Category: Recipe

Thanks to Paula Deen’s sons for a lighter fried chicken recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: DoctorOz.com

I am excited to try this… long ago, Oprah Winfrey had her chef, Rosie talk about the different recipes she made for Oprah, she then came out with a cookbook, I bought it and one of my favorite recipes was the unfried fried chicken. It was fabulous. This one is different and worth trying! This recipe came to me in an email from Doctor Oz. No, I don’t know Dr. Oz personally, but I do subscribe to his newsletter, full of fabulous information, and here’s a great recipe to try… It’s from Paula Deen’s sons… From the newsletter:

When Jamie and Bobby Deen heard how unhealthy Vita’s fried chicken recipe was, they had no choice but to show up at her door. Below is their alternate recipe: a healthy twist with un-fried chicken that still packs a satisfying crunch. Click here to purchase your copy of The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up.

Now… for the recipe! Click HERE to go directly to the link on Doctor Oz where you can easily print the recipe…

THE DEEN BROTHERS’ LIGHTER FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients

Serves 8

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 tsp Paula Deen’s House Seasoning (1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp garlic powder)

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 egg white

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 1/4 cups cornflake crumbs

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large shallow baking pan with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the chicken with the house seasoning. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, juice, egg white, and hot sauce. Add the chicken; toss to coat. 

Place the cornflake crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. Dip the chicken into the crumbs pressing so the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken in the pan and lightly spray with nonstick spray.

Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 40 – 45 minutes. Do not turn.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

227 calorie

25g protein

11g total fat

3g saturated fat

4g monounsaturated fat

5g carbohydrates

0g fiber

0g sugar

13mg calcium

1mg iron

288mg sodium

87mg cholesterol

Original Recipe courtesy Paula Deen. Revised recipe courtesy of Bobby Deen and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen.

Oh yum, does that ever sound good right now!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meatless Monday recipe… Penne with Spinach, Feta and Olives!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Here is a recipe that will make you flip. It’s so easy. It’s healthy. It’s QUICK and DELICIOUS. This is another good one from Cooking Light Magazine! If you need a meatless Monday meal, here it is! It’s great paired with a small salad… enjoy, it’s one of my favorites! Click HERE to go directly to the MyRecipes.com website so it’s quick and easy to print, or see below!

Penne with Spinach, Feta, and Olives

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 cups hot cooked penne (about 12 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

  • Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta, spinach, olives, capers, and cheese; toss well.

Cooking Light
MAY 1998

I said it was easy, didn’t I? Can’t get any easier than that! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Homemade Applesauce Recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: MyRecipes.com

You know sometimes how healthy, light fare just doesn’t sound very fair? That’s when you should make something like this. It’s still healthy, especially if you leave out the carbs (i.e. mashed potatoes swimming in butter). If you have a drawer full of apples that haven’t been eaten and are on their way to retirement this is a great recipe… It’s so tasty… From Cooking Light Magazine… Click HERE if you would like to be taken to the MyRecipes.com website to make it quick to print… and on to the recipe…!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

  • Applesauce:
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Pork:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 (5-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation

  • 1. To prepare applesauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apples to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water, sugar, juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to pan; cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook 25 minutes or until apples are tender. Mash gently with the back of a spoon.
  • 2. To prepare pork, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge pork in flour. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with applesauce.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2009

Ahhh, so are you going to give it a whirl? You will be thrilled at how tasty this is! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Giada’s Carbonara… oh! What could be better for a meatless Monday?

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: GidaDeLaurentis.com

OHMYGOSH. Does this ever look good! Perfect if you’re trying to skip meat one day a week. Have you noticed the latest trend where eggs are appearing on top of all kinds of dishes, salads, pasta, etc… very different indeed!  I think it’s worth trying for sure! It’s not a light recipe, but great for a special occasion! To get directly to the recipe on Giada’s website click HERE). I pulled this recipe up on the Food Network’s website as well, I wanted to see what kind of reviews it received… EXCELLENT! All comments were out of this world good… Gotta love Giada AND the view out of her kitchen window! (Those who have watched her show know exactly what I mean!)…

From the book GIADA’S KITCHEN: If you’re looking for a low-fat dish, move on. My brother and sister and I craved this dish so often as kids that we finally learned to make it ourselves – it is actually one of the first dishes I ever made for myself. These days I consider it special occasion food, not everyday fare, and it’s especially good for Sunday brunch. Add champagne and a fruit salad and you’re done. The Basil Aioli keeps for up to a week in the fridge and it works as a dip for veggies, on eggs, or as a sandwich spread, too.

giada’s carbonara

ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Giada’s Carbonara
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, rubber band left on
1 pound linguini
1 cup Basil Aioli
1 cup shaved pecorino, about 4 ounces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 to 6 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil Aioli
1 garlic clove , minced
2 large egg yolks (see Note)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

instructions

Giada’s Carbonara
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus bundle and cook for 3 minutes Use tongs to transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water and let sit until cool, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus, remove the rubber band, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the same pot of salted water used to cook the asparagus and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the basil aioli, asparagus, shaved cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and turn out onto a serving platter. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, fry to your liking. Place the eggs on top of the pasta and serve immediately.
Basil Aioli
Combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor and run the machine to mix. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the vegetable and olive oil. Basil Aioli can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
There are some dangers associated with eating raw eggs, especially for those with compromised immune systems. To reduce the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells

I know I’ve bought PASTURIZED eggs for a recipe long ago, I’m going to check to see if they’re still available…  but if not, I’m throwing caution to the wind, ha ha… getting risky in my old age… I’ve GOT to give this recipe a try!

A peak out of Giada’s window… the ocean… that would be sweet! Although I probably wouldn’t get a lot of cooking done, ha ha…

Image: GiadaDeLaurentis.com

Enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Steak fajitas… quick and easy! Delish!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe1 Comment

Quick and easy fajitas

You know when you need to get out of a rut and try something different? Summertime is the hardest time for me, in the winter I can think up all kinds of things that bake, stew, roast, all with the oven on slowly making a meal into a masterpiece while heating the kitchen all at the same time. Then it’s summer. It’s hot and the last thing you want to do is spend too much time with the stove/oven on… enter FAJITAS. I usually make them with chicken, but on this day we needed a break from chicken. So I ran to the store and got 1/2# of flank steak. I whipped together a marinade in a ziplock with a clove or two of garlic (use the microplane!), some olive oil, and some lime juice (one nice big wedge squeezed into the bag). I then mixed the ingredients in the bag by mushing around with my hot little hands, then tossed in the hunk o’beef and let it sit and fester for a while (in the fridge of course!). Actually that night dinner plans changed so it sat in the bag for about 12 hours which was perfect! Fred threw the hunk o’meat on the grill, then right before it was ready he took it off, wrapped it in foil and allowed it to rest. Then we sliced it at an angle against the grain. We heated up some tortilla’s that we had, cut up some tomato, green onion, grated some cheddar and threw on a nice plop of greek yogurt! (We use it instead of sour cream). Oh, and we had some of that tasty salsa from Trader Joe’s… nice touch. It’s quick, you can put what you like on it, you can spice it up more (or less), add avocado, onions, etc. Use chicken, tofu, steak, fish or whatever else you may have. As they say… No rules, it’s just right.

Enjoy a fajita tonight! Catch you back here tomorrow!

What to do with your garden’s bounty? VEGGIE PASTA! Dinner this eve…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe1 Comment

The stars of the show...

Are you wondering what to do with a garden full of fresh veggies? Here is one quick and easy idea. What’s better is that this can be made with whatever you have on hand each day, so it’s completely different! Mushrooms, celery, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, hey… whatever you have will work! For this evenings meal, I have a zucchini, part of an orange pepper, some cremini mushrooms and some onion. Like I said, use what you’ve got…

Throw on a pot of water while you cut up the veggies. I like them cut small, my mom cuts big, it really doesn’t matter, do what you like (isn’t that liberating??)… Heat a skillet (you can use non-stick, I prefer a regular skillet or a cast iron skillet) with some olive oil, enough to lightly cover the bottom (don’t be too chintzy, you’ll need it to coat the pasta), toss in the cut up veggies (once you hear a SIZZLE when you slide a piece into the pan, cook it on medium high until it starts to get lightly brown… owwwwieee. you’re getting close to heaven now… won’t be much longer. Go ahead and toss the pasta into the boiling water. I usually use angel hair (capellini) because it cooks so quickly! Once the pasta is done, drain it well then toss it into the pasta and stir around. Turn the skillet off. I use tongs to coat the pasta with the oil and veggies. I realize I’m not giving amounts here, use what you like and whatever amount you like. You see what I used and that was for two people. I probably use about 1/3+ of a package of capellini… then sprinkle with PARMESAN… woohoo… you can also add fresh basil or any other herbs along the way. It’s hard to mess this up. It will become a go to meal when you can’t think of anything else to make (or don’t have time).

Tada... Dinner is served!

And there you have it… dinner is READY! As you can see in this picture I added a fresh cut up tomato.

Another option to change things up a bit… once the veggies are done, add the cooked/drained pasta, then add a few spoonfuls of PLAIN REGULAR yogurt (flavored is weird and Greek yogurt is too thick), stir it in with the veggies and pasta, then (hold on to your hat, this is the best part…) grate some pepper jack cheese over the top… throw a lid on top of the skillet just until the cheese melts… oh heavens. Tasty!

Catch you back here tomorrow!!

Quick and easy macaroni salad, perfect for a warm summer day!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Ahhh, who doesn’t love macaroni salad on a warm summer day? It’s so refreshing… and goes well with anything or all by itself. You can change this recipe to add more (or less) vegetables, add what you’ve got, I never make it exactly the same… Fresh dill (or whatever spice you like) always kicks it up a notch, makes it taste fresher… Made a note to pick up some fresh dill… I only had dried dill weed, but that worked just fine, you just have to use a lot of it!

SUMMERTIME MACARONI SALAD

Cook 2 cups macaroni (or similar shape) noodles as directed on package, then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.

Radishes, Orange Pepper, Celery and Hard Boiled Eggs

While the water is on, chop your veggies, whatever sounds good to you at the time… I used 2 stalks of celery, about a quarter of an orange pepper, about 8-9 radishes and three hard boiled eggs. Chop and set aside.

Dressing for Macaroni Salad

Get the dressing mixed up. I used three big oversize spoonfuls of Hellman’s Canola Mayonnaise. If it’s not enough you can always plop in a little extra. To the mayo I add a quick pour of apple cider vinegar, add more if you like vinegar, less if you don’t, a tiny squirt of mustard, salt, pepper and dill. Stir until creamy and mixed.

Stir macaroni into dressing and season with dill...

Now stir the macaroni that was set aside hangin’ out into the bowl with the dressing, stir it around good making sure to coat everything with the dressing, you don’t want any dried pieces of noodle. Blaaaah. Season with copious amounts of dill . Cover and refrigerate (unless you can’t wait… I couldn’t)… Now for the best part…

Summertime Macaroni Salad

Pour yourself a nice cold drink, scoop out a little dish of macaroni salad and enjoy! It will put a smile on your face AND if you make it earlier in the day it keeps the kitchen nice a cool, no stove… yipeee!

Catch you back here tomorrow!
Photo blog HERE…

How to roast Cauliflower!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: Food Network

I like cauliflower, always have. My husband on the other hand despises cauliflower, or rather, despised it… until he had it roasted (thank you Alison & Michael!) at a friends house one night… on our way home we were talking about the CAULIFLOWER, and there were many wonderful foods eaten that night but the darn cauliflower was a real surprise. It was sweet. Seriously sweet. We made it the next night and WOOHOO it was AWESOME, my husbands words at dinner: “I like this so much I could eat it every day” – well it’s on the menu at least once or twice a week, and given the 100+ degree temps that’s saying alot! Right now Fred is grilling some chicken, I’m roasting the cauliflower, I have cucumbers in Greek yogurt with apple cider vinegar, green onions and some dill, throw that with a small salad and woohoo, this is going to be one wonderful dinner! This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, since I had garlic in the chicken I didn’t put it in the cauliflower, I also didn’t add the parmesan, didn’t need it, but may give a shot one day, here’s the recipe! Click HERE to go directly to the Food Network website for easy printing!

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

 Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

 Give it a try, I bet you’ll love it as much as we did! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meatless Monday… Giada’s Creamy Farfalle, with Cremini, Asparagus and Walnuts!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe4 Comments

Image: FoodNetwork.co.uk

I made this a few years ago and it was outstanding! I just now remembered it while trying to come up with a meatless recipe that I know you would all love! Trust me on this, it’s a WINNER with a capital W! It’s quick, easy and the taste??? Out of this world!! Pair with a small salad and whoa, it’s friends-come-over-to-dinner worthy! This is one of the most popular Giada De Laurentiis recipes. Dang she’s good!

Below is the recipe, or click HERE for the link to the Food Network page where you can print the recipe!

 CREAMY FARFALLE WITH CREMINI, ASPARAGUS AND WALNUTS

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound farfalle pasta

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the farfalle. Stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. Stir in 1/2 cup of walnuts. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts. Serve.

Enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

A hot hot day needs a cold cold dinner… SHRIMP to the rescue!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Chilled boiled shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce

When the temperature soars the last thing in the world I want to eat is something hot OR something that requires turning on the stove/oven for more than a few minutes. This is what we eat most weekends and it’s fabulous! It couldn’t be easier either…it’s just boiled shrimp that has been chilled along with a homemade (always the best) cocktail sauce. If we’re really hungry that day we’ll pair it with some pimiento cheese and wheat crackers. Ohhh, our favorite summertime meal!  If you’ve never boiled shrimp before read on! If you have, then I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

 
Start with fresh local shrimp if at all possible. It’s truly the best!
 
SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITH HOMEMADE COCKTAIL SAUCE
If it’s a meal we usually get a pound of shrimp. Clean and devein it (or buy it that way!!)
Turn on a large pot of water, add a tablespoon of salt, once the water is boiling, add the uncooked shrimp.
Watch it until it turns bright pink, the size we get is I would say medium size and takes about 4 minutes… a little less for smaller shrimp a little more for larger shrimp. Medium sized is a good size for shrimp cocktail.
Now drain the shrimp and run cold water to stop the cooking process.
I then dump into a very cold bowl of water (water and ice) and let sit until shrimp is cold (few minutes). I also throw a lemon that I sqeezed into the the cold bowl of water.
While this is chillin’, make the sauce:
Into a little bowl pour between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup ketchup (more or less depending upon how much cocktail sauce that you want to end up with). Then I squeeze a wedge of lemon and 2-3 spoonfuls (heaping, but depending on how you like it) horseradish, the good kind, the REAL horseradish, not a sauce with horseradish in it… pinch of salt and pepper, stir it together, put into a ramekin or small serving dish and stick it in the fridge.
 
Now empty the bowl of water and put the shrimp in a bowl (without water or ice), then cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until you’re ready to eat… you will not believe how good this is and how QUICK!
 
ENJOY! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Quick, easy and delicious! KEY LIME PIE, perfect for a hot summer day!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

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Nellie and Joe’s Key West Lime Juice… it makes a tasty and tart Key Lime pie. What’s more perfect for dessert when the weather makes you want to melt?? I was making dessert to take to some friends who were having us over for dinner… I needed something nice and cold and refreshing… Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Pie recipe is a hit on all counts… It couldn’t be quicker to put together and toss in the oven for 15 minutes, let cool and refrigerate. Then serve topped with whipped cream (or meringue) which you need to cut some of the sweetness. It looks a little flat in the graham cracker crust, but it’s leaving room for the whipped cream, so before you serve it, pile it high, then add a little lime zest/lime slices! Ok, here’s the recipe, it’s also on the back of the Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice bottle! You can find their key lime juice in most grocery stores, usually with the bottles of drink mixers (margarita mix, etc.) OR in the juice section… photo of pie served on friends pretty green plates is below the recipe…

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Oh and don’t do like I did… DO NOT USE THE EGG WHITES. I separated the eggs and tossed the yolks, that’s right… apparently I’m in a caffeine deficit right now, heavy sigh! Luckily I hadn’t yet poured it into the crust… so I just needed to go back to the store for another can of sweetened condensed milk…

Oh no, now I’ve got keylimepieonthebrain…ugh! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ina Garten’s New Potato Salad… easy and delicious!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe6 Comments

Ahhh, Ina’s potato salad. Simply the best. I’m not a potato-salad-kind-of-gal… prefer my macaroni salad any day. But one day I was watching the Food Network show with the Barefoot Contessa herself (AKA Ina Garten) and she made potato salad. It intrigued me. I loved the way she cooked the potatoes for a short time and then covered them with a clean kitchen towel to steam. Brilliant! Nothing like mushy potato salad, and that does the trick, no more mush! Hey, maybe that’s why I never cared for it before? This is tasty, makes a good bit and is EASY. My husband needed to take something into the office, so I tried this recipe and he didn’t come home with any (not that THAT is a true indication, long story short, at an office I had worked at I burned a Pop Tart (yes, you know, those little healthy tarts filled with all things good… ha… I think I heard they last 13 years on the shelf… I buy them in case of a hurricane, hee), I didn’t just burn the edges the entire thing was solid dark black. I was about to toss it when someone said not to throw it away, to put it on a plate on the table in the breakroom and one of the programmers would eat it. I came back an hour later and that puppy was GONE and it wasn’t in the trash!!), but I’m sure they ate this potato salad because it was DELICIOUS! Try it for yourself!

INA GARTEN’S NEW POTATO SALAD

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds small red potatoes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup good mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk, milk, or white wine
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion

Directions

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.) Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Print Recipe

Catch you back here tomorrow! Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com

Image and recipe via www.foodnetwork.com

Something quick and easy to toss on the grill!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

We had been out all day and were starving! What’s quick and easy to throw on the grill and call a meal?? Kabobs! We picked up some chicken Italian sausage, whew! It was out of this world, along with some potatoes, onions and peppers we had a meal! It’s important to use cooked Italian sausage unless you’re really going to monitor to be sure it’s completely cooked… this meal was QUICK… To keep this moving along quickly, we did put the potatoes in the microwave until barely able to pierce with a fork, then finished on the grill. We quickly soaked the skewers while we cut up the veggies and sausage… anything else that sounds good, go ahead and add it!  Corn on the cob broken into 2-3″ sections would have been good. Prior to adding to the grill we brushed with olive oil and lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper… had some nice sweet watermelon afterwards. Yum!

It would have been really nice if I would have taken more than a “before” photo… Trust me… the “after” photo would make your mouth water… I guess I was too hungry to snap a quick picture, heavy sigh…

Catch you back here tomorrow!!

Super Simple Salad… Tomatoes, basil and olive oil…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

I saw some pretty little grape tomatoes in the fridge and a pot of basil that was begging to be used. I whipped my mom up a small super simple tomato salad… It took no time and it was delicious to boot!

Tomatoes are so good for you because they contain lycopene, an antioxidant. To get the most nutrition when you eat a tomato pair it with a little olive oil. The good lycopene found in tomatoes is fat soluble, so if you add a little good fat, like olive oil it helps your body absorb lycopene more easily. Here’s the recipe… no need to even write it down… cut up the tomato into bite sized pieces (whatever kind of tomato you like, the darker the tomato the more antioxidants), drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper then top with fresh basil. If you happen to have a little fresh mozarella (MUST be FRESH, that’s my opinion) chop up a bit and toss it in, that’s delightful! Quick and easy!Added tip… cooked tomatoes are more concentrated, therefore have more lycopene…  Enjoy!