Corn Casserole

My Venture into Corn Casserole
Blog Buddies – As you have seen, I have not been posting as often as I would like. I am absolutely swamped at work right now so I've had to put cooking and new recipe development on the back burner (pun intended!) for now. With the long hours at work, cooking is definitely not something I look forward to when I get home. I do NOT know how working moms do this every day!!! For at least the next month, my postings will be sporadic. My apologies in advance!

Today's recipe is quick and easy to make and is especially good when corn is in season. Some American and Mexican corn casseroles/puddings are often VERY sweet. When I eat them, I feel like I'm eating dessert for dinner. With this recipe, I set out to make a flavorful and savory casserole with just a bit of sweetness.

Corn-based casseroles and puddings are not unique to North America. In Paraguay, they have a very popular side dish called "Chipa Guazu." I've eaten it here in the U.S. but I'm sure it's not as good as a Paraguayan grandmother could make. Chipa guazu is normally made with a fresh cheese called "Queso Paraguay", which is impossible to find where I live. From what I understand, it's similar to Monterrey Jack but, not having tried it myself, I cannot corroborate that. I've worked with a few Paraguayans throughout the years and they are the ones who introduced me to chipa guazu. I played around with one of their recipes to come up with the one I am posting today. I adapted their recipe to include easier-to-find ingredients that better suit my taste preferences.

I think it tastes pretty darn good. I'm not willing to officially call it chipa guazu since I've never been to Paraguay to taste the real thing but I think most Paraguayans would consider my attempt to be at least edible (even if it's not authentic). Give it a try with some homegrown sweet corn! Very yummy! Enjoy – and happy shucking!

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Corn Casserole
(Printable Version)

1/2 c butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 c heavy cream
1 14-3/4 oz can sweet-style creamed corn
1 12-oz package frozen sweet corn niblets (thawed in the fridge) or 2 c fresh corn
8 oz monterrey jack cheese, finely shredded
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp table salt
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter. When melted (don't allow the skillet to get too hot), add the onions and gently sweat the onions until they are very soft but not browned (about 8 – 10 minutes). Let cool about 5 minutes.

While the onions are softening, beat the eggs and cream together in a medium bowl. Add the creamed corn, thawed corn, and cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.

When the onions have cooled about 5 minutes, add them to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into a 9x13" glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the casserole is brown around the edges and the center has set.

Pimento Cheese Spread

My Venture into Spreadable Cheese
The South has given us many culinary delicacies including fried chicken, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, and biscuits. However, one of my personal favorites is pimento cheese spread. Oooh, yessss. It's traditionally made with sharp cheddar cheese, pimentos, and mayonnaise and often eaten on sandwich bread. Could I improve upon this classic southern cheese spread? Probably not but I thought I'd give it the old college try.

When I was growing up, pimento cheese was not a staple in my house. It was only when I went to college that I began eating it in earnest. A few years ago, I ordered some from a mail-order company called Zingerman's and LOVED it. I especially loved the crock it came in, which you can see in the picture above. I love their cheese spread because it's a bit spicy. You'll notice that I add cayenne or chili peppers to a lot of my recipes because I definitely appreciate spiciness in my food. My recipe for pimento cheese spread is no exception. It's assertively flavored with onion powder, garlic powder, and yes, cayenne. Don't worry though! You can decrease those spices, if desired.

There is so much you can do with pimento cheese spread. My mother likes it in grilled cheese sandwiches and on top of baked potatoes. I like in on hamburgers, crackers, or celery. Your options are endless. I do like it with sharp cheddar cheese but I often change it up a bit and make it with one of my favorite cheeses, manchego, which is a sheep's milk cheese from Spain. For today's post, I made one batch with sharp cheddar and the other with manchego. The lighter of the two spreads is made with manchego. You can click on the above picture to get a better view.

Many moons ago, I let my friend Denise try some of my pimento cheese spread – which I make far spicier for myself than the recipe you will see below. She also likes spicy food but I think I blew her socks off. Trust me – the recipe below is MUCH tamer than I make it for myself.

This is a great summer treat. Take some to work to snack on or take it to the park with your kids. I hope you like it. Enjoy – and happy spreading!

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Pimento Cheese Spread
(Printable Version)

3 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3/4 c mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
8 oz brick of cheese (cheddar, colby, and manchego all work well), ground or finely shredded
2 oz jar pimentos, drained

Using the paddle attachment of your mixture, beat together the cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne (if using), and mayonnaise. The texture of the spread is creamiest when you grind the cheese and pimentos using the grinding attachment of your mixer. If you have a grinding attachment, grind the cheese and pimentos into the bowl containing the cream cheese mixture. If you do not have a grinding attachment, grate the cheese using a fine grater and finely chop the pimentos then add them to the bowl containing the cream cheese mixture.

Beat the cheese and other ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy – about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and beat another minute or so.

Transfer the cheese spread to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

NOTES:
1) With this amount of onion and garlic powder, this recipe is more assertively flavored that other pimento cheese spreads. If you are sensitive to the flavor of onions and garlic, use less in this recipe.
2) My personal favorite is to use manchego cheese (a Spanish sheep's milk cheese). Very yummy!
3) My mother likes this spread in grilled cheese sandwiches and on top of baked potatoes.
4) Whatever you do, do NOT use pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to prevent the cheese from sticking together – which is not what you want in a cheese spread. Be sure to use fresh cheese in this particular recipe.
5) This tastes great when made with 2% sharp cheddar, light cream cheese, and reduced-fat mayo. It's so flavorful, you'll never miss all of the fat.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

My Venture into Red Potatoes
Potatoes and I have a strange relationship. I'll go months without cooking any and then, suddenly, I'm hit with a craving for spuds and I can't get enough of them – as you can probably see from my recent post for Ham and Potato Soup.

For a while, eggs were considered unhealthy so I stopped eating them. Then pasta was evil so I stopped eating it. Then potatoes became the wicked food du jour. So I was relegated to eating unflavored rice cakes – until eating rice became as heinous as chowing down on bald eagles. So, after giving up all of the food I loved, I became bitter and angry and didn't lose a pound – which, in turn, made me more bitter and angry. Today, I eat eggs in moderation. I cook whole wheat pasta (which I really like!). At home, I rarely eat white rice because it really has very little nutritional value. Potatoes are NOT in the same class as white rice and all-purpose flour. Potatoes, with the peels on, are high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and fiber. And they taste really good – especially with lots of butter, sour cream, and bacon on top … or deep-fried for french fries.

All joking aside, it is not the potato that's unhealthy – it's what we add to them! If you left out the cheese, this recipe is fairly healthful (aside from the sodium level in the onion soup and ranch packets). You could even cut back a bit on the olive oil without significantly sacrificing flavor. I decided to add some cheese when I took the above picture just because I think it photographed better with the contrasting colors. I used 2% sharp cheddar and it tasted great! However, normally, I don't add any cheese at all if I want a simple side dish.

This recipe is also incredibly EASY-to-make. My inspiration came from the recipe for onion-roasted potatoes on the back of the onion soup box. I have only one complaint with that recipe. It's BLAAAAND. That's why I decided to bump up the flavor. If, after making my recipe the first time, you think it's too salty, add a couple of extra potatoes the next time you make it. If it is not salty enough, don't use as many potatoes. Play with it until you get it the way YOU like it.

I have a confession to make. The major reason I made this recipe today is because I had an "incident" at the grocery store. I wanted to buy a couple of red potatoes to add to a different recipe I was making. The red potatoes were beautifully stacked in a pyramid shape. Well, stupid me, decided to take one of the potatoes on the bottom of the pyramid and I caused the whole thing to collapse – sending red potatoes and various other vegetables all over the floor. I picked up, like, two dozen potatoes, six red bell peppers, and a yellow onion. I think the onion was already on the floor but I picked it up anyway since I was already on my hands and knees. Did I mention it was a BIG pyramid of potatoes? Anyway, I didn't want to put them back onto the shelf since they were probably all bruised from dropping on the floor. That, and because an old lady was standing nearby and gave me the look of death like "You BETTER not put those back on the shelf or I'm gonna smack you with this English cucumber." So, I have LOTS of red potatoes to use up. Enjoy – and happy roasting!

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Oven-Roasted Potatoes
(Printable Version)

3 lbs small red potatoes (skins on) –each approximately 2" in diameter
1/3 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
1-1 oz packet onion soup mix
1-1 oz packet ranch dip mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar (optional)
Chopped scallions or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the olive oil, onion soup mix, ranch dip mix, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.

Cut each potato in half and then each half into quarters. Add the potatoes to a medium bowl. Stir the olive oil mixture and pour it on to the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat. Spread the potatoes onto a sided sheet pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure that one of the cut sides of potatoes is touching the bottom of the sheet pan (so that it browns nicely). Cover the sheet pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the aluminum foil. Do not stir. Bake another 20 minutes (uncovered), stirring after 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and, if desired, toss with your choice of cheese. Garnish with chopped scallions or parsley.

Potato Boats

My Venture into Elegant Side Dishes
The holidays are coming up! Many of you may host a dinner party during the coming weeks. If so, this is the perfect recipe to try. It's easy to make and makes a beautiful presentation. What's really nice is that you can make the mashed potatoes the day before and assemble the boats a few hours before your guests arrive. This way, you can throw them in the oven and forget about them while you're preparing the rest of the meal. Most important, they're really good!

I know this recipe might seem long and complicated. It's not! Essentially, you plop some cold mashed potatoes on a little piece of pie dough and bring up the sides – leaving some of the potatoes exposed at the top. You bake them a little while, top them with some cheese and bacon, and then bake them a little longer. That's it! You certainly do not have to use my mashed potato recipe. Feel free to use your own! In fact, plain' ol mashed potatoes work just fine in this dish.

My inspiration for this recipe comes from a common Finnish food called Karjalan Piirakat. With those, you use rye dough instead of pie dough. They don’t have any cheese or fancy stuff in them. I love them! My recipe is a very Americanized version of those delicious pastries. Karjalan Piirakat are sometimes eaten with something called munavoi – a spread made of hard-boiled eggs and softened butter. For whatever reason, many Americans are grossed out at the thought of eating hard-boiled eggs and butter but it's really tasty. The next time you're in Finland, make sure you try the real thing.

My holiday baking is not going well! There is just not enough hours in the day. I'm sure you can all relate. I hope you try this recipe sometime whether it's for an intimate dinner party or Sunday dinner with the family. They're really good and simple to make. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Potato Boats
(Printable Version)

1 box (2 sheets) of refrigerated pie dough

Seasoned Mashed Potatoes:
3 1/2 lbs Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
Salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened – divided use
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 bunch) scallions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
4 cloves garlic, minced
About 1/2 cup milk, half and half, or cream
3 TBSP sour cream
Salt to taste
Black Pepper (optional)

Toppings:
sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
3 oz package of real bacon bits (sold in the salad dressing aisle)
Chopped Scallions (the dark green parts)
Chives (the oars of the boat)
Sour Cream or Ranch Dip

I know this recipe might seem long and daunting. It's not! Essentially, you plop some cold mashed potatoes on a little pie dough and bring up the sides – leaving the potatoes exposed at the top. You bake them a little while, top them with some cheese and bacon, and then bake them a little longer. That's it!

To make the mashed potatoes (the day before serving):
You, of course, do not need to make my version of these mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute your own favorite mashed potato recipe. Plain, 'ol mashed potatoes work great. If you want to try a new mashed potato recipe, I think you will like this one.

In a large pot, add the peeled and cut potatoes. Cover with cold water by 1". Bring to a boil and add about a tablespoon of kosher salt or 1/2 tablespoon of table salt. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until fork tender – about 12 to 14 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the potatoes. Immediately return the hot potatoes to the hot pan and allow the excess water to evaporate.

While the potatoes are simmering, heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the scallions and cook about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Set aside until needed.

Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat a few seconds.

Use a ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Add the scallion/garlic mixture as well as the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Beat the potatoes until everything is incorporated – scraping the bowl as needed. Add about 1/2 cup of milk (or half and half or cream), the sour cream, and some salt. Beat until incorporated. If desired, add additional milk – but don't get the potatoes too thin. Add pepper if desired. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Place the potatoes in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

To assemble the boats:
Unwrap one sheet of the dough and unroll it. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the dough and roll it out just a tad thinner. Cut three 5-inch circles out of the dough (I use the lid of a 42 oz oatmeal container as a guide). You may reroll the scraps and make additional circles.

Add 1/3 cup of the cold mashed potatoes to each of the centers of the dough. Lightly brush some water (not too much!) around the outer edge of the dough. Slide your index finger and thumb about 3/4" under the dough on the right side of the circle. Lift up slightly and allow a little of the dough to drop between your index finger and thumb. Squeeze together to form the bow of the boat. Repeat using your left hand on the left side of the circle to form the stern of the boat.

Decoratively pleat the sides of the boat. When finished, the boat should be an oval shape. If desired, you may add some additional mashed potatoes to the top. NOTE: The more potatoes you add, the more likely the boats will spread out (or the pleats will open) during baking. When using extra potatoes, take extra time to make sure your pleats are well sealed. The recipe for my mashed potatoes makes more than you will need for the boats so you should have plenty of extra mashed potatoes left to mound more on the top, if desired.

Repeat this process for the other boats. You may also roll out the second sheet of dough and cut out more boats – making a total of six. After all of the boats have been made, you may place them in a deep dish, cover with plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated until ready to bake. I often do this a couple of hours before my guests arrive for dinner. This way, I only need to throw the boats in the oven when everybody shows up for dinner. This is why this recipe is perfect for small dinner parties.

To bake the boats, preheat the oven to 350F. When the oven is hot, place the boats on a sheet pan (uncovered) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the boats from the oven and top with a small mound of sharp cheddar cheese. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake 4 minutes longer. Remove the sheet pan one additional time and add some bacon bits to the top. Return to the oven and bake about 3 minutes longer.

When fully cooked, add a small dollop of sour cream or ranch dip on top (if desired) and sprinkle with some chopped scallions. Crisscross a couple of chives on top (to look like oars for the boat). Feel free to warm up any extra mashed potatoes in case people want a second helping of the potatoes.

Sweet Potato Mousse with Gooey Praline Sauce

My Venture into Sweet Potatoes
'Tis the season for sweet potatoes! A few years ago, my friend and co-worker, Theresa, brought a delicious sweet potato mousse to an office potluck. I fell in love with it and immediately had some ideas on how I'd like to change it. You know me – I love experimenting with recipes!

Theresa got the recipe from her sister, Catherine, who first got the recipe in 1977. Catherine got an incomplete version from her mother-in-law, who was not known for being a great cook, so Catherine had to play with the recipe a lot to get it just right. She has shared the recipe with countless people from around the world. What I particularly like with Catherine's version is that it's not too sweet. You, of course, can make it as sweet as you like but her version allows the wonderful flavor of sweet potatoes to shine through.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who really enjoy sweet potatoes on the very sweet side. My version of Catherine's recipe incorporates spices often used in pumpkin pie and a gooey praline sauce with pecans that bake on the bottom of the mousse. I've tried lots of sweet potato recipes that have a praline topping. The problem with a lot of those is that the topping doesn't melt properly and gets crusty – but crusty in a bad way. When you bite into it, you often bite into sugar that, instead of having melted, has crystallized. Not pleasant. Have you ever had cinnamon rolls with a sticky bun topping? That's essentially what I'm doing in my version of the recipe. I put the nuts and gooey sauce on the bottom of the pan, add the mousse on top, and bake it. When you serve it, you should dig all of the way to the bottom with your serving spoon so you can get some of the rich, gooey sauce. When its baking, it smells like sweet potato sticky buns! Very tasty.

So, you have choice of recipes today:
Catherine's Sweet Potato Mousse
Or
Vince's Sweet Potato Mousse with Gooey Praline Sauce

Try one or both! You can't go wrong with either one. Enjoy -- and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sweet Potato Mousse with Gooey Praline Sauce
(Printable Version)

Sweet Potato Mixture
5 lbs medium-sized sweet potatoes (about 6 to 7)
1/4 cup sour cream
5 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Praline Sauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 TBSP honey
6 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pecans (or more to taste)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash the sweet potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Wrap each potato individually with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are very soft. Carefully unwrap the hot potatoes and place them on a cooling rack. Slice lengthwise through each potato and spread them open. If baking the mousse the same day, leave the oven on while you are preparing everything else.

Step 2: While the potatoes are baking, butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish evenly with the pecans.

Step 3: Also while the potatoes are baking, make the praline sauce by combining the brown sugar, honey, butter, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer then cook for 2 minutes. Pour the warm sauce over the pecans in the bottom of the dish. Make sure the mixture has cooled and solidified (waiting at least 10 minutes) before adding any of the sweet potatoes on top.

Step 4: When the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove the skins and put the pulp in a mixing bowl. If needed, use gloves or paper towels to keep from burning your hands. Using a mixer equipped with a whisk attachment, whip the potatoes until smooth (about 2 to 4 minutes at medium speed). Add the sour cream, honey, spices and salt and beat until combined. Next, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Finally, add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Spoon the sweet potato mousse into the dish with the cooled praline sauce.

Step 5: Bake the mousse until the center has reached an internal temperature of about 155F (about 1 hour and 10 minutes). Serve hot. When serving, make sure to dig all of the way to the bottom to get some of that gooey praline sauce with each spoonful.

Alternate Preparation: On the day before serving, do Steps 1 through 4. However, make sure the potatoes have cooled completely before adding them to the mixer. After completing Step 4, cover and refrigerate overnight.

On the day of serving, remove the dish from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (45 minutes to an hour). About 20 minutes before baking, start preheating the oven to 350F. Bake the potatoes until they have reached an internal temperature of 155F (about 1 hour and 20 minutes).

Roasted Vegetables

My Venture into Roasted Veggies
I haven't met a vegetable I didn't like. Well, maybe a couple. I love roasting vegetables in the fall when many squash and root vegetables are at their finest. To be honest, I don't make this dish the same way twice. I pick out whatever veggies look good that day, throw on some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper and let 'em roast away. Sometimes, I add cipollini onions, boiler onions, or shallots. Other times I throw in Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, garlic, eggplant, peas, corn, green beans, turnips, beets – whatever's in-season, sounds good, or is on sale. The important thing is for you to choose vegetables that you and your family like to eat.

Even after I stopped being a vegetarian, I fixed this dish all of the time because it is so good. Kids love it because the vegetables are sweeter when roasted. At your next dinner party, you can serve this as an appetizer, a side dish, or even as the main course.

One time when I was in Asia, I was eating lunch with my friend Manny in the Taipei Airport. At the time, I was a vegetarian so I opted for a salad since everything else on the menu appeared to contain meat in some form or another. Manny is not an adventurous eater and ordered a hamburger and fries. The waiter took our order and we gabbed up a storm while we awaited our food. Manny is from Rhode Island and has the best sense of humor. He's a great guy and I appreciate his straightforwardness – a characteristic not shared by many of us who live in the Midwest. During the conversation, Manny dryly asked in his pronounced East-Coast accent, "Vince, don't take dis da wrong way but how does a vegetawiun become so LAHGE?" His question cracked me up but it's a good question. Many vegetarians are emaciated, little things but that's not always true. When you think about it, vegetarian mammals tend to be large. Elephants, hippos, rhinos, horses, cows, and many other large animals eat primarily vegetarian diets -- and they ain't skinny! Being a vegetarian doesn't automatically guarantee that you're going to be a size 2 by Christmas. After all, you could be a vegetarian and still consume a ton of calories from french fries, donuts, cake, Doritos, candy, garlic bread, soda pop, etc. – all of which contain no meat but a lot of calories, fat, and carbs.

Whether you're an omnivore or vegetarian, young or old, thick or thin, you're going to love this wonderful dish. Enjoy –and happy roasting!

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Roasted Vegetables
(Printable Version)

Longer-Cooking Veggies
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 to 3 medium potatoes (preferable Yukon Gold or Red Bliss), peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks
1 cup or so of baby carrots (cut in half or leave whole)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp sugar (optional but nice)
1 TBSP dried, chopped rosemary
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Liberal amount of salt and pepper to taste

Quicker-Cooking Veggies
1 bunch of asparagus, fibrous ends removed and remaining pieces cut into thirds
1 large onion, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Crusty Bread or Bread Bowls

Place oven racks in the top third and bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425F. Coat the inside of two rimmed sheet pans with some olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the longer-cooking veggies and toss to combine. Split the veggies between the two sheet pans. Bake 20 minutes, switching the sheet pans between the top and bottom racks halfway through the cooking time.

Right before the 20 minutes is up, combine the quicker-cooking ingredients. After the longer-cooking veggies have been in the oven for 20 minutes, take the sheet pans out of the oven and stir the veggies – using a spatula as needed to scrape up any that may have stuck to the pans. Add half of the quicker-cooking veggies to each sheet pan, toss again, and return to the oven for another 18 to 23 minutes (switching the pans halfway through) or until the veggies are as soft as you like. During baking, if the veggies look a little dry, add additional olive oil as needed.

Before serving, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If desired, toss with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve in bread bowls or with crusty bread.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

My Venture into Couscous
I can hear what you're thinking. "Couscous and Lentils?! I never cook with that stuff. This sounds too exotic for me." Don't be afraid! Couscous is nothing but granules of semolina (durum wheat) – the same stuff pasta is made out of. Lentils are a member of the legume family (like beans) and cook up in no time. In fact, the couscous and lentils each take only about 5 minutes to cook so you can throw this dish together really fast. There is nothing strange or exotic about their flavors. In fact, by themselves, they are a little on the bland side – like plain rice and beans would be.

I used to be a vegetarian and fixed this dish all of the time. Yes, it is healthy. Yes, it's protein rich. Yes, it's pretty to look at – but I didn't make it all of the time for any of those reasons. I fixed it because it is SO GOOD! It is truly very refreshing to eat. In fact, I could eat this entire dish in one setting so I REALLY have to control myself when I make it. It's great for picnics and potlucks. It's perfect at lunch. I woke up a while ago and just ate some for breakfast. I know, I know! I need help!

From the picture, you will notice that I forgot to add the slivered almonds. Ooops! You can certainly leave them out but I like the crunch they add to the dish. I sometimes add some finely, finely grated parmesan cheese to the dish as well. The cheese gives it a little extra flavor in the background. I didn't add it this time because I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of days. I always try to eat healthier right before going to the doctor so when he asks me if I have been dieting and eating healthful foods, I can say "Oh, yeah! Sure!" I tell you – if I had to go to the doctor every week, I'd weigh 13 pounds because I'd be forced to eat healthy all of the time. Let's hope my doctor is not reading this.

Anyway, don't let these unusual ingredients freak you out. You will love this dish! Enjoy – and happy couscousing!

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Mediterranean Couscous Salad
(Printable Version)

5 1/4 cups water, divided use
1/2 cup lentils (I use red but you can use any color)
1/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 pinches salt
2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I use 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup couscous
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (very optional)

In a medium saucepan, add 3 cups of water and the lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Taste the lentils. If they are not yet soft, cook another couple of minutes and taste again. You might have to cook yours for as long as 15 minutes. The important thing is to cook the lentils until they are JUST barely soft or they will quickly turn to mush. Drain and rinse the lentils under cool water. Allow the lentils to drain fully while preparing the remaining ingredients.

While the lentils are cooking, heat about 1 cup of water to boiling in the microwave. Add the water to the finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to allow them to rehydrate some. Some brands of sun-dried tomatoes are particularly dry. Some are more moist. The kind I normally purchase are fairly moist so I only let them soak about 5 minutes. Soak them as long as you want to get your desired level of softness. When the tomatoes have rehydrated to your liking, drain off the water and add the tomatoes to a large bowl.

To the same bowl with the tomatoes, add the shallots, garlic, lemon zest, carrots, almonds, salt, basil, lemon juice, and olive oil. Whisk together and set aside while you prepare the couscous.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil then add the salt and slowly stir in the couscous. Cover the saucepan, take it off the heat, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the couscous. Let the couscous cool, uncovered, for about 5 minutes – stirring every minute or so with a fork.

Add the lentils to the bowl with the other ingredients. Add the couscous and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Notes:
1) I use extra-virgin olive oil in mine. However, if you are not used to using extra-virgin olive oil, choose your brand of olive oil wisely. If you do not like the flavor of your olive oil, the other flavors in this dish will not disguise that.
2) I like tart things. I normally add 1/3 of a cup of lemon juice, which makes this dish very lemony. I think that's a good thing. Some of you, however, may want to add a smaller amount (such as 1/4 cup of lemon juice). If needed, you can add a little more after you have tasted it at the end.
3) You can make this a day in advance and keep it refrigerated. If you do, I highly recommend that you use the full 1/3 cup of lemon juice because the flavors mellow a lot in the fridge.
4) You can find tri-colored couscous in many supermarkets nowadays. This adds a lot of festiveness to the dish. Couscous can be usually be found in the same aisle as rice or beans (or in the ethnic aisle). In my store, it is also sold in small packages in the produce section next to the packages of sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, etc.
5) Don't want to use lentils? No problem. You can use a can of black beans that have been rinsed and drained.

Crab Salad

My Venture into Seafood Salads
I live in Kansas. Beef country. Seafood lovers are few and far between. Despite that, I can't help but love seafood in all of its glorious forms. My mother dislikes seafood so she rarely cooked fish when I was growing up – except for the occasional fish stick on Fridays during Lent. Nowadays, I eat seafood every chance I get.

My love affair with seafood started many years ago when I visited Asia for the first time. I can honestly say I have never had fresher seafood. One time while in South Korea, I was invited to dinner with a group of businessmen. I was the guest of honor and was treated like a king for a night. They took me to a fancy, schmancy seafood restaurant that was all the rage in Seoul. Since the menu was all in Korean, I asked my hosts to order something for me. After much discussion, they decided on a dish. Word of advice: When you're in another country, never let a stranger order something for you. If you have a queasy stomach, I recommend that you read no further.

When the food arrived, the waiter placed a big bowl of soup in front of me and all of the businessmen oooohed and aaaaahed at the beauty of my dish. I looked down at the bowl and it was a brothy soup made with lots of veggies and noodles and was topped with a baby octopus. It was truly a sight to be seen except for one small detail. The baby octopus…was still alive. Upon seeing that, a whole range of thoughts and emotions came flooding into my head. I wanted to scream like a school girl and go running from the restaurant but I quickly dismissed that option. I considered the possibility that it was an oversight and the chef simply forgot to cook the little sucker. From the pleased looks on my hosts' faces, I gathered that the dish was supposed to have been served this way. For those of you who have ever had to call the waiter because you found a fly in your soup, try having a LIVE OCTOPUS in it! I could not return this disgusting but exquisitely prepared dish. It would have insulted all of my hosts and, obviously, I couldn't do that. That meant [gulp] I had to eat..the baby...octopus. Not only did I have to eat him but I had to eat him fast because the poor thing was getting irritated from sitting on top of hot soup and was constantly trying to escape so I had to keep flicking him back into my bowl. I felt like every eye in that restaurant was on me as I picked up my chopsticks. I looked up and the businessmen were smiling and nodding in encouragement. As my hand drew closer to the octopus, the little guy raised one of his tentacles and reached out to grab one of my chopsticks and I thought, "Oh, geez, we got a fighter." It took every fiber of my being but I ate the whole thing. So, when I say I like fresh seafood, I don't like it THAT fresh. I don't want to have to fence my seafood with a pair of chopsticks before eating it.

I shouldn't have told you that story. Now I'm too grossed out to eat that big bowl of crab salad sitting in my fridge. Anyway, the next time you can't get your kids to eat their veggies, give 'em a choice between broccoli and a live, baby octopus. They'll make the right choice. If you live on the coast and have access to fresh crab, by all means, use it instead of the imitation stuff. Just make sure the crab is not alive and kickin' before serving it to your guests. Enjoy – and happy fencing!

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Crab Salad
(Printable Version)

Chunky Ingredients:
3/4 cup red onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 1b. imitation crab, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise (light mayo works OK)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish (sugar-free works great), drained of excess liquid
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBSP chopped fresh dill
1 tsp lemon juice
2 pinches of salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 paprika

In a large bowl, combine the red onion, celery, imitation crab, and hard-boiled eggs.

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Add the dressing to the bowl containing the crab mix and gently stir to combine. If the mixture looks a little dry, add some additional mayo. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving.

Serving Ideas:
Serve on a bed of your favorite salad greens or make a sandwich using Greek pita, bolillo rolls, tortillas, or your favorite kind of bread. You can also serve this as an appetizer with your choice of snack crackers.

Aunt Dorothy's Cabbage Slaw

My Venture into Slaw:
My mother mentioned to me recently that her aunt (my great aunt) used to make this wonderful cabbage slaw. I'm not a big cabbage person so this recipe did not initially appeal to me. It also seemed kind of weird to have uncooked ramen noodles as a primary ingredient. My mother dug out the recipe and told me that I should try it sometime. I had planned to dismiss her recommendation – as I had ignored her advice to buy stock in Microsoft twenty years ago.

A few days later, I was writing down my grocery list and saw the recipe on my kitchen counter. Since I was going to the store, I thought I would go ahead and get the ingredients and give it a try. After all, I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry so, if I ended up throwing it all out, it would not have been a huge waste of money.

I mixed all of the ingredients together and made myself a plate of the cabbage slaw and sat down for a light lunch. I have to tell you this. I was hooked after my first bite. It was crunchy. It was slightly sweet. It was slightly tart. It was everything you would have ever wanted in a salad. The ramen noodles made a perfect addition. I loved it and fully plan to add this recipe to my repertoire. I did tweak Aunt Dorothy's recipe a little bit, however. The original recipe had 2 TBSP sugar and 3 TBSP of vinegar. As you will see below, I bumped those up a little bit but feel free to add the original amounts. Make sure you add the dressing immediately before serving. Otherwise, you will lose that wonderful crunch.

Is it possible my mother knew what she was talking about when she said I should try this slaw? I will have to contemplate this further as I eat some more of this crunchy slaw while looking up Microsoft's current stock price. Enjoy – and happy crunching!

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Aunt Dorothy’s Cabbage Slaw
(Printable Version)

1/2 head cabbage (medium), chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
3 green onions (scallions), minced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup slivered almonds
1 pkg Ramen Noodles (Any flavor but I normally use Chicken )

Break up the ramen into small pieces and add them to a large bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Dressing:
2 TBSP sugar (but I normally add 3 TBSP)
3 TBSP vinegar (but I normally add 4 TBSP)
Seasoning packet from the Ramen Noodles
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Vigorously whisk the first three ingredients together to dissolve the sugar. Slowly add the oil while continuing to whisk vigorously. Add the dressing immediately before serving and stir to combine.

Mom's Potato Salad

My Venture into Potato Salad
Everybody loves the potato salad they grew up on. I'm no exception. I have to say though that my mother makes the world's best potato salad. It's unapologetically sweet and tart and is not too mustardy. It's not too soupy and it's not too dry. Unlike many other potato salad recipes, mom's doesn't contain anything overly healthy or crunchy in it. You know, like celery. In fact, the only crunchy thing I remember in my mother's potato salad was an occasional stray egg shell.

When I asked her for her recipe, she said she didn't have a "recipe." She gave me the list of ingredients and told me to add them "until it tasted right." THIS was how she made her famous potato salad?! Add stuff until it tasted right?! No tattered recipe card with stains all over it? Oy. I, therefore, set out to recreate her wonderful potato salad -- measuring the ingredients as I added them until it tasted right. The recipe below is about as good as I could get it with my mother standing over my shoulders criticizing my every move and making disapproving, passive-aggressive comments about my new-fangled cooking techniques. You know, like using measuring cups and all. Love you mom! Anyway, in the end, she deemed my rendition of her famous potato salad "acceptable."  Whatever.  With that in mind, I present you an "acceptable" rendition my mother's potato salad recipe. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Mom's Potato Salad
(Printable Version)

6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 lbs small red potatoes
1 TBSP kosher salt (or ½ TBSP table salt)

Dressing:
2 c. (or a 16-oz jar) of Miracle Whip
5 TBSP juice from the sweet pickles (or to taste)
½ tsp kosher salt (or ¼ tsp of table salt)
2 tsp mustard
1 medium red onion or sweet onion, finely diced
16-oz jar of Baby Sweet pickles, chopped in a small dice (reserve the juice)
2-oz jar of chopped pimentos, drained

In a small saucepan, add the eggs and cover with cold tap water. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. When the water is boiling, remove the pot from the burner and leave covered for 12-13 minutes. The eggs will be fully cooked using this method – and won't leave a green ring around the yolk either! Dump out the hot water and cover the eggs with cold tap water. Allow the eggs to sit in the cold water for a couple of minutes. Drain the water and repeat. If the eggs still feel warm, repeat. When cool, place the eggs in the refrigerator to cool down even more.

Clean the potatoes but do not peel. Add them to a large pan and cover with water. Add 1 TBSP kosher salt (or ½ TBSP table salt to the water). Cover and bring to a boil and simmer until a sharp knife easily penetrates the potato when pierced (about 16-18 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes). Pour off the hot water and put the potatoes on a rack to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the Miracle Whip, 5 TBSP of juice reserved from the sweet pickles, salt, and mustard. Stir to combine. Add the onion, sweet pickles, and chopped pimentos (if using). Taste. Does it need more pickle juice? If so, add as much as you want. Remember, once you add the potatoes, the sweet/tart flavor of the dressing will be muted so bump up the flavor. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the potatoes have cooled.

Assembly:
After the potatoes having cooled enough to handle, peel and chop them into 1/2" cubes. Peel and dice the eggs. Add the potatoes and eggs to the dressing you prepared earlier. Gently stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Alternate Preparation:
This potato salad has a medium level of soupiness. Some of you may like your potato salad with a lot of dressing while others may prefer it rather dry. If you want a soupier potato salad, make the dressing the same way but add fewer potatoes. Like it drier? Add 1 or 2 more potatoes to the mixture.

Cornbread Salad

My Venture into Salads
I love this salad. It's really tasty and easy to make because I get most of the ingredients from a salad bar at my local mega mart. This way, the veggies are already washed and ready for me to use. I have to say that this is not so much a recipe as a method of preparation. I make it differently every time I put it together depending on the veggies I'm in the mood for that day. To give you an idea of what to get, I'm breaking down the ingredients into categories to serve as a guide – but feel free to mix it up however you would like. A well-stocked salad bar should have many of the items listed below. The goal is to add stuff that you and your family like to eat. This salad is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables. It's really tasty and stays fresh for days in the fridge. Enjoy – and happy salad-making!

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Cornbread Salad
(Printable Version)

This is less of a recipe and more of a technique. To start, pick up the following from a salad bar:
PROTEINS: About 1/2 cup (such as chopped ham, chopped turkey, imitation crab, bacon bits, etc)
CHEESES: About 1 cup (I usually get a mixture of cheddar, monterrey jack, and parmesan)
VEGGIES: About 2 cups (I get a mixture of different kinds such as bell peppers, red onions, green onions, red beans, black beans, snow pea pods, broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrots, radishes, seeded cucumbers, corn, cherry tomatoes, etc)
GREENERY: About 2 TBSP, finely chopped (such as flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, baby spinach, arugula, chives, jalapeño, etc)
OTHER: About 1/4 cup (a mixture of stuff like sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, dried cherries, sliced olives, sun-dried tomatoes, etc)

*The salad bar I use rarely has corn so I have to buy it separately fresh or frozen. Sometimes, I have to buy the black beans in a can. I then drain and rinse them before adding to the salad. I normally buy fresh jalapeños then seed and dice them when I get home Note: Items such as tomatoes and unseeded cucumbers give off a lot of liquid. Feel free to use cherry tomatoes, for example, but add them right before serving or the cornbread may get soggy.

Now that you have gotten all of the stuff from the salad bar, you will need:

1 8.5-oz corn bread mix, prepared and baked per the instructions on the box (I prefer Jiffy)

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream (I always use light sour cream)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I always use light mayo)
1/2 of a 1-oz packet of Ranch Dip Mix

Instructions:
Bake the cornbread per the package instructions and let it cool to room temperature. Why not buy cornbread from the bakery section of your local mega mart? I've tried. At least in my part of the country, the texture of the corn muffins and cornbread is more like cake than home-baked cornbread. When you add vegetables (which contain a lot of water) to cornbread from the bakery section, the cornbread turns to goo. Perhaps your local mega mart makes better cornbread so check it out if you do not want to make your own.

While the cornbread is baking, whisk together the dressing ingredients. It will seem very salty and strongly flavored. Don’t worry – it's a small amount of dressing for the amount of cornbread and veggies. Refrigerate until needed.

If you need to chop some of the veggies from the salad bar, now would be a good time.

To assembly the salad, crumble the cornbread in a large bowl. Add all of the stuff you bought from the salad bar. Add the dressing and gently stir everything to combine. Don't forget – you should not add watery vegetables such as tomatoes until right before the salad is served. Cover and refrigerate the salad for 2 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to mingle. Stir gently before serving.