Mache Salad

Mache.

So delicate and delicious. And exotic. My host mom in Paris served this green almost weekly and I fell in love with it. She served it as a simple salad - mache, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it! It was so lovely and I think about it a lot.

I rarely come across mache but of course I stumbled upon it at Wegman's.

We ate it the other night with this dressing:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 pinches kosher salt

5 turns fresh ground pepper

3 pressed garlic cloves, optional

Whisk all ingredients well until combined or put in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously.

You only need a very little bit of this dressing for your mache. Save the rest for another salad.

Adam said it was too acidy but I enjoyed it. Start off with less lemon juice if you wish.

Very Delicious Fall Salad

Fall Salad with pear, Parmesan, candied pecans and maple-balsamic dressing!

This is the most delicious salad I've made in a long time! And the dressing turned out so well - there are so many balsamic vinaigrette recipes out there that I've tried and they're usually flat and blah. Well this dressing is so great and slightly sweet from the maple syrup which I love. I had two servings last night!

And this was especially great because the only things I need to buy was lettuce and a pear.

I got this recipe from the Food Network, created by Tyler Florence.

Candied pecans:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 cup raw pecans (you can do halves or chopped)

Maple-balsamic dressing:

1 small shallot, finely diced (I omitted)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons maple syrup

salt and pepper

Salad:

Mixed greens and baby spinach

1 pear, sliced

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

To make the candied pecans, set a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter and sugar an d once it has melted toss in the pecans and continue to toss to coat and cook evenly, about 1 minute. Transfer to a sheet tray lined with waxed paper (use 2 forks to seperate pecans) while you prepare the salad.

Make the dressing by combining the chopped shallot, Dijon and balsamic vinegar in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Add the maple syrup and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Assemble salad by tossing greens and pear slices in a large mixing bowl with dressing. Top with Parmesan and pecans. Or you can arrange the salad ingredients in individual bowls and top with dressing - whatever works for you!

Balsamic Chicken

This is a delicious and easy recipe from my friend Jamie. It is in the cookbook I got for a shower gift, Hope In The Kitchen: Wedding Edition.

I ate my chicken just as pictured - over a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil and topped with basil leaves. Adam ate his over a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Both ways are delicious! The balsamic vinegar infuses so much flavor into the chicken.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour marinade on top. Let marinade for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Now you can either grill the chicken until done or saute it in a pan. I added some oil to a large pan and pan seared the breasts until done (you can cut the meat into smaller pieces for quicker cook time).

Coconut Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Last evening for dinner we had Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. It was quite tasty and we were both sad that I didn't make enough chicken! We loved the sweet and savory taste of the coconut and chicken so I will definitely make this again as a main course instead of a salad topper.

As my obession with skinnytaste.com continues, I found this recipe there and adapted it a bit.

This is for 2 salads:

6 chicken tenderloins

6 Tablespoons shredded coconut

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 Tablespoons corn flakes, crushed

1 egg

pinch salt

olive oil spray

5 cups lettuce, chopped

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 carrot, ribboned with a vegetable peeler

Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray.

In a shallow bowl, add the egg and beat it. In another bowl, add coconut, panko, corn flakes and salt. Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip each tender into the egg and then the breading mixture. Place on the prepared baking. Spray with more olive oil spray.

Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for 10 more minutes or until cooked through.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Microwave for 20 seconds to warm dressing.

Arrange lettuce, cucumbers and carrots on dinner plates. Top with chicken and then with the warm vinaigrette.

Note: You may have to make more dressing if you chose to have more lettuce and vegetables on your salad.

Taco Chicken Salad

Last night for dinner we had a very tasty salad! It was a wonderful meal that filled us up and made us feel healthy (except for the cheddar biscuits I made from Skinny Recipes). This salad recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you Our Best Bites for a great salad recipe!

Salad:

4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped (I used a bag of the romaine salad mix with carrots)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 3/4 oz.) can corn, drained and rinsed
Taco grilled chicken (recipe below)

Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I didn't mix in with the dressing because Adam doesn't like it so I just sprinkled it on top of my salad)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons (or more if you like extra heat) adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more for taste)

In a big bowl, toss all salad ingredients together except the chicken.

In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients together. Test taste to see if you need more adobo sauce or salt.

Plate salad on individual plates, top with chicken and then dressing.

Taco Chicken Recipe

1 pound chicken tenders (you can use boneless skinless breasts or thighs if you want)
Juice of 2 limes
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Place chicken in a plastic marinading container or a large Zip Loc bag. Add the lime juice, vinegar and garlic. Move chicken around to coat. This will not completely cover the chicken so just move the chicken around every once in awhile as it marinades. Marinade for 4-8 hours.

Heat the grill. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. In a small dish, combine chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Rub mixture all over chicken.

Grill about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Remove from heat and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Caesar Salad Linguine with Grilled Shrimp

Continuing my quest to make healthy, fresh and unique meals, I tried Caesar Salad Pasta, also from Cuisine at Home. This recipe calls for a can of anchovy fillets in order to make an authentic caesar dressing. I have never worked with anchovies before but I am happy to report they are easy to use and taste great. But I think you have to try it for yourselves because I was hesitant!

I had some trouble with the croutons - they burned on the grill! Next time, I would make skewers of shrimp only and croutons only, which is how I wrote the recipe below. I wouldn't alternate on the same skewer as the recipe says because the bread will burn before the shrimp is done.

8oz dry linguine
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup diced shallots
1 can (2 oz.) anchovy fillets in oil, minced
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons minced lemon zest
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Boil linguine in a large pot of salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Melt butter with oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and anchovies and cook until shallots are soft and anchovies melt, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in lemon juice, zest, Worcestershire and pepper flakes. Toss linguine with sauce to coat.

Off heat, toss romaine and Parmesan with pasta and season with salt and pepper.

Serve pasta with grilled shrimp and croutons.

Grilled Shrimp & Crouton Skewers

1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
24 cubes Italian baguette, 1-inch thick

Preheat grill to medium. Brush grill grate with oil.

Whisk together oil, zest, juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.

Thread shrimp on 4 metal skewers. Thread bread on 4 metal skewers. Brush all skewers with lemon oil. Grill, covered, 2-3 minutes per side.

*You can use wooden skewers as long as you soak them for at least 15 minutes before use or they will burn.*

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Continuing on with the fiesta on Saturday, here is a recipe for a delicious summer salad. I got the recipe from a blog that Bec showed and I'm loving it: Gina's Skinny Recipes. There are so many great recipes on this site! I have made many things from her.

1 lb shrimp, cooked, deveined, peeled and chopped

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1 avocado, diced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

salt

pepper

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the shrimp, tomato, avocado and jalapeno. Pour dressing over top and add cilantro. Toss gently. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

**You can also add some finely diced red onion in the dressing but we did not because we're not big onion lovers**

Grilled Potatoes and Veggies with Dill-Lemon Vinaigrette

Last week we got a new bbq grill! It's big and shiny and looks great in the backyard. So to celebrate we had a few guests over so I could test out the big boy.

This is the grill.

While I was in a small grocery store in Pine Grove, a small bag of fingerling potatoes caught my eye. I have always wanted to cook with fingerlings but have found that they are just too pricey at Giant or Wegmans. But at BG's, I got a 1.5 pound bag for $2.70! Can't beat that! So I snatched them up and used Adam's iPhone to find a grill recipe. I found this on Epicurious but it was originally from Bon Appetit Magazine, Aug 2006.

I adapted the recipe a little - it originally called for fresh marjoram but I used dried dill instead because it's what I had.

Photo from www.motherearthnews.com

I didn't have a grill pan for this recipe so I lost a few of the little potatoes through the grill plates. A grill pan is a must for this recipe!!

And unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the process or finished dish :(

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallot
dried dill (2 teaspoons used in total)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound small fingerling potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
1 pound assorted summer squash, cut on diagonal into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 large red or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned

Whisk lemon juice, shallot, 1 teaspoon dill, and lemon peel in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat).

Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough cold salted water to cover. Boil just until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon dill and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Combine squash and bell pepper in large bowl; add remaining 1/2 teaspoon dill and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Arrange potatoes in single layer in grill basket. Grill until tender, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Grill squash and bell pepper until tender, turning occasionally, 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with potatoes.

Add vinaigrette; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bulgur & Roasted Vegetable Salad

This week I got my first issue of the Food & Wine magazine. In bold lettering on the cover, I was happy to read 40 Healthy Recipes. After weeks of Adam and I talking about eating better, this issue gave me a kindly nudge to get started. Last night I made Bulgur Salad with Lightly Roasted Vegetables.
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I bought the bulgur at The Healthy Grocery in Camp Hill. I know most health food stores have it in their bulk section, as does Wegmans.
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Also, whole grains, like bulgur, are on my 20 Health Foods list - a list I sadly haven't blogged about in awhile but will get better.
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Here's how it goes, as adpted from Food & Wine:
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2 cups coarse ground bulgur, rinsed
2 cups hot water
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Sea salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Crush red pepper
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cover the bulgur with hot water. Cover the bowl with a plate and let stand until the water has been absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the zucchini, carrot and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 12 - 15 minutes. Stir half way through.
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Fluff the bulgur with a fork. Stir in the tomato paste. Fold in the roasted vegetables, lemon juice, cucumber and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.

I think I would like it warm but it was room temperature when we ate it. Later today I will eat it chilled.

Now I'm once again hooked on bulgur! I just got done eating Bulgur Breakfast Porridge. I just found a recipe for Green Lentil and Bulgur Soup I may try soon too!

Cauliflower Salad

This recipe is from the February 2010 edition of Womens Day. At first I was a little intimitated by the mayo dressing but yesterday while I was at the West Shore Farmers Market looking at vegetables, I saw a nice head of cauliflower, remembered this recipe and made it last night. I just had a big bowl of it for lunch and the sweet and salty taste is so good.

1 head cauliflower, chopped
6 oz. dried cranberries
1 1/4 cup salted peanuts
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together well. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Autumn Potato Salad from 101 Cookbooks

I made a delicious fall side dish last night. Adam and I didn't get home until late but I wanted to toss this easy recipe together so we can eat it over the next few days. I have some for lunch today and I can hardly wait to enjoy it!

Unfortunately I left my camera at my parents' house so I wasn't able to take a photo of my Autumn Potato Salad (I also made pumpkin roll on Sunday and I had my camera but my memory card was back at Adam's in his computer, but it's ok because the pumpkin roll was kind of a flop...).

I owe this creation to 101 Cookbooks. Here is the wonderful recipe.

Some things I did differently:

• Because it was late in the evening, I didn't make rice to go with the salad but I was planning on making brown minute rice for time saving purposes.
• I couldn't find parsnips so I used turnips.
• The green onions didn't roast well so I didn't end up putting them in the salad.
• I didn't add cream to the vinaigrette. I didn't have any and was going to use milk but I forgot!

This is a delicious salad! The vinaigrette made the dish! Thank you, 101 Cookbooks!

Labor Day Weekend Fête - Part 2

On Friday evening before the picnic, I made the Barefoot Contessa's tabbouleh. I made this for Easter Dinner this year so you can see that post with the recipe here. This is a very simple side dish and the bulgur wheat is very nutritious!

Tabbouleh.

With all of the Roma tomatoes we grew, I decided to make bruschetta. I seeded and chopped a ton of tomatoes and mixed them with chopped fresh basil, a few minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and olive oil. For the bread, we sliced baguettes in 1/2 inch slices, brushed them with olive oil & sprinkled them with salt and put them in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

A very easy snack that you can whip up in no time! A great way to use up your garden tomatoes.

Bruschetta.

Next, Mary recommended these yummy nuts for a snack. Sweet and spicy, these are a special treat.

Spiced Mixed Nuts (from Cooks Illustrated - from a chopped salad recipe)

Makes about 2 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar *I used a bit more than this*

Melt butter in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, then stir in pecans. Toast nuts in skillet, stirring often, until color of nuts deepens slightly, 6 to 8 mins. Transfer to bowl, toss with sugar, then spread out on a plate to cool.

Remember, watch the nuts VERY closely because as you can see in the photo, they can get brown very quickly.

While shopping for the picnic, my mom picked up the new Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook. This iced tea recipe is in there - it's so sweet with the apple juice it needs no further sweetner.

Makes 8 cups

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
4 cups pure apple juice

Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice.

This is the iced tea dispenser I bought at the Amish Auction earlier in the summer. A classic vintage glass container I snatched up for $6!

MORE TO COME....

Photos by Bec.

Labor Day Weekend Fête - Part 1

Last Saturday we had some friends over for an end of the summer cookout so my mom and I were busy bees in the kitchen from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Everything from berry iced tea to shrimp kabobs to tabbouleh to roasted nuts - after lots of chopping, boiling, peeling and stirring, we were ready for our guests. Below are two collages Rebecca created with the photos she took of the food. What great talent she has!

Over the next few posts, I will tell you about what I made, beginning with the Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches.

At our house we get so many food magazines, filled with recipes that look absolutely delicious. There are way too many for us to make! I went back through the Paula Deen magazines and found this delicious recipe from a few months ago. I planned on 1/4 lb of beef per person - so that was a 6 lb loin - fortune for our party and fellowship but unfortunate for the amount of meat - more people came than I prepared for so those 6 pounds went very quickly!

This recipe serves 12

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 (4 1/2 lb) trimmed beef tenderloin
12-15 onion rolls, split, buttered, and toasted (We used regular, poppy seed and sesame seed rolls and we didn't toast them - if I were to make 5 instead of 24, I would butter and toast them!)
arugula
Bacon Horseradish Sauce (see below)


In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. Add tenderloin, seal bag, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. ** We used a big plastic container (instead of a bag) that we could keep flipping throughout the marinading processes. We let it marinade overnight and through to our afternoon cooking time.**


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place rack on pan; spray with nonstick cooking spray.


Drain tenderloin, discarding marinade. Place tenderloin on prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reads 145. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. ** Of course my mom and I argued over when it was done. I enjoy this type of beef cut medium rare, otherwise it gets tough. You will have to adjust the cooking time depending on how big your loin is but this is a very appropriate cooking temp and time.**

Spread desired amount of Bacon Horseradish Sauce (See recipe below) over botttoms of buns. Top with desired amount of arugula. Top with sliced tenderloin. cover with bun tops. Serve immediately.


Bacon Horseradish Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used like 9 slices! - my rule of thumb: ALWAYS use more bacon than called for!)
4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons green onions, minced
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, bacon horseradish,green onion, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and chill.

** Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.

The tenderloin right out of the oven, as I attack it with the electric knife! Oh and thank you to Bunny for taking over that knife for me.

We kept the beef warm in the chafing dish for serving.

The assembled sandwich.

Another creation was Carolina Coleslaw - a very colorful combination with a vinegar-based dressing.

1 head cabbage (red, green or mix) shredded
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated (bought a bag of the carrot matchsticks)

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup Vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss vegetables together

In a small sauce pan, mix together sugar, salt, mustard, and celery seed. Add vinegar and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pour hot dressing over salad; toss well

Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before serving.

All photos by Bec.

Fried Shrimp Salad

Here is a very yummy salad from Paula Deen's September magazine! It makes a filling dinner - chockfull of calories because of the shrimp but you also get lots of green veggies!

Fried Shrimp Salad

Makes 2 large salads

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (6 oz.) bag 5-lettuce mix

1 (5 oz) bag spring lettuce mix

1/2 cup asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, and blanched (steam for just 2 minutes)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles

1/4 cup candied pecans (we used plain, chopped)

12 frozen, breaded shrimp (Paula says to fry them but we baked them according to package directions)

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, shallot, honey, mustard and pepper.

In a large blowl, combine lettuce mixes, asparagus, cranberries, bleu cheese, and pecans.

Just before serving, plate the lettuce and top with shrimp. Add desired amount of dressing. Serve immediately.

Playing with my macro function. Oh this looks so good!

You can, of course, fry your own shrimp but I have yet to master frying anything. Grilled shrimp would also be good and be healthier.

You can play around with adding other vegetables like squash - or goat cheese instead of bleu would give it a softer texture and less intense cheese taste.

Even if you don't want to make the entire salad, the dressing is especially good and simple to make together!

Greek Rice Salad

I have a weakness for any and everything Greek: history, liquor, men, language, but especially food! Thetraditional combo of feta, cucumbers, tomotoes and olives are a mix made in heaven. Light and healthy - scrumptious!


This is a Williams Sonoma recipe. So yum and easy for a summer picnic!

3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (we used whole grain dijon)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano (or 1 T dried)
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
6 oz sliced black olives
1 lb grape tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves


Bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice and simmer for 20 minutes or until done.


In a salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in olive oil. Add oregano, feta, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Toss well.


Rinse cooked rice in cold water. Drain. Add to bowl of dressing and other ingredients. Add mint and stir well. Serve at room temperature or chilled (I prefer chilled).

Potato Salad

Well again I slacked on getting a photo of my creation but really wanted to share the recipe anyway. If you try hard enough, I'm sure you can imagine what it would look like! The ingredients make this salad colorful.

I wanted to make a potato salad for our church choir picnic last evening. Because there are so many recipes out there for potato salad, I feel like I have to keep experimenting to find my favorite. I love my mom's dilly potato salad (she's making it this weekend) and Susi's German potato salad, but I found something a little different in the June 2009 issue of Country Living. Here it is:

Potato Salad

3 pounds red skinned potatoes
1/4 cup chopped white onion (but I used chopped scallions - the white and green parts)
3 chopped hard boiled eggs (I omitted, much to Greg's disappointment)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
3/4 cup mayo
salt & pepper

Scrub potatoes and cut out any eyes. Place in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until done - about 40 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Once potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized cubes (leave skin on) and add to bowl. Mix all together. Let chill for a few hours for flavors to mix.

It's important to dress your potatoes while they are still warm because the potatoes are porous and you want the flavors of the ingredients to really settle into each bite of potato.

I've learned that I love pickles in my potato salad... mmm!

German Potato Salad

On Saturday I drove to Maryland to visit Susi again. Her co-workers were throwing her a baby shower, followed by a picnic on the Potomac (a post of the party is on the way!). Susi made potato salad for the picnic and she taught me her secret German recipe. Of course she didn't measure and I couldn't tell how much of each ingredient she was using as she poured so I will just give you the ingredients and you can be the judge of how much of each to add. I am planning on making this soon and then I can update with some measurements. I can just tell you to start with small amount and increase to taste.

To a large bowl add:
1 small chopped onion
a few chopped bread and butter pickle spears

Peel and cut up potatoes and boil until done. Drain.

Add potatoes to bowl, along with:
vegetable oil
white vinegar
pepper
Tello Fix (see below)
Fresh dill & parsley

This is Tello Fix. It is a dried soup mix that is completely animal by-product free. It is made of herbs and give the salad a flavorful taste and smell. And there is salt in here so no need to add more. Susi hasn't been able to find an American equivalent. I am on the hunt, at least to find Tello Fix at a Euro grocer.

The finished product! This was so good! I had two serving and am wanting more now. The pickles give a great, unexpected sweetness. And I am not a fan of mayo-based potato salad so the oil and vinegar combo is right up my taste buds' alley!

Rhubarb & Goat Cheese Salad

I have so many things on my plate this week and I'm preparing for the weekend (I'm going to DC for Susi's baby shower and preparing for a youth group cookout), so I haven't had too many recipe posts in the past few days. Last night, as I rushed into the house, I caught my mom in the middle of preparing a salad so I joined right in with her to finish a Rhubarb and Goat Cheese Salad from the May 2009 Everyday Food Magazine. We also had a lasagna but I had two big plates of this salad and delicious rolls from Wegmans, which didn't leave room for the lasagna!

I am a huge fan of rhubarb and was just telling my mom how I wish we still had a rhubarb plant like we did when I was younger. I used to eat the freshly picked stalks raw... I love it! And one of my favorite pies is strawberry rhubarb, which I am definitely going to make this summer!

The salad recipe:

3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup walnut halves

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (they recommend white balsamic but we didn't have any and traditional balsamic was delicious nonetheless)

Salt & Pepper

4 bunches arugula (approx. 1 pound), tough ends removed

1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet (I always cover it in foil for easy clean up), toss rhubarb and honey. Roast on upper rack until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet.

On another baking sheet, toast walnuts on lower rack until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and then chop.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and fennel; toss to combine. Top with rhubarb, walnuts and goat cheese.

There are so many flavors going on here and they meld very well. Oh yum!!... I have some for my lunch today and I can hardly wait!

Easter Dinner

In an effort to mix things up, we did not have a traditional ham dinner yesterday, but instead grilled steak and veggies! It was a nice summer meal and now I'm so excited for the weather to warm up!

I marinaded some NY Strip steaks in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade for about 5 hours. I skewered up whole button mushrooms, halved brussel sprouts, cubed orange pepper and sliced yellow squash. I added plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling.

In addition, I made scalloped potato gratin by Tyler Florence. This was so yummy and everyone enjoyed it:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme (used 3 or 4 sprigs)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter (used Pam)
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling (I think I used more like 1 cup - I love cheese!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.
While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes (baked it for about 55 minutes because my potato slices were on the thick side). Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 3 minutes.

I didn't get a solo shot of the gratin but here it is in the center of the photo (that's Greg's plate with a gigantic steak!). To the right of the potatoes is the tabbouleh.

For a salad, I made tabbouleh. I have had this a few times at restaurants but never ventured to make it myself. I also made it as a test because it's on Arielle's graduation party food list. It passed the test with flying colors so I'll be making it again (a huge batch) in June for the party. The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa Parties! :

1 cup bulgur wheat (I found some organic bulgar at my local health food store)

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

I didn't use a cup of each parsley and mint - it seemed excessive.
Finally, I made white wine sangria. A bottle of cheap chardonnay, a frozen melange of tropical fruit and a liter of ginger ale made a refreshing treat to go with dinner. I put the wine in a pitcher, added the fruit and refrigerated it for about 4 hours. Then I added the ginger ale and refrigerated it for another hour. Sparkling refreshment!
Additional Easter Day pictures:

Arielle, Adam, Greg & Hope after we found our Easter baskets.

My dad surprised my grandparents and my mom with this light post in town that is dedicated to Parents Bob & Pat Swenson and Merle & Ruth Adams.

In the photo from left: my dad, grandpa, grandma, me, Adam, Arielle, my mom and Chester in the front. And Greg behind the camera.

Greg and I in downtown New Bloomfield looking like we just rolled out of bed!

NOTE: I am going to be investing in a new camera soon so my pictures will get better...

Iceburg Wedge with Bleu Chesse Dressing

My mom made this simple dressing last night and it was delicious and light. The recipe is from the February 2009 Real Simple magazine.

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (2 ounces)

1 head iceberg lettuce, quartered

Black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and 3 tablespoons of the blue cheese. Divide the lettuce among plates and spoon the dressing over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I added a little salt too).

Our dressing was a little runny so I would add less than 1/2 cup buttermilk and keep adding until it's the consistency you want. Also, because there are only 3 ingredients, I think real buttermilk should be used and not subsituted with milk + vinegar. With just a few ingredients in recipes, I try to use the best quality and freshness I can find.

This was a good beginning to a meal. I also think it would be good with cucumbers and tomatoes.