A Salad and A Side

   

      This year, I'm hosting Easter brunch for Roy's side of the family.  It's got to be easy to do, because everyone is coming over right after church and they will be ready to eat!  For the side, we are going to have asparagus with a drizzle of Zippy Sauce - one of Caroline's favorites.  I'll make the sauce ahead of time and quickly cook the asparagus just before we sit down.  Likewise with my current salad obsession, (it's so refreshing and pretty) -  I'll combine the ingredients, store them in the refrigerator, then whisk up the dressing before church to be put on at the last minute. You can substitute any type berry or any kind of lettuce, but I love the look of the blackberries against the colors in "Baby Spring Mix".  The dressing can be changed up as well - any berry jam will do.

Asparagus with Zippy Sauce

Enough fresh asparagus for your crowd
1 cup mayonnaise
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced onions
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (I use Dijon country style)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon bottled hot sauce (I use Frank's)

Rinse the asparagus and cut the ends off.
In a pan large enough to hold all the asparagus, bring 3 to 4 inches of water to a boil. Drop the asparagus in, cover and cook for about 4 minutes or more if more tenderness is desired.
While the asparagus is cooking, whisk the other ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.
Plate the asparagus and just before serving, microwave the sauce for a minute. Give the sauce a good stir and drizzle it over the asparagus. 

Spring Salad

For Salad:
One large package of "Baby Spring Mix" ( or baby spinach leaves, etc.)
1 package of fresh berries such a blackberries or raspberries
1 large cucumber, sliced, then slices quartered
3 tangerines, peeled and sections separated
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Rinse and drain the berries. Gently, combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl.

For Dressing:
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup some kind of berry jam such as raspberry - I love Pensey's Raspberry Enlightenment
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk all the ingredients together.

A Quiche Alternative - Salmon Loaf

          When I was a kid, sometimes my mom would make tuna pie and frankly, I wasn't that crazy about it.  Later, when I was a young adult, she and I took some cooking classes and one of them taught us how to make a salmon pie for brunch.  It was a bit more glamorous than tuna, but I still didn't think it was special enough to serve for company.  Then I came across a picture of Coulibiac, Russian Salmon Loaf, in my wonderful 1981 Betty Crocker's Intenational Cookbook.  Although I've never followed the Betty Crocker recipe which calls for rice and mushrooms along with fresh salmon, I sure like the impressive way it looks. I have served this at brunches using my salmon pie recipe and premade pie crusts. Another way I cheat a bit a is by using canned salmon, but I think it would almost be just as easy to steam a salmon filet until it flakes with a fork. This tastes best when it is served with Cucumber Dill Sauce - the recipe is included below.

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) can of pink salmon

2 eggs, beaten

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup diced onions

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 package containing 2 premade pie crusts

1 egg and 1 tablespoon water 

Directions

    Drain the can of salmon and remove any skin or bones.  Combine the beaten eggs, milk, diced onions, parsley, dill, basil, salt, and pepper.  Gently stir in the salmon and the diced hard boiled eggs.  Set aside.

     Unroll the premade pie crust and place on a cutting board.  Cut off the "wings" on both sides.

 

      Lay the "rectangle" onto a greased cookie sheet.  Trim the remaining wings so they have two straight sides and attach them to one end of the pie crust by pinching the ends together.  Save and set the trimmings aside.

      Mound the salmon mixture along the length of the pastry to within 1 inch of all the sides.

     Prepare the top crust the same as the bottom, and lay it on top of the salmon mixture.

     Pinch the edges together and seal them with the tines of a fork.  Cut a circle out of the middle top of the loaf to let the steam escape.  Use the left over pieces of pie crust to cut out decorations and place on top.  Whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon of water together to make an egg wash.  Brush on the top of the loaf.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cover with foil if it browns to fast.  Cut into slices and serve with Cucumber Dill Sauce

Cucumber Dill Sauce

1/2 of an unpeeled cucumber, seeded and cubed into small pieces

1 tablespoon finely diced white or yellow onion

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, and then lengthwise again.  Scoop out the seeds and cube the cucumber into small pieces.  Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Scallops for Your Sweetie

         This easy but elegant dish has a connection to romance.  The scallop shell is known to be a symbol of the Roman goddess for love - Venus.  Apparently, it's usually part of any painting which portrays her. So what could be better to serve on Valentine's Day than this twist on the classic French dish "Scallops Provencal"? I love mixing it up by adding tomatoes and serving it over pasta. However, this is also very good just on its own - served in a bowl with some warm French bread to dip in the juices.  

Ingredients for four to six people:

3 shallots

2 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves

2 to 3 tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken broth)

1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using chicken broth)

2 pounds scallops

1 small bunch fresh parsley

1 lemon

1/2 box (8 oz.) angel hair pasta, cooked according to directions

Directions

Remove the skin and dice the shallots.  Peel the garlic cloves and put them through a press.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the shallots.  Saute the shallots over medium low heat until they are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

While the shallots are cooking, chop enough parsley to fill 1/4 cup and squeeze half of the lemon.  Set these aside and then dice the tomatoes.

When the shallots and garlic have finished cooking, add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and wine (or chicken broth).  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

While tomato mixture is simmering, rinse and drain the scallops.  If they are large sea scallops, cut them in half or quarters.  Then add them to the simmering pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until they are opaque throughout.  Try not to over cook them or they will get rubbery.

When scallops are done, add the juice from half of the lemon and the 1/4 cup chopped parsley.  Serve over hot pasta or in a bowl with some crusty French bread. Slice the remaining half of the lemon and use it along with any leftover parsley as garnishes.

Jenn & Julia's Salmon & Sauce



      I think its great that Jenn and her close friend Julia like to cook.  It turns out that they are pretty good at it too!  About every other week, they meet, go to the grocery store, go over to one of their apartments, and then cook up a storm. Occasionally, they will go over to Julia's parent's house and cook for them - especially when all the siblings are home!   One of the girls' favorite things to make is baked salmon and Cucumber Dill Sauce that goes so well with it.  This sauce recipe comes from the very first cooking class my mom and I ever went to; it was held at a little shop called The Kitchen Door and was in the basement of Glendale Mall.  The store is long gone, but I still have the typed up hand out which says this says goes great with salmon pie, crab cakes, and shrimp.  The girls bake the salmon with a pinch of seasoning salt, dill, a lemon slice, and just a bit of butter to make it extra delicious. 

Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill

Ingredients:

Salmon pieces, about 4 ounces per person

A lemon slice for each salmon portion

1/8 teaspoon of seasoning salt for each portion

1/8 teaspoon of dried dill or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill for each portion

1 teaspoon pat of butter for each portion

Directions:

For each piece of fish, sprinkle the seasoning salt and the dill over the top.  Put a lemon slice on each serving, then place the pat of butter on the that.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the salmon is opaque and flaky.

Cucumber Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 of an unpeeled cucumber, seeded and cubed into small pieces

1 tablespoon finely diced white or yellow onion

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, and then lengthwise again.  Scoop out the seeds and cube the cucumber into small pieces.  Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Gingerbread Cookies

Whether someone wants to or not, the holidays make them reflect upon their family. My maternal great-grandmother was Austrian-German. Standing about four feet and some inches tall, she lived in a tiny little house in Chicago and didn't speak much English but she taught my grandmother how to make great cookies!  While I feel lucky to have some of those recipes, I'm even more grateful for the kindness of my Grandmother and how she made me feel truly loved- whatever I said or did!  My mother was not a good every day cook.  She worked full time, had three children, and spread herself way too thin.  But, when she had the time, she loved to make gourmet meals. I got my interest in cooking and entertaining from my mom because that was one thing we had in common and enjoyed doing together.  I loved helping her prepare for wedding showers, baby showers, and dinner parties. The cookies posted here, are in honor of my grandma's style of cooking- simple, old fashioned, but tasty.

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients for 3 dozen chewy, delicious cookies:

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Some sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and two sugars together until they are well creamed.  Add the molasses, vanilla, and eggs. Beat well.  Stir in the dry ingredients a bit at a time until they are entirely combined with the wet mixture.  Cover and chill the dough for at least an hour.  Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Shape the dough into walnut sized balls and space them out on the cookie sheet.  Using the bottom of a glass, press down on each ball to flatten it into a 1/4 inch thick circle. Sprinkle each circle with white granulated sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15  minutes or until cookies are slightly browned around the edges.

 

More Holiday Bites

     For some people, serving a bag of chips and salsa out of a jar is enough to make a gathering a party.  I agree that when surrounded by people who love to be together, that might be all that is required. However, the holidays are times when a little extra pizazz and dazzle make occasions memorable.  Even just one out-of-the-ordinary appetizer makes an event seem more special.  The foundations of these little bites are made of dough I snagged out of the freezer section in the grocery store.  It is so easy to make these morsels ahead of time, freeze them, and then bake them right before they are served. Each is not more than just a couple of bites -  so enjoy! 



Vegetables such as peppers in all colors, red and green cabbages, and even cucumbers can be used as clever dip containers.  Slice off the tops, hollow out the insides, and spoon in the sauce.

 Baked Ham Sliders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1 dozen bake & serve yeast rolls (or refrigerated biscuits cut in halves)

1 tablespoon country style Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

 

¼ cup butter, softened

 

12 slices deli ham

 

 With a serrated knife, split each roll in half so there is a top and bottom. Brush the mustard over the top of each roll. Mix the green onion and butter together and lightly spread the mixture on the inside top and bottom of each roll. Fold the ham slices so they will fit and place each one between the top and bottom slices of each roll.  Place on cookie sheets and bake at oven temperature indicated on the roll package for at least 10 minutes or until the rolls are brown.  These sliders can be assembled and frozen until ready to be baked in preheated oven.

 

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Mix together:

3 tablespoons country style Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

Individual Italian Pies

 

 

Ingredients:

2 ready-made pie crusts

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

½ cup store bought pesto (plus 1 tablespoon for top of pies)

2 tablespoons pine nuts

 

 

Using a small juice glass as a “cookie cutter” cut out small circles from the pie crusts.

 

 

 Spread the pesto on half of the pieces, distribute the cheese on each one, then top with the other half of the pie crust rounds. Brush the top of each individual pie with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pesto and top with a few pine nuts.  This can now either be frozen until party time or bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Puff Pastry Mini Tarts

 

 

 Slice each sheet along the three fold marks and then cut each third into five pieces.  Then top with goat cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes or asparagus tips, and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  If pastry starts to become too brown before cooking time is over, cover loosely with foil.

Little Holiday Bites

Our family friend Dianne is great at entertaining.  After years of having a houseful full of boys, she has recently had the opportunities to host events for ladies.  I picked up this cute little idea from her that I think men would like as well.  She serves appetizers in small glassware such as vodka shot glasses and mini martini stemware.  I extended this concept to serving a couple of minature meatballs in some small juice glasses that I have. Great places to find interesting glass pieces are Goodwill or Walmart.  I initially got a dozen of the vodka shot glasses at a garage sale but just found some more at Target's dollar bin. 

Ranch dressing would work well with any vegetables you stick in to the shot glass.  However, I found that 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons country Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder all whisked together tastes great if you choose to use thin, young, tender asparagus as one of the veggies.

 

I added a bit of jazz to the shrimp cocktail by putting a white lemon dill sauce next to the traditional red.  Mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon dried dill together.  Pour or spoon about a tablespoon of the red sauce to one side of the glass, then spoon in the white.

Since the meat balls are resting on a "bed" of sauce, I figured it needed to be nice and thick to support them.  I combined 1 (15 oz). can of tomato sauce 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon red wine (optional), 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a microwave safe bowl.  I microwave the sauce for 5 minutes and spooned it in the bottom of the small juice glass. I made the meat balls a little smaller than I usually do so I could fit two in the small juice glass. Then I sprinkled the top with a bit of chopped flat leaf parsley, but I think fresh basil would work even better.  There are three different types of meatballs in this post:  "Meatballs and Moving" (2011) or, they can be found  in the freezer section of the grocery.  When I made these, I assembled them ahead of time, and then just before serving I microwaved several of them for 20 seconds.  However, even at room temperature, they are yummy!