Suggested luncheon menu to enjoy when hosting a group discussion for On the Ropes.

Those who followed my Hallee the Homemaker website know that one thing I am passionate about in life is selecting, cooking, and savoring good whole real food. A special luncheon just goes hand in hand with hospitality and ministry.

For those planning a discussion group about this book, I offer some humble suggestions to help your special luncheon conversation come off as a success.

Esther’s “World Famous” Chicken Salad

In the guise of Mara Harrison, Ruth enjoys a chicken salad sandwich based on her late sister’s recipe. The comfort and familiarity of this simple meal lulls Ruth into a false sense of security, and she momentarily drops her assumed persona in front of pastor Ben.

2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (about 1 1/2 pounds)

extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed organic is best)

salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 cup purple grapes, cut in halves

Your favorite whole grain bread, sliced thick

Cook the chicken and prep the salad fixings.

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F (175° degrees C).

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 170° degrees F (75° degrees C) internal temperature.

Set aside until cool.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the pecans.

Finely dice the celery.

Finely chop tarragon leaves.

Slice grapes in half.

When the chicken is cool, pull meat from the bones with fingers or a fork, then slice and dice the chicken meat to about a 1/2-inch dice.

Mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Fold in the celery and chopped tarragon leaves.

Toss with the chicken, pecans, and grapes.

Serve open face with fresh romaine leaves or on your favorite whole grain bread. The next recipe here is for a beautiful whole grain bread if you want to try your hand at that.

You can also serve this chicken salad inside pita bread as a pocket or in a tortilla roll as a tasty wrap. Substitute sprouts for lettuce on your sandwich for an unforgettable flavor.

Delicious Whole Grain Bread

Just as Ruth felt confident and at ease in the surgical room, Esther felt at home in the kitchen. Baking was one of her very favorite activities. She loved to fill her home with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies, cupcakes, loaves of bread, or rolls. What follows is her “go-to” bread recipe.

3 TBS honey (pure, raw, local honey is always best)

2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (1 packet)

3 cups flour

(NOTE: I use a combination of fresh ground hard red and hard white wheat. If you don’t have a way to use fresh ground, use unbleached white)

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt (Kosher or Sea salt is best)

3 TBS butter

Lightly grease a large bowl to use for rising the bread

Melt the butter

Warm milk to 120° degrees F (48° degrees C).

Mix 1 TBS honey with warm the warm milk. Add yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Blend until well mixed. If using your stand mixture, turn on to speed 2 and add the remaining honey and the milk/yeast mixture. Add the melted butter. (If mixing by hand, mix well)

Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead with the stand mixer for 2 minutes, or knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Once the dough becomes smooth and elastic, put it into a lightly greased bowl. Turn it once and cover with a light towel. Let it sit in a warm spot until it doubles in bulk. It will take about an hour.

Punch the dough down. Roll dough into a rectangle and roll up tightly. Pinch the ends and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size.

Bake at 400° degrees F (205° degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350° degrees F (180° degrees C) and bake 20 to 30 minutes longer When you tap the loaf, if it sounds hollow, it’s done.

Remove from pan and immediately place it on the cooling rack.

This recipe makes one good-sized loaf. You can double it or triple it with ease assuming you have bread pans and counter space. Its best served fresh.

Uncut loaves of bread keep fresh in a plastic bag in the breadbox for up to two days. After a few days, you can still toast it or make French toast or croutons.

Homemade Potato Chips

To pinch a few pennies while the sisters were financially strapped medical students, Esther and Ruth would often make their own homemade potato chips. One of the best aspects of making your own chips besides the money savings is that you can control all of the ingredients as well.

Potatoes (I use garden-fresh or organic)

oil (You can use any kind of oil—safflower, peanut, grapeseed—whatever your frying oil of preference is, use it. I used canola oil—please make sure your canola is organic to avoid GMOs.)

salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)

Wash your potatoes really well. I leave the skin on.

Using the mandolin, slice your potatoes very thin. I’m sure there are people out there with the knife skills to do this without a mandolin. I’m not one of them. My thinnest mandolin setting is 1/8 inch.

Heat the oil to 375° degrees F (190° degrees C). Gently slide the sliced potatoes into the oil, one slice at a time.

The oil is going to immediately bubble all around the slice. As it cooks, it’s going to curl up and start to crisp. Once it curls up, try to turn it over (some don’t make it over. That’s fine) and keep cooking until they start to brown.

Remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel. I immediately sprinkle them with sea salt. They are best served fresh and will start to go stale very quickly. You can store these in a tightly covered container.

You can recover the oil once it cools. I strain and recover my oil and keep it in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator marked “potatoes.” This way, I can use the same oil several times before having to replace it.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

During residency, Esther often arrived home hours before Ruth due to the varied demands of their chosen professions. At least once a week, she would surprise her sister with a special treat.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

1 TBS vanilla extract

3 cups plus 3 TBS flour

(NOTE: I use fresh ground soft white wheat. If you don’t have access to fresh ground wheat, use unbleached white flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)

2 cups dark chocolate chips (1 each 12-ounce bag)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 400° degrees F (200° degrees C)

Chop nuts

Cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugars. Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to cool for 1 hour.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet 2-inches apart.

Bake at 400° degrees F (200° degrees C) until just light golden – about 8 to 10 minutes.

This recipe makes about 70 cookies.