I promised to give you all my potato salad recipe… and here it is. Just in time for your July 4th celebration!

There are so many different kinds of salad recipes out there. Salads are wonderful year-round, but I have one pet peeve that will ruin any salad for me. When it comes to salad dressing, it is important to remember that there is such thing as too much of a good thing. My nieces come and cook with me often, and one of the first things I taught them is how to dress a salad without overdoing it. This is a very important thing to know.

Most restaurants, even the best of them, will overdress a salad. Often, too much mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, or buttermilk is added. I recognize that these ingredients are important, however, they should be used with great restraint. Let’s face it, a soggy, overdressed salad is just not appealing!

Here are a few tips for dressing your salad:

You don’t have to prepare the recipe for the salad dressing exactly as it is written. Add the heavier ingredients slowly, just until you get the creamy consistency you prefer. The lighter the consistency, the better your salad will look and taste. 

When you dress the salad, add the dressing a little bit at a time. When the salad is just glistening, stop! Do not add more. Lastly, taste it. Even if you think you should add more at first, wait. Once you take a few bites, you will realize it is perfectly dressed as is.

This recipe was such a hit on Father’s Day, and I was so surprised. Personally, I am not a fan of potato salad. I went to my supermarket to purchase it, looked at the ingredients, and just couldn’t buy it because some of them are so bad for you. I decided I would make it myself. I looked at a few recipes, took all the ingredients I thought would be good together, and I served it, not really giving it a second thought. To my surprise, everyone loved it, even me! Now I am happy to share it with you.

When you take a bite of this salad, the flavor practically shouts at you from the mustard grains. The sweet pickle relish adds sweet and tang at the same time. The eggs complete the taste sensation with a hardy texture. This is perfect for your July 4th barbeque. Try it for yourself and share it with friends, just like I am!

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This recipe will serve 6-8 people who will smile in between bites of this well-seasoned salad!

Ingredients for Fabulous Potato Salad

5 potatoes
5 eggs, hard-boiled, cut into medium-sized chunks
2 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup (or more) sweet pickle relish
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
2 (or more) tbsp. whole grain mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Today’s Hint: To make an egg easier to peel, crack the top and bottom parts of the eggs first. Then roll the eggs gently on the countertop. The shells should peel away easily!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15- 20 minutes. 

Drain, cool and peel.

Chop into 1 -1 1/2-inch pieces.

Place eggs into saucepan. 

Cover with water 1-inch above eggs.

Bring to a boil.

Remove eggs from heat, cover and set a timer for 12 minutes.

Drain and immediately place eggs in ice water.

Peel and cut into 1-inch pieces.

In an extra large bowl, combine the potatoes, celery.

Add the onion.

Mix carefully to combine. You do not want the potatoes to become smaller and mushy.

Add the mustard.

 Carefully fold in the pickle relish, garlic, garlic salt, celery salt, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Add the eggs. Fold in gently.

Taste and add more of your favorites ingredients, if needed!

Transfer to serving platter and refrigerate until chilled.

It’s that simple!

 

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I am always in need of a light summer side dish. Chicken, burgers and hot dogs are summer barbeque classics, but you have to switch up the side dishes or it gets a little repetitive. It is hard to find something to compete with heavy sauce and rich meats. With all the fresh and beautiful produce available in the summertime, you can make a light and complementary dish that your guests will think is perfect. 

Coleslaw and potato salad are some of the usual expected sides. But you have to be careful when preparing them. You can lighten these dishes up by using less mayonnaise, more apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard or whole grain mustard. These ingredients provide a refreshing twist on these classic salads. My own recipe for a wonderful potato salad is coming soon!

You can also grill some vegetables with a little olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Make a vinaigrette to toss it in and top it off with a little Parmesan, feta, or Asiago cheese. 

For this recipe, I roasted sweet grape tomatoes. I look forward to this every year when the tomato season arrives. If you have the time, slow roast grape tomatoes. The steady heat transforms the tomatoes into warm, caramelized morsels that burst with flavor when you bite down. You can pair them with pasta, as I did for this recipe, as well as chicken, salads, or other vegetables. It is hard to resist eating these right from the pan. Heat your oven to 225°F, toss with a little olive oil. salt and pepper and bake for 3 hours. And yes, it is worth turning on your oven in the summer to do it.

As per usual, the ingredients for this recipe are simple, yet they add complexity to the flavor in each bite. The basil pairs perfectly with the tomatoes, giving them a savory deliciousness, and the Asiago cheese adds a velvety essence. The result is an ideal side dish that can accompany any main course.

This recipe will serve 4 people who will delight in this mouth-watering, savory summer side.

Ingredients for Tomato-Basil Pasta with Asiago Cheese

2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 pound orecchiette pasta, or any pasta of your choice
2 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 set aside.
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus 2 tbsp. set aside
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup Asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup set aside
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus 1 tsp. set aside
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, toss tomatoes with 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20-30 minutes.

Cook pasta in well salted boiling water 2 minutes less than package instructions.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, and drain.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the remaining garlic clove. 

Cook for 1 minute.

Toss in the tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining garlic clove. 

Cook for 2 minutes.

Toss in the pasta and half of the reserved pasta water.

 

Add the remaining Asiago cheese and basil.

Continue to cook, until pasta water is absorbed. 

Add more pasta water, until you get the thickness of sauce you prefer.

Transfer to a serving bowl, top with remaining Asiago cheese, and serve immediately.

It’s that simple!

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We just finished planting our flower garden, it is growing fast and coming out so beautifully!  It may seem strange to rejoice when it rains in the summer, but I know my flowers are getting watered sufficiently. Through all my years of gardening, I have learned that rainwater has something special in it. It just makes my plants look that much more magnificent. All my hard work is starting to pay off. Now everyday I can look forward to watching them grow and flourish. I have a balcony off of my bedroom where I can drink my coffee and enjoy the charming view.

I have not planted this year’s food garden yet. I am hoping it is not too late, because I love to watch it grow as well. Usually, I plant tomatoes (which never seem to do well), cucumbers, green onions, cauliflower and kale. I never plant zucchini, because, well, I’m just not fond of it. My family enjoys it, however, I seldom prepare it.

This recipe changed my mind. The zucchini noodles are not cooked. I was surprised, but realized after tasting this dish, that it was the consistency of the cooked noodles that I disliked. These noodles were crunchy and I found that more to my liking, as the added salt made them taste much less watery. I also cheated and bought the already spiralized zucchini in my supermarket and you should too! It makes things so much easier.

It does not get any simpler than this recipe. There is no cooking involved, (perfect for a warm summer day, especially if you are short on time). The recipe did not include the time needed for toasting the pine nuts, but it does not take long.

I loved everything about his wonderful salad. It has the perfect amount of freshness to it for the summer. The ingredients are light and yet delicious and combined very nicely together. The lemons gave it a nice zing, and the honey added a pleasant sweetness to it. Everything about this dish is enjoyable. A “must try”, especially if you love zucchini.

This recipe is courtesy of Cuisineathome.com and will serve 4 people who will savor the refreshing taste of this pleasant salad! 

Ingredients for Zoodle “Pasta” Salad

3 zucchini, spiralized
1 tbsp. kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 cup basil, torn
1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Toss zucchini and salt in a strainer set over a bowl.

Let sit 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F, and place the pine nuts in for 7-8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice,  olive oil, garlic and honey.

Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse zoodles; dry in a salad spinner.

Toss together zoodles, basil, pecorino cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Dress with vinaigrette.

Serve immediately.

It’s that simple!

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The weather has finally been sunny and warm here. I think it is time to lighten the menu up a bit!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient crop that has been eaten by the South American people for 5,000 years. It means “mother grain” in the Inca language. While some people refer to it as a grain, it is actually a seed. It is gluten-free, comes in different colors and is just plain delicious!

This hardy little seed looks a little bit like couscous, but is smaller in size and crunchier in texture. Quinoa has many health benefits. It is rich in lysine, which promotes tissue growth throughout the body, has a very high range of anti-inflammatory benefits and is rich in nutrients such as iron, magnesium, vitamin-E, potassium and fiber. Have I convinced you to try it yet?

Quinoa is also a very versatile food. It can be used in soups, salads, side dishes, and stuffing. I loved this recipe for so many reasons. One of which is, I love the book, The Home Cook, by Alex Guarnaschelli. I have been a huge fan of her for years. The book is really written for a home cook, because the recipes are simple, yet have bold depths of flavor to them. I think I copied about 15 recipes that I plan to make in the future. So you will be seeing a lot of Alex’s recipes coming soon.

This recipe is perfect for a spring or summer day. It is filled with ingredients that blend together perfectly. The toasted quinoa gives this dish a wonderful nutty-like crunch. The vinaigrette is light and fresh. As always, the combination of lemon and honey are delightful. The toasted almonds top it off to give it some saltiness and make this a perfect side dish.

This is an absolute “must try”. Put it at the top of your list.

This recipe will serve 6 to 8 people who will love this refreshing salad with a lovely, mouthwatering \dressing.

Ingredients for Quinoa Salad

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 medium lemons)
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup minced fresh chives

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Toss in the shallots and garlic.

Season with 1 tablespoon salt and cook until the shallots become translucent, but not brown, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the quinoa and cook until you hear it crackling, about 2 minutes.

Add 5 cups water and stir gently.

Season with 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer.

Simmer over low heat until the quinoa is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the quinoa to a bowl, and keep it warm.

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, with 1 teaspoon of salt and the honey.

Gradually whisk in the olive oil and canola oil.

Taste for seasoning.

Wipe out the sauté pan you used to cook the quinoa and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Heat the butter over medium heat until it melts and starts to brown slightly.

Add a few tablespoons of the cooked quinoa and the almonds and sauté until they become brown and crispy, 5 minutes.

Season with 1 teaspoon salt.

In the bowl containing the vinaigrette, stir in the cooked quinoa, 1 teaspoon salt, and the chives.

Top with the crisped quinoa and almonds.

Taste for seasoning, and serve.

It’s that simple!

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Since everyone loved my cheddar cheese orzo recipe, I thought what if I switched the pasta for a nice, thick rice and added some cheese to the mix? 

I choose to add mozzarella to the rice, because it is one of my favorites and it melts perfectly to a gooey goodness. However, you could substitute any cheese you desire. The tomatoes, when combined with the oregano, lemon and garlic give it a nice, fresh flavor. This side dish, although it may seem like a salad, contains all the ingredients that will warm you up and satisfy you on these cold days. 

What makes this recipe great for everyone is, you can substitute any rice you prefer, choose a different cheese, and it would still be delicious! This dish is so versatile it would be exceptional anyway you choose to make it. It is the perfect side to any main dish. 

This dish will serve 6-8 people who will thoroughly enjoy these different, delightful, combination of flavors. 

Ingredients for Rice with Tomato, Lemon and Mozzarella

4 large tomatoes on the vine, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tsp. oregano, or 4 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded

Mix together the tomatoes, oregano, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil in a medium bowl.

Cover and let it marinate, room temperature for about 1/2 hour.

Boil rice in water, about 12 minutes or according to the package directions.

Drain and add to the tomato mixture. 

Toss together.

Add in the mozzarella and let it sit for a while, just until the mozzarella cheese starts to melt.

Place in serving bowl and serve right away.

It’s that simple!

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