A salad here, a salad there

It's the summer, it's hot, you barely make it home on time for the latest episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" so what do you do??? Nuke some leftovers. Radiation waves aside, this is an ideal way to make sure the family is fed, while you keep your sanity and the pots & pans stay under the kitchen counter, where they belong. However, this doesn't mean that you can't whip up a fast and fantastic tasting salad on the side of your meal. So, see? You ARE superwoman (or man). You made dinner tonight. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Potato Salad
~3 lbs red potatoes, large diced
chopped red onion, to taste
chopped red pepper, to taste
chopped green pepper, to taste
green olives, chopped, to taste
~7oz Hellmans real mayo

Throw potatoes in water and boil. The size of the potatoes matter because it affects how long it takes the heat to penetrate, so you want to jab at the potatoes with a fork every 15 minutes or so. Once you feel that they are soft enough, drain them and throw them right back into the pot. While potatoes are still hot, add all of your ingredients. Mix. Feel free to add some salt if you feel that it's not salty enough.

*While I'm aware that many potato salads have egg in them, I am not a fan of the egg in food products. I follow an I-don't-see-it-so-it's-okay policy. If I see it in my Chinese food OR potato salad- I'm not a happy camper! But feel free to add a hard-boiled egg or two to this dish. If you're one of those people. :)

Another one of my favorites that I have had a couple of times. It is light and delicious. 

Cabbage Salad

cabbage, chopped & sliced

avocado, sliced

tomato, sliced

red pepper, sliced

1 clove garlic, shaved 

lime juice, fresh (1-2 limes)

chopped cilantro, if you have it on hand

Add salad ingredients together and pour lime juice on top. 

Major shout-out to Andrea, the newlywed, whom I hope tries out some of these recipes so that her man is happy. Thanks for reading my blog!

Acosta's arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas)

I think everyone can tell by now that I like to eat. I enjoy lingering over dinner and some stimulating conversation...I enjoy cooking a meal with a loved one and most of all- I like getting the credit for it.  ;)
So, enjoy a little Puerto Rican cookery tonight. Trust me, it'll be worth the credit you get for it!

Arroz con gandules (a la my friend who was gracious enough to share her recipe with me...and you)

sofrito (about a fistful)
1/4c canola or other vegetable oil
1/2 can tomato paste (~3 oz)
1/2 can tomato sauce (~7.5oz)
1/2t onion powder
1T garlic powder
2t ground cumin
1t adobo
3/4t sea salt
3/4t dried oregano leaves*
1/2t ground oregano
15oz can green pigeon peas
4c extra long grain white rice
crushed red pepper (optional)
3c water
*just add more ground oregano if you don't have dried oregano leaves

Add oil to medium or large sized sauce pan. Add sofrito and stir at medium-hi heat. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce and stir well. Toss in cumin, adobo, onion and garlic powders, salt, oregano and pigeon peas. Stir in the cups of uncooked rice and then add the water. Raise heat to high and allow water to boil. You want to make sure a lot of the water evaporates before we cover this. Continue to boil, maybe 20 minutes. If you have a bunch of cilantro leftover from your freshly made sofrito, now is the time to throw it in. Once you notice much of the water has evaporated cover with aluminum foil and saucepan cover, lower heat and allow to simmer, another 20-30 minutes or so.

Homemade Sofrito
bunch of cilantro
red pepper, diced
green pepper, diced
onion, diced
garlic, chopped
olive oil

Add all ingredients to your blender (oil last) and pulse a couple of times. The more cilantro you add, the greener it will be (and taste!)

WIDTW (or what I did this weekend)

Sweet corn gelato!

Please please please make this recipe. We didn't even wait to pour this mixture into the ice cream maker, but spoonful after spoonful made its way to our mouths...with many happy exclamations!

Mario Batali's Sweet Corn gelato

Lamb Chops w/Herbed Butter & Cherry Shallot Sauce

I'm not gonna lie, I was never a huge fan of lamb. Maybe it's because when I think of lamb I think of cute, fuzzy little animals. I feel the same way about venison (deer). I can't wrap my brain around eating an animal that cute. But thanks to a class I took at ICE (The Institute of Culinary Education) that taught me how to properly prepare the meat, and some ways to make it very flavorful, I've enjoyed making it (and eating it!)

Herbed Butter
1 stick butter, softened
1t chopped rosemary
1t chopped parsley
1T minced shallots
1/4t salt
1/2t pepper

In a small bowl combine all ingredients.
Cut a piece of parchment paper into a long rectangle. Place the butter on the paper and roll into a tight cylinder. Twist the ends of the paper. Refrigerate until firm.

Sauteed Lamb Chops
6 servings

~12 lamb chops, fat removed from the ribs 

Season lamb chops with salt and pepper. Brush a large skillet or grill pan with canola or vegetable oil over high heat. Make sure the pan is very hot. Add the chops, making sure not to crowd them. Sear the chops on both sides, 2 minutes per side, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook to the desired degree of doneness (turn once.) Since this household likes their meat well done, it took about 10 minutes. Remove the lamb to a platter and place a coin-shaped piece of herbed butter and watch as it melts into the lamb. Enjoyable just like this!

But if you're like me and you want layer upon layer of flavor (meanwhile back at the ranch)--

Cherry-Shallot Sauce

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1c cherry preserves

1/3c pomegranate juice

2T olive oil 

salt & pepper

In a medium saucepan over high heat add the shallots and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until golden. Add the pomegranate juice and stir, mixing well. Add the cherry preserves and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer and cook until thick. Taste and feel free to add more salt according to your preference. 

Pour some sauce all over your lamb chops and dig in. You'll thank me later. 

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I know the combo sounds weird but I'm on day 2 of this salad, and let me tell you something- it is divine! I never would have thought to pair the two, but for years I've been hearing about this salad, so I decided to mix the two and see how I feel post-consumption. Result? Well, like I said, it's day 2 and I want it again! Will probably make some tomorrow as well. The spinach has this nice peppery taste to it and the strawberries are so sweet. I also made a delicious dressing, that is the perfect mixture of sweetness and acidity. Try it out and let me know much you loved it.

Ingredients:
1 package of baby spinach
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3c sliced almonds, toasted (I used almonds because that's what I had on hand, but feel free to use pecans, walnuts, any nut!)

for the dressing:
2T white wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4c sugar
1T vegetable oil

Toss all salad ingredients together. In another bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice and sugar. Add oil slowly and whisk rapidly. You can make this ahead and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Bon appetit!

Ah Dessert...

There are many times when I think I'm actually superwoman. I can work, cook, clean, work some more, answer everyone's questions, and smile throughout. All in one day. I'm so happy when I've actually accomplished everything on my list, but man, am I bone tired! We decided to invite my grandparents over for dinner since that hasn't happened in a while, and while we're at it, my brother and sister-in-law who were both leaving for Europe tonight (they are somewhere in the sky right now, hopefully wearing their seat belts!!!)...I made a lovely meal, and 59 plates, bowls, and serving platters later, am blogging about it. Because it was an awesome meal. And if you're looking for something to cook over the weekend, look no further. But because I'm tired (read: lazy) I'm only going to post the dessert I made tonight. The rest will be up (hopefully) tomorrow and Friday.

On tonight's menu: lamb chops with herbed butter (thanks ICE) with a cherry shallot sauce. Baked garlic fries. Gratineed tomatoes. Spinach and strawberry salad. Add lovely, decadent peaches with a delicious yogurt sauce and you'll need to loosen that belt. Relatively healthy but tastes like a glass of peach iced tea on a hot day in the South. Enjoy!

Baked peaches with vanilla-yogurt sauce
4 firm, ripe peaches, halved & pitted
1T vanilla extract (if you have a vanilla bean, great! use the seeds and reduce amount of vanilla extract to 1/2t)
5T dark brown sugar, divided
1c plain greek yogurt, 2% or full fat (I used the 2% but sometimes you just want to cheat)
a dash of salt: sea salt

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl mix together: 1/2 of the vanilla extract, yogurt, 2T brown sugar and dash of salt. Refrigerate until use.
In another bowl mix together remaining vanilla extract and remaining brown sugar. Stir. Add peaches to lightly coat. reserve sugar mixture for later use.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place peaches, cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove, turn over and drizzle cavities with the remaining sugar. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until they are tender. Remove from baking sheet and top with yogurt and remaining juices.

Congrats to the winner...

Of the "follower" contest. MANY of you signed on to receive emails whenever I post something new, so thank you so much for that, but the contest only applied to those "following" the blog (see middle right hand corner for example). I'd like to thank you all for spending even a minute of your time to view something I've been wanting to do for a long time! And something I enjoy immensely! So without further ado (horns blowing, confetti in the air) congratulations Michael W! Will be mailing out your $50 Amazon gift card today!