here’s another ... pickle juice, but oddly, no celery seed!
http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2016/01/sally-bells-potato-salad-knockoff.html
The Paris Review even has a Sally Bell review! All the way in Pareee!
If you are in Portland Oregon, make sure you are not making ethnic foods if you aren’t said ethnic - like whites making tacos or blacks cooking Chinese...
BTW, there are a ton of great-looking recipes at the links at the end of my first post. I just now checked them out.
I’ll stop now!!! But here is one last Sally Bell Potato Salad from Bon Appetite.
I’m sure you like to do your own Googling. :o)
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/eggy-potato-salad-with-pickles
Hey, I’ll take all the help I can get :-)
You are too kind. I have gotten old. i slipped in the shower today and was not able to go out to a special dinner (going on now) ...
Age is not being kind to me ...
Well, since Korean friends taught me how to make Kimchi, and Black friends taught me greens and ‘chitlins’, I’ll just carry on!
(I never made chitlins; but I can have an hour-long conversation with a friend who makes them routinely and, contrary to all the PC nonsense, loves to share his knowledge ;-)
Gosh. Hope you’re ok.
Age isn’t kind, but fortunately there’s some kindness in the fact that it creeps up on us slowly, and gives us some time to adapt.
I have had to keep reading glasses all over the house for the past five years, especially in the kitchen, for reading directions on boxes - a nuisance, but at least there are reading glasses.
Take care!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
