Porchmas 2016

I have an amazing group of young friends that used to all live in this two-story house that had a glassed-in sun porch on the upper level. We had so many good times on that porch, that even though everyone has moved out of that residence now, we still refer to ourselves as "Porchlings" when we have our get-togethers. Likewise, our seasonal gift exchange and potluck is dubbed "Porchmas." Tee hee.

For my first culinary contribution, I made Pulled Pork Sliders with Homemade Pickled Green Tomatoes.

For the pulled pork, I marinated about three pounds of boneless ribs in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable oil, sriracha, garlic powder and black pepper overnight. Then I browned them on all sides in a large skillet, placed them on the trivet along with a sliced onion over a cup of beef broth, and cooked them on "Meat" for 25 minutes. I let them sit for 10 or 15 minutes before releasing, then shredded the meat with two forks. I sprinkled the shredded meat with a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar, added a few drops of liquid smoke, a big tablespoon of grainy mustard, and a small bottle of spicy honey barbecue sauce. I served the pulled pork on Hawaiian rolls with homemade pickled green tomatoes.

Pickled Green Tomatoes
(Source: Garden Betty)

Bring the following brine (per quart) to a boil:
1 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Place in a washed quart jar:

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dill seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Slice the tomatoes to desired thickness and pack into the jar. Cover with hot brine, leaving a half inch of head space. Remove bubbles with the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick, wipe the rim, and add a lid and ring (fingertip tighten only). Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place. Wait 3-4 weeks before tasting.

My second potluck offering was my old standby, potato salad prepared quickly and easily in the magic pot (four minutes!), which I made a little more festive-looking by including some of my homemade red-and-green cucumber relish that I made this summer/fall. (It was the Year of Peppers and Cucumbers!)

Instant Pot Potato Salad

3 lbs. red potatoes (I peel mine, but you can leave the peels on if you prefer), cut into one-inch chunks
4 large eggs
about 1/2 cup chopped green onions (four large, ends removed)
2 tablespoons sweet relish (I use homemade piccallili or cucumber or pepper relish)
1 large dill pickle, chopped (and about a tablespoon of juice)
about 3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard (I like to use one yellow and one Dijon)
1 teaspoon ground celery
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
salt and pepper, to taste (I like to use Cajun seasoning for more "zip")

In a steamer basket over 1 1/2 cups water (I like to use 1 1/4 cups water plus 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to infuse the potatoes with some tanginess) put in the potato chunks with the whole eggs on top. Cook on manual/high for four minutes, then immediately release. Spread the potato pieces out on a cookie sheet to cool, and dunk the eggs into cold water until cool enough to handle.

Peel and chop the eggs. Mix together green onions, relish, chopped dill pickle and pickle juice, mayo, mustard, ground celery and granulated garlic. Toss in the slightly warm potatoes, using a potato masher or pastry cutter to create a texture like very chunky mashed potatoes, then fold in the chopped eggs. Season to taste. Chill thoroughly, then serve.

Cucumber Pickle Relish
(Source: Ball Blue Book)

4 cups chopped cucumbers
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (or hot peppers)
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Combine cucumbers, onions, red peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand two hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly

Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer ten minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes (15 for pints) in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: About four pints 

Lastly, for Christmukkah treats, I made three batches of the beloved matzoh toffee, so that I could bag it up as little gifts. And as we are going through a very early cold snap, I was able to use my own porch as a blast chiller for both the potato salad and the matzoh toffee before the party. Ha ha.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lee Ann! (2016 Instant Pot Edition)

My dear friend and office mate Lee Ann's birthday was this past Sunday, so I decided to host a little celebratory luncheon at work yesterday. I made a delicious beef, barley and mushroom soup in the Instant Pot, and a Waldorf chicken salad, with chicken also prepared in the magic pot. Then our mutual friend, Vicky, brought the fixin's for an ice cream sundae bar (as Lee Ann is not a big fan of cake).  Everything was very well-received, especially by the birthday gal. YAY!

For the soup, I loosely followed a recipe from the IP web site that calls for sour cream at the end. It makes it taste like stroganoff soup (second pic), and that's yummy, but next time, I think I'd just use the sour cream as an optional garnish. I kinda like the deeper, beefier/mushroomy flavor without it (first pic).

Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup

(Source: Adapted from Sharon W. on the IP web site)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

8 cups beef broth, divided

1 package Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauce, Tavern Pot Roast flavor

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste

2 bay leaves

small bundle of fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine

pinch of cayenne
8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 cup (uncooked) pearled barley

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Toss the beef cubes with Cajun seasoning and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and brown the meat. Strain the meat out and add to the IP. In the leftover oil, saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Deglaze the pan with two cups of beef broth, scraping up all the brown bits. Pour into the IP. Add everything else, except the sour cream and parsley, and cook for 25 minutes on the Meat setting. Let release naturally. Stir in the sour cream and parsley, then taste to correct seasoning before serving. 

For the Waldorf Chicken Salad:

I cooked the boneless, skinless breasts in the IP on the trivet over a cup and a half of chicken broth for 20 minutes on high, because they were really big. So, after you cook the chicken (4 boneless/skinless breasts sprinkled with seasoned salt), cool and cut into chunks. Add half of a finely minced onion (or a few scallions, if you prefer). Make a dressing of about a cup of mayo, the juice of a lemon, a teaspoon each of ground celery, celery seeds, and sugar (or honey), and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Combine with the chicken mixture, then chill the salad for a few hours or overnight. Before serving, add two seeded and diced Granny Smith apples. In a dry skillet, toast a cup of chopped walnuts. Cool, then add those to the salad as well. Season with salt to taste.

P.S. I don't care for celery, but if you like it, chop up a couple of stalks and throw that in, too.

 

The Art of Living...with Cast Mates That Have Food Issues

I am performing in a musical this weekend, and unfortunately, I picked the worst time in the world to get a cold that then developed into a respiratory infection with bronchitis and laryngitis ("Ain't nobody got time for that!"). So while I was at Walmart yesterday waiting for my prescriptions for antibiotics and codeine cough syrup, I wandered around the store and decided I should make a Mexican fiesta for my cast mates before tonight's performance. The problem is, I've got one gluten-free gal, two vegetarians, one person who hates all vegetables, and two who don't do "spicy." Plus, there are another 20 or so more "normal" eaters in the cast and crew, so I had a lot of different mouths to feed. Talk about a complicated order!

So I made two enchilada casseroles: one was vegetarian and gluten-free using corn tortillas, brown rice, both black and chili beans, sauteed onions, garlic, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, and fire-roasted tomatoes, and then cheese and red sauce. The meaty, gluten-filled version was made with flour tortillas, mild Anaheim pepper strips, chicken spiced with cumin, paprika, and chili powder and mixed with sauteed onions and garlic, along with cheese and then mild green enchilada sauce. There was sour cream to cool things down and my friend Jamie's red savina hot sauce to spice them up.

I also served an easy taco-type salad on the side: iceberg/carrot/cabbage mix topped with shredded cheese, black olives, (prepared) corn and black bean salsa, crispy tortilla strips, with (bottled) avocado ranch dressing. I thought everything turned out great, but I came home with a lot of the GF/vegetarian version, and I actually thought that one was slightly better! Oh well, I won't have to cook tomorrow...or the next day!

P.S. And I came up with what I think is an ingenious idea for keeping the casseroles warm throughout the show. I used an extra-large heating pad underneath the two foil lasagna pans. Worked like a charm, except that it shuts off after awhile (safety feature), so you have to check on it and turn it back on every so often. Still, am I not clever??

Gluten-Free/Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

2 cups uncooked brown rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion

2 sweet peppers (yellow & red)

1 medium zucchini, shredded

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained

2 teaspoons each: paprika, cumin, chili powder

1 teaspoon each: ground celery, seasoned salt, sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

40 oz. red enchilada sauce

18 small corn tortillas

2 cans beans, drained (I used chili beans and black beans--pinto would also be good)

4 cups shredded Mexi-cheese blend

sour cream and/or hot sauce to garnish

Steam the brown rice and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic until tender. Pour in the can of tomatoes and stir in the spices and sugar. Set aside.

Assembly: In a 9x13 pan, layer in one quarter of the sauce, corn tortillas, half the rice, half of the beans, half of the veggie mixture, about a cup and a half of shredded cheese, and another quarter of the sauce. Repeat the previous layers, ending with a final layer of tortillas and the last quarter of the sauce.

Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 375 until bubbly, hot in the middle, and slightly browned around the edges. Add another cup of cheese on top and put back in the hot oven for five minutes just to melt the cheese.

Green Chicken Chile Bake

deli roaster, skinned, boned and shredded

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons each: paprika, cumin, chili powder

1 teaspoon each: ground celery, seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

40 oz. green enchilada sauce

8-10 medium-sized flour tortillas

1 large can (27 oz. or two small cans) mild Anaheim chiles, drained and ripped into strips

4 cups shredded Mexi-cheese blend

sour cream and/or to garnish

Skin, debone, and shred a deli chicken. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Mix the onions and garlic and spices to the reserved chicken.

Assembly: In a 9x13 pan, layer in one quarter of the sauce, flour tortillas (cut to fill in spaces), half of the hand-torn pepper strips, half of the chicken mixture, about a cup and a half of shredded cheese, and another quarter of the sauce. Repeat the previous layers, ending with a final layer of tortillas and the last quarter of the sauce.

Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 375 until bubbly, hot in the middle, and slightly browned around the edges. Add another cup of cheese on top and put back in the hot oven for five minutes just to melt the cheese.

Helping You Hang onto That New Year's Resolution!

Ok, you MUST make this for dinner! It's CRAZY delicious and so good for you! Seriously, you can eat this and still maintain your tenuous grasp on your New Year's resolution...until the Valentine chocolates are upon us (literally, like on our hips and thighs). Plus, it's like a little taste of summer in the dead of winter. I give you Cajun-Spiced Chicken Breasts (cooked in the Instant Pot) on a Bed of Black Japonica Rice (also cooked in the magic pot) Topped with "Veggie Crack" (aka Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, and Avocado in a Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette). Oh yeah.

For the chicken, I seasoned then browned two pounds of FROZEN boneless/skinless breasts in a very hot skillet in two batches, then placed them in the Instant Pot on the trivet over 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and pressure-cooked them on Manual/high for four minutes with a quick release. For the black Japonica rice, I cooked 1 1/2 cups of rice in a scant two cups of water for 24 minutes on Manual/high in the IP, releasing after 10-15 minutes.

The best part of this meal is the so-called "Veggie Crack," the Pinterest favorite that is so nicknamed because you just can't stop eating it! Of course, this salad would be delicious on its own, and perfect to take to a party or potluck. I followed the recipe almost to the letter, except that I had to use frozen corn because, duh, it's winter. I just steamed a bag of sweet corn in a little water in the microwave for ten minutes then chilled it in ice water for a few minutes, drained it, and added it to the salad. Oh, and I used one red pepper and one yellow, because that's what I had.

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers and Avocado in a Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette, aka "Veggie Crack"
(Source: Once Upon a Chef)
Servings: 6-8

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob (or frozen--steamed then cooled)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (or any combination of red, yellow or orange)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons peeled and minced shallots, from one medium shallot
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 Hass avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Golden Globes' Goodness!

I'm obsessed with movies and movie award shows, so I made golden foods for tonight's Golden Globes telecast: Turkey thighs glazed with honey and my new favorite Green Mountain Mustard (Clove Encounter with Garlic and Oregano), buttery, scampi-style egg noodles, and this lovely spinach salad, which is an homage to one my dear friend Rob often makes.

My version has beautiful local spinach, slivered shallots (Rob does not use these), spiced pepitas (Rob uses cashews), mushrooms and garlic sautéed in butter and white wine (or Vermouth, if you have it), crumbles of Castello Blue (Rob prefers goat cheese), finished with a drizzle of balsamic (I used maple balsamic) and garnished with hard-cooked eggs (and those golden yolks--also my addition to Rob's "recipe"). SO YUMMY! This makes a lovely side dish, but it would also be perfect for a lunch, or as a hearty and savory vegetarian entree.

Only 167 days until summer!

Tonight, we had a little taste of summer in the dead of winter: Teriyaki pork steaks (broiled in the oven instead of grilled) and a healthful, tasty salad of barley, chickpeas, sugar snap peas, and sunflower seeds, with fresh dill, little nuggets of tangy goat cheese, and a spiced vinaigrette. DELISH, and by itself, it would make a perfectly hearty lunch or vegetarian entree in the warmer months. If you don't have barley, you can use farro, quinoa, or even brown rice. I also chose to swap out sugar snap peas for green beans and goat cheese for the feta, and I added a few cloves of minced garlic, because it seemed wrong not to. So go crazy and have fun with it!

Chickpea, Barley, and Feta Salad

(Source: Bon Appetit)

Serves 4

8 oz. green beans, halved crosswise (I used 12 oz. of frozen sugar snap peas steamed in the microwave)

kosher salt

1 cup pearled, hulled, or hull-less barley

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed

4 oz. feta, crumbled (I used little bits of goat cheese to garnish each serving instead)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, optional

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about three minutes. Using a sieve or a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water. Return water to a boil, add barley, and simmer until tender (refer to packaging for timing); drain. Let cool on a baking sheet.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook sunflower seeds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; let cool. Toss green beans, barley, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, feta, dill, lemon juice, garlic (if using), and toasted spice vinaigrette (recipe follows) in a large bowl.

Toasted Spice Vinaigrette
(Source: Bon Appetit)

Makes about 1/3 cup

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toast coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing, until fragrant, about three minutes. Let cool, then chop. Whisk with oil, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Do Ahead: Vinaigrette can be made four days ahead. Cover and chill.

There's still time for summery pasta salads!

There is precious little of summer--and my summer break--left, but I am trying to relish every last minute of it! I have been hanging at home, organizing lots of long-neglected home repair projects. While I wait for handymen and contractors to come, I try to tend to some inside projects as well. In fact, it's only 1:30pm, and I already had dinner ready!

I made this shrimp pasta salad, adapting a recipe from Cooking Light. Before serving, I will throw some little cocktail or cherry tomatoes in there for some much-needed color and a little extra flavor. But I already tasted it, and it's YUM! I think I will make a second batch for some friends who are going through some difficult medical treatments right now. This is a perfect dish to share with friends and neighbors, because it can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Warm Pasta Salad with Shrimp
(Source: adapted from Cooking Light)

3 cups uncooked farfalle (I used multi-grain rotini)
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used the whole can, so about 2C)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used 2T)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (or 1T!)
2 tablespoons chopped capers (I didn't have any, so I swapped out a little minced pickled jalapeno slices)
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon seafood or Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach (I doubled this)
1/4 cup minced red onion (I used a sweet onion)

*I also added 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, finely-shredded Grana Padano cheese (or any hard cheese of your choice), and pine nuts. Oh, and like I said, a chopped-up tomato would not be wrong in this.

Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and cool to warm. Toss the drained beans in there as well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, minced jalapeno (if using capers, add those at the end), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the warm pasta and beans with the dressing.

In a skillet over medium, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the shrimp with the seafood or Cajun seasoning ad the lemon pepper. Sauté for about a minute on each side and remove from heat. Add the shrimp (scraping the goodness from the pan) into the pasta and bean mixture. Stir in the chopped spinach, onion, basil, shredded cheese, and pine nuts. Serve immediately for a warm salad, or make a day ahead and chill.

CLCA Days 29-30: Nothing But a Salad to Report

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure" (or lack thereof), Day 29
All she ate all day was a fruit and veggie frozen pop because she wasn't feeling well. Boo hiss.

CLCA, Day 30
Late in the afternoon, I managed to compel her to eat this lovely spinach salad with grilled chicken, local strawberries, red spring onions, blue cheese, bacon, spiced walnuts, and blush wine vinaigrette. Oh, and of course, a fruit and veggie frozen pop. *sigh*

CLCA Days 21-22 and An Awesome Seafood Salad

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 21
Breakfast: Hard-Cooked Eggs
Lunch: Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on a Whole Wheat Tortilla
Dinner: Bunless Baconator from Wendy's (uh-oh)
Snack: Dill Pickles

CLCA, Day 22
Brunch: Eggs and Ezekiel Toast
Dinner: Barbecue Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Sauteed Squash/Peppers/Onions
Dessert: "Carb Smart" Ice Cream
Snack: Bologna and Cheese Sandwich on Whole-Wheat Tortilla (Well, at least she's getting her appetite back, so I'm turning a blind eye to some of her recent choices.)

Not that I'm one to talk. I had to break away from the primal lifestyle temporarily to make this awesome pasta salad with crab, avocado, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, and peas that was recommended by our favorite lobster vendor, Mother Shuckers Clam Shack, in Maine. GOOD STUFF! (I did use high-fiber fusilli if that counts for anything.)

I would totally make this again, but in the future, I would either omit the cheese or use something milder--the sharp cheddar tends to overwhelm the delicate flavors of the crab and avocado. Oh, and a teaspoon or so of Old Bay never hurt anything either. This dish would be terrific for those last summer potlucks--there's still about a month until Labor Day! *sad trombone*

As for the recipe, I will quote the hilarious Mother Shucker herself:

Crab and Avocado Pasta Salad

1 box of curly pasta. Curly pasta "grabs" the crabmeat. Rotini, Gemelli, ones like that ...are good, but elbow IS NOT. You get the drift? You need that curl and length. It really does make a difference! Boil pasta el dente and then strain in cold water. Dump into a BIG bowl and add:

1 cup frozen, cooked peas, cooled
1 block of sharp cheddar cheese cubed small (8 oz)
1 cucumber cubed small
1/2 avocado cubed small (or use the whole thing, duh)
4 boiled eggs, cubed
1 lb crabmeat (sorry, we don't sell it, but find it, buy it, TRY THIS!)
1 heaping spoon of HELLMANS and 1 heaping spoon of Miracle Whip. No matter if you like mayo or salad dressing or NOT, you have to use half and half. Don't argue! Just do as I tell you
A little salt and pepper to taste!

Note: If real crab isn't in your budget, I used imitation krab, which I quite enjoy. Or tuna would be good, too.

CLCA Day 7: Salad in a Jar (Your Healthy, Make-Ahead, Workday Lunch Solution!)

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 7 (We survived a week! YAY!!)
Breakfast: Mango-Triple Berry Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Salad in a Jar--pictured
Dinner: Leftovers (Roasted Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette)

The salad-in-a-jar was fun to make, except when I realized I had left out the tomato and to disassemble and reassemble it! ARRGGHH!! In the end, it had three tablespoons of lemon-herb vinaigrette at the bottom, then broccoli, snow peas, onion, yellow pepper, celery, carrots, tomato, roast turkey, and lettuce, of course.

These salads are great, because the possible combinations are endless--you can use whatever's in your vegetable and deli drawers. And you can make a week's worth on a Sunday afternoon, and they will stay fresh in quart-sized Mason jars in the fridge through lunch the following Friday! Just follow the basic methodology starting with 2-4 tablespoons of dressing at the bottom, then harder to lighter stuff as you layer up, ending with the lettuce.

Carb count: 123 grams

CLCA Day 6: A High Protein Salad for Lunch

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 6

Breakfast: Strawberry-Mango Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad--pictured
Dinner: Roasted Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Mash and Sautéed Zucchini--pictured
Dessert: I am suspecting Sugar-Free Jell-O, though I wasn't around to witness it. ;-)

Tuna and Chickpea Salad

(Source: Miracle Whip's web site)

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cans (5 oz. each) white tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 stalk  celery, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Mix first three ingredients until blended. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Add dressing mixture; mix lightly. Serve with crackers, or spooned over torn mixed salad greens.

I dont know about Portillo's, but I know I love this salad!

I can't remember where I ran across this chopped salad recipe, and I'm not even familiar with the restaurant from which it was copycatted, Portillo's. Apparently, it's famous for Chicago-style food, such as hot dogs with all the crazy toppings and Italian beef sandwiches. But people must also love this salad, because the knockoff version seems mighty popular. And after enjoying it for dinner tonight, I can certainly see why! I particularly love the addition of the ditalini pasta (which really is better if you let it marinate in some of the balsamic dressing overnight). It's kind of like the love child of a green salad and a pasta salad. Perfect for summer suppers and backyard gatherings. YUM!! (It was prettier before I mixed it all up, but it tasted better after everything was combined.)

"Portillo's" Chopped Salad

(Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything)

4 cups cooked ditalini pasta
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
2-1/2 cups chopped red cabbage (I prefer radicchio)
2 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup sliced green onions
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese (about 1 cup)
2 cups cooked and diced chicken 

Sweet Italian Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook ditalini pasta according to package instructions. Make sure you salt the pasta water while cooking to give it some flavor. Drain and cool. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet until done. Let bacon cool, then crumble it.

Combine romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, tomatoes and green onions in large salad bowl. Add cooled pasta, bacon and gorgonzola cheese to salad. Add chicken. Add dressing to taste right before serving so that it doesn't get soggy.

For the dressing: Place vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle olive oil through the blender top or feed tube until dressing is combined and emulsified. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

A tip: If you make the dressing ahead of time and add a little bit to the cooled pasta and let it soak it up in the fridge for some time it adds a whole lot of flavor.

Recreating My Wegman's Faves at Home

While I was at the PBGV National last month, one of our best dog trainers and competitors celebrated one of her dogs earning a MACH 3 (a very advanced agility title). They had a specially-decorated cake--for us humans, not the dogs. Initially, I declined a piece, because I'm not really a cake person. But her husband (who bought the cake) insisted I try it, that it was amazing....blah, blah, blah. It looked like a regular old grocery store cake to me. Boy, was I wrong! It was DELICIOUS! It had a dark chocolate bottom layer, fresh raspberries in the middle, a lovely, moist vanilla cake layer, and then a fairly thin coating of this creamy, whipped frosting (not nauseatingly thick and grainy like most commercial frostings). I asked the hubby where he got this wonderful cake, and I should have known, it was Wegman's, the world's best grocery store.

When I stopped at Wegman's on the way home to New York, I was tempted to buy a lemon raspberry cake that they were selling, but I was afraid that it wouldn't survive the long drive home in a hot car. I did buy  many other wonderful things, though. I especially love Wegman's salad and deli bars with all the prepared dishes. My favorite is their gigante bean salad. I bought a container of that to eat right away, but I also bought a big bag of dried gigante beans to try to replicate the salad at home.

And today was the perfect opportunity, as my friend, June, had a little end-of-the-school-year barbecue and potluck at her house. It turned out to be quite the gourmet event, too! A new couple, Ray and Ben, made a splash with a lovely Israeli couscous salad with fresh veggies and mint. My friends, The Cones, made a yummy pimento cheese spread, and a stunning shrimp cocktail platter. (Jarrod told me that his secret was cooking the shrimp with pickling spice. Yum!) And my friend, Patti, brought a comforting bundt cake that was a recipe of her mom's.

As for my contributions to the affair, I went with the Wegman's theme, and I brought both a gigante bean salad that I could easily live on and a cake that was in the style and flavor of the one that we enjoyed so much at the dog agility trial. It had both a vanilla layer and a chocolate layer with fresh raspberries as well as raspberry coulis in the middle, and a soft, whipped vanilla bean frosting. It was humble-looking (like all my cakes are--decorating is NOT in my wheelhouse), but it held together as it was sliced (that was my main worry), and I think the taste and texture were excellent. It was certainly an experiment worth repeating. Next time, I might try an oil-based vanilla cake to make it less dense, especially when refrigerated.

Gigante Bean Salad

(Source: adapted from Tamara Duker's blog)

Cook half a pound of gigante beans (soak overnight, then boil until tender). Roast one small red pepper and one small green pepper over open flame (your gas burner will do just fine). Peel their skins off and slice peppers into super-thin strips. (I used red and yellow roasted peppers from a jar.) Mix cooked beans with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (I used chives), 1/2 cup (or more, to taste) of roasted pepper strips, one or two minced garlic cloves, and salt to taste. I added a teaspoon of paprika. Let salad marinate in fridge for several hours so flavors can blend. Serve at room temperature.

White on White Buttermilk Cake

(Source: BakeSpace)

Note: I made half of this recipe in one cake pan.

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

To make the cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with flour added).

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and glossy.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean and tops are flat and browned. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one me be done at a different time.

Set the cake pans on racks to cool for ten minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting. At this point the cakes can be tightly wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and frozen up to three weeks.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake (aka Hershey's Black Magic Cake)

(Source: Ina Garten, via Food Network)

Note: I made half of this recipe and baked it in one pan.

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

In between the layers, I spread on a couple of tablespoons of raspberry coulis that I had in the freezer and a generous cup of fresh raspberries. Then I frosted the whole cake with a sour cream vanilla bean icing.

Sour Cream Vanilla Bean Frosting

(Source: adapted from All Recipes)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Stir in confectioners' sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

"Tuna in your mac salad? That's CRAZY TALK!"

I have a young colleague at work named Jarrod who teaches psychology and is an all-around delightful human being!  He is an enthusiastic and dedicated instructor, and his students adore him, but he also has many other interesting qualities. First of all, he and his lovely and brilliant wife, Christina, have FIVE--count 'em, FIVE--kids, and he's an awesome dad. Also, he seems to be able to build or repair anything--a brilliant handyman. And as I have recently learned, he has worked in a professional kitchen and as a caterer, and has MAD skills in the kitchen!

After graduation last night, a bunch of us stopped off for a drink at a local bistro, and as we sat on the patio in the drizzling rain (apparently, we're too dumb to come out of the rain), Jarrod and I began comparing notes about macaroni salad. Interestingly, we hold similar views of what makes a mac salad great--like shells are preferable to elbows, and especially, the inclusion of tuna. But he has other fervent but idiosyncratic beliefs, such as you need to find the right balance of mayo to Miracle Whip for the dressing, and that the "secret" ingredient that makes all the difference is a pinch of...wait for it...Lawry's Season Salt. Um, okay. And my belief is that his recipe (based on his mom's) needs some olives, a little ground celery, and maybe a hit of sriracha...because everything does.

Thus, I give you our delicious hybrid, and since I teach speech and Jarrod teaches psych, I shall call it, "Crazy Talk" Mac Salad--as is, "You put TUNA in your macaroni salad? That's just CRAZY TALK!"

"Crazy Talk" Mac Salad

1 lb. small shells or rings, cooked, drained and cooled
4 hard-cooked eggs, cooled, peeled and chopped
1 can chunk tuna, drained
1/4 cup finely-minced onion (or a few green onions or a bunch of chives)
1/2 cup chopped olives (I used green salad olives)
1/2 teaspoon ground celery
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
squirt of sriracha, optional

Instructions? I think you know what to do.

Sweet Home Pizzeria

Over Spring Break, I visited some of my PBGV friends in Mobile, Alabama, and one of the things my fabulous hosts did for me one night was to make homemade pizza. Now I have always been a believer in using a pizza stone, but I lost mine somewhere in the move several years ago and haven't gotten around to replacing it. But my friends use one of those perforated pizza pans, and I was surprised by how crisp it got the bottom crust, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. And it works great! Since my friends inspired me to make my own pizza, the toppings I chose for my pizza were an homage to Alabama and the South. Drumroll, please: I give you, THE ALABAMA SPECIAL!

I made homemade garlic pizza dough using Jim Lahey's basic recipe but added a teaspoon of granulated garlic to it.  I let it rise, rolled half of it it out, placed it on the lightly-greased perforated pan, and then pre-baked the crust for a few minutes in a fiery hot oven (500 degrees). I took it out and topped it with a thin layer of Alabama-style white barbecue sauce, shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, chopped smoked brisket (from Sadler's Smokehouse, Sam's Club) tossed in a little bit of regular BBQ sauce ISweet Baby Ray's), and chopped red onion. I baked the pizza for a few more minutes until golden brown and crispy. And the piece de resistance was to top it with some homemade Alabama Hot Slaw (Moosewood recipe). Seriously, that slaw is everything. Make it. NOW. (Why are you still sitting at your computer??)

Pizza Dough
(Source: Dinner: A Love Story, via Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery)

This recipe makes two balls of dough — enough for two separate thin crust pizzas. If you want aWhole Wheat Pizza Crust, replace anywhere from two to three of the cups of flour with whole wheat flour in equal measurements.

3 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant or other active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/3 cup room-temperature water

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough will be stiff, not wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Divide the dough in two and shape each into flattened balls. (Dough can be frozen at this point.)
When you are ready to make a pizza, preheat oven to 500°F roll out one ball of dough in a rectangular shape and place on an oiled cookie sheet with the toppings of your choice.

White Barbecue Sauce

(Source: Southern Living, 2005)

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

Whisk together all ingredients until blended. Store in the refrigerator up to one week.

Alabama Hot Slaw

(Source: Moosewood Restaurant)

1 small head of cabbage (about 1 pound)
2 celery stalks
1 1/2 cups peeled and shredded carrots
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 heaping tablespoon minced red onions
1/4 cup white or cider vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon prepared mustard, such as yellow, brown, or hot
Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce to taste
1/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil

Finely shred the cabbage to make about 4 cups and place it in a large bowl. Halve the celery stalks lengthwise and thinly slice them crosswise. Without mixing together, pile the celery on top of the cabbage and follow with the carrots, bell peppers, and red onions.

In a small bowl or a cup, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and salt until clear. Stir in the black pepper, mustard, and Tabasco to taste and pour on the vegetables. In a small pan, heat the oil to just smoking: you should see a few ripples in the oil and some heat waves. Pour the hot oil over the vegetables, aiming especially for the onions and peppers. Let sit for 3 or 4 minutes. Toss and serve or refrigerate for later.

OKUSNE!

Earlier this week, I got an email at work informing us that the dining hall at the college dorms was going to feature the culinary stylings of a visiting chef and an authentic Slovenian menu. Yeah, my first thought was, "WTH is Slovenian food and is that different from Slovakian?" But I'm always game to try a new cuisine, especially in this little white bread, Applebee's-lovin' town. So I let my Plattsburgh class out a little early tonight and hustled over to the dorms to check it out. And I'm SO GLAD I did! It was delicious (that's "okusne" to you Slovenians)!

Risotto with pumpkin seed oil and Parmesan cheese.

Sautéed vegetables: Zucchini, yellow squash, onions, mushrooms, and colorful sweet peppers.

Two Slovenian soups: Chicken stew with chicken, vegetables, wine and spices (front), and one with pasta, cranberry beans, tomato paste and spices (back).

Primorska salad: Buckwheat, radicchio, asparagus spears, shrimp, and vinaigrette. (This salad was beautiful, unusual, and DELICIOUS! I am going to recreate it at home.)

Pork tenderloin with shiitake mushrooms, squash, bacon, and breadcrumbs served with a rich mushroom sauce. (Everything was delicious, but this took the grand prize, IMHO!)

Crispy haddock fillets with bread crumbs and pumpkin seeds.

Bled grmada: A light sponge cake layered with walnuts, vanilla custard, chocolate sauce, and raisins.


I thought the food was very interesting, and seemed to draw from many ethnicities; the risotto seemed Italian, the pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce felt Germanic, and the dessert definitely had a Slavic/Eastern European vibe. When I got home, I Googled up a map of Slovenia, and I saw that it is, in fact, due east of Italy, south of Austria and Hungary, and west of Croatia. Also, it has a tiny bit of coastline, so that explains the seafood elements. Fascinating!

The other thing I did when I got home--albeit a couple of days later--was to attempt to replicate the Primorska Salad. I didn't have time to stop at the co-op for buckwheat, so I swapped out some red quinoa that I steamed, crisped up in the oven, and then cooled. I blanched some cut-up asparagus spears then tossed them in an ice bath, thawed some cocktail shrimp, sliced a shallot into thin slivers, shredded some Parmesan, sliced up a few pieces of shaved prosciutto, and put all of this on top of a big pile of greens and radicchio, and drizzled everything with a Balsamic vinaigrette. Laborious, yes, but well worth the effort to put something elegant and unusual on the dinner table.

The Best Gift is Time Spent with Friends

Once a person heads into middle age, it seems to more and more difficult to buy gifts for one's friends. They don't need anything, and anything they want, they just buy for themselves before their birthdays or other gift-giving holidays roll around. So more often than not, my local friends and I tend to give each other experiences in lieu of material goods. And this year, my friends, Lee Ann and June, outdid themselves!







In December, they asked me and another friend, Vicky, out to lunch and then presented us with these MAGNIFIQUE baskets filled with lots of goodies from Quebec: Maple leaf cookies and cookies with the Chateau Frontenac embossed in chocolate, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Whippets (like Canadian Mallowmars), and even a can of yellow pea soup (it's traditional--don't ask). But the best thing in the basket was a handmade coupon for dinner and a play in Montreal!

So yesterday, we finally took ourselves north to see The Book of Bob at The Centaur (the staging was inventive, but the play was just so-so), and then we had dinner afterwards at a nice wine bar in Old Montreal called Modavie. Everything we had was tasty, but the salad that June ordered looked especially scrumptious. The menu said it was made with frisee (which is why I didn't order it--I'm not a fan of bitter, spiky greens), but it came with mixed greens, lardons (crispy fried pork bits), and a softly poached egg on top. It looked incredible, and I thought, "Why can't I make this for myself at home?"

So...I did. I used smoky bacon ends from Oscar's Smokehouse, and though I admit, my freeform egg poaching skills are pathetic, a drizzle of Caesar vinaigrette covers a multitude of unsightly eggy sins. DECADENT and DELISH!