Potato Salad with Paprika.

My grandma could make potato salad in her sleep (she probably actually has at least once). So when I said I’d make dinner for the extended family and decided to include potato salad, I was a little intimidated. I know she likes potato salad her way, with sweet pickle relish and loads of mayonnaise, but that’s not my style! I did keep it a little vinegar-y and slightly sweet, but I loaded the dressing with flavor from garlic powder and paprika, and I salted it like crazy. Potatoes, man…they are serious salt sponges. Because of this, it was imperative to allow the salad to rest overnight. Otherwise, the dressing was way too salty and the potatoes relatively flavorless. This recipe is just in time for Memorial Day barbecues!

 

5 lbs white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces

1 red onion, finely diced

3 ribs celery, cut in half lengthwise and chopped

3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and diced

1 c mayonnaise

1/4 c yellow mustard

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

3 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

 

Rinse and drain uncooked potatoes in cold water. In a large pot, boil potatoes in enough water to cover them + one inch. Remove from heat and drain when potatoes are fork-tender, after about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Fold in the onion, celery, and egg. Fold in the potatoes until fully coated with the dressing and vegetables (it helps if the potatoes are warm). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. Before serving, taste for seasoning; add more dressing if necessary (mix 1/4 c mayo, dash of mustard, dash of vinegar; coat and stir potatoes in). Sprinkle top with a dusting of paprika to make it pretty.

Crunchy Tuna Salad.

At a camp my family attends, the Friday meal is Tuna Crunch. It’s pretty dang good. It’s got a ton of vegetables and crunchy potato shoestring fries. Even though I love tuna, I don’t touch the stuff anywhere but camp or my kitchen. My version of tuna salad is a SALAD. I don’t like it sweet and dripping with mayonnaise, and I don’t like having to hunt for miniscule pellets of vegetables. Give me a legit bowl of veggies with a side of tuna! A handful of crunchy chips would be nice, too. I’ll eat this whole thing with a spoon – no crackers or bread or anything – but you could load up a few slices of toast and eat this open-faced like a boss!

 

1 can tuna, drained

2 stalks celery, halved and chopped

1 skinny carrot, chopped

1 tbsp diced red onion

1 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 c crushed potato chips (any flavor)

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Eat up.

Arugula-Green Bean-Walnut-Feta Pasta Salad.

I decided not to get creative with the title of this recipe because really. What about this recipe title has to change in order for you to want this? Nothing, probably. This salad totally kicks ass. It’s pretty, hearty, and delicious. And you know what else? You could totally ditch the noodles and just eat the rest of this dish as-is, and you’ve got yourself a majorly healthy pot to bring to a luck.

 

1 lb pasta

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces

3 c fresh arugula

1 c walnuts

1/4 c olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

8 oz feta cheese, lightly crumbled

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

 

In a large pot, cook pasta in heavily salted water to al dente; remove cooked pasta with a slotted spoon into a very large bowl. Reserve hot pasta water. Stir green beans into reserved pasta water and allow to sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a dry skillet, toast walnuts over medium-high heat until lightly fragrant, about 2 minutes; add to pasta. Lightly tear arugula into small pieces and sprinkle on top of pasta and walnuts. Strain green beans and add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss until everything is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

Bean Salad.

I’ve never been a fan of bean salad. There’s something unappetizing to me about a jar of barfy-green veggies mixed with kidney beans. Maybe it’s because I don’t always like green beans. Maybe it’s because I don’t always like kidney beans. Maybe it’s because barfy-green things (with the exception of avocado) are best left uneaten. Whatever the case, I was armed with a few pounds of fresh green beans the other day, and I had a desire to wo-man up to the bean salad cause. It was a lovely and beautifully-colored summer treat. This took a long time, but the flavors improve over a few days and it makes a ton. If you eat it with fresh greens and a few hunks of meat or cheese each time, it’ll last you the week!

 

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and beans cut into 1″ pieces

3 carrots, sliced into medallions

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c freshly-cut corn (or 1 c frozen corn, thawed)

1 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 c red onion (about 1/2 large), diced or very thinly sliced

1/8 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and immediately plunge in an ice bath. Drain. In a large bowl, toss green beans with carrots, beans, corn, tomatoes, and onions. In a pourable measuring cup, combine balsamic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until desired consistency is reached (it should be fairly thick, almost gravy-like). Pour over salad and stir to combine. Allow to rest about 10 minutes. Serve over greens or by itself. Store in a glass container with a lid in the refrigerator.

California Salad with Balsamic Dressing.

I just love vegetables. ‘Nuff said.

 

1/2 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced

2 roma tomatoes, quartered and sliced

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 tbsp red onion, sliced

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly grated black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

 

Combine vegetables in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Pour over salad. Enjoy immediately!

Flour Tortillas.

My husband has made these 5 times in a month. We limit our kid’s diet quite a bit, and so when we allow–encourage, even–him to devour things wrapped in a fresh floury tortilla, he’s in heaven. I have a strange (probably life-preserving) aversion to preservatives in foods, which is why I go to all the pains I do for scratch cooking. I have always hated the tinniness of canned soups, that weird smell you get when you open a loaf of bread, and that creepy soft texture of some store-bought cookies. Preservatives!! Now, I eat canned beans and tomatoes like crazy, and there isn’t a Joe-Joe I’ve met that I won’t eat heartily. However, if I can swing it in my average American kitchen with my not-so-average hectic schedule, I’ll make it myself.

 

This holy-homemade undertaking has recently extended to bread products. I don’t buy bread anymore unless it’s made fresh at a bakery. Like, I’ve got to be able to sniff the air & find evidence the bread was in the oven within the past day or so. Snotty, I know, but it’s either forced me to bake the heck out of bread every once in a while or to just stop eating it altogether (mostly the latter). ALL THIS BEING SAID, my point is we had to find a recipe for a tortilla we didn’t completely hate. There was one instance where I made whole-wheat tortillas for friends who came for dinner, and they were so chewy and awful-tasting, I thought I would die of embarrassment. These tortillas are pliable and have the perfect balance of chewiness and tenderness. They’re not hard to make, whip up in a few minutes, and make you never want to buy store-bought tortillas again.

 

Adapted from this recipe.

 

2 c whole grain white flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/2 c warm water (may use more)

Flour for dusting

 

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Using your hands, cut in the vegetable oil and work until dough is a consistent texture (it will look like a bowl full of small dough balls). Drizzle in water and combine just until dough comes together fully, adding water 1 tablespoonful at a time if too dry. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Lightly flour a large work surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each in a little bit of flour and roll out very thinly with a floured rolling pin. Stack uncooked tortillas with a light dusting of flour between each. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time for 30 seconds each side. Remove from heat and cover with a damp towel until ready to serve. Makes 8.

Taco Salad.

I eat a lot of salad. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…anytime is the right time for something green and leafy. I’d be gloriously waify if it weren’t for all the crap I load onto my salads: strong-smelling cheeses, velvety olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, lightly-sweet avocados. I usually opt for a drizzle of EVOO and splash of balsamic on top of my veggie creations, but sometimes a girl’s gotta get some creamy dressing in her life. My husband detests ranch dressing, so I have to come up with something on my own most of the time when the craving hits. Enter this salad. It is wonderfully salty (a staple for me), lightly tangy, and has just the right amount of creaminess. Throw in a mix of proteins, and it’s a luncheon just screaming to happen. Baby shower, anyone?

 

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 c cabbage, shredded

1/2 c thinly sliced peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow mini peppers)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1-2 tbsp mayonnaise

Juice from half a lime

1/4 tsp cracked red pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 c salsa

1/2 tsp salt

1 c crushed tortilla chips

 

In a large salad bowl, toss together lettuce, cabbage, peppers, and beans. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and salsa. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with crushed chips and cheese and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Hash.

Welcome to my 100th post! It’s been fun documenting all my culinary experiments and sharing them with you, dear readers. I’ve also adored posting the recipes you’ve sent me! Keep them coming! I hope you’ve found at least one new recipe to love. Thanks for your loyalty & commitment to the art of keeping things ho’made!

 

Without further ado, I bring you another recipe from my sister. Here’s what what she has to say about it: “This is a recipe I tweaked from realsimple.com – my favorite place to go for recipes! My husband shredded the sweet potatoes while I prepped the rest of dinner. Teamwork!” She recommends scrubbing and trimming the potatoes but leaving the skin on. Your call! I will say, however, that sweet potato skin is de-lish, and you can’t beat the extra nutrients. 

 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb sweet potatoes (1 large or 2 medium), scrubbed and shredded

2 large shallots, chopped

2 c fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Sea salt

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add shredded sweet potato and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with sea salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted. Serve immediately.

Seed Salad.

This is a totally unoriginal recipe, but I have no idea where it came from besides being a family favorite for ages. PLEASE make this. It’s summer! It’s delicious! It’s salad! If you bring it to a party (which I highly recommend you do), I guarantee you won’t have leftovers.

 

Salad:

1 bag cole slaw mix

1 bag broccoli slaw mix

1 lb cooked bacon, broken into small pieces

1/2 c red onion, chopped

1 can Lachoy rice noodles

8 oz salted sunflower kernels

8 oz sliced almonds

 

Dressing:

1/2 c olive oil

6 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp sea salt

6 tbsp white wine vinegar

 

In a large bowl, toss together the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well-blended. Pour dressing over slaw mix and toss until all the slaw is coated evenly with dressing. Allow to stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. Stir gently before serving.

Sweet Potato Latkes.

This recipe is inspired by two things: 1) my brother-in law, who’s an insanely good cook, and 2) my recent obsession with any type of fried vegetable patty. Don’t judge me. Vegetables are good any ol’ way, but when they can be fried up with a delectable mixture of seasonings in a hot puddle of oil, heaven pretty much comes knocking at your doorstep wanting in on the action. What attracted me to this idea was being able to keep the skins on the sweet potatoes (hello, vitamins!) and shoveling vegetables down my kid’s gullet without hearing the slightest bitch. We can all count our blessings; zero dinner bitching is my favorite. If I were you, I’d sizzle these up on a night you need comfort food. Sip some wine while you make them & nibble on the crunchy little pieces that break off. Then, when you think back on your day as you fall asleep, smile at the idea that there has to be a God if there is such a thing as a sweet potato.

 

3 sweet potatoes (approx. 2 lbs), scrubbed

1/2 c ground oats

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Coconut or olive oil for frying

 

Using a vegetable grater or a food processor with a shredder attachment, grate sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add oats, applesauce, eggs, cinnamon, sugars, and salt. Combine with a wooden spoon. If batter is really dry, add an additional egg and/or more applesauce. Heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Drop by 1/4 c into hot oil and flatten with a spatula. When edges start to brown, flip like you would a pancake and cook until both sides are nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in an oven until remainder of batter has been cooked. Enjoy warm.