There is no “e” in Potato Salad

Yummy Potato Salad  

There are some very good prepared potato salads at delis and grocery stores, but generally I do not like the consistency of the potatoes.  They can be under cooked or just flat-out mushy.  With that in mind, I decided to try my hand at homemade potato salad.  The result was so creamy and luscious, I may never eat store-bought potato salad again. And, I got husband approval!

Yummy Potato Salad

4 red potatoes, peeled and diced (add 1 t. salt to cooking water)

3 T. milk

1 T. vinegar

1/2 t. salt

ground black pepper to taste

1/8 t. dried dill weed

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped*

1/3 c. diced onion/ celery mix**

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until just tender.  (Do not over cook or you will have mashed potatoes instead). Drain and rinse the cooked potatoes with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Add cooked potatoes and gently toss.

4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Makes about 4 servings. You can double the recipe if you are having more guests.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

*If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, you can use dried parsley.  I found a wonderful brand of freeze dried herbs made by Litehouse, which are very flavorful compared to other brands.

**Most grocery stores sell containers of pre-cut veggies in the produce section, but you can use about 1/4 onion diced and 1-2 ribs of celery diced instead.

 

Sesame Noodles

The ultimate comfort food!

At least for me, noodles are pure comfort food.  Add some Asian flavors and you cannot go wrong.  This recipe was given to me by a coworker.  The recipe calls for a pound of noodles, but I usually halve the recipe for just me and my husband.

This is an easy and quick recipe that is perfect for bringing to a casual picnic or party. It is intended to be served slightly cool or at room temperature, but is just as good served warm.

Sesame Noodles

16 oz. angel hair pasta

1 1/3 c. shredded carrots

4 T. sesame seeds, toasted*

1/2 c. light soy sauce

1/3 c. olive oil

1 t. sesame seed oil

1 T. sugar

1 t. ground ginger

1 T. white wine vinegar

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

4 scallions, diced for garnish (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the carrots to the water so they cook with the pasta.  Do not over cook noodles.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, vinegar and pepper flakes.

3. Toss noodles in the dressing mixture and add toasted sesame seeds.

4. Sprinkle with diced scallions (green onion) for garnish.

5. Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

*To toast the sesame seeds, the recipe calls for baking at ~325 degrees for about 2-4 minutes. I prefer to put the seeds in a dry frying pan at low-med heat.  You need to pay attention though, because they will burn quickly. Stir the seeds until they are a nice light brown and then transfer them to a paper plate until you are ready to use.

Cupcake!

I wish I could say I made this from scratch, but that would only be a half truth.  The cake is from a box with pudding in the recipe, very moist.  The icing is adapted from a recipe in a, appropriately named, cupcake recipe book.

The recipe is for Creamy Chocolate frosting and is in “Betty Crocker: The Big Book of Cupcakes”  ISBN 978-0-470-90672-9

 

 

 

 

 

“My oh my, I love pie”

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

The general way in which I cook and bake is primarily through internet searches.  I search for the recipe I want and look at some of the larger sites, such as  www.allrecipes.com or The Food Network.  I look at a few recipes, take the parts that I like, and I attempt to create something that I and my husband will like.

This was my first attempt at Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, but strawberries and rhubarb are currently in season in the North East so I thought, why not?  Personally, I do not make my own pie crusts, I use the refrigerator pre-made ones.  But if you are energetic, by all means, go ahead.