Raita, Cool as the the Other Side of the Pillow

I love hot and spicy food, but sometimes, even my taste buds need some respite from the relentless attack fiery heat. When I need relief, I turn to raita, a delicious blend of yogurt and cucumber. Raita is super versatile -- you can eat this stuff straight up as a salad, add a few spoonfuls to hot Indian fare, or even use it on baked salmon to add a bit of tang and moisture to the fish. Without further ado, I present raita...

Recipe
4-5 cups of thick yogurt
6 sprigs of mint
1 lemon
1 English cucumber
quarter of an onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Salad al Fresco

I'm always on the lookout for healthy and quick meals during the week. Ever since I got my first Costco card, I've been adding their rotisserie chicken to my green salads. After watching Ina Garten make her version of the Wardolf salad on the FoodNetwork a few years back, I began to experiment with different variations of the iconic chicken salad. Always make it fun, make it colorful, and use whatever leftover produces you have in the crisper.

Recipe
3 bone in, skin on chicken breasts
1 lemon
1/2 red onion
1 pear
1 avocado
3 celery stalks
1 carrot
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
4 sprigs tarragon
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup toasted hazelnut pieces
1 head of butter lettuce
2 hard boiled eggs
salt and pepper to taste