Category: Soup and Salad

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

The best potato salad I have ever tasted!

I had my bf walk me through this potato salad because he makes it often and I wanted to learn his technique. This recipe relies a lot on taste. The basic ingredients are below but the measurements will alter to your taste.

Ingredients:

5 Russet potatoes

3 eggs

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup dill relish

1 dill pickle, chopped

1 TBS mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp celery salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes, cool, peel, and chop

Cool eggs, cool, peel, and chop

Combine all ingredients, mix well, and chill in the fridge

Roasted Sweet Potato Tasso Bisque

I love Cajun and Creole food. I went to New Orleans for the second time and this time I had the opportunity to take my first cooking class. I took a hands-on class at the New Orleans School of Cooking and it was amazing. I really enjoyed learning about the cuisine of NOLA and meeting my 9 new friends. Chef Matt was an amazing teacher with a great personality. My favorite dish that we made was the bisque; so spicy, creamy and delicious. We used an immersion blender to puree. If you don’t have one of those you could use a food processor or blender in its place.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 TBS unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup onions, diced
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 TBS garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup tasso (if your grocer doesn’t carry this you can use bacon or prosciutto in its place)
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 TBS Joe’s Stuff seasoning (I have the link to order down below, but you can use a combination of salt, garlic salt, paprika and onion powder in its place)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cook sweet potato for 45 minutes or until tender, remove from oven and let cool (poke holes in the potato prior to cooking and beware that it will leak all over your oven, so place it on a pan).

In a heavy bottom pot, heat butter and brown tasso on all sides at medium-high. Remove half from pot and set aside for garnish.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic; saute until soft. De-glaze with stock, scraping the bits of the bottom of the pot. Add Joe’s stuff or your own seasonings and allow to simmer.

After sweet potato has cooled, split it in half and scoop flesh out with a spoon. Add potato to simmering liquid. Using the immersion blender, puree the contents of the pot until smooth.

Add heavy cream and return to pot to simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Garnish with tasso and green onions.

Here is where you can purchase the special creole seasoning:

Joe's Stuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegetarian Chili

 

 

It’s comfort food weather. My daughter and I have had this recipe a couple times when we were feeling like a “no meat” kind of night. I found this recipe on the website http://www.cookieandkate.com. Its delicious and you can add shredded cheese and sour cream or eat it with crackers, whatever you prefer.

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 TBS chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp smoke paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, with their juices (20 ozs)
  • 2 cans black beans (15 ozs each) rinsed and drained
  • 1 can pinto beans (15 oz) rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice (your choice)
  • chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large pot heat the olive oil, add onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook until vegetables are tender (7-10 minutes).

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook until fragrant (1 minute).

Add tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

For delicious texture transfer 1 1/2 cups of chili (get some liquid) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, transfer blended chili back into pot.

Add cilantro and vinegar to taste, add remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Serve with garnish of your choice.

 

 

 

Three Bean Salad

 

 

I realize summer is over. However, I am still going to share this recipe I found over the summer because I want it in my archives for easy access. Also, you might like it as well. Super easy to make and great for leftovers. I found it on one of my favorite recipe websites. http://www.simplyrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

  • 1 15-oz can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz  red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped fine (3/4 cup), soaked in water to take away the sting, discard water before adding
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped fine (1 cup)
  • 1 cup loosely packed, fresh. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Mix all the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat. Chill for several hours.

 

 

Pasta Salad with Peas and Summer Beans

 

I am posting more vegetarian dishes because it seems as though my daughter is serious about this no meat business. Being a vegetarian myself for nine years, off and on, I understand where she is coming from and I am trying to make new dishes to keep her fed and healthy. Here is a good one for the summer that was found in Martha Stewart’s Living magazine.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz penne pasta (recipe calls for whole wheat but you can use what ever you prefer of course)
  • 8 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
  • 8 oz wax beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
  • 6 oz peas (1 1/4 cups) recipe calls for frozen but we used fresh from the Farmer’s Market
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced (2 TBS)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest, plus 1 TBS fresh juice
  • 1 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes, add beans, cook until pasta and beans are al dente, 4 to 5 more minutes. Add peas and immediately drain. Run cold water over pasta and vegetables until completely cool, drain and transfer to a bowl.

In a small skillet, heat oil, add garlic until golden, 1-2 minutes, Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and juice. Combine with pasta and salt and pepper to taste, toss cilantro in and serve or refrigerate.

Baby-Back Rib Chili

I found this unusual chili recipe in the Jan 2003 issue of GQ magazine. Titled “A Big Bowl of Love” and it truly is. Article by Terry Sullivan; he says he received the recipe from his accountant, Liz. Thank you Liz!

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 slabs baby back ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 large white onions, diced
  • 1 large bunch celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 cans (28 oz) whole tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (40 oz) kidney beans, puree
  • 1 palmful cocoa powder or 3 to 4 oz chocolate syrup
  • 2 palmful chili powder
  • 2 tsp each salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 8 to 10 shakes Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Partially precook ribs in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onions and celery in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes or so, then remove the ribs from the oven, pour off the grease, cut them into two-rib sections and add to the pot. Cook over medium heat for several hours stirring occasionally.

%d bloggers like this: