JBug's Kitchen Antics

A Bit of Everything Potato Salad

I've already bragged about Southern Illinois BBQ Sandwiches so I won't go into detail about how we used some of the leftover pork roast from Saturday night. Just hit this link and read all about this glorious use of thinly sliced pork, fried until crisp and layered on a soft bun along with BBQ sauce and mustardy slaw aka "chow"...or not since I've just spilled the beans about it anyway. 

I will talk about the potato salad served beside the sandwich because it's something worthy of sharing. What it really proves is that potatoes marry well with darn near anything and this creation is a prime example. 

I simply roasted some mini potatoes in a very hot oven for 15 minutes, drizzled them with a little oil and sprinkled 'em with coarse salt, then cooled them quickly on a sheet pan in the freezer while I whipped up the remaining ingredients. Chopped sweet onion, chopped assorted mini sweet peppers, sun dried tomatoes and a mix of mayonnaise and sour cream darn near complete the salad. A few dashes of Louisianna Hot Sauce, pepper, Italian seasoning and a little dried basil complete the picture. I love mixing some sour cream into my potato salads because not only does it cut the calories a trifle, it also makes for a creamier consistency with a slightly tart flavor. Add dried herbs or fresh ones if you're that lucky and you'll add a whole new dimension. 

It was all good - creamy, tasty morsels of 'taters touched with a little spice. MMM. Crumbled crispy salty bacon would have been the perfect garnish. Did I do that ...NO. Big Guy mentioned it after his second helping and darn it all - what a good idea. Now I'll have to make it again. 

Next time I'll write down the quantities so I can give you the recipe, OK. Meanwhile, here's a sample of other spud salads you'll find on this site. 

Dilled Chicken & Potato  With Bacon and Blue  Hold The Mayo

      

A year ago - Brined Pork Loin with Onion, Rasin and Garlic Compote

Two year's ago - Liver with Onions and Bacon

Three year's ago - Carbonnade a la Flamande

Chicken Salad or Chicken Soup

We had some leftover chicken hiding in the refrigerator from the roasted bird the other night and while its soup weather here in the deep southwest, Big Guy had a yen for salad because he says I make the best. I don't know about that when it is really all about making use of what you have in your pantry and veggie drawer and building on the flavors used when you roasted the bird in the first place. Am I being too modest here?

Last night I simply used chopped celery, sweet onion and diced carrots and added zest from 2 meyer lemons and the juice of one, picked fresh off our tree. (I sure am going to miss that tree!) Combined with lots of mayonnaise and fresh tarragon from the herb pots going strong on the patio, for a second there I thought I'd gone overboard with the lemon juice but solved the issue by adding some meyer lemon marmalade that I made last year. 

Served with some of the dough boy's croissants hot from the oven and slathered in butter, it was a dinner without pretense if you know what I mean. Best of all, there's lots of salad left to pile into a couple of soft rolls, or between two pieces of crusty toast. It'll come in handy while we're packing boxes this afternoon. 

 

 
In case you're wondering, personally I had a yen for this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup we enjoyed a while ago, or the Chicken Pot Pie soup from 2009, or especially a pot of Mulligatawny full of curry and apples and all those good things, but they'll have to wait for another time. 

Related articles

Grilled Lemon Chicken Pasta

Chicken Tostadas

Roast Chicken With Meyer Lemon Shallot Sauce

Autumn Chicken Salad

Turkey Croquettes on Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette

There's a host of things to be made with leftover turkey as you'll see if you hit "Turkey" on the index to your right. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pot pies, enchiladas, bread pudding - we've kinda' run the gamut but one thing we'd never tried before was a turkey croquette until last night.

Thanks to Fine Cooking, these beauties are smaller and shaped more like rissole than a larger croquette, but then again the difference is only in the name, right? Afterall, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it must be a duck right or in this case, a crispy, golden fried hunk of leftover turkey.

Simply minced bird spiced up with rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning, moistened with leftover mashed potatoes and a thick bechamel sauce loaded with minced onion, shallots and garlic, our version of the recipe is of course slightly different from the original but no less delicious, I'm sure.

The fact that I used leftover mashed potatoes instead of cooking spuds and left out the step of coating the patties in egg wash before they hit the crumbs, panko in this instance meant they were much easier to put together than Fine Cooking's version. Hey the patties were moist enough and panko will stick to darn near anything anyway. Allowed to sit for 40 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking meant the croquettes firmed up nicely and were less delicate to handle. After a quick browning on both sides, I put them into the oven for 10 minutes so they had a chance to heat all the way through.

Served on a bed of mixed greens with a tart cranberry balsamic vinaigrette, it was a rather welcome light and delicious change of pace after so much excess. I don't know about you, but there's only so much stuffing, gravy, mayonnaise loaded turkey sandwiches on white bread I can handle. 

Turkey Croquettes with Mixed Greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Fine Cooking)

Croquettes:

1 pound leftover turkey, cut into pieces

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped (stems removed)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and course ground black pepper

12 ounces prepared mashed potatoes (I used leftovers)

1/4 cup butter

1 shallot, minced

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 cloves garlic (small) minced

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup panko crumbs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Place turkey into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Move to a large bowl and add parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add mashed potatoes and combine well.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, onion and garlic and cook until softened. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk, and cook sauce stirring constantly until very thick – about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour sauce over minced turkey mixture and mix well. Using a 4 ounce ice cream scoop, form mixture into balls then flatten into discs about a half inch thick. Coat both sides with panko crumbs and set onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil to a depth of approx. ¼ inch in bottom of large skillet. When hot, fry croquettes on both sides until nicely browned. Move to a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through. Serve with mixed greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette. (Serves 6. …I froze half the croquettes uncooked for future use).

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup minced onion or shallot

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 tablespoons balsamic

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and course ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients into a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake until emulsified. Allow to sit at room temperature until serving. 

A year ago - Ginger Creme Brulee

Two year's ago - Clam and Corn Chowder

Autumn Chicken Salad

We had some chicken left over from Monday night's bird in hard cider sauce that needed to be put to good use one way or another. Since Tucson's still enjoying 80 degree temperatures, I figured a salad would be quite appropriate even though the Northerner in me's craving a good hot bowl of soup and a snow shovel. (I know...call me crazy!)

We love chicken salad around here as you can gather from the many versions on this site and I enjoy experimenting with different flavors and textures because when you put chicken into a salad, there's no reason on earth not to experiement.

For example, when you've chicken that's been roasted with lemon and thyme, take advantage of the flavors by adding  green olives, fresh lemon zest, sundried tomatoes and a fresh basil garnish for a Mediterranean twist. On the other hand if your cooked bird is a smidgen on the bland side, spice it up with a curry mayonnaise, add a little honey, some fresh cantalope balls and a few pecan pieces for added crunch and you've created something memorable.  

In this case because the chicken was cooked in hard cider with onions and garlic, it made sense to take advantage of the autumn flavors. Beginning with sweet onion and celery, I added some diced Granny Smith apple and a handful of dried cranberries to the chunked up chicken and devised a dressing from mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. So far so good, right?

My plan was to enhance the texture by adding a handful of toasted walnuts which as you can see, I forgot, as well as some crispy, salty crunchy bacon but the bacon didn't make it either. I burnt it...yup, I did.  Five slices of beautiful home cured bacon up in smoke quick as you please. Stinkin' up the house and messin' up the microwave. What can I say. When I fail, I fail big. 

Autumn Chicken Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 cups leftover roasted chicken, cut into chunks

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 large Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into half inch pieces

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

5 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Toss together chicken, onion, celery, cranberries and apple. Season well with salt and coarse ground black pepper. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Pour over salad and toss well to coat. Garnish with crumbled bacon and toasted walnuts. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Mango Chicken Curry

Two year's ago -  Pasta Salad with Green Olivada

Soba Noodles and Katsu

We love Asian flavors around here. Actually, there aren't many things we don't like which makes life much easier. Big Guy did the cooking last night and the truth is, he's much more adventurous than I am. The last thing he said to me this morning was that he couldn't wait to read today's blog post to see what I had to say about it. So here you go, smarty pants. 

He started by cooking up a big bowl of Soba - Japanese noodles made from buckwheat that are virtually gluten free (check the packaging to be sure though, OK). Cooked quickly and dressed in a ginger/garlic/soy vinaigrette, they can be served on their own or mixed with an assortment of colorful vegetables for a super salad. They're amazing!

Katsu or "tonkatsu" as it's formally known, is usually made from pork cutlet that's pounded thin, lightly seasoned, dipped in an egg wash then coated in panko crumbs and fried. It's crisp golden brown on the outside and moist and tender inside. In other words, it is truly the bomb like this version we had a couple of year's ago.

Trouble is with Big Guy cooking you never really know what you're going to get and when left to his own devices, he's determined to make his wife into a wild meat eater. Point in fact, the katsu you're looking at below is made from javalina, aka peccary, aka skunk pig - a nasty looking, fanged scarey little creature that inhabits our current desert homeland (photo from http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net).

Big Guy and his hunting partner John go looking for them every February and depending on the year, one or the other will manage to bag one. Now personally I have a problem eating wild meat but Big Guy just laughs at me.

I mean I'm far from a vegetarian and I'll eat any meat that someone makes their living raising... afterall I grew up on a farm; however, the wild stuff ...not so much. I picture Bambi and it doesn't matter what kind of meat it is, I still can't get by the vision of a sweet little thing with huge eyes, long eyelashes and a gentle disposition. 

Last night Big Guy gave me the peccary's tenderloin, all cooked up crispy and golden with tender loving care. How could I say NO to that! 

Incidentally, javalina is slightly darker in color than pork has a longer grain in the meat and kinda' tastes like veal. Will I eat it again? Maybe ...but only after Big Guy consumes a bushel of green peas, a quart and a half of green beans and a stockpot of garbanzo's. 

Soba Noodle Salad:

Dressing:

Combine ingredients below in a screw top jar and shake until well mixed.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (sambel olek) optional

---

4 ounces Soba noodles, cooked per package directions and drained

Toss noodles with dressing and serve either warm or chilled.

A year ago - The Ultimate Patty Melt

Two year's ago - Food Processor French Bread 

Pineapple Slaw with Dry Rub Ribs

I have a feeling your mouth will water when you see the incredible job Big Guy did on the pork side ribs last night, but I can only tell you about the pineapple slaw because I don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin' bout cooking ribs on the barbecue. Sorry!

I do know after he took the membrane off the back of the rack, he rubbed it with a mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar and our new favorite spice, dry chipotle chile powder. After they ruminated for a while in the refrigerator getting all happy, he cooked 'dem ribs over a charcoal fire for about 1 hour on indirect heat, brushing them throughout with a mop mix of water, vinegar and honey. Sorry, I'm no help at all but I'm thinking we may have to start giving grilling lesson via youtube one of these days because you won't believe how moist, juicy and tender those ribs were. 

As for the Pineapple Slaw, this one is purely from memory as my Mother would make it on special occasions. Since this is our anniversary week, I figure the occasion's special enough. I cheated though and used a package of slaw mix then added finely chopped red onion, pineapple tidbits and raisins to the mix along with a sweetened mayo/sour cream mixture.  Crunchy, sweet, tart, chewy and creamy all in one bite, it went beautifully with Big Guy's stellar pork ribs. Aren't we just the luckiest?

Now I gotta' run because at this early hour, the skies are about to fall. There's a huge storm brewing so I gotta' go help batten down the hatches. Here's to rainy days and Sundays. 

Pineapple Coleslaw (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 – 16 ounce package coleslaw mix

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1 – 28 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts toasted (optional)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise (lite is OK)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss together coleslaw mix, onion, pineapple, raisins and walnuts if using. In a smaller bowl whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise and granulated sugar. When sugar has dissolved pour mixture over slaw. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Two year's ago -  Pineapple Bran Muffins

Chipotle Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Bacon

We're gradually trying to get back our traditional Pink Mountain Fridays around here and that calls for a simple casual dinner that will go down well after a libation or two. A shrimp salad seemed like a rather brilliant idea for a change. 

Taken from Kitchen Daily at Huffingtonpost.com, this salad was originally meant to be a sandwich but it seemed like a rather messy one to me and I'm all about making life easier especially on a Friday night. Hit the link and it'll take you to the source; however, you'll notice I made a few subtle changes as per normal. 

As instructed, I poached the shrimp in a water filled pot along with a quartered fresh lemon, coriander seeds and peppercorns then drained and chilled the little crustacians while chopping red onion and celery. Mayonnaise mixed with chipotle chile powder and fresh lime juice as well as a spoonful of mango salsa dressed the shrimp while crisp bacon and avocado waited on the sidelines until the time was right.

Served beside fresh from the oven "Spoon Rolls" that I'll be telling you about a little later on, the salad was a rather light, cool and refreshing supper for two rather week weary souls. The chipotle added a nice subtle kick to the salad and of course you can't go wrong with bacon and/or avocado either.  

Chipotle Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Bacon (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Kitchen Daily at Huffingtonpost.com)

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

4 cups water

1 whole lemon, quartered

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used Cholula)

1/3 cup mango salsa (optional)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

6 slices bacon, cooked till crisp and roughly chopped

2 avocado, pitted and diced

Salt and course ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat water along with lemon, coriander seeds and peppercorns until it comes to a low boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Discard lemon, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Chill.

Mix together mayonnaise, chile powder, lime juice, hot pepper sauce and mango salsa. Add to shrimp along with celery and onion. Cover and return to refrigerator to chill. Just before serving add bacon and avocado. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve on chilled plates. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

A year ago - Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pear Pie

Two year's ago -  Blackberry Pie Bars

 

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Sometimes I surprise myself with my ingenuity. Take last night for instance. I was going to make Thai shrimp curry until I realized the red curry paste I thought I had in the refrigerator wasn't there and on top of that I really wasn't in the mood for shrimp anyway.  

With some chile lime chicken patties in the freezer from Trader Joe's to try, I figured we'd have chicken burgers instead but what to have as a "with" was the next issue. Pasta salad always goes over well in this household as evidenced by the number of different salads we have on this site, so a raid of the pantry resulted in this little beauty.

Creamy, crunchy, and subtly spiced, I simply combined red onion, thiny sliced multi colored mini sweet peppers, pearl tomatoes and corn and added it to cooked Radiatore. Dressed with a mixture of prepared salasa, mayo and our new favorite dried Chipotle chili powder along with some fresh chopped cilantro, it hit the fridge to mellow and chill out while the burgers hit the little red grill and Bob's your Uncle. Dinner's on!

See what you can do in a pinch? I was a might proud of myself too, but you probably already knew that didn't you.

Incidentally, if you're anywhere near a Trader Joe's, you've GOT to give the chicken burgers a try. Loaded with flecks of green chile and lime zest, they're a real hit on the barby. We loved 'em on a toasted soft roll slathered in mayo and dressed up with spicy relish, iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato. For the record this review of a Trader Joe's product is unsolicited on their part and we were not compensated in any way, other than the warm welcome and laughs we enjoy every Saturday morning when we shop there.

Southwestern Pasta Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics)

4 ounces small pasta (I used Radiatore)

1-1/2 cups frozen corn

2/3 cup chopped red onion

1-1/2 cups pearl or cherry tomatoes

1 cup thinly sliced multi-colored peppers

1/4 cup prepared salsa

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh lime juice to taste

Salt and course ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, throwing in the frozen corn during the last minute of cooking. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Move to a bowl along with red onion, tomatoes and peppers. Toss to combine. In a small bowl whisk together salasa, mayonnaise, chile powder, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Add chopped cilantro and toss again. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago -  Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

Two year's ago - Mango Chutney

Melon Salad with Prosciutto and Peach Crumble Pie

The strangest thing happened!  We had a monsoon storm that lasted a good 3 hours last evening with continuous thunder and when I say continuous I mean a rumble that sounded much like a loud and constant sonic boom, lots of lightening, high winds and absolutely not one drop of rain. It's still "stankin'" hot too, like is it in most of the country and with high humidity which means a refreshingly light salad like the one we had for dinner is the perfect meal. 

Cubes of seedless watermelon, honeydew and sliced nectarines join paper thin slices of red onion and spicy serrano pepper in a minty, vinagrette made from lemon juice, olive oil and honey. On a bed of arugula and garnished with thin slices of prosciutto and Romano cheese, it's darn near perfect...that's if you remember the romano cheese in the first place. As you'll see from the photo, I didn't. Head on over to myrecipes.com for the recipe and see for yourself.

It was a light and delicious Sunday night dinner although had it not been for the peach pie, we'd have been wondering where the heck dinner was. To be perfectly honest when you're on a "moderation plan" like the one we are, you need to take the whole picture into account when you're planning on having pie for dessert and that's the main reason behind our very light dinner salad. Otherwise I'd have likely put some garlic toast or a gargantuan piece of meat or something on the plate with the salad as a filler.

What a pie - lovely fresh beautiful perfectly ripe peaches, smothered in a creamy custard of tart sour cream and mellow caramel flavored brown sugar, flavored with just the right amount of vanilla and all in a crisp perfectly tender crust. Topped with a cinnamon flavored buttery crumble, each piece is a symphony of summer in all its glory and worth every single solitary calorie. Some things just are, aren't they?  

Creamy Peach Pie with a Crumble Top (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Southern Living)

Pastry for a single crust pie

4 large peaches

1/2 cup brown sugar

2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Crumble Topping:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup softened butter

Preheat oven to 400. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry and crimp edges. Refrigerate until needed.

Blanch and peel peaches and slice. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, flour and salt. Add egg, vanilla and sour cream and whisk until smooth. Fold in peaches and pour into prepared crust. Bake in preheated 400 oven for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and increase heat to 400.

Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon together then add softened butter. Using a fork, mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie, return to oven and bake additional 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate any leftovers.  

A year ago - Hot Turchicken Sandwich 

Two year's ago - Ahi Tuna Tacos

Chipotle Chicken Salad with Peaches and Walnuts

We hit the MO Club (Mountain Oyster) last night for an amazing Hawaiian Luau and of all the stupidity I forgot to bring a camera so I could share the event. You'll have to be content with hearing about the salad we cooked up for Monday's night's dinner instead. 

The incredible thing about cooking your own rotisserie chicken other than the fact that it's delicious of course, is that you also know what's in it. The spices you've used and flavor you've added can be enhanced in whatever you're making from the leftovers. Take Big Guy's Chipotle bird for example. You had to know we'd pick that one first, now didn't ya!

The spicy southwestern flavors combined beautifully with cool peaches, crunchy toasted walnuts and a touch of orange juice to calm the heat and create a darn tasty salad. Of course the usual chopped celery, tangy red onion and crunchy colorful carrots helped too, never mind a creamy dressing made a tad lighter by a combination of mayonnaise and  yogurt and brightened with the addition of orange juice, and a smidgen of orange marmalade to calm the aggressive chile heat. It really did the trick and married beautifully with the peaches too.

Just remember to think outside the box next time you're whipping up a chicken salad, or any salad for that matter. Use your imagination and add dried or fresh fruit including pineapple, mango, grapes, fresh or dried apricots and even dried cranberries or sour cherries to the mix and of course your nut choices are unlimited too. 

What do ya' mean  you're not inspired yet? Hit the links for a few more unique and tasty chicken salads we've enjoyed here in JBug's Kitchen. 

 With Asparagus              Pasta and Pesto          Curry and Toasted Almonds  

Orange and Tarragon       Potatoes and Dill        Buffalo Style

Chipotle Chicken Salad with Peaches and Walnuts (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2-1/2 cups diced leftover cooked chicken

1/2 cup finely diced raw carrot

2 ribs celery, finely diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used no fat Greek)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried ground Chipotle chile seasoning

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 14 ounce can sliced peaches, drained

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Combine chicken, carrot, celery, and red onion in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic powder, ground Chipotle chile, orange marmalade and orange juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Mix with chicken, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to blend flavors. Just before serving garnish with peaches and toasted walnuts. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Creamy Hominy Gratin

Two year's ago - Corn and Basil Cakes

Orange Sesame Albacore Tuna with Hoisin on Curried Rice Salad

Peanut butter and jelly; thunder and lightening; horse and carriage. What do these things have in common? Are you stumped?  They go with each other beautifully - I mean who has a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly?

That's what we thought about our dinner last night. Everything went together beautifully - from the fish to the curried rice salad right on down to the shredded spinach and grilled peach. It was a perfect marriage of flavor, texture, color and taste. Modest aren't we?

 

The recipe for the tuna came from the Oregon Albacore Commission which is rather fitting since the tuna came fresh off a boat at dock in Newport, Oregon. We brought the fish home to Tucson in a cooler loaded with other precious Oregon products all on dry ice. If I'd known how darn tasty it was going to be, we'd have come home with another one too - ya, think I can talk Big Guy into going back for one? It's only 1435.7 miles - 23 hours and 51 minutes. Heck, we could go there and back in a weekend but who on earth would want to leave that quickly. It is beautiful there!

The loin is marinated in a mixture of orange juice, sesame oil, mustard, fresh tarragon and sesame seeds for a few hours then grilled for about 9 minutes total. Brushed with hoisin during the last few minutes of cooking, it almost glows when it comes off the grill. 

Allowed it to rest for a few minutes, then sliced and perched on top of a curried rice salad that I threw together with ingredients hiding in the pantry and fridge, darned if it wasn't just the most perfect thing you can imagine.

If you're lucky enough to find fresh Albacore tuna, you've absolutely got to give this one a try. Albacore is way more than just a fish you find in a can and totally different in texture and flavor than sushi kind (Ahi). The marinade and hoisin glaze would work well with shrimp or halibut or even cod too. Just don't marinate them for too long otherwise the juice will "cook" the fish and you'll have something resembling ceviche which is really a whole other thing!

Hit the link and head to the Oregon Albacore Commission's site to see the recipe. We discarded the marinade rather than brushing the loin with it as it cooked - I kind of have a thing about doing that, but the flavor is not to be believed. By the way, don't forget the fresh tarragon either. The mildly sweet anise flavor is amazingly present in the tuna and definitely not in a bad way. It's a real keeper!

Curried Rice Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 cups cooked basmati rice, chilled (I used leftovers)

5 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup toasted almonds

2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup prepared mango chutney

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl combine rice, peppers, onion, raisins, nuts and candied ginger. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chutney, garlic and curry powder. Cover jar and shake well to mix. Pour over rice mixture in a bowl and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Refrigerate until serving time. 

A year ago - Maple Ginger Pork Medallions and Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing

Two year's ago - Teriyaki Salmon on Spicy Thai Noodle Salad

 

Three year's ago -  Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

 

 

Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

Fresh corn is flooding the markets right now and thank goodness too. It gives us an excuse to enjoy it often, whether it be on the cob or in a soup, side dish or a salad like the one we had last night.

Boiled for exactly 3 minutes, then plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking and cool it down, when removed from the cob the still slightly crisp kernals joined pearl tomatoes, red onion and avocado in a large bowl. While this recipe from Sunset Magazine via myrecipes.com called for fresh basil, wouldn't you know I had none so I substituted fresh parsley and put dried basil into the dressing instead. No matter! Hit the link for the original recipe but I've listed my version below. 

The result - a wonderful light and incredibly fresh tasting celebration of summer's greatness that will go with darn near anything. I caution you though - don't be lazy and substitute frozen or canned corn because the secret to this fabulous salad is the fresh sweet taste of the semi crunchy kernals as they pop on your tongue. 

We had our salad beside roasted pork tenderloin coated in a mustard seed and fennel crust - but I'll be telling you about that a little later. It was wonderful!

Looking for other corny ideas to lift your spirits and make your tummy laugh? Just hit the links for a few ideas!

Corn & Basil Cakes   Corn & Sausage Soup  Marinated & Grilled

Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Sunset Magazine via myrecipes.com)

3 large ears fresh corn, shucked

2 cups pearl tomatoes cut in half

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 large avocado, cut into cubes

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

Heat a pot of water to boiling and add corn. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove immediately and plunge into an ice bath to cool. Remove kernels from cobs and place into a large bowl along with tomatoes, onion, and parsley.

Combine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, dried basil, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tight sealing lid and shake well. Just before serving, add avocado chunks to salad along with the dressing and toss to combine. Serves 4. 

A year ago - Pasta with Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Alfredo

Two year's ago - Scotch Eggs

Three year's ago -  Wild Rice Salad

Gazpacho Chicken Salad

Ah chicken! I don't know about you but we never get tired of it, no doubt because there's an unlimited number of ways it can be prepared. That goes for chicken salad too and this recipe from Food Network Magazine is a great example. 

Incredibly  calorically responsible, the dressing is made from some of the vegetables that go into the salad including English cucumber and tomatoes. Rather brilliant, isn't it? It reeks of summer time, when ingredients are at their best fresh from the fields. 

Of course I made changes and left out the bread because we're trying to limit our carbs somewhat. I also added more garlic, chopped red onion and red pepper flakes for a little zing. I left out the arugula too because I already had a container of spring mix in the refrigerator that I wanted to use, so I merely plated the salad on the lettuce instead of mixing it all in. As for the chicken, I figured it needed some spicing up as well, but I've said it before so I'll say it again - recipes are only guidelines, so make changes to suit your personal taste or pantry shelves and knock yourself out. Go for the gusto!

So what did we think of the salad? Well, it's good enough and it certainly was a way to get Big Guy to eat chickPEAS aka garbanzo beans, but I don't think I'll make it again. Quite honestly I thought the flavors were kinda subtle even with the red pepper flakes and extra garlic (and pepperocini garnish). It's almost like there was something missing. Possibly adding some diced up bell peppers, fresh basil and a couple of kalamata olives might do the trick and take it to a higher level. What do you think?

Chicken Gazpacho Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food Network Magazine via foodnetwork.com)

1 pound chicken tenders

Garlic powder, salt, pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 English cucumber, diced with seeds removed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup fresh parsley, divided

1/3 cup toasted almonds

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 – 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Assorted mixed greens

Rinse and dry chicken tenders. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and grill until cooked through – approximately 4 minutes a side. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes as soon as tenders come off the grill. Set aside.

In a food processor combine garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, half the cucumber, half the cherry tomatoes and half the parsley along with the almonds. Process until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper.

In a large salad bowl, combine chopped onion along with remaining cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley. Add drained chick peas and toss to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cut chicken pieces into bite sized chunks and add to salad along with ingredients from food processor. Toss well to combine. Serve over mixed greens. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Show off Tortellini Salad

Three year's ago -  Chicken Thighs with Creole Mustard Orange Sauce and Moroccan Couscous

Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Talk about an unlikely combination and a very unusual slaw. Three simple ingredients make up the basis and the title tells the tale. 

Shredded red cabbage combined with crispy crunchy salty bacon and smooth creamy goat cheese - ya, imagine that. The warm dressing is the thing that ties the whole shebang together with some of the reserved bacon drippings, vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar combined,  and mellowed out a tad with some white vinegar. Minced garlic and lots of coarse ground black pepper finish the story. 

Not exactly in the low calorie department, it is however lower in carbs and well worth the binge we enjoyed last night. Served on top of some quickly cooked chicken paillards, it's another fabulous quick and easy weeknight dinner.

We can thank Idaho a la CArte for this recipe too - bet you're wondering if there's anything in this cookbook that I haven't shared with you yet . I can only say stay tuned because there's more coming but once again I encourage you to purchase a copy. It's a fabulous collection of recipes put together to benefit the Boise Museum of Art. I have a suspicion that it may be going out of print because they no longer offer it for sale in the Museum store, but you can still find it on Amazon. 

Incicidentally, the salad's rather addictive and its siren call entices one to go back for more. It would be a great addition to a buffet because it holds beautifully, but not forever because the goat cheese requires some refrigeration. Also, there's a lot of oil in the dressing so you may want to cut it back a bit. I didn't but next time I make it I will. Also, the addition of chopped apples and a few toasted walnuts might just put it over the top, but it's fine the way it is too. Just sayin'. 

Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

8 ounces sliced bacon

1 – pound red cabbage

5 ounces Montrachet or other goat cheese, crumbled

 

Dressing:

1/4 cup reserved bacon drippings

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Coarse ground black pepper

Cut bacon into quarter inch pieces and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon drippings. Shred red cabbage and move to a large bowl. Combine with cooked bacon and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with warm dressing, garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Makes 6 servings.

For dressing combine bacon drippings, vegetable oil, vinegars and garlic. Heat dressing in microwave for 30 seconds or until just warmed through.

A year ago - Italian Stuffed Anaheim Peppers 

Two year's ago - Shrimp Salad with Orange and Tarragon

Steak Salad with Fried Cheese and Bacon Onion Beer Jam

You know those little deep fried mozzarella sticks that seem to be on the appetizer list at most chain restaurants these days? Well, you can make your own version as quick as a wink. 

Use almost any cheese except the really hard kind like parmesan, and dredge it in flour, followed by an egg wash. Then dip it into panko crumbs or even Italian flavored breadcrumbs and set the breaded chunk on a wire rack and refrigerate for a minimum 20 minutes to set the coating. Fried in a small amount of oil in a non-stick pan until golden and crisp, the cheese chunks make great croutons for added crunch on a steak salad like the one we had last night.

The little round shapes are actually iddy biddy mozzarella balls, flattened out, dredged and fried till crispy. They happen to take but a minute to brown until golden and they're all creamy and runny and gooey on the inside.  In addition, the long skinny piece of crunchy goodness is actually a wedge of triple cream brie, all duded up and sittin' pretty because brie happens to go really well with the bacon, onion, beer jam we made while we were on the coast and brought back to Tucson on dry ice.

Cambazola or Saga Blue, a Danish brie/blue cross, would be perfect done this way too and match particularly well with chunks of grilled skirt steak; however, any salad would benefit from a little fried cheese. Imagine a fresh ripe pear on a bed of greens, studded with red onion and toasted walnuts, drizzled with a maple vinaigrette and garnished with a cheese crouton. Or how about a little fresh apple, with bacon and a medium or sharp cheddar? Why, my mouth is watering as we speak! 

The crunchy addition to our salads last night made us feel much less deprived as we continue on our post vacation pound pare down moderation plan. The only trouble is I had a huge craving for ice cream after dinner but was saved by a freezer currently empty of the stuff. Bummer eh? 

A year ago - Dilled Chicken and Potato Salad 

Two year's ago - White Chocolate Caramel Pound Cake

Warm Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Salad with Italian Burgers

Other than the fact the holiday's over, the second worse thing about the post vacation blues is getting rid of the excess weight. Too many full meal deal breakfasts and lots of dinners out never mind afternoon "beer thirty" all combined with the fact our little Rose Cottage was exactly midway between two local workout spots, one 9 miles north and the other about 9 miles south of us meant we had a built in excuse NOT to join a gym and exercise this year. Consequently the next month or more we'll be working on whittling the additional pounds off our 55 year old plus bodies. 

What it means for us is regular exercise, a relatively healthy diet, smaller portions and no alcohol; however, since this is a food blog I figured none of you would be too impressed if I told ya we were joining "Jenny", so here's the first of our "moderate" dinners.

Just because you're watching the old calories doesn't mean food has to be plain, boring or tasteless. I mean Rome wasn't built in a day and the pounds didn't come on overnight although they sure as heck pile on a lot faster than they disappear.

Anyway, I'm not saying this salad is totally without calories, but it is filled with roasted eggplant, assorted peppers, and dressed lightly with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Now personally, I would be satisfied to have eaten it as a stand alone item but you know who wouldn't think of coming home to such an obvious vegetarian meal, so to prevent Big Guy from hitting the burger joint on the way home for an appetizer, I fashioned this Italian burger sans the carb loaded bread. Simply extra lean ground beef along with chicken sweet Italian sausage and extra spices, I topped the burger with a sundried tomato, a couple of fresh mozzarella pearls and a hot pepper.

It's a flavorful meal that'll transport you to the sunny shores of Sicily and perfect for this time of year when peppers are plentiful and inexpensive and the eggplant's fresh too. The salad's great leftover too - on a sandwich, or crustini or even in an omelet. Add a few olives and a touch more cheese and you'll have all the bases covered for a superb lunch to take to work too.

Incidentally, I roasted the vegetables under the broiler because it's too uncomfortable outside to use the barbecue, but feel free to use your outdoor grill if you wish.

Warm Roasted Eggplant Salad with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte cookbook)

Feel free to substitute 2 cups of cherry or pearl tomatoes because there’s a lot more flavor packed into those little things and they roast beautifully too.

1 large eggplant

Coarse salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 ripe tomatoes cut into halves

1 each red, green and yellow pepper, roasted

3 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh ground black pepper

Garnish with fresh mozzarella, basil or parsley

Cut eggplant into quarter inch slices leaving the peel on. Sprinkle with salt on both sides, and place on sheets of paper towels, wrapping it well. Place a cutting board and heavy pot on top to squeeze out the moisture. Allow to sit that way for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing. Preheat broiler. Brush excess salt from eggplant and dry well with paper towels. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and place on a sheet pan along with tomato halves. Roast until eggplant slices are golden brown on both sides and tomatoes start to brown.

Slice eggplant into narrow strips and cut tomato halves into wedges. Peel, seed and slice roasted peppers into thin strips. Add to eggplant in bowl along with garlic, any remaining olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh mozzarella and chopped basil or parsley. Serve either warm or at room temperature.  Makes 6 servings

Italian Flavored Burgers (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

3/4 pound extra lean ground beef

3/4 pound crumbled sweet Italian sausage (I used chicken)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup cold water

Combine all ingredients together and form into four 6 ounce patties. Pan fry or grill for approximately 7 minutes a side or until internal temperature reaches 165. Serve on eggplant salad.

A year ago - Mexican Pot Roast in Soft Tacos

Two year's ago - Pizza con Proscuitto Coto

Honeydew Salad with Chicken Paillards and Chili Glaze

Talk about a cool salad and I mean that in every way possible. Cool to make, cool looking and cool to the palate - that is if you don't go overboard with the chile. I knew I had when I looked over at Big Guy and saw beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but then again it could have been due to the rest of the menu.

Bet you never thought you'd hear it from me, but I may be guilty of overkill last night as far as spicy heat goes. 

This Melon Salad is a repeat from way back in 2009 when I used what we had on hand in the refrigerator at the time to make this cool summertime treat. A cross between a salad and salsa, it's a real keeper and includes cubes of honeydew melon and peeled, seeded English cucumber along with red onion and fresh ginger in a lime juice brown sugar dressing.

The only issue is it also includes a jalapeno which are much, much milder than the sorrano I had on hand and used last night... holy hotstuff Batman, that salad was HOT when it should have been cool. Well at least it looked cool.

How was I to know that the chili glaze I cooked up to go with chicken paillards would be dynamite too? When you take a look at the recipe from myrecipes.com, you'll be thinking "What is she, crazy? With a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, of course it's gonna' be hot".

Well honestly, I figured we were kind of immune to that kind of heat but obviously not. It had me in tears and running for the tums, so you might want to reduce the amount of red pepper flakes to better suit your palate. I know I will next time and I'll simply dip the chicken in the sauce instead of pouring it all over the place. I mean you can always add more heat but you sure can't take it away! Yup, I musta' been taking stupid pills. 

Regardless of the excess in the scoville department, it was all extremely delicious - at least to the cement mouth man of the house. In fact, he's asking for a repeat of it all tonight but he'll just have to keep on asking because I'm thinking I'll be putting "milque toast" on tonight's menu. Just sayin'. 

By the way, the chicken paillards are simply a butterflied chicken breast, cut in half and pounded thin, seasoned well with salt and pepper, coated in an egg wash and dusted in all purpose flour. Fried in a quarter inch of oil in a hot skillet for about 3 minutes total, they're a super quick way to cook up a hunk of cluck and can be dressed up with darn near anything. Put 'em on a caesar salad, or cover with a pile of salsa, or load 'em into a bun along with some barbecue sauce and coleslaw and you'll have your family moaning in glee. 

Honeydew  Salad

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

4 cups cubed honeydew melon

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded & chopped

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine lime juice and sugar in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate until serving time. 

A year ago - Easy 5 Hour Stew 

Roasted Buffalo Shrimp on Caesar Salad

Roasting shrimp is about the best way I know to cook them to get the most flavor and of course the best flavor is achieved when they're cooked with the shells on. That's about the only way last night's version could have been any better. I shelled them first because otherwise they'd be a little messy to eat on a salad. 

Another winner from Martha Stewart, I pretty well followed her recipe except for the dip part although I adjusted the seasoning to suit our tastes. The cleaned shrimp are coated in a flavorful blend of lemon rind and juice, garlic, celery seeds, paprika and lots of cayenne - double the amount called for in our case. Hey we're no whimps. Sweeted with honey and moistened with oil, they hit a heated sheet pan and cook for 5 minutes. 

I know you're thinking what's the sense of warming the oven up when the shrimp are only cooked for 5 minutes, but trust me the flavor is incomparable. Of course you could do 'em on the grill using the indirect method and achieve the same results. Shoulda' done that!

The shrimp are perfect on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce leaves drizzled with caesar dressing and lemon juice and garnished with grated cheese. Leave the Romaine leaves whole and you can eat 'em with your fingers... I mean who doesn't like doing that?  

Roasted Buffalo Shrimp on Caesar Salad (adapted from marthastewart.com)

1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Rind of 2 lemons, finely grated

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon celery seeds

2-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Dry shrimp well. In a large bowl combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, celery seeds, paprika, cayenne, honey and olive oil. Mix with shrimp until well coated. Season with salt and coarse ground black pepper.

Place large sheet pan into oven and preheat to 450. When hot, spread shrimp on pan and roast for 5 minutes or until opaque and slightly browned on the bottom. (Don’t turn shrimp while they’re cooking – just ignore ‘em). Removed from oven and stir shrimp into sauce to coat.

1 head of romaine lettuce, broken into individual leaves, washed and dried

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 Lemon cut into wedges

Croutons

Caesar Dressing – purchased or home made

Arrange romaine leaves onto a chilled plate and sprinkle lightly with Caesar dressing and lemon juice. Top with roasted shrimp. Garnish with grated cheese and serve croutons on the side.

Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - At The Beach

Onion, Garlic and Bacon Jam

I realize we're a little behind the eight ball here as onion jam has been making the rounds of the blogosphere long before now. We had some the other night on a fabulous bacon and blue cheese burger and it was so flavorful we were absolutely driven to make it ourselves.

Adapted from a recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen, this was another team effort in JBug's Kitchen. Big Guy put in a fresh pair of contacts and peeled and sliced 4 pounds of onions (6 large) without crying a single tear. Heck, I'm thinking of getting a pair for that very reason :-)

While he was doing that, I fried some bacon to a nice crisp finish, then we got down to business. We added garlic to the mix, less salt, more pepper and changed the method somewhat. Making onion jam isn't rocket science and it smells amazing as it is cooking but does take quite a while, so you have to be patient and stir the pot from time to time. Believe me, your TLC will be well rewarded with 2 pints of absolutely amazing flavor.  

We had our bacon/onion jam on a simple salad of romaine leaves dressed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette that we've had here before - hit the link and it'll take you right to it. Of course we had meat too - lovely flavorful skirt steak, marinated in a mustard seed, peppercorn and port concoction and grilled. Sliced thinly and perched on a dressed romaine leaf slathered in onion jam with a garnish of asiago cheese, each bite was a perfect burst of flavor.

If you haven't had a chance to try onion jam before, give it a go on your next rainy summer afternoon. Of course you don't have to wait for rain - we didn't! It is absolutely amazing - in fact our next go round we're thinking of adding some bourbon or even maybe applejack brandy at the very end just to see what a little booze does to the mix and/or substitute beer for the apple cider and add balsamic vinegar and a lot more bacon like this one from Rich Coffey.

Regardless it is really wonderful and we can't wait to try it on a crostini with a touch of creamy gorgonzola, or a pizza with duck and brie, or a burger, or a roast beef sandwich or especially a grilled cheese. The possibilities are endless!

Onion, Garlic and Bacon Jam (adapted from Tasty Kitchen )

6 slices bacon

4 pounds yellow onions (about 6)

1 bulb garlic, cloves smashed and peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stem

1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups unfiltered apple juice or cider

Cook bacon until crisp in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and remove from pan leaving drippings. Peel onions, cut in half and slice into quarter inch thick slices. Add onions and garlic to the pot along with salt, cover and cook until onions are transparent – about 15 minutes.

Chop bacon into small pieces and add to pot along with vinegar, brown sugar, thyme and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium low heat until almost all liquid has been reduced, stirring approximately every 10 to 15 minutes (takes about an hour) Stir in apple juice and continue to cook until onions are a medium brown and liquid is reduced but mixture is still fairly moist – about another 45 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. Cool and store in glass jars in refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze. Makes 2 pints. 

Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon

I happen to have a tremendous affinity for pasta which is a shame really because it isn't particularly good for an over fifty female with a waist line trying to win a girth contest with her hips. Yup, it ain't pretty.

I also happen to love asparagus and smoked salmon too, so imagine combining three of your most favorite things into one fabulous dish. That's what I did last night for dinner.

I originally had every intention of making a hot pasta dish, but with triple digit temperatures and still without a blind on my south facing kitchen window, standing over a hot stove held absolutely zero appeal.

Consequently I boiled pasta, blanched asparagus and cooled the whole lot off before adding skinny little slices of orange mini bell peppers, and chopped sweet onion to the mix. Combined with a lemon, Dijon, mayonnaise and sour cream dressing flavored with a touch of tarragon and lots of pepper, the bowl hit the fridge to chill out for a couple of hours.

Just prior to serving about 10 ounces of incredible lemon/mustard seed smoked sockeye salmon courtesy of Trader Joe's joined the party along with a couple of handfuls of mini-pearl tomatoes. Plated and served with a side of flaky home made buttermilk biscuits and a big ice filled glass of sparkling water, it was a delightful Monday night repast. I figured it couldn't possibly be too bad in the calorie department because after all, the veggies outweighed the pasta. Oh, and it really was just one little iddy biddy moist butter filled biscuit, so that couldn't count much either. Right?

Trouble is Big Guy cut and served a humongous slice of caramel apple pie for dessert and try as I might, I couldn't leave nary a crumb. Oh well - there's always another day to be good and it should be easier today. The pie's all gone; however, there's still a bunch of salad left...oh and biscuits too. MMMM Darn.

Pasta Salad with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus (Adapted from Bon Appetit, April 1996)

3 cups medium sized pasta (penne, radiatore, or shells)

1-1/2 pounds asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

4 or 5 mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 cup mini pearl tomatoes

10 ounces smoked salmon, broken into large pieces

2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (Lite is fine)

1/4 cup lite sour cream

1-1/2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before it’s done, add asparagus to pot to blanche. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled. Drain well. Place in a bowl along with onion, and peppers. Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and fold into pasta. Chill for a minimum 2 hours. Just before serving, add tomatoes and smoked salmon pieces. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Garnish with capers if you wish. Makes 6 main course servings. 

A year ago - Spicy Bean Snackin' Cake 

Two year's ago - Roasted Corn Chowder

Super Summer Salads

Our favorite Tucson restaurant (The Parish) celebrated Father's Day yesterday by flying in 300 pounds of fresh crawfish and cookin' up a Louisiana style party the likes of which we'd never seen before. Of course we had to get in on the festivities so there t'wasn't nuthin' cooking in JBug's Kitchen yesterday.

Since I'd hate to disappoint you all by taking a day off - heaven knows there's going to be plenty of those with vacation just around the corner, I'm going to talk about a few of our favorite summer salad solutions. Summer's heat and humidity are great reasons to think about cool salads never mind that vegetables and fruit are having their hay day during the summer months. 

In case you haven't noticed, we're rather fond of chicken and pork round here so a  Sweet Potato Salad, loaded with pineapple, crunchy macadamia nuts and salty bacon in a lime mayonnaise and mustard dressing goes great with either. I mean really, when you think of "potato salad", how often do you ever think of sweet potatoes? Just remember to roast the sweet potatoes for more flavor because I didn't do that the first time I made it but there's a lot more flavor when you do because the potatoes caramelize and ...well, you know. I guarantee you'll have people hunting for their grass skirts and doing the hula dance when you put this beauty on the buffet table.

How about a grilled Pineapple, Avocado and Red Onion Salad. I'll admit it's a different kind of combination, but oh so delicious with the super sweet grilled pineapple, sharp crunchy flavor and texture of red onion and creamy avocado all dressed in a honey cinnamon vinaigrette. Served beside some cold supersized shrimp, or hot off the grill baby back ribs, or with lime glazed salmon like the one on the link, you'll be wondering why you haven't tried it before. Any leftovers? Just picture them inside a grilled fish taco, loaded with avocado crema. Oh man, now I'm hungry!

 

Something would be missing in our summer salad ideas if we didn't mention a Panzanella salad. Loaded with crunchy home made croutons, kissed with fresh from the garden veggies like cool cucumbers and sweet, juicy tomatoes along with colorful sweet bell peppers in a simple vinaigrette, a Panzanella salad really showcases all that is right, and perfect from a summer garden. It's a great light supper solution garnished with slivers of salty parmesan cheese and a chunk of sopressata or proscuitto and served with a cool glass of wine. Absolutely blissful, but as you see from the picture we had it with leggie meaty wonderful king crab.

 

Last but far from least, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't remind you about this melon salad. We served it along with incredible sticky coconut chicken a while ago, in fact much too long a while ago.

Just imagine double cool honeydew melon, combined with cucumber, a touch of red onion and spicy fresh ginger - with a jalapeno pepper thrown in for a surprise. Simply dressed in fresh lime juice with a little brown sugar, it's an absolutely incredible just gotta' have it cool summer side dish. As for the chicken - well, you've gotta' have that too! Just sayin!

 

Pasta Salad with Grilled Sausage and Peppers

I'll admit saying a pasta salad is light is a bit of an oxymoron but this one truly is lighter than most. The idea came from our friends at Family Circle, a trustworthy source that's been in publication since way back in 1932. Imagine the changes they've seen in North American kitchens during that period of time?

Hit the link to see the official version of the recipe although as you'll see, I changed it somewhat to account for our love of stronger flavored food. Hey, isn't that what creative cooking's all about?

Made from grilled vegetables including red and green bell peppers and sweet onion, I added some mini yellow and orange sweet bell peppers too for more color - not that it needs it, just that I had 'em. I also switched out their recommended mild pork sausage links to include hot Italian sausage links that have an unbelievable flavor when cooked on a grill. Incidentally, I used the indirect method for that otherwise we'd have needed a fire extinguisher (not saying we almost didn't, so be careful, OK?)

I mixed in some sun dried tomatoes for their slightly sweet flavor, freshly grated parmesan cheese for more of an Italian twist and red pepper flakes for a touch of heat, and added the fresh basil directly to the salad instead of putting it in the dressing. Oh, I cut back on the amount of pasta too (radiatorre instead of fiori) so the salad had just a few less carbs than it would have otherwise.

The pasta's tossed with a light slightly sweet vinaigrette - unusual because of it's 1 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio which is likely the reason it has the illusion of being lighter; however, as you'll see, we topped our servings with a dollop of the herb aioli we had the other day. It was a perfect addition but not totally necessary.

While this salad is fine served cold, in my opinion it's best warm so don't sweat it if you haven't made it too far in advance, although you could cook the pasta in advance, mix it with the dressing and hold it in the fridge to add the other stuff hot off the grill. It's a lovely summer dinner along with a glass of wine, and it will be a super addition to the menu for your next buffet too. 

Pasta Salad with Grilled Sausage and Peppers (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Family Circle)

Dressing:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to mix well. Set aside.

Salad:

10 ounces pasta (I used radiator)

1 sweet onion, cut into half inch slices

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in quarters

4 mini sweet bell peppers, left intact

2 large links Hot Italian sausage

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta per package directions and drain well. While pasta is hot, mix with half the dressing and set aside. Grill onions and peppers on hot grill until charred on all sides – about 8 to 10 minutes. Coarsely chop into large pieces and add to pasta. Turn off heat on one side of the grill and reduce heat on the other side to medium. Place sausages on the side of the grill that has been turned off, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until done, turning several times to prevent from burning. Cool sausage for 5 minutes, then slice into “coins” and add to pasta along with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Toss in remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Garnish with parmesan cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Strawberry Daiquiri Frozen Yogurt

Two year's ago - Stromboli Mexicana

 

 

Grilled Salmon with Potlatch Seasoning and Potato Latkes

Isn't it funny how we all crave different things during different times of the year. Comfort food takes on a whole new meaning when you live in Arizona or other parts of the south where temperatures soar. We stretched it a bit yesterday with the chicken and dumplings, because it's more salad weather here than stew appropriate so grilling is really the answer at least until it gets too hot to do even that.

We picked up some gorgeous Copper River salmon at the market and while I had every intention of smoking it, to be honest I was just too darn impatient. I mean waiting for it to cure for 24 hours, then drying it before smoking seemed like too much effort when we could have almost instant gratification on the grill. I had some potlatch seasoning left over from another dinner and it was the perfect solution. 

A good rub in it, an 8 hour nap in the refrigerator and 10 minutes on the gas grill on low meant perfect results. What can I say except we're just lucky that way ...no actually, it's Big Guy on the grill that does the trick but I'm not loaning him out.

Placed on top of a bed of fresh greens along with a perfectly ripe avocado, it could have been absolutely perfect but some kind of crunch seemed like a great idea. Enter the lowly potato in a latke form. 

This particular version is more like an Irish potato cake (see here) in texture as the potatoes and some of the onions are pureed in the food processor rather than grated. It's certainly a lot easier and quicker too.

While the recipe on epicurious.com suggested draining the potato/onion mixture in a towel lined colander and squeezing out the excess moisture, I happen to hate the mess that creates, so I used my trusty little OXO potato ricer instead. It really does the trick in getting rid of the excess moisture; in fact, if anything, you can squeeze out too much of it. Finished with an egg, a mere tablespoon of flour, a little baking powder and salt and pepper, the latkes are super light, incredibly moist and really crisp on the outside. 

Who needs boring old croutons when you can have latkes on your salad instead? Incidentally, we had our salad dressed in a purchased Vidalia Onion dressing courtesy of Sam's Club and it was just perfect, but a vinaigrette, or even ranch dressing would be A-OK too. 

Potlatch Seasoning  (adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons chili powder

3 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine ingredients together in a small jar and seal tightly.

Quick and Easy Potato Latkes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from epicurious.com)

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped and divided

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Vegetable oil for frying

In a food process, combine potato chunks and all but a quarter cup of chopped onion. Pulse until potatoes are very finely chopped. Working in batches, put the potato mixture through a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess moisture. Scrape into a bowl. (Alternately move the potato mixture into a towel line colander and squeeze out as much moisture as possible by wringing the towel). 

Add the reserved chopped onion to the bowl along with egg, salt, black pepper, flour and baking powder. Mix well to combine.

Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in the bottom of a heavy pan and heat over medium high. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop quarter cupful’s of potato mixture into hot oil and press slightly to make a flat cake. Cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes a side until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 and just before serving, heat latkes until crisp and deep brown – about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 6 latkes.

A year ago - Thai Style Grilled Chicken on Noodle Salad

Two year's ago - Santa Fe Corn Pie

Black Bean and Mango Salad

As you know, I'm all about trying new things and this salad definitely has some new and different flavor combinations, never mind that it is rather easy on the waistline. 

Loaded with cool and sweet mango chunks, black beans, chopped up mini bell peppers of assorted colors, one lonely jalapeno and some sweet onion, it has all the markings of a salsa disguising itself as a salad. If fresh mango's are hard to find, look for frozen chunks in your favorite supermarket. Trader Joe's has them in their freezer section and they certainly come in handy for salads, or in smoothie's too. 

They made whipping up this colorful side dish a piece of cake. Dressed with fresh lime juice and a mere tablespoon of olive oil, the flavors were a light and refreshing accompanyment to our grilled ribeye steak. Come to think of it, it would be perfectly at home on a plate with anything off the grill, like chicken, shrimp or even salmon, tuna or tilapia and I can't imagine how incredibly tasty a chicken burger would be topped with it or loaded into a fish taco. Yum!

I have a feeling once you give this black bean and mango special a try, you'll be putting it on a regular rotation. I know I will be. 

Black Bean and Mango Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Bush’s Beans)

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups mango, diced (I used frozen chunks)

5 mini bell peppers, finely diced

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

1/4 chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients together and serve. 

 A year ago - Vanilla Sour Cream Ice Cream

Two year's ago - Deep Dish Curried Chicken Pie

Artichoke Chicken Salad

When you've a very hungry man to feed or even a gaggle of ladies from the bridge club, then here's a super solution to have on hand for a quick summer spread. 

Not your usual chicken salad, this one's extended by using that old San Francisco treat - Rice a Roni. Not something I ordinarily have in my cupboard, when I saw this recipe in a Junior League Cookbook, Saint Louis Souvenirs, I was intrigued enough to give it a go.

Prepared Rice A Roni is spiced up a touch with marinated artichoke hearts, green onions, red and green peppers and roughly chopped black olives and chicken of course. 

The recipe called for poached chicken, but I figured a little flavor boost was in order so kicked ours up a notch by grilling the butterflied breasts for more even cooking, then brushing them with some of our kicky kumquat marmalade. While that may be a stretch for some of you, I figure the same flavors could be achieved mixing orange marmalade with a little triple sec and a chopped up habanero pepper. Brushed on the chicken at the very end of the grilling time, I also mixed some of the marmalade into a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream to dress the salad. 

We were both surprised by how delicious this salad is; in fact it's so tasty, it had my hungry man going back for seconds and there's a bunch left for lunch today too. It makes a ton, so be prepared to enjoy some leftovers but I don't think they'll hang around for long. 

Incidentally if you're stuck at the thought of using a whole habanero pepper for the glaze, they're really not as hot as you think they are. Carefully remove the seeds and ribs and you'll lose a huge part of the fire in the pepper. As well, the smaller the mince, the hotter the glaze so leave bigger chunks and you'll cut the heat even more. Of course if you're really worried about your glaze being too spicy, you can always substitute jalapeno or serrano's too but I'll have to call you a pansy if you do. Just sayin'. 

Artichoke Chicken Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Saint Louis Souvenirs)

The Salad:

1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni

1 – 12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 large can large pitted black olives, roughly chopped

Cook Rice a Roni according to package directions and cool. Combine with artichoke hearts, green onions, green and red pepper and black olives and refrigerate until needed.

Glaze:

2/3 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons triple sec (optional)

1 habanero chopped pepper, seeds and veins removed

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until marmalade has melted and mixture is hot. Set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of mixture for salad dressing.

The Chicken:

3 large chicken breasts washed and dried

Salt and pepper

Butter flavored cooking spray

Butterfly chicken breasts or pound to an even thickness. Season well with salt and pepper on both sides and spray liberally with cooking spray. Heat gas grill until very hot and carefully place chicken on grill. Lower temperature to medium low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over, cover and cook for additional 4 minutes. Brush chicken with glaze and cook for an additional minute or until chicken is done. Remove to a plate and refrigerate until cold.

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons orange/habanero glaze

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

To serve – pile salad on plate and arrange sliced chicken over top. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the dressing. Serves 6 to 8. 

A year ago - Sausage Meatloaf with Lemon and Parmesan

Two year's ago - Ziti with Pancetta and Fresh Tomatoes  

Crab Cakes with Sun Dried Tomato Remoulade

What can I say except these crab cakes are wonderful. From Legal Sea Foods Cookbook, they're everything you want in a crab cake - lots of crab, limited filler, a little spice in the form of Dijon mustard, hot pepper sauce and horseradish too. Moist, flavorful - I mean really; how could they be better?  But they were.

Topped with a creamy spicy kinda' crunchy sun dried tomato remoulade sauce from The Northwest Best Places Cookbook they were stupendeous. Just make 'em OK. You won't be sorry, I promise.

So - now that I have your attention, I really need to start this day off with a good rant and the fact that I'm posting today about crab cakes is rather appropriate coming from someone that's really, really crabby. I had a miserable night and the morning hasn't been all that hot either, although Big Guy's tried his best to make it as good as he can by packing his own lunch, walking the dogs and buying breakfast on his way to work.

My constitution just can't handle super rich food in any quantity so a big piece of banana pudding resulted in raging heartburn all night. Yup, I know. I'm stupid but I really like the stuff. Not only that but I can't seem to eat salad any more either so the combination resulted in my beating a path to the ....well, let's just say it has been a really busy night. 

During the brief times I actually spent sleeping, Big Guy was dreaming about climbing out of the hole and kicking up a storm. Had he connected with Max or me, it's unlikely we would have survived without a broken bone or two. Course I'm not sure he would have either.

Oh and speaking of breaking bones, to top it all off once again our illustrious neighbors decided it was a great idea to water our bedroom carpet through the patio door which I had thoughtlessly left open at 6:30 A.M. to enjoy the cool 68 degree morning breeze. I mean, imagine me thinking I could do that when they had "weeds" to water on the other side of the 6 plus foot brick wall that separates our homes. They truly have to show some dexterity to hit the screen in the first place since it's farthest away from the wall but their aim keeps improving and "requests" for them to take better care obviously fall on deaf ears.  Geez, what do they think our carpet is - a chia pet? I think I might hate Mondays.  

Spicy Crab Cakes (adapted from Legal Sea Foods Cookbook)

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Dash Hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon bottled horseradish

1 large egg, beaten

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers

16 ounces cleaned crab, fresh or good quality frozen or canned

1/4 cup dried Italian flavored breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine mayonnaise, dry and Dijon mustards, hot pepper sauce, horseradish, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and old bay seasoning together until well mixed. Fold in saltine cracker crumbs and crab until just mixed. Form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for minimum half an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle both sides of each crab cake with dry breadcrumbs. In an oven proof skillet, melt butter and oil together until hot. Cook crab cakes on both sides until golden brown, then transfer to oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until hot. Serve with remoulade sauce.

Sun Dried Tomato Remoulade Sauce (adapted from Northwest Best Places Cookbook)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Creole style or grainy mustard

2 tablespoons each minced celery, red pepper and green onion

2 tablespoons chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Dash salt and pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until needed.

Party Hearty

Cooking for a crowd can be a challenge but you can make it easier on yourself by simply choosing the right menu. Many's the time I've stressed myself out by planning dishes that needed last minute care and attention but Monday night's menu was darn near perfect, if I do say so myself.

Composed of dishes that for the most part could be made in advance, we rounded out the appetizer menu by making a huge container of the Loaded Baked Potato Dip we tried Super Bowl Sunday from myrecipes.com. While I found it more spreadable than dip-able and a trifle lacking in flavor the first time I made it, this time I added a cup of prepared buttermilk ranch dressing along with a half package of dry ranch mix to loosen the dip up a tad and add more zip. Hit the link at myrecipes.com for the recipe but remember to doctor it up a bit. Served with some of those fabulous tiny iddy biddy potatoes that were roasted in advance and simply warmed up, it was an incredibly delicious and popular appetizer. Perfect "crowd" food!

As for the main course, Big Guy put a couple of huge sirloin roasts on the Weber rotisserie and sliced them up to serve cold. Here they are in all their glory just off the barbecue and resting before being sliced.

The other entree choice was this fabulous Spicy Chicken with Apricots and Olives, courtesy of Noble Pig. Loaded with all manner of spices including cinnamon, cumin and smoked paprika it's the kind of dish that's ideal for entertaining because the chicken marinates for 24 hours before hitting the oven.

The incredible aroma and exotic flavor is darn near enough to make you want to catch the next flight to Morocco...but the good news is you don't have to! You can make this right at home. Incidentally, I multiplied the recipe by 6 and used 10.5 pounds of skinless boneless chicken thighs, which was about perfect for 40 people, give or take when served beside a big bowl of couscous with lemon, olive oil, fresh mint and toasted pistachio nuts. 

The rest of the main course was balanced by a huge tossed salad as well as our favorite marinated asparagus salad you've seen here several times before. We also whipped up perfect for a crowd pickled onion salad that's another gem from the past. Simply thinly sliced yellow onions marinated overnight in a sugar, vinegar, water mixture, the salad is finished by draining the pickling mixture from the onions and tossing them with sour cream and celery seeds. It is a perfect crunchy kinda' sweet tart accompaniment to thinly sliced roast beef and great on a sandwich or a burger and topping a bowl of beef with barbecue sauce like you'll see pictured below. Hey we had leftovers last night for dinner - see!

 

As for dessert, well you'll just have to hold your horses and come back tomorrow! Believe me, it'll be worth a return visit. 

Pickled Onion Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from the Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

4 large yellow onions, sliced very thin

1-1/2 cups white vinegar

1-1/2 cups water

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine above ingredients in a large glass bowl or jar and marinate overnight. Before serving, pour mixture into a colander and drain liquid from onions, pressing out some of the liquid with a spoon to leave the onions relatively dry. Mix onions with

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon celery salt

Serve cold with sliced beef, roast beef sandwiches or it’s great on a burger too. 

A year ago - Creamy Roasted Potato Salad

Two year's ago - Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers 

Shrimp Salad with Mango and Orange

After our pig out on the polenta lasagna the other night, I figured I'd best keep dinner a touch lighter last night so decided to change the menu at the last minute and did a quick thaw on some shrimp I had hiding in the freezer.

Considering how quickly this salad goes together, it packs an awful lot of flavor in large part because I roasted the shrimp rather than boiling them. A touch of olive oil, salt and pepper and 5 or 6 minutes in a 400 oven yields perfectly cooked shrimp with incredible flavor. Cooled and married with a little chopped sweet onion and a mayo/sour cream orange tinged dressing, the salad hit the refrigerator for a quick chill although quite honestly for the most flavor it is best served room temperature, especially along with some super cold mango chunks. Incidentally if you can't find mango, fresh, frozen or canned peaches would be wonderful too.

As you can see, we enjoyed our salad along with some crunchy parmesan cheese and sun dried tomato pinwheels made in a flash from Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry sheets. Fabulous little morsels they are!

Shrimp Salad with Mango and Orange (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Ina Garten)

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

Zest of 1 large orange

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups very cold mango chunks

Assorted greens

Wash shrimp and dry very well. Preheat oven to 400. On a sheet pan, toss shrimp with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp is firm to the touch and pink in color. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and move to a plate. Cool till just slightly warm to the touch.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, orange zest and juice, vinegar and sweet onion. Fold in cooled shrimp. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes. To serve, line plates with greens and add very cold mango chunks. Top with shrimp salad.  Serves 2 to 3 as a main course.

A year ago - Make Your Own Canadian Bacon 

Two year's ago - Chile Rellano with Tequila Shrimp

Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad

Imagine a lovely chunk of cluck breast pounded down to a mere half inch thickness and coated in crisp panko crumbs then fried quickly in a hot pan and topped with a peppery arugula salad. Garnished with tomatoes, iddy biddy boccancini balls as well as lots of shaved parmesan and dressed with a creamy version of caesar dressing, it was a perfect hot night in Tucson dinner.

Big Guy cooked up this recipe from the other stud muffin, Tyler Florence and believe you me, it tastes absolutely divine especially to someone who had spent the afternoon making whoopie pies and would rather have "whine" for dinner. Instead I got to watch with a glass of cool pinot gris in hand. Bonus!

With encouragement from the peanut gallery, Big Guy made a few changes to the recipe to bring up the flavor quotient by adding Dijon mustard to the egg wash for the chicken, as well as some to the dressing mix along with a little steak sauce. He would have used Worcestershire but I thought I was doing us all a big favour and bought the no-name brand instead of Lea and Perrins. It is without question not worth the pennies saved. 

Anyway, here's the link the Tyler's version at Foodnetwork.com and listed below is ours. It's another winner you'll want to place onto your regular rotation quick like. 

Chicken Paillard with an Arugula Caesar Salad (adapted from Tyler Florence, foodnetwork.com)

1 large chicken breast or two small

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 egg whites plus 1 whole egg

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups panko crumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise, partially butterfly then pound to a half inch thickness between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Whisk egg whites and whole egg together then whisk in Dijon mustard. Place flour and panko on two separate plates. Season chicken well with salt and pepper, then dip into flour, coating all sides and shaking off excess. Coat with egg then panko, pressing panko crumbs onto each breast so crumbs adhere. Allow to sit for a minimum 10 minutes before proceeding to give coating a chance to dry slightly. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until oil is shimmering. Fry chicken in batches for approximately 2 minutes per side or until golden brown on the outside and just barely cooked. Remove from pan to a wire rack placed over a sheet pan then season again with salt.

Salad Dressing:

2 anchovy fillets

2 egg yolks

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place anchovies, egg yolks, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire and lemon juice into a blender and blend until well combined. With the motor running slowly add olive oil and process until dressing is creamy. Add grated parmesan and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Salad:

1 cup grape tomatoes cut into halves

1/2 bag fresh arugula, washed and dried well

8 oz. container of boccancini (marinated in olive oil) drained

Shaved parmesan and lemon wedges (optional) for garnish

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Toss salad ingredients together lightly. To serve, place chicken paillard on a plate. Top with generous serving of salad, then drizzle with dressing. Garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon wedges if using. Pass the salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Nacho Pie on Corn Black Bean Salad 

Two year's ago - Asian Chicken Salad

Curried Turkey Salad and Sour Cream Scones

Other than the turkey sandwich I had for lunch yesterday, the next best thing I wanted to put together from the leftover Easter turkey is this curried turkey salad we had for dinner last night.

Thrown together without a recipe, it's got all the usual bird salad ingredients in it like celery and red onion, but in addition I loaded it up on dried cranberries and slivered almonds too just for a different crunch. What really gives this one a step up is the curry flavored mayo based dressing I concocted.

I added 4 teaspoons of curry powder to a 1/2 cup of mayo and a 1/4 cup of sour cream, then realized I might have gone a tad overboard with it. Curry can be a little bitter if it isn't mellowed in a hot pan first which of course I didn't do, so I added a half cup of our homemade kumquat marmalade to sweeten it up a bit. Any orange marmalade will do just fine, but there's something special about one that you've fashioned yourself out of kumquats from your own trees. Anyway, it was just what was needed to put this salad up there with one of our best. By the way, the salad would be wonderful with more fruit added to it in addition to the dried cranberries. Try mango chunks, or green grapes or some diced up apple and see what I mean.

I knew the plate needed one more thing and since I didn't have any dinner rolls hiding in the freezer, I went to the internet and found Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe online at foodnetwork.com. They came together in the food processor in a flash but I left out the heavy cream/raw sugar finish she recommends and the top was perfectly golden and crunchy anyway, thank you very much.

The only thing I didn't do was work them a little more when the dough came out of the processor so if anything, the finished scones were a little too light and fluffy. Imagine having such a problem when often they can be like dry hockey pucks instead of the moist tender morsels they ended up as. I should make that mistake again soon! Thanks Paula!

Hit the link here to head directly to Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe, and see the Curried Turkey Salad recipe below. 

Curried Turkey Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 cups diced cooked turkey (or chicken if you wish)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup orange marmalade (I used our homemade kumquat)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Salad Greens

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder and orange marmalade and mix well. All to sit for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Add celery, onion, cranberries, turkey and almonds to the dressing and toss well to combine. Refrigerate well covered for a minimum 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve on bed of mixed greens. Makes 4 servings.

For those of you that just dropped by for a look see at JBug's Kitchen Antics, I must apologize for the fancy dinner ware you see in the photograph but we're in the midst of renovating our kitchen and we're without a kitchen sink (among other things). Believe me using disposable plates while the kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver! 

Two year's ago - Maui Tacos with Seared Pineapple Salsa

Easter Dinner in JBug's Kitchen

Planning and cooking up a holiday menu in a kitchen that is only semi workable is a real challenge. I cannot tell you how blue the air was at times yesterday as my proudly fashioned vinyl covered cardboard countertops started to fail and I made the 100th trek down the hall to the bathroom sink. It's been a bear regardless of how simple we tried to keep yesterday's menu and I couldn't have done it without my Big Guy's help.

Thinking we'd get far more mileage from a turkey than a ham, Big Guy cooked up a gorgeous 12 pound fresh bird on the Weber rotisserie after stuffing it with a whole lemon, some onion and his slew of secret spices. The challenge for him was washing the darn thing out before strapping it to the rotisserie and I wish I'd taken pictures of him while he performed the task but to his credit, he got the job done admirably.

The turkey was amazingly tender and moist - without question the best one I've ever had and I consider my oven roasted bird babied along by basting every 15 minutes to be unsurpassed for moist, tender meat. So much for my ego and kudo's to the Big Guy for a fabulous job.

In my opinion, stuffing is absolutely necessary when having turkey so I whipped up a casserole dish of the Apple Sausage Stuffing we've had  here before, only this time I used Jimmy Dean's sage sausage instead of Italian. Fashioned from frozen pre-made garlic bread like Pepperidge Farm's, along with lovely fresh apples and dried fruit such as cranberries and apricots, it goes together quickly and is mighty tasty to boot. 

We also enjoyed this cold Marinated Asparagus Salad we've had here before on several occasions only by necessity I changed it up a bit and used crispy fried bacon bits instead of the prosciutto I've used in the past and cubed Swiss cheese instead of gouda.

It's a fabulous way to showcase all the fresh asparagus available at this time - just remember to steam it only long enough that it turns a brilliant green and immediately shock it in an ice water bath. The key to the whole flavor/texture profile is crisp pieces of the lovely spring veggie. I've included the version of the recipe I used yesterday, but hit here and here to see others.

Of course we also had to have some gravy with our turkey, thanks to my last quart of homemade turkey stock from the bones I roasted at Thanksgiving. Needless to say we'll be needing to make more stock which may be one of the first tasks performed in our new kitchen - IF IT EVER HAPPENS. Tee,hee! 

Dessert was a simple Shaker Lemon Bar we've also enjoyed here before - talk about a day of repeats but believe me, this one's worth repeating often. Loaded with slices of whole Meyer lemons that were maserated in sugar then frozen in zip bags all ready to make Shaker Lemon Pies, the filling works just as well if not better made into classic lemon bars with a shortbread crust. Hit the link to head to the recipe and if you're interested in making a Shaker Lemon Pie, hit the link for that one too. As far as lemon pie goes, it is an amazingly tart and delicious celebration of the sunniest of the citrus fruits. As you can see, we had rather large pieces of it because obviously we're rather into excesses, but believe me a sliver will satisfy the tastebuds just as well.

As you can see from the plates, we don't discriminate between white and dark turkey, and you'll notice in the second photo, Big Guy didn't do without his favorite deviled eggs either. As for the cranberry sauce - don't sue me it was purchased and BG got to choose his favorite jelly version. What more can I say except we won't be heading for cholesterol blood checks anytime in the near future.  

Once again, I must apologize for our fancy dinner ware, but believe me using disposable plates while our kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver!

Asparagus and Prosciutto Salad (Recipe adapted from Idaho a la Carte) 

Salad:

1 pound fresh asparagus

4 ounces Swiss cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 - 4 ounce jar whole marinated mushrooms, drained

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

3 slices bacon cooked until crisp and crumbled

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, cut stalks into 2” pieces. Steam until tender-crisp (about 2 to 3 minutes). Drain, shock in ice water bath & drain again. Combine with cheese, mushrooms, onions, and bacon in medium bowl. Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to mix well.

Chill until serving time.

Dijon Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or dash of dried (optional)

Wisk ingredients together until well mixed.

A year ago - Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Cayenne Walnuts 

Two year's ago - Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls