Not Your Mama's

I have this potato salad I whip up regularly.  It's really yummy.  I talk about it in an earlier post (A Potato Salad Kinda Day).  It's a good ol' stand-by and nothin' like the kind you get at the deli counter.  I decided to mix it up a bit and forge into new territory.  How about Bacon Ranch Potato Salad?  Oh yeah, Bacon Ranch it is.  Boil up a couple pounds of red potatoes, in generously salted water.  While the spuds are cooling make up the creamy dressing.  2/3 cups mayo, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar, one finely chopped clove of garlic, 2 chopped scallions, 1 teaspoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste.  Chop up 1/2 -1 cup celery, add to the boiled potatoes and toss in the dressing.  To top it all off, add 6 slices of crispy fried bacon.  Yummy.  Not the norm, but could easily become the norm.  Definitely not your mama's potato salad, but definitely sure to please.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Orecchiette.  Little ear.  A pasta from Southern Italy, in Italian it means 'Little Ear'.  Isn't that cute.  Pasta shaped like little ears.  Listen up.  We really are not here to talk about how "cute" this pasta is.  We are talkin' about how tasty this pasta is.  We needed a quick meal and I only took the chicken out of the freezer at 4 PM.  My Scottie, after a partial defrost, charcoal grilled up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  He seasoned them with only lemon pepper and garlic salt.  Grilled them so they were still really juicy inside.  I whipped up a quick pan sauce.  I thinly sliced up three green onions (greens and whites), chopped three cloves garlic and added to my pan with some olive oil.  Sauteed a bit, added some Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes.  I then made a mixture of 1 1/4 cups cream, one egg yolk and the zest of one lemon.  I brought the pan temp down a bit and whisked this mixture into the onion mixture, let it thicken up some and added about 1/4 cup sour cream (just because I wanted to use it up) and 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese.  I cooked up the Orecchiette to al dente and added it to the creamalicious sauce, tossed in the grilled chicken, garnished with fresh chopped Italian parsley and more parmesan cheese and there you have it.  Little ears with Scottie grilled chicken in a creamalicious sauce.  Yummy.  Everyone loved it.  Your family will love it too.  Thanks for listening.

Hoochie Mama

Yowzers.  Might not the prettiest thing, but very good.  Very, very good.  The kinda good that keeps ya coming back for more.  Taco burgers tonight.  On Saturday I made fresh guacamole.  It was screaming to be slathered on something other than chips.  How about a burger?  I took 2 1/2 pounds of ground beef and added a packet of taco seasoning.  Made some patties that Scott charcoal grilled to perfection and I'm just getting started.  I made homemade cracked wheat burger buns, added the grilled burger with melted pepper jack cheese, topped it off with homemade guacamole, sour cream and a few Doritos, and you got yourself one yummy meal.  You could add some taco sauce, black olives or salsa too.  Depends on how high you want to stack it.  Sure to please.  Everyone loved it.  If you are licking the screen right now, I know you would love it too.

Shell Or No Shell, That Is The Question

Actually the answer to the question, lies within.  So I made this really simple and delicious meal last night.  Four different components to this meal.  I like meals that are just simple, basic ingredients, good for you, balanced and yet it feels like you are in a fancy restaurant.  Grilled shell-on shrimp, grilled fresh pineapple slices, grilled fresh green beans and garlic buttered bow tie pasta with fresh basil, parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese.  When I say "grilled", I really mean "wood fire grilled to perfection".  I tossed the shrimp in olive oil, lemon pepper, Old Bay seasoning and Kosher salt.  Sliced up one whole pineapple and grilled them in the buff.  Whole green beans with Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute and a drizzle of olive oil.  Boiled up the pasta and tossed it in a pan with butter and fresh garlic and just before serving I tossed in the chopped fresh basil and Italian parsley and topped it all off with shaved Parmesan.  So, back to the question...I have never made shrimp with the shell-on.  I always buy it raw, but never with the shell-on.  The fish dude behind the counter was talking to us about "the shell is where the flavor is".  I must agree with the fish dude.  He knows what he is talking about.  There was a distinct difference between shell-on and shell-off shrimp.  Super easy to peel the shells off and it keeps the shrimp from drying out.  Yummy, all the food groups, and smiles on the faces.  What could be better then that?  So, the answer to the question is shell-on.  You must always leave the shells-on.

Pretty In Pink

I've been slacking.  Busy and away, no time to play-boo hoo.  Sorry about that.  I can't promise regular posts in the summer.  I just can't.  When I have something exceptional, I will share it though.  Never fear, I'm not holding out on you.

Sophia turned six on Sunday.  I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, like I always do.  I let the kids choose the cake flavor and I surprise them with a theme.  Sophia stretches me.  In more ways than one.  She helps me think outside the box.  Love that kid.  Two years ago she requested carrot cake.  Huh?  A four year old asking for carrot cake?  She got carrot cake, and I might add, it was one of the better cakes I have ever made.  Thinking her tastes might have matured, being six and all, I was expecting spice cake with maple nut ice cream this year.  You never know with her.  This year we were back to child-like requests.  Strawberry cake.  Having never made such a cake, I had to do a little investigation.  I found a great recipe.  Not as "from scratch" as I would like, but delicious all the same.  Strawberry Cake with fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.  It even sounds pretty.  While away to the North Shore a few weeks ago, I found a treasure of an antique shop.  Not a "junk" shop with everything piled on top of everything piled on top, but a sweet spot.  It's an old house, just decorated with antique and vintage items, beautifully displayed, almost as if someone lived there.  Very nice.  Anyway, I spotted this two tiered plate stand and immediately my wheels were set into motion.  I left it to ponder (like I always do), and knew I could not shake it, so it had to be mine.  I went back a few days later as we were leaving town, I figured if it was still there, it was meant to be.  SCORE!  When I got home I found the perfect color melamine plates to fit in the holder, at Tuesday Morning, in the clearance section.  Another SCORE!  It was coming together quite nicely.  I have a little glass vial flower vase that I filled with water and garden roses and stuck the vase down into the middle of the cake.  Perfectly pink, pretty and very girly for my six year old.  The recipe for the cake goes like this...Combine one package of white cake mix and one three ounce box of strawberry jello.  Beat in 1/2 cup vegetable oil, four lightly beaten room temperature eggs, 1/4 cup water and 3/4 cup mashed, fresh strawberries.  Pour into two greased and floured 9" round pans (I also take the extra precaution to add a parchment layer to the bottom of the pan).  Cake that breaks apart, while taking it out of the pan, makes me crabby-so you live and learn.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool and frost with the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.  The frosting is delicious and easy.  Beat 1/4 cup unsalted room temperature butter with 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese until combined and creamy.  Beat in 1/4 cup pureed fresh strawberries and half a bag of powdered sugar.  You can adjust the amount of sugar depending on the consistency you are looking for.  The cake was light and moist and delicious, and such a nice surprise to occasionally run into a piece of real strawberry.
There you have it.  I was happy, my guests were happy and Sophia was happy.  And on that day, she's the only one that mattered anyway :)

Caramel With A Kick

Hopped up ice cream.  Oh yeah.  We celebrated Mother's Day with my family for brunch and Scott's mom for supper.  For supper we made a chicken on our rotisserie.  I seasoned it up and slid some lemon slices under the skin.  I didn't think it would do much, but it was worth a try.  Really good.  The lemon flavor really came through.  Each slice of chicken had a little bit of the lemon with the peel, cooked soft and it melted in your mouth.  Served with baby potatoes that I picked up at Trader Joes.  When I say baby, I mean more like preemie.  These potatoes were no bigger than a quarter in size.  I roasted and seasoned them with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, butter and fresh chives.  Made a nice garden salad with homemade dressing, made of sunflower oil, pear infused vinegar, fresh cracked pepper, fig preserves and whole grain mustard.  Really yummy.  I wanted to make a special dessert to go with this special meal, but I didn't want to spend the whole day in the kitchen.  After all, I am a mother too.  I decided to make a really special topping for really boring vanilla ice cream.  The kind of topping that makes you want to suck it up with a straw and forget the ice cream all together.  (I know it's crossed your mind too).  So there you have it.  Vanilla Ice Cream with Espresso-Caramel Sauce.  Take 1/2 cup water and add it to a saucepan.  Add 1 cup of sugar to the water and swirl.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.  Increase the heat to high and cook covered until the mixture turns light brown, about 3-7 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns a dark amber color, about 2-4 minutes.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat and slowly and carefully stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream, it will bubble up.  Stir until the sauce is smooth.  Pour the caramel into a small, heatproof bowl and add 3 tablespoons espresso and 1 tablespoon Kahlua-the Kahlua is optional.  Drizzle over vanilla ice cream and you've got yourself a pretty great dessert.  I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.  This dessert screams, "THANKS MOM FOR ALL YOU DO".  Happy Mother's Day.

Feelin' Blue

Oh my.  Have you ever had Blue Marlin?  The first time we had it, was at Chili's in Hawaii.  On the menu there, they call it Kajiki.  Unbelievable.  It is our favorite fish.  We have had it a few times, since Hawaii.  It is exceptional.  A real meaty, steaky texture.  Firm, white fish.  We spent the day today in Maple Grove celebrating our anniversary.  Sixteen years to the man of my dreams.  He really is the best, and he is taken.  I have always said, if something happens to Scott, I'm going to be alone, cause it takes a special man to put up with me.  Those of you that know me well, know what I'm talking about.  We had lunch in Maple Grove and shopped a bit and we were suppose to have dinner there too, but we were still too full from lunch, so we drove home and stopped in St. Joe at Coborns for some fresh fish.  They had fresh, wild catch, Blue Marlin.  It's not cheap.  Thirteen something a pound.  It is really scrumptious though and I would have definitely spent more than $23, if we would have ate out.  We kosher salted, fresh cracked peppered and seasoned with a Caribbean seasoning, drizzled with olive oil and cooked over a wood fire.  Really, really good.  It was late, so I made a simple rice medley from Trader Joe's and frozen peas.  Anytime you are looking for a "pick me up" or just a great meal, try Blue Marlin.  You will love it. It's not that easy to find, but Coborns has it right now, so scoop it up.  You won't be sorry.