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Yogurt Container Cucumber Soup

Lentil Salad with Yellow Beets and Goat Cheese

Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche & Dill Cucumber Cups 

Red Onion & Cucumber Salad

Red Onion & Cucumber Salad not only stands on its own as a hot weather side but can also top a regular green salad.  The sour cream & apple cider vinegar dressing is a great match for tomatoes, avocado and greens.

It is important to let this salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.  The vinegar will break down the cucumbers and onion so that they are soft and flexible.  The red onion will taste less sharp.  The vinegar in the recipe contributes a fermented base that provides bonus goodness for your gut.


Red Onion & Cucumber Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 small cucumbers*, unwaxed or peeled
1 medium red onion
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
salt & pepper

Method

1. Rinse cucumbers and peel away outer layer of onion.
2. Slice as thin as possible.  Use a mandolin if available for even very thin slices.
3. Place vegetables in medium bowl and add remaining ingredients.  
4. Stir we'll so that all ingredients are mixed.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. 

Cornmeal Okra and Mushrooms

It's a short season in this area for okra-- so short that many have not quite gotten the hang of this 'seed pod' vegetable.   Too bad because okra is an excellent source of soluble fiber and quite tasty as a side to any grilled entree. Trouble is, the characteristic sticky inner chambers can be challenging.

The best advise about okra, is to go with the vegetable's strength. The slick liquid inside helps to thicken classic gumbo and will thicken any stew or soup it goes in.

The albumen-like liquid surrounding the seeds also create the perfect coating for cornmeal making sliced okra an extremely simple fried side dish that is quite a bit lighter than most fried vegetables.  Here's how it works:

Cornmeal Okra and Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 pound while okra
1/2 pound portobello or button mushrooms
1/4 cup fine cornmeal
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

1. Rinse whole okra well and dry it.  Really let it dry. Then, take a paper towel and wipe it again so it is dry.  (Water is the enemy here in this recipe.)
2. Now, cut each okra into half-inch pieces, placing them in a clean DRY bowl or plastic bag filled with the cornmeal and seasoned with salt, black pepper and a little cayenne pepper. 
3. Also add the clean, dry mushrooms, cut in nice chunks (about the size of your okra pieces).
4. Toss the ingredients together and shake off excess cornmeal using a sieve or colander.  Shake of cornmeal coating twice.
5. Note how okra's natural lubrication helps the cornmeal coating stick to not only the okra but also the mushrooms.  
6. Is your skillet dry?  Wipe it down to be sure.  
7. Add a layer of oil and heat over a medium high flame.  
8. Add okra and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to turn vegetables over.  
9. When vegetables are tender, remove and serve at once.

Reheats well: toss in a hot skillet.

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

Toss dried mushrooms right into the cooking rice to impart a deep mushroom flavor to the liquid.  Chopped celery and onion and a few herbs like thyme and margoram create an interesting yet fast side to pork, chicken even salmon. 

Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup rice
2 cups liquid-- water or broth
1 ounce dried mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Place celery, onion and butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Use a large spoon to stir the mixture and begins to soften the onion and celery.  
2. Stir in the rice and continue to stir to coat rice in butter and brown slightly.
3. Add liquid and bring to a boil.  
4. Lower heat to simmer.  Add dried mushrooms.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Stir in salt, cover and continue to simmer until rice is tender.  For white rices, this will be 10-15 minutes longer.  For brown rice, this will be 20-30 minutes longer.

Elegant Life Leftovers:  Extra rice can be mixed with cooked beans for a terrific cold salad or main coarse vegetarian entree.

Avocado Pasta with Bacon

An avocado sauce on pasta has a creamy texture similar to Alfredo sauces.  This recipe uses lemon juice, olive oil and pasta cooking water to thin down the mashed avocado.  A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and basil provide complimentary flavors.  The thick noodles shown are bucatini, long spaghetti with a hole down the middle, like a long pipe.

Bacon is my favorite garnish for this cheesy version.  Later in the spring, I'll cut back on the cheese and add tiny tomatoes, corn kernels and sliced black olives and serve this alongside burgers or grilled chicken.  
 
Avocado Pasta with Bacon
Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 main course servings

Ingredients
1 very ripe avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon (about a tablespoon)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
salt & black pepper to taste
large pinch of dried basil or 5-6 fresh leaves, sliced
optional: 1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 cup pasta water (reserve from cooked pasta)
4 ounces uncooked bucatini or favorite pasta
4 slices cooked bacon

Method

1. In a small bowl or food processor, combine avocado, lemon juice and olive oil.  Pulse to combine.
2. Add cheese, salt, pepper, basil.  Pulse again and taste.  Add more more salt, pepper, cheese or lemon juice to suit your taste.  
3. Cook pasta following package directions.  When the pasta is ready, scoop out a 1/2 cup pasta water and set aside.  Drain pasta.  
4. Stir half the pasta water into the avocado sauce.  
5. Add avocado sauce to drained pasta and stir to combine.  Add the remaining pasta water as needed.  The sauce should be creamy and coat all the pasta. 
6.  Add bacon at this stage or serve and garnish with bacon and extra cheese.

Try this:  If you are serving this as a main course for two, add a poached egg to each plate of pasta. The egg yolk will break and ooze onto the pasta and mix with the bacon. 

Apple & Pear Sauté

Slivers of unpeeled pear and apple skin add a festive note.

What side can I bring?  Add a recent potluck, our hostess added sauteed apples to a group dinner whose center piece was pulled port.  It was a hit that's inspired me to create a simple and fast Apple & Pear Sauté to accompany all kinds of pork over the holidays.  The key is to create a savory bridge from the fruit to the meat.

Use firm apples for cooking like Macoun, Winesap, Pink Lady or  Granny Smith varieties.  Pears tend to be less firm than apples so you will put them in the pan second but check your pears and if they are quite firm, add all the fruit at once.  Bosc pears are generally a firm pear and you can also use Anjou or Bartletts.  At this time of year, we are often the lucky recipients of sweet Comice pears which are  terrific paired with a tart apple variety.

Herbs like thyme and a little balsamic vinegar provide the savory bridge.  Try to use fresh herbs in this dish.  If you do not have thyme, try a small amount of fresh sage. Oregano would also work.  A drop of honey and butter bring it all together. 

Apple & Pear Sauté
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 apple, partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 pear,  partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Method

1. While your roast rests, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Add the apples and cook until they are beginning to soften. Gently stir with a wide spatula.  This will take 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the pears and continue to cook, stirring gently to turn fruit.
3. Add balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.
4. Lower the temperature and cover the skillet.  Cook for a few minutes more, until fruit is soft but not breaking down into small pieces.  The slices should keep their shape.  
5. Just before serving toss in fresh thyme.  

 Serve immediately as a side to pork dishes.  

Any leftovers of this quick fruit sauté pairs nicely with cheese.  Serve at room temperature in a small bowl next to the cheese platter.

Grilled Shishito Peppers

Shishito Peppers and other thin skinned peppers like Spain's Padron Pepper are easy to grill on an open fire, charcoal grill or a grill pan on your stove top.  All the rage as an appetizer, sprinkled with coarse salt to accompany a cold beer, these also make a simple, pure side dish to grilled steaks or a topping for a burger.  The key is to use high heat to blister the skin and get a light char.

If you have some thin-skinned peppers, whether hot or sweet, in your garden try them grilled like this. Even if the variety is not thin-skinned, home grown peppers tend to have a thinner skins since these varieties are not bred for travel to supermarkets. 

We skewer the peppers whole using the double-skewer method that keeps narrow items like small peppers and asparagus from rolling between the grates and into the coals.  The peppers get a light coating of vegetable oil and cook once the steak is off the grill and resting.  Keep an eye on your peppers since these tender mouthfuls cook quickly.  Turn as the skin blisters, remove and salt lightly before serving. 

It is OK to eat these with your hands. 

To get the effect on a stove top, use a very hot grill pan.  Place the oiled peppers in the pan and turn as they blister  remove, salt and serve immediately.

On open coals (or a bonfire) use a long skewer or a "frank fork" to keep you cool and unblistered while the oiled pepper cooks over the open flame. 

Provençal Tomato Wellington

I’ve been craving the summer pizzas I used to get in the south of France that are often called tomato tarts here.  We bought them at beach side patisseries, cut into square slabs and wrapped to go in waxy paper.  We ate them room--or rather beach—temperature.  The small Nicoise olives lent a saltiness that perfectly complimented the season's ripe tomatoes.

I stumbled across a simple tomato wellington recipe using Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry on their online recipe collection and thought that with a few extra ingredients this would satisfy my travel taste memory.  It turned out pretty close and makes a great vegetarian main entree or, if cut a little smaller, a nice side dish to grilled dinners. 

Now is the right time to make this dish.  Farmers markets are selling the last of the summer tomatoes on the cheap and their sweetness can stand up to oven roasting.  Later in the winter you can make Provençal Tomato Wellingtons with hardier Roma or plum tomatoes sliced in half and roasted low and slow to develop their sweetness. 

This recipe can be prepared through step 7 several hours ahead.  If you are having guests this is a nice option.  Goat cheese is used here but you can also use any soft cheese or a Swiss style (Gruyere for example).

Provençal Tomato Wellington
Serves 4


Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry (about 8 ounces), defrosted
1 large beefsteak tomato
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence*
1 ounce goat cheese
4-6 black olives (Niçoise or oil cured work nicely)
2-3 anchovies (optional, but give it a try)
½ teaspoon capers

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Slice tomato in ½ inch slices.  Place on a lightly oiled sheet or pie plate and sprinkle with half the herbs de Provence and some salt and pepper.  
2. Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened and have released much of their juice.  Set aside to cool.  
3. Prepare pastry by placing on a floured board and rolling into a 12” square, cutting away any extra for another use.  Lay pastry onto a small sheet pan.  
4. Crumble goat cheese over center of pastry, leaving a 1 inch edge at the top and bottom and 2-3 inches along the sides.  
5. Cover cheese with cooked tomato slices.  Distribute olives, capers and anchovies over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle remaining herbs de Provence over filling.  
6. Using a pastry brush or your finger, run a little water along the top and bottom edges of pastry.  Fold over one side of the pastry and seal edges.  Run a little more water along the long edge and fold over remaining side of pastry.  Use a knife to cut small slices through edges to ensure they are well sealed.  Next, make decorate slashes into pastry cutting through most of the pastry layers so it will puff nicely.  Cut through the pastry in several spots so that steam can escape during baking.  
7. Cover wellington with loose plastic wrap and place sheet in refrigerator for at least half on hour (or up to several hours).  
8. When ready to enjoy, preheat oven to 400˚F and remove plastic wrap from cold, unbaked tomato wellington.   At this stage you may brush some milk or a light egg wash over the top of the pastry to encourage browning.  
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is cooked through, crisped and golden-brown.  Remove wellington from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Slice into 3-inch slabs and serve over greens.  

They are also quite tasty cooled and served at room (or beach) temperature. 

Tropical Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is perfect hot weather food.  No cooking and lots of flavor.  You already know how to make the usual tabbouleh, cracked wheat soaked in water and tomato juice and garnished with tomatoes, cucumbers, lots of mint and parsley and a good dash of lemon juice and high quality olive oil.  Now try a tropical version with fruit juice, pineapple, mango, scallions, cilantro and mint. 

Tropical tabbouleh goes really well with any grilled food and I've been bringing it to the office for a light lunch on steaming hot days.  I soak the wheat in its liquid overnight in the refrigerator then add fruits and herbs.  Most recipes call for soaking for an hour and that is fine if using bulgar wheat in your recipe.  If using cracked wheat, plan on at least three hours or more to get the grains to swell to a nice, chewy consistency.

Tropical Tabbouleh
Yield: about 2 cups, recipe can be doubled

Ingredients
1/3 cup cracked wheat (bulgar wheat may be substituted)
2/3 cup liquid (combination of water and fruit juice such as apple or pineapple juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch salt
1 cup chopped fruit--any combination of fresh pineapple, mango, jicama, Asian pear*
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh, chopped mint

Method

1. Mix wheat, water, juice and salt in a bowl or resealable container that can hold about one quart.
2. Cover and store in refrigerator until wheat has absorbed the liquid and had softened.  Plan on 1-3 hours.  
3. Stir in fruit, scallions, red pepper and herbs. Taste and add additional salt if needed.  

*Tip: try using a fresh fruit salsa as the fruit in this recipe.  Many markets sell healthy ones like mango salsa that already have some onion and bell pepper too.

Pizza Dough Potato Knishes

For those who have not tasted a real old fashioned knish, these pastry wrapped bundles of mashed potatoes are baked not fried.  This recipe uses plain pizza dough to create a long roll stuffed with the potato filling rather than individual knishes.  It makes excellent buffet fare, cut into individual serving pieces.  And it can be made ahead, even frozen.  (See below for the trick to frozen mashed potatoes that are not watery when defrosted.) 

If you have a lot of dishes to prepare for a holiday buffet, make this mashed potato in pastry ahead and freeze it.  Defrost and reheat it in the oven (microwaving is not recommended to preserve the lovely crust).

Store-bought or homemade pizza dough is a good, pure substitute for the traditional bread dough casing used to make knishes.  Homemade mashed potatoes made with very little milk or broth and seasoned with salt, pepper and chives mimic the classic potato and onion mixture knish lovers admire.  Substituting chives for sauteed onions makes this version a little lighter and faster to prepare.  I use Yukon Gold potatoes which hold up well while the dough wrapping bakes and have a lot pure potato flavor. 

Pizza Dough Potato Knishes
Yield: 2 knish loaves, serves 10-12 people

Ingredients
1 recipe pizza dough (store bought is fine)
8-9 medium potatoes
1/2-2/3 cup milk or broth, warmed
potato flakes*
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried chives (use 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/4 black pepper

Method

1. Remove pizza dough from refrigerator  and bring to room temperature while making mashed potatoes.
2. Peel potatoes.
3. Place potatoes in a large pot with water.  Water should be at least 2 inches over height of potatoes. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Cook potatoes, loosely covered until tender.  This will take 25-40 minutes. 
4. When potatoes are very tender, drain the water and place pot on a heat resistant surface.  Let the potatoes rest, uncovered, a few minutes while some steam (and moisture escapes).  
5. Use a masher to mash potatoes.  You may also use a ricer for this step.  
6. Once potatoes are mashed, add warmed milk or broth in small batches.  Your goal is to have a fairly thick potato mixture.  If you are freezing the knish loaf and using potato flakes, add them at this stage.
7. Stir in butter, salt, pepper and chives. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
8. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
9. While the potatoes cool a bit, roll out dough.  You will have enough ingredients to make two potato loaves.  
10. Cut dough in half lengthwise and place cooled potatoes down center of each.  
11. Fold the sides up and create a seam.  Use a bit of water to seal the seam.  
12. Seal the edge of the loaves by pinching the dough together and turning under, towards the center seam.  
13. Place knish loaves seam side down on an un-greased baking sheet.  
14. Using a sharp knife, score the loaves just through the dough layer to mark servings.  This will make it easy to slice the loaves into serving sized pieces without pushing out the potatoes.
15. Bake the knish loaves at 400˚F for 15-20 minutes, until dough is completely cooked and browning.  
16. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  

Three or more thinner rolls can be made with the same amount of dough and potato filling.  These make great finger food.

*The Trick to Freezing Mashed Potatoes
I've searched online to find out if this trick is generally known and was surprised to find so few references.  I credit Arthur Schwartz for teaching me how to handle freezing mashed potatoes.  (His  fabulous and authentic knish recipe in Jewish Home Cooking is the basis for this faster recipe.) The secret to freezing mashed potatoes is powdered potato flakes.  The flakes absorb excess water from the fresh potatoes and prevent a soggy knish.  Adding potato flakes will also create a mashed potato that will "stand up" a bit more.   For this recipe, add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup potato flakes.  Be sure to look for a pure potato product in the ingredients list on the box, NOT instant mashed potatoes. 

Ghost Dip for Baked Potato Mummies

Trick or Treat Night can be rushed and dinner should be simple.  Try these baked potatoes with yogurt "Ghost Dip" to get the night off to a good start.  They can be the complete mini-dinner with lots of protein from the yogurt and the potato or make a nice side to chicken tenders.

We used lemon peel-black pepper seasoning and fresh chives (frozen in an ice cube tray and rinsed) to make our Ghost Dip.   Add salt to taste but be careful to taste your lemon peel-black pepper seasoning for salt first.  Some brands are salted already.  For every 3-4 ounces of plain Greek yogurt, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel-black pepper seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon fresh chopped chives.

Other variations for Ghost Dip:
White pepper & dried dill

Enjoying the Tomato Harvest

This is the time to make the simplest side dish ever.  Slice those farm or backyard tomatoes into thick slabs of pure flavor.  I like just a sprinkle of flakey salt on mine.  A little extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper or just-made salad dressing are also viable options.  Just keep it simple for yourself.

Leftovers?  Do as my mother would.  Spread a little mayonnaise on the freshest bread you can find. Top with a slice of tomato. Eat it open-faced style.  This is a once a year sandwich when the tomato crop is at its peak.  Not to be missed.

Thank you Diane, Gerard and Katie for sharing your tomato haul and buffed platter with me!

Blue Cheese Salsa on Lettuce Wedges

Blue Cheese Salsa? What!
This is an easy and pure salad dressing and salad in one.  While the salad ingredients marinate in their blue cheese vinaigrette, everything stays crisp and fresh looking until it is time to serve.

It's just chopped tomatoes, avocados and blue cheese dressed in a simple vinaigrette dressing and flavored with a spoonful of sour cream, fresh, chopped basil and extra black pepper.  The sour cream pulls the flavors together and creates a pretty pastel effect. Serve Blue Cheese Salsa over large slices of dense lettuce varieties like romaine or iceburg.

Blue Cheese Salsa
Serves 4
2 medium tomatoes
1 avocado
2-3 ounces blue cheese (we used a Danish blue here)
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 cup vinaigrette dressing (click here to learn how to make a batch)
1/4 cup fresh, chopped basil
cracked black pepper
1 large head lettuce (iceburg or romaine)

Method

1. Chop tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese into cubes about the same size-- about 1/2 inch or so. 
2. Mix the sour cream, vinaigrette, basil and pepper together in a medium bowl.  
3. Add chopped vegetables and cheese.  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the mixture together.  
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to several hours ahead.  
5. When ready to serve, slice lettuce into individual servings and spoon salsa over each serving

I recommend this as a side for any grilled entrée and a very packable salad for a potluck dinner.  Bring the salsa in a plastic container, cut the lettuce before you leave and assemble on a platter when you arrive.  Don't forget the tongs or a large spatula to serve wedges!

Radishes, Scallions and Endive Sautéed

 

I offer a pure and simple side alternative to a green salad alongside grilled foods this summer.  Garden ingredients with a bite mellow out under the influence of olive oil and a quick sauté.

On their own, radishes can be cooked until they almost brown and will remind you of small red new potatoes, with a little extra spin.  Root around in your vegetable draw to see what else you can mix in or serve the radishes alone.  

Scallions add a sweet onion flavor when sautéed.  The small hearts of endives were added to the pan last since they only needed a quick bronzing.  Pick small vegetables and cut them into halves and fourths so they retain as much of their crudité look as possible.

  

Extra sautéed radishes can lead in a wilted kale salad the next day.  Here, sliced apples and leftover, cooked sliced potatoes were tossed together in a sauté pan with a generous amount of olive oil over medium-high heat.  They were cooked until the apples were softened and the potatoes began to crisp.  Leftover sautéed radishes joined the pan followed by a big mound of raw chopped kale.  Toss the kale to coat it with the olive oil in the pan then add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey and salt and pepper.  The sweet sour dressing is a good foil to hearty kale but does not overwhelm. 

Proportions for
Apple-Radish-Potato Kale Salad
Serves 2
2/3 cup sautéed radish halves and quarters
2 small potatoes, sliced, cooked
1 apple, sliced (peeled or unpeeled)
8-10 cups chopped raw kale, torn in bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
salt and pepper
optional: 2 tablespoons raisins or other small, dried fruit

White Bean Artichoke Salad

No matter the weather, Memorial Day kicks off summer and many of us mark the weekend by grilling outside.   White Bean Artichoke Salad is a quick side dish that compliments grilled foods, especially chicken and fish.  

If you are ready to add a new dish to your cole slaw and potato salad spread, try this salad.  You can vary the herbs to match the main course (or what is in your fridge today).  Make it ahead and spend some quality time on the deck while others tend the fire.  Don't be shy with your fresh herbs.  They impart bright flavor and contrasting texture to the bean base.  They are a sure sign that summer is finally coming. 

White Bean Artichoke Salad
8-10 portions

Ingredients
2 14-oz cans white beans, drained (about 4 cups cooked)
1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
zest of ½ lemon
juice of ½ lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup loosely packed fresh, chopped herbs: dill, parsley, basil, etc
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Pour drained beans into a medium-large bowl.  
2. Chop the quartered artichokes so that they are closed in size to the beans so they are easy to scoop up and eat with a fork.  In the photo, they’ve been cut into one-third chunks.  
3. Add the artichokes to the beans.  
4. Zest half a lemon over bean mixture, then add the juice of the halved lemon and olive oil.  Stir mixture together, using a light touch so that beans do not get mashed.  
5. Next add the fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  Mix everything together.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. 

Bonus Round
Leftover White Bean Artichoke Salad is delicious stuffed into a tortilla wrap with a little lettuce for a quick lunch or snack.  You can also puree the marinated bean salad with some added olive oil or broth for a quick bean dip. 

Fried Chicken Tenders and a Buttermilk Smoothie

Buttermilk Smoothie
This one is 1 cup buttermilk, ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.  Puree in the blender and enjoy.  This is a pure and simple way to get buttermilk, a fermented food into your digestive system today. 

Recipes using buttermilk, especially cake recipes, often use just a ½ or ¾ of a cup yet buttermilk is most often sold in quart containers.  Having a few easy recipes like a smoothie or Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders to use up this valuable food item will make buttermilk a more frequent staple in your refrigerator. 

Using chicken tenders is what makes this buttermilk fried chicken dinner easy to make.  The thin strips of chicken brown quickly. Placing the fried tenders in the oven to finish also keeps the fuss to a minimum.  Serve the chicken over a salad of sturdy lettuce like iceberg or romaine.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing (recipe below).

If you have the time, prep the buttermilk marinade  .a few hours ahead and let the chicken strips soak and tenderize.   When you are ready to cook, you can start at the flour dredging stage.  If you have less time, let the pieces soak for about 15 minutes before flouring. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (or boneless chicken breasts cut into strips)
1 cup flour
¼ cup corn starch
¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika
½  cup canola or grape seed oil for frying

*These are spicy.  If you want a less hot version, omit the hot sauce and use ½ teaspoon each paprika and dried dill weed.

Method

1. In a re-sealable plastic bag,  mix together buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using.  Place chicken tenders in bag and refrigerated at least 15 minutes, preferably a few hours.  
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400˚F degrees.  
3. Mix together in a shallow bowl the flour, corn starch salt, pepper and paprika.  
4. Turn on the stove’s exhaust fan.  Pour the oil into a deep skillet and heat on medium-high until it reaches 375˚K.   
5. Dip 5-6 soaked chicken tenders in flour mixture and carefully lay in hot oil.  Do not crowd your pan (a pound and a half of tenders should take 3-4 batches).  
6. Turn chicken tenders after 2 minutes or when lightly browned.  Fry another 2 minutes and place on a baking sheet.  
7. Put baking sheet in the oven while you fry the next batch.   Bake chicken in oven about 6-8 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.  

Serve over a chopped salad.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing.

Variation
Buttermilk-soaked chicken can be grilled or baked too.  Just wipe away some of the marinade and cook as your recipe directs

Pure Buttermilk Salad Dressing
This dressing uses fresh herbs for a bright taste.  If you are using dried herbs, measure 1/3 the amount (1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh) and be sure to allow the mixture to rest at least ½ hour for the dried herbs to hydrate and flavor the dressing.

½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

More Buttermilk Ideas
The easiest ways to use up buttermilk is to swap it for milk in recipes:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Substitute all or half the milk in mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Or use half buttermilk and ½ low sodium canned chicken broth. 

Buttermilk Biscuits
Swap out all or part of the milk in any mix or recipe from scratch for biscuits.  This works for any fruit cobbler recipe too. 

Buttermilk Pancakes
Again, you can use buttermilk for all or part of the milk. 

Orange is for Carrots

Eating by color is amusing.  In college, I had a painting professor who was the first person I'd heard of to eat by color. Back then it was a performance art experiment and she and her sister explored one color each day for a week.  She reported that blue was a hard day but that orange had an abundance of choices. 

That may be nature's way of giving us any many opportunities as possible to load up on the impressive cell building, heart protecting, brain enhancing, skin rejuvinating, eye protecting properties of Vitamin A.  Not to mention the beta carotene that provides the orange color and is thought to help the body fight certain cancers.  While the choices are wide, the humble carrot should not be overlooked. 

Carrots are so prevalent that its easy to fall into a rut with them-- steamed, buttered, simmered in soup and stews.  This recipe gives them special attention, roasted whole to show off their attractive color, they are enticing on any plate. 

The recipe calls for an oven temperature of 425˚F but the recipe can be adjusted to roast the carrots alongside a meat that is roasting in the same oven at a different temperature.  Extend the carrots' cooking time by 5-10 minutes if you are cooking another dish at 350-375˚F. 

Vitamin A is one of the nutrients that needs fat in which to work its wonders.  The olive oil in the recipe helps here.  Or enjoy any other monomonounsaturated fats as part fo the meal including avocado, nuts, olives and their oils.

Braise-Roasted Carrots
Serves 2-3 generously, recipe doubles easily

Ingredients
1 pound carrots
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 cup broth or water
salt, pepper
optional: herbs/spices like paprika, dill, tumeric, crushed fennel, margoram

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Peel carrots.  Cut lengthwise and in half if very large.  Otherwise leave whole.
3. Toss carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper.  
4. Place carrots in a shallow baking pan and cover with broth or water.  Cover pan with tin foil.  
5. Bake carrots at 425˚F for 10 minutes.*  Remove tin foil.  Carrots will still be quite firm and there will be some water in pan.
6. Return carrots to the oven, uncovered and roast an additional 10-15 minutes until water has evaporated and carrots are beginning to brown underneath.  Shake the pan as needed to prevent any sticking.   
7. During last few minutes of roasting, toss carrots with any desired extra herbs/spices if using. (The carrots are quite wonderful left as is but if the rest of your meal is heading in a specific direction you can add a complimentary herb or spice at this stage.)

*Adjust time to suit the thickness of your carrots.  Thick chunks (1") versus thin slices (1/4") vary in cooking time by about 10 minutes.  

Elegant Life Leftovers
Follow up Roasted Carrots with Roasted Carrot Soup for lunch the next day.  Trouble is, there won't be many leftover carrots so if you want to try the soup, make extra roasted carrots. 

Roasted Carrot Soup
Ingredients

....For every cup of sliced cooked carrots:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped celery, onion or fennel (or a combination)
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon tumeric

Method

1. Heat a skillet to medium and add olive oil.  Saute chopped vegetables until tender.  
2. Add 1/2 the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.  
3. Combine carrots with remaining chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger and tumeric in a blender or a deep pot that will allow you to use an immersion blender.  Add in vegetable mixture from skillet.  
4. Puree soup.  Soup may be eaten chilled or heated.  

Serve with yogurt, chopped fresh cilantro. 

No Fail Scalloped Potatoes

A new technique, updated oven temperature and revised cooking time makes scalloped potatoes easy. A cheesy topping makes them company ready.  Use this no fail recipe when you want an elegant company potato side dish next to roast beef, baked ham or steaks.

Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes are winter classics.  The trouble is many cooks struggle to determine when the potatoes are cooked and at their most tender and no one likes to bite into a hard potato at the center of the casserole.  A thin here, lumpy, curdling there white sauce is the other issue that is taken care of with this technique. 

The trick is to ensure the potatoes cook in hot milk while the flour and butter create a creamy white sauce.  Most recipes use milk right out of the refrigerator so the casserole stays cool in the oven too long and the potatoes do not cook through.  In this recipe, you create a simple slurry with flour, salt and pepper and some of the milk that is layered in with the potato slices.  The slurry ensures a smooth and evenly distributed sauce.  The remaining milk is heated and poured over the casserole as it goes into the oven.  The hot milk starts cooking the potato slices immediately.  The result is a no fail white sauce that the potatoes bubble in from the start.

Also, very thin potato slices helps this dish presents a fabulous layered look when cut into.  If you have a slicer or mandolin, this is the perfect time to use it.  If not, be patient and slice by hand.  Keep things safe by cutting off a slice at the bottom of each potato so it remains stable on your cutting board.  You will be surprised at how quickly you can peel and hand cut 6-8 medium potatoes. 

Our Scalloped Potatoes 
6-8 servings
Cook Time: approx1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes, about 6 to 8 medium Eastern potatoes
2 tablespoons flour or potato starch
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter plus extra to butter backing dish
2 cups whole milk* separated into 1/2 cup; heat remaining 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Gruyere cheese

*Whole milk works best but you can use 1% milk.  Up to 1/4 cup cream can replace whole milk for an extra rich dish. 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Whisk together flour (or potato starch),  salt, pepper and 1/2 cup milk. 
3. Place a layer of the potatoes in the bottom of baking dish.   
4. Pour a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of the flour-milk slurry onto the sliced potatoes and dot  with about 1/2 tablespoon butter.  
5. Repeat with remaining layers—potatoes sliced on a mandolin will be very thin and you will have 5-6 layers.  Potatoes sliced by hand will give you 4-5 layers. 
6. Dot top of casserole with the last of the butter.
7. Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and pour over potatoes. Use a spoon or fork to shift potatoes slightly so that hot milk flows down into casserole. 
8. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place on on a rack at the center of the oven. Place a cookie sheet or large baking pan on the rack beneath to catch any milk. 
9. Bake at 400° for 45-60 minutes.
10. Uncover and check center potato slices with a knife.  Potatoes should be almost tender, yielding to the knife.  (If potatoes are still hard, recover and continue to bake another 10-15 minutes before moving to final step.  Thicker, hand cut potatoes may take a little extra time.)
11. When potatoes are tender, sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to bubble.  

 Allow casserole to rest 10 minutes before cutting in wedges to serve.

Leftovers! Make this dish for a small group and enjoy leftovers that you can slice and reheat like wedges of pie.  Reheat for about 15 minutes in a low oven, 325˚F, uncovered to get a crispy crust  around the edges.  Reheat on low power in the microwave if you prefer a non-crispy crust.

Carrot-Ginger Red Cabbage Slaw

Crispy salads from cabbage make really nice sides to fall meals.  We enjoyed this Japanese-inspired slaw with pork tenderloin.  If you like the carrot-ginger dressing on salads served at Japanese restaurants, you know what a nice match it is to grilled and roasted meats and fish.  Leftover sliced pork and the slaw make really good lunch tacos the following day.  This slaw is also a fresh and crunchy foil for vegetarian fall offerings like winter squash gratins.

Red cabbage is a vibrant choice.  You can also make this with green, savoy or napa cabbage.  Leftover steamed or roasted Brussels sprouts could get new life from this zesty dressing too. 

Carrot- Ginger Red Cabbage Slaw
Makes a little over 2 cups, serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 small carrot- finely grated
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 t grainy or Dijon mustard
Juice ½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Optional: ½ teaspoon honey, hot sauce

½ red cabbage, thinly sliced

Method

1. Make the dressing.  Combine the first five ingredients, ginger through lemon juice in a small bowl.  It is helpful to grate the ginger and carrot into the bowl first using a very fine grater.  
2. Then add the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.  Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.   
3. You may also enjoy a sweeter or hotter version—add honey or hot sauce to taste.  Start with ½ teaspoon honey and/or a few dashes of hot sauce.  
4. Combine dressing with thinly sliced cabbage.  Be sure to cover the cabbage entirely so it will all cure in the dressing.  
5. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  Your slaw is ready when the cabbage is slightly wilted but retains some crunch.

Basil's Moment

Home gardens are closing up and a bag of over abundant zucchini from a neighbor may arrive unannounced at your door.  If you are lucky as me, there is basil there as well, lots of it.

The key now is to preserve the bounty quickly.  Most of this year's basil windfall will become pesto, frozen in small quantities to make pesto noodles, add to soups or smear on baked chicken breasts.  I'll also freeze some chopped basil alone in olive oil. Make sure the chopped basil is completely coated with oil before storing.   Preserving in oil is fine as long as you are freezing the mixture.  Do not solely rely on refrigeration to retard the growth of bacteria. 

Below is a simple recipe for pesto and since our basil arrived with just picked zucchini, I've included a recipe for a buttermilk-basil sauce for zucchini and tortellini.  This sauce makes a nice salad dressing as well.  

Buttermilk Basil Sauce for Pasta Salad
Yield: Enough to coat about 4-5 cups pasta/vegetables
Note: A mini food processor or immersion blender is perfect for this small quantity.  If you have neither, you can rough chop then mince the basil and combine with remaining ingredients to make a more rustic but equally tasty version of the dressing.

Ingredients
1 cup basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
black pepper

Method

1. Combine basil and cheese in a food processor and pulse to create a rough chop.  
2. Add buttermilk and olive oil and process to a smooth dressing.  
3. Add black pepper to taste.

To use, pour over  cooked noodles (short pastas, tortellini, macaroni, etc) and steamed and drained zucchini or other favorite vegetable (about 4 cups total veggies and pasta).  Serve hot or at room temperature.  (Cover and refrigerate to store.)


Basil Pesto
Yield:
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
3 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried, large stems removed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch salt

Method

1. Combine the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  
2. Pulse to create a coarse chop of the ingredients.  
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil as you process to create a smooth paste.  
4. Add cheese and remainder of olive oil as needed to create a thick but pourable consistency.  
5. Add black pepper and taste.  Add salt, if needed (the dry cheese will add salty flavor so taste before adding more salt). 

To use, toss several tablespoons pesto sauce with hot, drained pasta. Toss to allow warm pasta to melt the cheese and coat pasta with sauce. Serve hot or at room temperature.  Pesto may be refrigerated for 1-2 days covered in olive oil. 

Storage: Unused pesto will keep in the freezer for 3 months.  Many recommend freezing portions in ice cube trays.  We like to freeze 1/4 cup servings in snack-size plastic bags.  Any leftover thawed pesto is enjoyed on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise or as a base for dip.