Since I've made potato salad roughly three times in the past month, I decided it was time to share. Granted - potato salad is not difficult to make, and this is not a remake of the original. This is the potato salad I grew up with, compliments of my Maine-born-and-raised mother. The below recipe makes enough for a crowd (15-20 people), and leaves leftovers which are better than eating the freshly made stuff. This is a rough outline for a recipe to do with as you will.
6-7 lbs red skinned potatoes
2 packages of frozen peas
3-4 stalks of celery, finely minced
1/4 - 1/2 large red onion, finely minced
3 scallions (all parts) trimmed, chopped, optional
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups or so of Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise
2-3 heaping tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Having made this so much recently, I feel like somewhat of an expert in this style of potato salad. This is far from the truth, but I have acquired many tips - so be warned.
First throw halved (if large) or whole potatoes into a large stockpot. Fill with cold water and place over very high heat, cover. Bring it to a rolling boil, which will roughly take 30-40 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking combine celery, red onion, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Let peas thaw on counter or put them in a colander and run warm water over them.
This is the fun part: after the potatoes have come to a boil and have cooked for 20 minutes, stick a fork in one to check for doneness. If you can easily slide the fork in and the potato breaks apart easily - turn off the heat. Drain the potatoes and put half back in the pot. Here I break apart the potatoes with a fork and knife into large, irregular chunks (skins and all). This also creates a starchy potato mush that I live for. Combine half of the potato mixture to the mayo mixture. Repeat with the remainder of the potatoes. Lastly, fold in peas and eggs. You can't over mix this, so go to town. Check for seasoning as you may like it saltier (add salt, duh), more piquant (mustard or pepper), or more wet (mayo or starchy potato water). Sprinkle with scallions if you're into that. Dig in!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Suffering Succotash!
Here is my first official posting from my new apartment. We moved in nearly 2 weeks ago and I've had some excellent "firsts" there, such as my first indoor hamburger and my first succotash. The latter is very exciting for me, and I'm honestly not sure why...could it be the colors? The New England heritage? Who's to say, but the simplicity of the dish made it perfect for a June weeknight meal. Traditionally succotash contains lima beans, but instead I used small navy beans as I had bought a huge bag of the dried variety. Their creamy texture was a perfect foil for the crisp veggies and smoky bacon.
I have to admit that the dish was premeditated. I think it may have been the half and half in the fridge which truly inspired me. I always found it interesting that recipes for succotash called for it. Enough rambling, here is the recipe.
2 pieces of good quality bacon
a few tbs of olive oil
1 medium onion
dried basil
red pepper flakes
1 cup of half and half
1 package of frozen corn, thawed
1 large bell pepper, chopped into large (1-2 inch) chunks
2-3 cups of small navy beans
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2in long pieces. Place into a cold pan with a tbs of the olive oil and cook over med-med/low heat. The trick is to slowly render the bacon, so all the fat comes out and you're left with pretty bacon bits. Once cooked through, take the bacon bits out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, put the onions in and cook over medium heat, but only for about 5 minutes or so. You don't want them to be totally translucent. Throw in the corn and navy beans and warm through. Season the mixture with generous amounts of salt and freshly ground black pepper, along with a few pinches of red pepper flakes and a tsp or so of dried basil. If you have fresh basil, then by all means, use it. Next pour in the half and half and give it a good mix. I placed the red pepper chunks on top of the mixture and put the lid on the pan. If you need more liquid for them to steam, just add a touch of chicken broth. Give the peppers about 5 or so minutes to steam, but don't let them get too soft because you still want them to have a nice little bite to them. Finish the dish of with a generous handful of chopped parsley and the bacon bits.
I split a boneless, skinless chicken breast (I know, boring) and sautéed the halves in another pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. I served one chicken breast half over a heaping mound of the succotash.
I have to admit that the dish was premeditated. I think it may have been the half and half in the fridge which truly inspired me. I always found it interesting that recipes for succotash called for it. Enough rambling, here is the recipe.
2 pieces of good quality bacon
a few tbs of olive oil
1 medium onion
dried basil
red pepper flakes
1 cup of half and half
1 package of frozen corn, thawed
1 large bell pepper, chopped into large (1-2 inch) chunks
2-3 cups of small navy beans
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2in long pieces. Place into a cold pan with a tbs of the olive oil and cook over med-med/low heat. The trick is to slowly render the bacon, so all the fat comes out and you're left with pretty bacon bits. Once cooked through, take the bacon bits out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, put the onions in and cook over medium heat, but only for about 5 minutes or so. You don't want them to be totally translucent. Throw in the corn and navy beans and warm through. Season the mixture with generous amounts of salt and freshly ground black pepper, along with a few pinches of red pepper flakes and a tsp or so of dried basil. If you have fresh basil, then by all means, use it. Next pour in the half and half and give it a good mix. I placed the red pepper chunks on top of the mixture and put the lid on the pan. If you need more liquid for them to steam, just add a touch of chicken broth. Give the peppers about 5 or so minutes to steam, but don't let them get too soft because you still want them to have a nice little bite to them. Finish the dish of with a generous handful of chopped parsley and the bacon bits.
I split a boneless, skinless chicken breast (I know, boring) and sautéed the halves in another pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. I served one chicken breast half over a heaping mound of the succotash.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Comfort Food: Stuffed Shells
Where to start! I was cooking quite a bit, but not feeling very inspired to write anything down. Then, after cooking stuffed shells two nights in a row (Jordan's request), I decided it was high time. I hate to waste food and am in major money-saving mode, so I was determined to make something delicious for dinner Saturday night without going to the store. I had some random bits and pieces left from the week and a casual pizza party I threw on Friday night. I made stuffed shells with peas in a red pepper vegetable ragout...on Sunday I made spinach and zucchini stuffed shells in a spicy tomato sauce, but I had gone to the store beforehand, so it's not nearly as impressive.
16-18 Jumbo Shell pasta (literally all I had)
Filling:
8-10oz of Part Skim Ricotta
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
1 package of frozen pea, cooked (you'll only need 1/3-1/2 box)
Lots of fresh thyme, leftover from pizza night
High quality garlic powder, I can' resist
parmesan
Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot/celery
2 garlic cloves
32oz can of crushed tomatoes (set aside 3/4 cup for a later use)
Dried basil and oregano
3-4tbs of low-fat plain yogurt
1 large red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
Salt
This may sound tricky, but the timing works out quite nicely. First thing: put a large put of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 375F. Get the sauce going by sauteeing the red onion/carrot/celery/garlic in a little olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the finished sauce. Season the mixture when it gets soft with salt and pepper and some dried basil and oregano. Then, pour in the crushed tomatoes and give the whole thing a good stir. Simmer. If the water is boiling -- throw in the shells. They usually take about 10-12 min. At this point mix the ricotta with an egg, then season with salt/pepper and loads of thyme. Fold in the peas last along with a small handful of parmesan cheese if you have it. Here comes the fun part. Steam chunks of the red bell pepper in a little water until they start to soften a bit. Drain them and combine with the yogurt in the food processor with the clove of garlic and salt. Whiz away! I poured the mixture into the tomato sauce. Don't let it simmer too aggressively or the yogurt will start doing strange things, like separating.
Get a 9x13 casserole dish and put a cup or so of sauce on the bottom. Start stuffing the shells with a tbs or so of filling or as much as you can cram into them like I do. Line them up side-by-side in the casserole dish. Drizzle sauce on top and cover tightly with foil. Cook in oven for about 30-40 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce. Yum!
16-18 Jumbo Shell pasta (literally all I had)
Filling:
8-10oz of Part Skim Ricotta
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
1 package of frozen pea, cooked (you'll only need 1/3-1/2 box)
Lots of fresh thyme, leftover from pizza night
High quality garlic powder, I can' resist
parmesan
Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot/celery
2 garlic cloves
32oz can of crushed tomatoes (set aside 3/4 cup for a later use)
Dried basil and oregano
3-4tbs of low-fat plain yogurt
1 large red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
Salt
This may sound tricky, but the timing works out quite nicely. First thing: put a large put of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 375F. Get the sauce going by sauteeing the red onion/carrot/celery/garlic in a little olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the finished sauce. Season the mixture when it gets soft with salt and pepper and some dried basil and oregano. Then, pour in the crushed tomatoes and give the whole thing a good stir. Simmer. If the water is boiling -- throw in the shells. They usually take about 10-12 min. At this point mix the ricotta with an egg, then season with salt/pepper and loads of thyme. Fold in the peas last along with a small handful of parmesan cheese if you have it. Here comes the fun part. Steam chunks of the red bell pepper in a little water until they start to soften a bit. Drain them and combine with the yogurt in the food processor with the clove of garlic and salt. Whiz away! I poured the mixture into the tomato sauce. Don't let it simmer too aggressively or the yogurt will start doing strange things, like separating.
Get a 9x13 casserole dish and put a cup or so of sauce on the bottom. Start stuffing the shells with a tbs or so of filling or as much as you can cram into them like I do. Line them up side-by-side in the casserole dish. Drizzle sauce on top and cover tightly with foil. Cook in oven for about 30-40 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce. Yum!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Subway Musings
I had a few remaining thawed artichoke hearts and peas from the other night, so on the commute home I day-dreamed about what combinations of things I could create when I got into the kitchen. I probably looked like a crazy person, staring off into oblivion and then smirking when I thought of something really delicious. By the time I got to Greenpoint I thought of three dishes to make: pan-fried kielbasy (picked up on the way home) with roasted sweet potatoes, artichoke hearts, and red onion(and of course garlic for good measure); a deliciously Spring salad with homemade blue cheese dressing; a rich yellow split pea soup. The soup wasn’t specifically for dinner, it was more for lunches this week - as I’m not a fan of waking up and making sandwiches.
The soup is super simple and is virtually fat-free and vegetarian – but it’s actually good.
1 package of dry yellow split peas
Two seeded and chopped Jalapeños
Medium onion quartered
3-4 garlic cloves
4 whole sprigs of Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbs of chopped fresh ginger
Scant tbs of curry powder (all I had!)
Salt to taste
This is so easy! It’s also a weird hybrid of my parents as my mom makes incredible, though traditional, split pea soup and my dad puts curry on everything. I literally threw everything in a big stock pot, except the salt. Cover with cold water by an inch or two. Bring contents to a boil, then put the lid on and simmer to a divine mush, which usually takes about an hour. I added nearly a tbs of salt at the end. It made four huge servings.
I also concocted my first ever blue cheese dressing. It made a little more than Jordan and I needed for our salad and would be excellent in an egg salad...
A few 1-inch chunks of blue cheese
A few tbs of sour cream
A tbs of light Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Scant tsp of Dijon mustard
A tbs or so of white wine vinegar
Drop of Olive Oil to loosen
Lots of black pepper
Garlic Powder
I think that was it it...I basically put the first two ingredients into a teacup and smashed it up, then added the mayo, mustard, vinegar, etc. Be sure to taste along the way. I put it on top of a salad composed of red leaf lettuce, radishes, peas, scallions, hard-boiled eggs and crispy Canadian bacon. So so good.
The soup is super simple and is virtually fat-free and vegetarian – but it’s actually good.
1 package of dry yellow split peas
Two seeded and chopped Jalapeños
Medium onion quartered
3-4 garlic cloves
4 whole sprigs of Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbs of chopped fresh ginger
Scant tbs of curry powder (all I had!)
Salt to taste
This is so easy! It’s also a weird hybrid of my parents as my mom makes incredible, though traditional, split pea soup and my dad puts curry on everything. I literally threw everything in a big stock pot, except the salt. Cover with cold water by an inch or two. Bring contents to a boil, then put the lid on and simmer to a divine mush, which usually takes about an hour. I added nearly a tbs of salt at the end. It made four huge servings.
I also concocted my first ever blue cheese dressing. It made a little more than Jordan and I needed for our salad and would be excellent in an egg salad...
A few 1-inch chunks of blue cheese
A few tbs of sour cream
A tbs of light Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Scant tsp of Dijon mustard
A tbs or so of white wine vinegar
Drop of Olive Oil to loosen
Lots of black pepper
Garlic Powder
I think that was it it...I basically put the first two ingredients into a teacup and smashed it up, then added the mayo, mustard, vinegar, etc. Be sure to taste along the way. I put it on top of a salad composed of red leaf lettuce, radishes, peas, scallions, hard-boiled eggs and crispy Canadian bacon. So so good.
40oz Freedom
I rarely have wine lying around. As soon as I buy a bottle it is promptly opened and drunk (with help of course). So is the case that I am often trying to makesome new creation and never have the 1/3 cup of wine that is so vital to the recipe at hand. Last night, I was making a fast chicken thigh fricasse/braise with peas, artichokes and mushrooms. I needed alcohol. Luckily, I had a week-old and barely touched bottle of Colt 45, compliments of my lovely fiancé. I used nearly 2 cups of this stuff to deglaze the pan and cook all of my spring veggies in. I used a lot of Colt 45, so it would cook down to something a little nicer...Here's the recipe, we had no leftovers.
4 small organic chicken thighs
Salt/pepper
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs of Italian parsely, chopped
2 cups Colt 45 Malt Liquor
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 package of frozen peas
8-10 white button mushrooms
1 lemon
Olive oil
Dried basil
Garlic Powder
1 cup dry orzo, cooked
First, put a few tbs of oil in a hot pan (nonstick if that is your thing). Cook chicken seasoned with salt and pepper skin side down for about 4-5 minutes, flip, and do the same. Remove from pan and set aside. Throw in the onions, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper, dried basil and garlic powder if you like, because I do. Cook over med heat until onions are starting to get soft. I normally love caramelized onions, but not for this, so pour in the 40 at this point to deglaze the pan - one cup at a time. I would put the chicken back in the bubbling brew and put the lid on the pan. Take a swig of the good ole malt liquor. 10-15 minutes later throw in the frozen artichoke hearts and peas. 5 minutes later throw in the mushrooms. Now take the thighs out and place under the broiler for for 5 minutes, so they're nice and golden brown on top. Season the veggie mix once again and add the juice of one lemon. Toss the vegetables with hot orzo. Serve the chicken thighs on top of a heaping mound of orzo and vegetables.
4 small organic chicken thighs
Salt/pepper
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs of Italian parsely, chopped
2 cups Colt 45 Malt Liquor
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 package of frozen peas
8-10 white button mushrooms
1 lemon
Olive oil
Dried basil
Garlic Powder
1 cup dry orzo, cooked
First, put a few tbs of oil in a hot pan (nonstick if that is your thing). Cook chicken seasoned with salt and pepper skin side down for about 4-5 minutes, flip, and do the same. Remove from pan and set aside. Throw in the onions, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper, dried basil and garlic powder if you like, because I do. Cook over med heat until onions are starting to get soft. I normally love caramelized onions, but not for this, so pour in the 40 at this point to deglaze the pan - one cup at a time. I would put the chicken back in the bubbling brew and put the lid on the pan. Take a swig of the good ole malt liquor. 10-15 minutes later throw in the frozen artichoke hearts and peas. 5 minutes later throw in the mushrooms. Now take the thighs out and place under the broiler for for 5 minutes, so they're nice and golden brown on top. Season the veggie mix once again and add the juice of one lemon. Toss the vegetables with hot orzo. Serve the chicken thighs on top of a heaping mound of orzo and vegetables.
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