JBug's Kitchen Antics

Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Figs and Walnuts

I'm as guilty as the next person in sticking to the usual tried and true mixed green salad so I'm here to tell you about a new kid on the block. 

Imagine the impact on the old taste buds of fresh herbs including parsley, mint, dill and chives tossed with fresh mixed greens and topped with tiny slices of dried figs, crunchy toasted walnuts and shaved pecorino romano cheese. Add a jar of rich and creamy dressing, sweet with maple syrup and tart from balsamic to the equation along with a touch of garlic and a hint of mustard. Pretty darned amazing! 

We took it a step farther last night. I left out the cheese and topped the salad with a piece of broiled salmon garnished with crisp and salty bacon. Sublime? You bet! Perfect after a day spent on the Alsea River fishing for Chinook on a not so typical 80 degree day on the Oregon coast. OK  - now I'm bragging! 

So shoot me. 

Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Walnuts and Figs (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food & Wine; Dressing from Maple Syrup Cookbook by Ken Haedrich)

 8 cups mixed greens

4 ounces sliced dried black mission figs

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

1 ounce shaved pecorino romano cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, toss together greens, walnuts, and herbs. Top with cheese. To serve, pass dressing on the side.

Maple Balsamic Dressing:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup canola or peanut oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

Combine vinegar, maple syrup, lime, garlic and mustard in a blender. Pulse well. With motor running add oil slowly until dressing is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Makes 1-1/2 cups. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. 

Orzo Salad With Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

This pasta salad is the kind of side dish that will go with almost anything but topped with peppered broiled salmon fresh from the ocean, it makes for one super fine summery main course too.

Adapted from myrecipes.com, I couldn't see the point in throwing out perfectly good lemon rind so I took the liberty of adding it to the vinaigrette along with the juice, added more fresh dill and mixed snow peas with fresh asparagus for a little extra crunch. A quick blanch in boiling water followed by an ice bath brought the color out in the vegetables beautifully without sacrificing any crispness.

Incidentally in case you're checking the original recipe here, I doubled the dressing because I thought the salad needed the extra boost and next time I may switch the dill for freshly chopped basil and a little fresh mint just because I'm ornery that way. Chopped cucumber, crunchy bell peppers, artichoke hearts and a few kalamata olives substituted for the asparagus and snow peas and it would be a whole new song and dance of the Mediterranean variety. Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely delicious as written but just imagine what one could do to change it up some? Of course Big Guy informed me he'd eat it just like it is every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Yup he liked it...a lot. Surprised the heck out'a me because I thought the orzo would be too prissy for him. 

Oh, in case your wondering how I cooked the salmon, I sprinkled a salmon fillet with Montreal Steak Seasoning, added a bunch of freshly ground black pepper then broiled it skin side down on high for 8 minutes. Left to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking, the skin was removed and the fillet crumbled on top of the salad. So easy and so darned delicious too. 

Orzo Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from myrecipes.com

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

4 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Generous amount of freshly grated black pepper

Place all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine well. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.

Salad:

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 3 inch pieces

1/2 pound snow peas

1 cup uncooked orzo

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add asparagus and snow peas. Blanch for 30 seconds to bring color out then remove immediately and place into ice water. Drain well and place into a large bowl. Set aside.

Add orzo to pot and cook for 8 to 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and add to vegetables. Add onions and toss with prepared vinaigrette. Refrigerate until serving time.  Makes 6 servings. 

Crunchy Cool Chicken Salad

Summer's knocking on the front door and with the long weekend upon us, what better way to celebrate the season than with a cool as a cucumber chicken salad.

Not your ordinary salad, this one's loaded with crunch from sweet bell pepper, cucumber, water chestnuts and peanuts. The crunch quotient is increased even more with the addition of chow mein noodles which pair beautifully with a simple Asian influenced dressing. I almost called it a vinaigrette but that wouldn't fit because there isn't any vinegar in it. Picky huh. 

Next time you're looking for something different to add to your summer menu, give this one a try. Its fresh flavors and satisfying crunch are darn near addictive never mind its a great way to get your family to eat their veggies. 

Crunchy Chicken Salad from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Idaho A La Carte

 

3 cups cubed roasted chicken

1 romaine heart, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

1 – 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

6 mini sweet bell peppers, sliced

1/2 seedless cucumber, julienned

1 cup snow pea pods

4 ounces deep fried chow mein noodles

1/2 cup salted peanuts

 Place chicken, lettuce, green onions, water chestnuts, bell peppers, cucumber and pea pods in a large bowl and toss to combine. Toss with dressing. Garnish with chow mein noodles and salted peanuts.

Dressing:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine ingredients together in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. 

Gingery Pork Meatballs on Chopped Salad With Peanut Dressing

We love meatballs around here. We're rather fond of Asian flavors as well and pork is on our favorites list too so last night we put 'em all together and came up with a real winner.

Big Guy whipped up the pork meatballs using a recipe adapted from Cooking Light although maybe I should say inspired by because he juiced up the spices by adding more ginger and garlic along with red pepper flakes for a little added bite.  

While he was in charge of the meatballs, I made a simple peanut dressing and opened up a bag of Dole's Asian Blend Chopped Salad ...hey we saw it in the grocery store and absolutely HAD to try it. I gave the greens a little extra somethin' somethin' by adding slivers of sweet onion, drained canned water chestnuts and another handful of snap peas to a salad already loaded with some of those sweet crunchy beauties along with red and green cabbage, broccoli slaw, kale and carrots. 

It was amazing!  Moist tender gingery meatballs garnished with a little sweet chile sauce on top of a crisp bed of good for you green stuff dressed with peanutty sauce...well, talk about a perfect no fuss Sunday night dinner! Darned fine teamwork too, huh!

Gingery Pork Meatballs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com

1 pound lean ground pork

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 large egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients together. Form into 1-1/2 inch balls. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high. When hot, add meatballs  and brown on all sides. When browned, place in oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on salad or with peanut dressing on the side for dipping.

 

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon sriraccha (or to taste)

Combine ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. 

 Other pork meatball recipes you might like to try ...

Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Meatballs     Asian Flavored Pork Meatballs

  

 

Sprout and Kale Salad with Maple Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Big Guy cooked dinner last night and it was wonderful. Actually he cooked breakfast and packed my lunch too. We had a bit of a role reversal as I headed to work while he stayed home with the fur kids. Spoiled me rotten, he did. 

He whipped up a crunchy kale and brussels sprout salad dressed up beautifully with toasted nuts and grated parmesan in a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. In fact he mixed the shredded sprouts and crunchy kale with the dressing in advance so they had a chance to marinate and soften before the nuts and cheese hit the party. 

Best of all, he topped the salad with lovely broiled King salmon, glazed in a balsamic, maple syrup, Dijon and garlic concoction that kept the salmon moist and upped the flavor quotient a bunch. It was a blast watching him navigate the kitchen and cook such a fabulous dinner for his very lucky lady. He's a keeper, isn't he?

Sprout and Kale Salad with Maple Balsamic Glazed Salmon from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from Gluten Free Girl and Giada via foodnetwork.com

4 cups shredded Brussels sprouts

1 cup finely chopped kale

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans or a combination of the two)

9 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper

Combine sprouts and kale in a large bowl. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a container with a tight fitting lid (jar) and shake to combine well. Toss with sprouts and kale, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving add parmesan cheese and nuts and toss to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Salmon:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

2 – 6 ounce pieces salmon fillet

Salt & course ground black pepper

In a small pot combine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often for 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to a glaze consistency.

Preheat broiler. Place salmon skin side down on a broiler pan. Season with salt and pepper then brush with glaze. Broil for 10 minutes or until salmon is cooked through, brushing with glaze every few minutes. Serves 2.

BBQ Salmon in a Sandwich

If you visit here often, you'll know we don't do sandwiches for dinner regularly at least in my opinion not regularly enough. I'd have another one like this in a heartbeat.

Remember the salmon we whipped up a while ago slathered with Whiskey BBQ Sauce? Well it was so tasty, I just had to do it again. Flaked and served on a crunchy outside, soft and chewy inside Ciabatta roll slathered in mayo, we topped our whiskey BBQ flavored salmon with a mound of mashed avocado, slivers of sweet onion, and a slices of crispy bacon.  Lookin' pretty good, huh?

Add some sweet juicy slices of fresh tomato and a little pesto and you'll have a repeat of this salmon club sandwich we had a long time ago. Of course perfectly beautiful ripe and wonderful tomatoes never mind fresh from the garden basil are a little hard to come by this time of year, but we can all dream, can't we. I'll be putting it on my list for a repeat in July. Just sayin'. 

 

 

Fruit and Nuts Chicken Salad

Leftover chicken in this household often means a chicken salad's in our future. While there's an unlimited number of items that can be  made from cold bird, salad's one of Big Guy's favorites so I made a deal with him - you go get your hair cut, and I'll make you chicken salad. Interesting that it takes bribery to get that job done, huh.

There's no question we've a ton of chicken salad recipes on this site but you're only limited by your imagination. Last night's version included dried cranberries, snipped apricots and walnuts, toasted for extra flavor and crunch, along with the usual sweet onion, celery and sweet bell peppers.

Dressed with a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream, I used the last of our Kicky Kumquat Marmalade to add a little punch of flavor, but plain orange marmalade and chopped jalapeno's would work as well. 

It was a nice "light" dinner or would have been had we limited ourselves to just one serving. By the way, that's the third meal we've enjoyed from a single roasted 5 pound bird and that's not including the leftover leftovers we've each had for lunch and no, we're not tired of chicken yet. Too bad the bird's toast.

Fruit and Nuts Chicken Salad an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

4 cups bite sized pieces of roasted chicken

1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped assorted sweet bell peppers

1/3 cup snipped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup Kicky Kumquat Marmalade

Salt and course ground black pepper

Combine chicken, onion, celery, bell peppers, apricots, cranberries and toasted walnuts together. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream and marmalade. Fold into chicken mixture. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed. Chill a minimum of 1 hour before serving to mellow flavors. 

Two years ago - Flourless Kumquat Cake 

An Asian Flavored Feast - Broiled Salmon and Creamy Coleslaw

OK so here's the deal. We're working our way through the first phase of the South Beach eating plan and I'm done with the whining at least for now. Last night's flavorful dinner helped solve that little problem.

A lovely piece of fillet from one of the silver salmons Big Guy caught a while ago marinated in a soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, Sriracha concoction for an hour then it hit the broiler for 12 minutes and here's the result. 

Awesome moist and subtly spiced, it was even better perched on a bed of Asian style slaw in a creamy dressing made from a mix of mayonnase, white wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Topped with sesame seeds and garnished with cashews it's a double whammy of Asian flavored delight. Darn near made our socks go up and down. Honest!

Broiled Asian Salmon on Creamy Slaw (from JBug’s Kitchen Antis adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 – 12 ounce salmon fillet

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon (or less) Sriracha

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha and whisk to combine. Check salmon for pin bones and remove as needed. Place fillet into a zip top bag and add marinade. Seal bag and massage bag to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat broiler on high. Coat a nonstick oven proof sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high until almost smoking. Remove salmon from marinade, reserving marinade. Place salmon in sauté pan, skin side down and cook for 2 minutes. Move salmon to heated broiler and cook for 12 minutes (or less depending on thickness of fillet). Meanwhile heat remaining marinade until boiling (I used microwave). Serve salmon with some sauce. 

 Creamy Asian Slaw

 4 cups coleslaw mix

1/4 cup chopped green or sweet onions

1/4 cup torn basil leaves or cilantro

1/2 cup sliced snow pea pods

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup cashew nuts or sliced almonds

Combine coleslaw mix, onion, basil, pea pods and sesame seeds in a medium bowl. In a smaller container mix together mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Pour over slaw in bowl and toss to combine. Plate, topped with salmon. Garnish with nuts. Makes 2 servings.

A year ago - Coconut Pork Curry

Two years ago -  Pear and Blue Salmon

 

Lovin' Greek Pasta Salad

In case you haven't noticed, our menu this week includes a fair number of flavors from the sunny Isles of Greece, and for good reason. We're having a heat wave with highs in the mid to upper 70's and sunny skies predicted over the next several days.

Naturally it makes us laugh uproariously because a year ago we'd have done the happy dance and been singing hallelujah for a "low" anywhere near those temperatures in our former desert oasis. It's not as though we need more proof that the present is a gift you give yourself, huh. I mean really, who wants to live in the past anyway?

Big Guy took the boat out looking for crab yesterday afternoon and in case he got skunked I had to come up with something for dinner that could hold indefinitely. The result, a pasta salad made from veggie colored/flavored radiatore courtesy of Trader Joe's along with diced cucumber, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onion, kalamata olives and feta cheese too. I threw in some baby spinach for color and dressed the salad with an herbed up red wine vinaigrette rather than our usual mayonnaise based dressing and Bob's your uncle.

Along with some minty lamb patties courtesy of Rachael Ray and sampled in our kitchen previously, dinner was ready whenever we were.  Incidentally about the lamb patties, this time I used fresh parsley along with cilantro and mint and added dry basil because I didn't have any fresh. Oh, and I tighted them all up a bit with an egg and a quarter cup of panko crumbs too. Delicious!

Big Guy said "you can make this all again, anytime" and that's the best possible compliment, eclipsed only by "you look skinny in those jeans". I don't think I've ever heard him say that one but I can always dream can't I? 

Love’n Things Greek Pasta Salad from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from myrecipes.com

6 ounces dry pasta – I used multi-colored radiator but any short pasta will do

1 small cucumber, diced

2 ripe tomatoes cut into wedges

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in halves

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, stems removed

Zest of half a lemon

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse under cold water. Drain well. Toss together with remaining ingredients and refrigerate until just before serving.

Vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Dash red pepper flakes

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Place all above ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended. Pour over salad just before serving and toss to combine. Makes 6 servings.

A year ago - Sausage Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

A year ago - Grilled Chicken Margarita on Green Chile Rice

Two year's ago - Sloppy Bombay Joe's

Melon Salad with Prosciutto

Summer is fleeting and goes by at the speed of light. I can say that now that we're not living in the land of perpetual heat never mind endless summer and boy does it ever feel good too! I love it here on the Oregon Coast. Oh, have I told you that before?

This gorgeous salad is perfect for a sunny summer day because not only it is light, filling and refreshing, it also takes advantage of the abundance of good things available this time of year. Adapted from Cooking Light magazine, I pretty well followed the recipe as given except that I left out the serrano pepper and used a melon baller to make round orbs of honeydew and seedless watermelon rather than the slices they recommend. Hey, my melons were really ripe and didn't look so great in slices but the balls were beautiful. 

Anyway mixed with a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil and honey and piled on a plate of peppery arugula along with nectarine wedges and paper thin slices of red onion, the salad's garnished with salty romano cheese and prosciutto.

A side of moist and decadent sour cream scones (I'll tell you about those later) and our light meal left just the right amount of space for a ramekin each of black plum cobbler, warm from the oven. Hit the link and head to the recipe for the cobbler  HERE.

Melon Salad with Prosciutto (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Cooking Light magazine)

Juice of 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 small seeded watermelon

1/2 honeydew melon

1/3 cup paper thin slices red onion

2 ripe nectarines, cut into wedges

4 cups arugula, washed and dried

Handful fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

3 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

1/2 ounce Romano cheese, shaved

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, honey and salt in a screw top jar. Shake well to incorporate and set aside. Using a melon baller, cut watermelon and honeydew into balls and place into medium bowl. Add onion and nectarines. Toss lightly with vinaigrette.

Place arugula onto 4 plates and divide fruit mixture between them. Top with mint leaves, prosciutto slices and Romano cheese. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Salmon Spread with Horseradish

Two year's ago - Polenta Tamale Torte

Kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Apple and Cashews

Ever had curry on a salad? I'll admit last night was a rarity for us too. Almost more of a marinade than a dressing, the curry in this simple topper made from pureed apple really completes the flavors in this fabulous toss up of crisp dark green kale mixed with a little red cabbage, tart granny smith apple, roasted cashews and sweet dried cherries.  

While the recipe from the Oregonian Cookbook called for dried cranberries, I substituted some of our home dried cherries because I thought they'd be incredible. They were!

The other great thing about the salad excluding the health benefits is the dressing has to be applied 30 minutes before serving, which makes it a perfect choice for entertaining because it holds beautifully and just gets better with time. 

We had our salad with quick and easy chicken paillards - pounded boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with curry, onion and garlic powders then dredged in flour and fried quickly in a little oil in a non stick pan but something off the grill would be wonderful too.  Heaven knows it's darned near impossible to serve a meal around here without meat/fish or poultry of some kind because of the resident carnivore, but personally I'd have added a little goat cheese to the greens and been perfectly happy with the salad alone. 

Kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Cashews, Apple and Curry from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Oregonian Cookbook, Best Recipes from Foodday

10 ounces kale

1/4 small red cabbage, finely shredded

1 cup roasted cashews

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and diced

Wash and dry kale and remove and discard tough stems. Coarsely chop and place into a bowl along with red cabbage, cashews, cherries and apple. A half hour before serving, using your hands toss salad with dressing – using your fingers to work the dressing into the kale leaves.

Season with salt and pepper.

Dressing:

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon curry powder

Salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Place apple, vinegar, honey, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper into a blender and mix well to puree apple. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. 

A year ago - Big Beautiful Burgers with Onion Jam 

 

 

Sophia's Ramen Slaw

In case you're wondering I'm calling this Sophia's Ramen Slaw in honor of one of our girls who sat right at the front in Big Guy's class, often eating Ramen noodles directly from the package without the usual cooking procedure. The crunch and her enjoyment darn near drove him nuts and they still tease each other about it.

Personally, I thought eating the uncooked noodles was a tad on the weird side until I came across a couple of slaw recipes that uses the stuff. The one we had last night is a combination of a Cooking Light version and one from the Best of Bridge Series of Cookbooks and includes toasted slivered almonds and sunflowers seeds along with ready made coleslaw mix and green onions all tossed up with an Asian style vinaigrette. 

Its crunchy kinda' sweet 'n sour flavors went beautifully with the Asian Glazed Sockeye made from salmon one of our new neighbors gave us after his recent fishing trip to Alaska. A wonderful relatively light summer meal it went rather well with a crisp glass of Pinot Gris - an ideal way to finish up another perfect sun filled day at the beach.

Sophia’s Ramen Slaw from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Cooking Light Magazine and Best of Bridge Cookbook

1 – 12 ounce package coleslaw mix

5 green onion, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons salted sunflower seeds

1 – 5 ounce package Ramen noodles, crumbled

Combine coleslaw mix and green onions in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium sauté pan, heat butter until melted. Add almonds, sunflower seeds and crumbled ramen noodles. Cook stirring constantly until lightly toasted. Cool and add to coleslaw/onion mixture. Top with vinaigrette and toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

 Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Place ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well mixed. 

Asian Glazed Salmon (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Legal Seafood’s Cookbook)

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Dash of dried red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened to a thick syrupy consistency – about 9 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.

1-1/2 pound salmon fillet

Check salmon for pin bones and remove as necessary. Wash and dry fillet well. Baste with half the glaze and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat broiler. Broil fillet for 4 minutes, remove and coat with more glaze, then return to broiler for additional 4 minutes or until cooked through. Baste with remaining glaze before serving.  Serves 4.

 

Lazy Days of Summer

You're likely all thinking I've faded from the face of the earth but to tell the truth I just haven't been cooking much. That is all about to change because Big Guy's officially on his way to our new Oregon home and not a minute too soon I might add. Three and a half months without that man o' mine's about 3.5 months too long. 

It's a great time for him to be leaving the desert with highs today in Tucson forecast in the area of 115 and 125 in Parker, AZ but if all goes according to my deductions, as I write this he's already north of Parker and heading for Barstow. 

So what does one cook when it's hotter'n the hubs of hell? Well, bring out the fans, turn on the misting system and fire up the barby for one of our favorite treats - a bed of greens loaded with sweet onion and creamy mozzarella balls, topped with slices of perfectly cooked steak and piquant, garlicky chimi churri sauce. 

Oh, and while you've got that grill warmed up, how about roasting some veggies for a lovely pasta salad, loaded with roasted eggplant, peppers and jazzed up with shredded Asiago and and some crunchy pine nuts for a fabulously delicious, cool and meatless dinner. 

Are you craving something cool and sweet? Whip up an Orange Pushup Creamsicle Pie.
It's about as simple to make as you can get, loaded with cream cheese, instant pudding, orange gelatin and "Cool Whip", all piled high in a pre-made crumb crust, it can be frozen or simply refrigerated for a cool, refreshing oh so delicious treat for your tastebuds. 

So now that we have that out of the way, in case you're wondering what I'm planning to serve when Big Guy gets here tomorrow - that would be a stew of course; a nice comforting, stick to your ribs, soul warming, taste filled bowl of pure bliss. After all our forecast high of 73 is darn near 50 degrees cooler than what he'll be accustomed to. He's bound to be freezing, don't ya' think?

A year ago - Honeydew Salad with Chicken Paillards 

Two year's ago - Easy 5 Hour Stew

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. 

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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