American Potato Salad, Revisited

Potato salad is a summer party tradition in our house. Of course, we don’t always wait for family parties to make it. Sometimes we just make it for ourselves, party or not. 

One of the fun things about potato salad, like other dishes, is that there are so many variations. Trying different recipes of the same dish can lead to some interesting discoveries. Some discoveries are that you never want to make that variation again. Others, like this one, make you change the the way you make. Some traditions are meant to be broken.

Peeling the potatoes is strictly optional. Don’t use sweet pickle relish as a short cut. The potato salad will be more mush and the pickle flavor too strong.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Sauce pan
Colander
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula

Ingredients
3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 3/4” chunks.
2 stalks celery, finely diced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet pickle
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 teaspoons dried parsley

Directions
Add the potatoes to a large pot with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Toss the warm potatoes with the vinegar, salt and pepper. It’s easier for the warm potatoes to soak up the vinegar, increasing their brightness and flavor. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the mayonnaise, pickles, celery, onion and mustard together in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the chilled potatoes and eggs until evenly coated. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Greek Salad, Hold the Lettuce

When my wife thinks of a green salad, she thinks of iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing on it. That is not a green salad. Who said green salad had to have lettuce? Not me. Certainly not the Greeks. Fortunately, they have a very nice green salad that focuses on fresh cucumbers and raw onions. Don’t get me wrong, you can add lettuce if you want. Romaine hearts would work really well with this recipe, but you don’t need them.

This recipe uses feta cheese, but you could use any mild cheese such as Romano or even cottage cheese. Just make sure to chill the salad well and don’t dress it until just before serving.

Equipment Needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Vegetable peeler
Garlic press (optional)
Mixing bowls
Whisk

Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1 small onion
1 small green pepper

for the dressing
12 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions
Peel the cucumber, cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Peel and half the onion. Cut each half into thin slices.

Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper. Slice into thin, horizontal strips.

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Chop into 3/4-inch pieces.

In a bowl, toss together to cucumber, onion, tomato and green pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

When it’s time to serve, prepare the dressing. Place the minced garlic into a small mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Whisk together. Add the chopped olives and mix in. Keep whisking while slowly adding the olive oil. Add the feta cheese and mix it in, as well.

Add the chilled vegetables to the dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve in individual bowls.

Makes 4 servings.

Black Bean Salad

Black bean salad is a great side dish for tacos, enchiladas, or any Mexican entree. It has a bright flavor and is very easy to make. It’s quick, too. It shouldn’t take you much more than ten minutes to put together. You can prepare it up to a day in advance, if you’d like, giving the flavors time to develop.

It’s no secret that I don’t like avocados so, I didn’t include any. If you like them, however, you can add 2 chopped avocados. Don’t add them until just before you’re ready to serve, though. Otherwise they’ll get too mushy and ruin the salad.

If using fresh corn, you’ll need about 3 to 4 cobs. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain before adding.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Large spoon
Paring knife
Fine-mesh strainer
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Skillet
Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes
2 cans (16 oz.) black beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

For the Dressing
4 green onions
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned)
1 tsp honey
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions
Trim the roots and remove any dried outer parts of the green onion. Slice thinly and set aside.

Remove the chipotle chili from the adobo sauce. Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the pack of your paring knife and mince. You’ll need about 1 Tbsp of minced chipotle. If you like it very spicy, leave in the seeds.

Core the tomatoes with a paring knife and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Rinse and drain the canned beans in a fine-mesh strainer.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook the corn, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mix the green onion, chipotle, honey, lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the beans, tomatoes, parsley and toasted corn. Toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Ah, the classic egg salad sandwich. Easy to make, yummy to eat. My wife certainly loves them. I'm  pretty fond of them, too. You don’t have to put egg salad on bread to enjoy it. It works nicely as a light side. If you’re not watching your carbs, though, why not? Toasting the bread first is nice, too.

The secret in this simple recipe is not to chop the eggs too finely. Keep it course or they will dissolve into the dressing.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula

Ingredients
1 celery stalk
1/4 yellow onion
12 hard-boiled eggs.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbl dried parsley, or 2 Tbl fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Cut the celery stalk into long thing strips, then cut the strips crosswise into very small pieces. Mince the onion into 1/8-inch or smaller pieces. Cut the eggs in half, lay them on their side and coarsely chop.

Mix the mayonnaise, chopped celery, minced onion parsely, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of pepper, mustard, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in the eggs. Season with addition salt and pepper to taste.

Spread on bread to make sandwiches, or eat as a cool summer side dish.

Makes 4 cups of egg salad, enough to make 6 sandwiches.

Caprese Salad, Revisited

Two years ago I posted a recipe for Caprese salad, a cold salad made from tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. I always like to try new recipes and this version turned out so much better than the first, that I thought I’d share it with you.

Caprese salad is a wonderful cold side dish for hot summer days. It’s bright flavors make a nice change from traditional green salads. It’s at it’s best with fresh tomatoes ripe from the vine, but store-bought ones can be used nicely, as well. Although I use Roma tomatoes in this recipe, you can easily substitute cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any firm tomato from your garden.

Using fresh mozzarella cheese is vital for the success of this recipe. The blocks you find in the grocer’s refrigerator section aren’t going to cut it. Go to the deli counter and find the round balls of fresh mozzarella. They are tender and creamy, not hard and dry.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Paring knife
Chef’s knife
Mixing bowls
Salad spinner
Fine-mesh strainer
Small saucepan
Rubber spatula
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Garlic press (optional)

Ingredients
8 Roma tomatoes (or 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes)
1 large clove garlic
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese.
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt
3 Tbl dried basil (or 1 cup chopped fresh basil)
Ground black pepper

Directions
Core the tomatoes with a paring knife. Quarter lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the tomatoes, sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt together in a mixing bowl, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. This helps season the tomatoes, and draw out some of their excess liquid.

In the meantime, mince the garlic using a garlic press or chef’s knife. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch chunks.

Transfer the tomatoes and any accumulated liquid to a salad spinner and spin to remove seeds and liquid. Return the tomatoes to the mixing bowl and pour the tomato liquid through a fine mesh strainer over a small saucepan to remove the seeds and reserve the liquid. You should have about 1/2 cup of extracted juice.

Add the vinegar and garlic to the saucepan with the tomato juice. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 5-7 minutes.

Cool the tomato juice mixture to room temperature. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the tomato juice mixture to the mixing bowl with the tomatoes. Add the cheese and basil then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 – 6 servings.

Lime Dressing for Green Salads

This tangy citrus and lime dressing is very much like a vinaigrette, but it's not. It replaces the vinegar with lime juice. I got the idea from some Mexican salad dressing recipes I'd seen.

I really enjoy this dressing on simple green salads, but be warned. It's pretty tart. Still, I enjoy it as a bright and tangy alternative to a traditional vinaigrette dressings. As with all green salads, add the dressing just before serving so the lettuce won't get soggy.

Equipment Needed
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Cutting Board
Kitchen knife
Garlic press (optional, you can always use a knife)
Small jar with a lid, like a small canning jar


Ingredients
1 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 large clove of garlic minced
1/2 cup lime juice
3/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
Chop the parsley, mince the garlic and put them both into a small jar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Seal with a lid and shake like crazy to mix. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Is that easy, or what?

Serve with green salad.

Makes 1 1/ 4 cups, or about 6 servings.

You can also make this in a bowl with a whisk, but I think a jar it much easier.

Picture by Rob Owen-Wahl

Simple Green Salad

My Mom used to make these kinds of simple green salads all the time. It's really just a grouping of fresh ingredients with lettuce as the base. Even though this kind of crisp, green salad is best suited for summer, I love this kind of thing all year round, especially when I'm pressed for time.

This variation features tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and radishes, but other raw vegetables can easily be varied according to taste and time of year. For example, I enjoy a little green or red cabbage from time to time, just to shake things up. As with all green salads, add the dressing just before serving so the lettuce won't get soggy.

Equipment Needed
Cutting Board
Kitchen knife
Vegetable peeler
Mixing bowl

Ingredients
1/2 cucumber
1 medium green bell pepper
3 medium tomatoes
8 radishes
1/2 red onion
6 lettuce leaves (Iceberg, Romaine, or whatever you like)

Directions
Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler, or leave the skin on if you like. Cut the cucumber into very thin round slices. Remove the seeds and stems from the green pepper and cut the pepper into very thin round slices. Alternately, cut into matchsticks. Remove the stem from the tomatoes and cut them into thin wedges. Remove the leaves from the radishes, discarding them or saving them for some other dish, and cut the radishes crosswise into thin round slices. Peel the red onion, cut it in half, and cut through the layers, separating them into thin, curved strips. Cut or tear the lettuce into fork sized pieces.

Add all the vegetables, except the lettuce, into a large mixing bowl and toss. If you're using a vinaigrette type dressing, toss in about 1 to 1 1/4 cup of the dressing with the salad. If you're using something thicker, like Ranch dressing, you can toss it in now if you want, but I prefer to wait.

Arrange the lettuce into six salad bowls or plates. Even divide the dressed vegetables between the plates, pouring any remaining dressing from the mixing bowl evenly onto the salads. If using a thicker dressing, now is the time to pour it on, about 1 or 2 tablespoons of dressing per bowl.

Makes 6 servings.

If you like spicy food, try adding a chopped green chili pepper.

Almost any kind of dressing will work. I'll share a citrus and olive oil dressing that I rather like, next time.

Picture by Andrzej Gdula

Free Recipe - How to Make Chinese Cabbage Salad

What' s this? Two green salad recipes in a row? Well ... yeah. I like green salads. This one doesn't feature lettuce, though. It's built on a base of tender Chinese cabbage.

There are several varieties of Chinese cabbage, but this salad is based on wom bak, more commonly known as napa cabbage. Chinese cabbage is wonderfully tender and is the main ingredient in kimchi. It's also a good source of carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C. In spite of being good for you, Chinese cabbage is really tasty, and I think you'll enjoy this salad. I love it's simplicity and bright flavors.

I also happen to think it looks pretty.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls
Large strainer (sieve)

Ingredients
6 Chinese cabbage (napa) leaves*
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 Roma tomatoes**
3 or 4 chives
6 lemon wedges

for the dressing
6 tablespoons black-rice vinegar***
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
salt, as required

Directions
Fill the mixing bowl with plenty of water and a few ice cubes. Cut the Chinese cabbage leave crosswise into thin slices. Don't use the outermost leaves. They're too firm for a salad and are best saved for soups. Soak the sliced cabbage in the bowl of ice water for a minute or two to crisp it up. Don't soak it too long, or you will spoil the flavor. Drain the water off, using a strainer.

Remove the stems from the tomatoes, and cut them into wedges, lengthwise.** Cut the chives into 2 inch lengths.

If using fresh corn from your garden, remove it from the cob and blanch it. Frozen corn should be thawed and blanched, as well. Canned corn can be used (gotta cycle that food storage, somehow), but you'll want to rinse and drain it thoroughly.

Now that everything else is prepared for assembly, let's make the dressing. Put the vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a small bowl. Add the sesame oil and whisk the ingredients together, thoroughly. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Arrange the Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, corn, and chives (in that order) on individual plates. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Drizzle on the dressing, about 1 tablespoon or so per salad, and serve.


*You can substitute lettuce or regular cabbage for the Chinese cabbage, if you want to, but I don't recommend it. There's just something wonderful about this tender, sweet, leafy vegetable.

**Cherry tomatoes are often used, cut in half, for this recipe. Roma tomatoes are less expensive and have a more meaty texture, so I normally use them, instead.

***Black-rice vinegar can be hard to find outside of a few specialty shops. If you can't find Black-rice vinegar where you live, use balsamic vinegar, just leave out the sugar. Balsamic vinegar is sweet enough on it's own without it.

Free Recipe - How to Make Salad Nichoise

With August beginning, harvest time in our garden's will start to enter, full swing. What can we do to start using some that bounty and use up the last of the spring greens? Why not turn to the south of France and make Salad Nichoise?

Equipment Needed
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Saucepan
Cutting Board
Chef's Knife
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Slotted Spoon
Large colander or Large Sieve
6 Serving bowls


Ingredients
1 medium potato
3 boiled eggs
30 green beans (or a 12 oz. can, if you don't have fresh)
1 small green bell pepper
2 small tomatoes
12 lettuce leaves
6 oz. canned tuna
12 anchovy fillets (optional)
18 pitted black olives (kalamata are my favorite)
salt (as required)

for the dressing
4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup light olive oil
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Preparation
Drain the tuna, and place into a small bowl. Cover with milk and let soak while the rest of the preparations are made. Soaking the canned tuna in milk will remove the unpleasant “fishiness” so common with canned tuna.

If using fresh green beans, cut the ends off the green beans, and then cut them in small pieces, about 1 inch long. Prepare an ice bath by putting ice water into a large bowl. If using canned beans, drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.

Peel the potato in a bowl and cover with water to keep it from browning.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.

If using fresh green beans, add the beans and boil for about two minutes, until they have a bright green color. Using a slotted spoon, remove the green beans from the boiling water and transfer to the ice bath. Turn off the heat, but do not drain the water . We'll use this same water to cook potato. Remove the beans from the ice water and drain thoroughly.

Put the potato in water. Add additional hot water if you need to, to cover the potato. Return the water to a boil on hight heat, and then reduce heat to a simmer, about medium low. Boil the potato for a bout 15 to 20 minutes, until soft enough that you can easily insert a fork. Do not overcook or the potato will fall apart! Using a slotted spoon, remove the potato, draining off the water. Allow the potato to cool enough to handle. Cut in half, lengthwise, and then into 1/2-inch wide half-moon slices.

Cut the green pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper. Cut into thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide, across the pepper this time.

Remove the stem from the tomatoes and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.

Peel to boiled eggs and cut into 1/4-inch round slices.

Clean and rinse the lettuce and tear into small pieces.

Drain the milk from the tuna.

To make the dressing

Add a dash of salt and a dash of ground pepper to a bowl. Add the mustard and mix together. Whisk in the red wine vinegar. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking at you do, to create an emulsion. Repeat with the extra virgin olive oil.

To assemble the salad

Mentally divide each ingredient into 6 equal parts. You're going to assemble each serving into it's own bowl.

First, arrange the lettuce in the bowls. Add the potatoes and green peppers. Arrange the boiled egg and green beans attractively in the bowl. Put the tomatoes and anchovies (if using) on top and sprinkle of a few of the olives. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

*Sieve Trick: If you have a large enough saucepan, you can put the beans into the sieve, and then put the sieve into the hot water, submerging the beans. It's the same process as deep-frying without the oil. Then, when the beans are done, you just pull out the sieve with the green beans still in it, let it drain a bit, and the immediately plunge the sieve into the ice water bath. This way, you don't have to fish around with a slotted spoon to get all the green beans.

How to Make American Potato Salad

July 4th, Independence Day, is today. For my friends overseas, that's the day America declared its independence from the British Crown. What better way than to celebrate with something grilled, and a side of American Potato Salad?

Immigrants to America brought their own food and food cultures with them. This is all the better for us American foodies because we get to sample to best cuisines from all across the world. Some foods have become truly American staples, though, contributing to the world's recipes. American Potato salad join the ranks of such tasty dishes as New England clam chowder, meatloaf, and jambalaya. It's also a great cold salad, so you can enjoy it all summer long, not just on July 4th.

Equipment Needed
vegetable peeler
kitchen knife
cutting board
sauce pan
baking sheet
measuring spoons
mixing bowl

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup bread and butter pickles
2 tablespoons of the pickle juice from the jar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
3 green onions
1 medium celery stalk
3 eggs, hard-boiled

Directions
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into 3/4 inch pieces. Place them into a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by about 1 inch. Bring it to boil, add 1 teaspoon of the salt, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about ten minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Do not overcook, or they will be mushy.

While the potatoes are boiling, you can make the dressing. Finely chop the bread and butter pickles, and put them in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the green onion and celery and add to the pickles. Add the mustard, reserved pickle juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, remaining salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

I bottle my own bread-and-butter zucchini pickles, based on a recipe from my great grandmother. I think they're fantastic for this.

When the potatoes are done, drain them thoroughly and place them on a baking sheet. If you'd like, drizzle a bit of the pickle juice on them and toss evenly. Refrigerate the potatoes until completely cool.

This is a trick I learned from Cook's Country magazine, the sames folks behind America's Test Kitchen. They can't claim it as original, either. The French do it with their potato salads.

Add the cooled potatoes to the dressing and gently mix with a rubber spatula. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Chop the boiled eggs and mix them in before serving.

Makes 6 – 8 servings.

Tomato and Mozzarella (Caprese) Salad

With summer vegetables coming in, not to mention the temperature going up, its time to turn our thoughts to cool salads that can act as replacements for the lettuce and cucumber affairs of spring. With summer tomatoes starting to come in, you could try a Caprese salad. This simple, almost minimalist, salad really lets the fresh tomato and mozzarella flavors shine through.

For the best flavor, use fresh garden tomatoes, instead of those waxy flavorless ones you normally find in the supermarket. Fresh mozzarella is a must for this dish. You'll be sorely disappointed if you use the older processed crap we normally find in the cheese aisle. If you can't get fresh mozzarella, try this recipe with chevré (soft French goat cheese), instead.

Equipment Needed

Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Plastic wrap


Ingredients
5 small ripe tomatoes
9 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
6 basil leaves (fresh)

for the dressing
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste
salt, to taste


Directions
Remove the stems from each tomato, halve them lengthwise, and cut them into wedges about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the mozzarella into slices around 1/4 inch thick, as well, about the same size and thickness as the tomato slices.

Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a serving dish. Sprinkle small pieces of basil over the salad, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, to chill.

If you don't have fresh basil, that's okay. You can sprinkle it with a bit of dried basil, instead.

While the salad is chilling, combine the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, mixing in one thoroughly before adding the next, to make an emulsion.

When ready to serve, take the salad from the refrigerator and remove the plastic warp. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with ground black pepper to taste. Additional salt can also be added, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cutting the Heat with Corn Raita

If the Chicken Tikka Masala is a bit spicy for you, bring down the heat by serving it with corn raita. This chilled yogurt salad is a perfect accompaniment to curries and other spicy food. Corn raita is a mainstay salad in Indian cuisine. The mild tartness of the yogurt, coupled with the sweet richness, of the corn is enhanced by a touch of parsley and chili powder at the end.

To top of off, this dish insanely simply to make. Not counting the cooling time, it shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes to complete.

Equipment Needed

mixing bowl
sieve or colander
plastic wrap
spoon

Ingredients

15 oz. can of corn
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
pinch of salt
chopped parsley and a pinch of chili powder for garnish

Directions

Pour the corn into a sieve or fine colander to completely drain the canning liquid.

Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl, add the corn and a pinch of salt. The salt will enhance the sweetness of the corn, just don't add too much. Stir with a spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Chilling the dish lets the flavors mix better, so make sure to chill it well.

When you're ready to eat, transfer the raita to serving bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a pinch of chili powder.

Was that easy, or what?

Serves 6.