Month: May 2013

German Potato Salad

I was looking for a mayo-less potato salad…I’m not a huge fan of taters in the first place, and mayo salads even less.  Though I do recognize that many people are fans of both ;), I didn’t feel like a salad of that type went with our Memorial Day cookout menu.  I found this on Chowhound, and was very pleased with it – even I ate a serving!  It has done well leftover too, and is even more flavorful.  The only thing I did differently from the original recipe was that I served this cold, and the general consensus preferred it that way as well.

germanpotato

Recipe!

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Heirloom Tomato Salad

Not really a recipe, but a good starting point for a great summer side salad.  We served this at our Memorial Day cookout, and I also frequently use it as a quick side with grilled meats.  Especially delicious with fresh basil!

heirloomtomato

Combine sliced tomatoes, basil, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and gently toss.  That’s it!  Alter to taste.

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Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are one of my favorite appetizers, especially for picnics.  Shawn makes some killer deviled eggs, and it’s possible I helped myself to way more than my share.  They’re also great for lunch and snacks.  You may want to double this for a crowd.

deviledeggs

Recipe!

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Mint-Feta Sauce

Shawn made this to go with his fabulous kabobs for our Memorial Day picnic.  Fantastic, and goes equally well with chicken and lamb.  We doubled the recipe, and it was worth it…this would also be a great dip for veggies.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves

In a food processor, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining tablespoon vinegar until smooth.

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Soy Citrus Scallops with Soba Noodles

This one is another result of “clean out the cooking magazines frenzy,” and it came from Cooking Light.  We really liked it.  I changed up the cooking method a little – I skipped marinating the scallops because I didn’t think they would pan sear as well if already wet.  I like a nice sear on them, so I took care of that first, then cooked them in the sauce for a minute to get the flavor set in.  I served with a side of snow peas tossed with a soy and mirin vinaigrette, which was nice but alas I overcooked the peas.  Don’t do that and it’s a great side! 🙂

citrussoyscallops

Recipe!

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Steamed Peas Soy/Mirin Vinaigrette

This was a nice side, provided you don’t overcook the pea pods like I did. 😉  Got it from Cooking Light along with the recipe to follow, Soy Citrus Scallops.  I’d definitely do this again.

  • 1-2 cups snow peas (or sugar snap peas)
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 t sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 t mirin
  • salt and pepper

Combing vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, salt and pepper.  Steam peas for about 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender and toss with dressing

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Herbed Mashed Peas

I really love mashed peas…actually, I just love peas any way.   This works well, but watch your lemon juice – it can go from bright to overwhelming/weird aftertaste very quickly.

Recipe!

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Missy’s Lemon Pork Tenderloin

This comes from my friend Missy, and it looked like a must try for us.  Did not disappoint – both the pork and the sauce were excellent, and I was eating the leftovers for lunch for a couple of days…bonus!  I served it with herbed mashed peas (great but a smidge too lemony) and quinoa cakes which were okay – love quinoa but probably wouldn’t bother again.  Check out Missy’s site for her interesting mesh of two recipes she had used and enjoyed:  Lemon Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Sauce

lemonpork

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Baked Egg Foo Young

I’ve been working on cleaning out old cooking magazines that have now made 3 moves with me, tearing out pages of old magazines, etc.  I tear out the page and keep it, which is kind of silly since I access the recipe online in the kitchen when actually cooking!  This one came from an old Eating Well and it was worth a try – with good results, we thought.  I augmented with some traditional egg foo young recipes as far as seasonings, but did not modify the cooking method.  I served it with brown rice and some sugar snap peas and we would definitely make again.  A pretty quick no-fuss weeknight meal and good vegetarian option.

eggfooyoung

Recipe!

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Pasta and Greens Salad

I can eat an army’s worth of pasta salad, seriously.  It’s kind of ridiculous.  This is a taken from something my mom emailed me about 10 years ago that I think *she* had on hand for 10-15 years. I could never get enough. I started mixing it with far less pasta and lots of greens (arugula or a spring mix are best…something a little bitter takes the dressing well and doesn’t get lost in the pasta) and using whole wheat  pasta and here we are.  No less delish, and it’s actually a complete meal or a nice cookout side dish, whichever works for what you’re doing. Very bright, adjustable, and great leftovers for lunches.

pastasalad
Recipe!

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