BESS - Black Eyed Sausage Soup

 

Some nights I have a tough time falling asleep. Don't ask me why, there is very little stress in my life but any way what do I do for hours you may ask while looking for images in the ceiling patterns?  I invent recipes. Yeah, uh-huh, that's me the kitchen dork.   This recipe came from the desire to use kielbasa sausage in a soup. I love my Choucroute Garni that I make once or twice a year at the protest of my husband.  NOTE Choucroute Garni which means Sauerkraut with embellishment is from my Swiss heritage of smoked pork sausage, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes  This soup flavor profile has heat, smoke and some sour notes. Brilliant for a cold day with a crunchy sourdough mini baguette. Essentially grab a stock pot, dice ingredients into half inch pieces and toss into the pot in the following order:

1 - 13 oz. packaged smoked Kielbasa pork sausage, diced

1 red onion, diced

1/2 head of fresh cabbage, cored/diced

3 Tbl olive oil

32 oz. unsalted chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine (I use leftover from the fridge)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce

   Optional: SUB-3 anchovy filets

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1 tea red chile flakes

1/2 tea rosemary

1/2 tea thyme

1 tea liquid smoke

1 15-oz can black eyed peas, drained/rinsed

4 green onions finely diced

2 Tbl fresh Italian parsley, finely diced

In an oiled stock pot toss in and brown the andouille, red onion and cabbage over medium high heat until good strong browning begins and the cabbage has wilted to half, stirring frequent to prevent burning.

Add broth, wine, vinegar and other 7 flavor enhancers listed above. Bring to a boil for two minutes to extract flavors of herbs.

Add black eyed peas and liquid smoke. Bring back up to temperature to warm though the back eyed peas.

Just before serving, stir in fresh parsley and green onions to keep flavors fresh and bold.

Makes 4 large servings

NUTRITIONAL VALUES PER SERVING

Calories 430

Protein 18 gm

Total Fat 30 gm

Carbohydrates 5 gm

Fiber 5 gm

Sugars 6 gm

Sodium 1300 mg

TALL Blonde Style

TALL Blonde Bottoms Up

TALL Blonde Stories - Archive

Green Goddess

Once I discovered Green Goddess Dressing, I look for it every chance I get. It is a collection of fresh herbs of your choice, The base is mayonnaise or you can use yogurt has a fresher and healthier option and some savory flavor punches.  The process is simple as you dump all ingredients in a blender and in 10 seconds you have a flavorful concoction that is great on salads, grilled fish or roasted potato, vegetables and an excellent dip.. The original recipe was invented at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923 and was very simple, parsley was the only herb used. Do not skimp on the tarragon as this is the backbone of Green Goddess flavor. TALL Blonde recipe below was created on using what I had available in the fridge and it turned out to be a perfect flavor profile.

Fresh Tomato Clam Focaccia

 

TALL blonde has always been a bit intimidated by making Focaccia bread, don't ask me why?   I have baked bread many times but Focaccia just seemed so specialized I feared it would become my personal culinary failure.  Then I saw  ATK (America's Test Kitchen) make their version and this is it.

The bread is an ATK recipe, the flavor packed topping is mine.  The dough is very hydrated with 2 cups of cool water and is so soft it doesn't hold its shape.  This is a no-knead dough.  Once mixed allow it to rise, fall and rise again.  This long proofing method reduces the amount of tight gluten molecules and the finished bread is so tender it melts in your mouth. The fresh tomato-clam topping is very flavorful and you won't miss the cheese. Look at that airy fluffy crumb pictured above. I have to thank ATK for this easy, melt in your mouth recipe. My husband and I are not big eaters but we gobbled up the whole pan in one sitting.

There is one draw back, a stand mixer is preferred.  You can mix it yourself but lifting weights at the gym is an easier workout.

Ginger Orange Glaze - Salmon - Duck - Veggies

I created this recipe out of boredom. We eat sautéed salmon in our household about once a week and on one particular evening I was in the mood for a sweet and tangy flavor profile to glaze the weeknight dinner doldrums.

After sautéing the salmon I removed it from the pan and poured into the remaining fish juices ingredients readily available in my pantry creating this spicy orange sesame glaze and then sliding the cooked salmon in the thickened glaze. It was truly a spectacular flavor. This is restaurant quality flavor at its finest.

Orange Delight

 

This is an Olde World candy recipe.

My Northern Italian mother Luigia gave it to me.

As a young girl Luigia's family was so poor that a fresh orange on Christmas morning was unbelievably the highlight of the year. She spoke to me often how there would be a small tree in the kitchen and her father would light the half dozen real wax candles affixed it its branches.  Luigia and her three siblings would watch the dancing flames for a few magical minutes before extinguishing them so they could be enjoyed for several nights.

In order to make best use of this rare and expensive fruit last for more than 5 minutes the peel was cut into strips, cooked in a sugar syrup and rolled in sugar. The process served as a form of preservation as well as flavor. This recipe uses two whole oranges to make 32 chewy sweet treats.

Ramen - EAZZZY

 

TALLblonde makes a quick and packed with flavor ramen for her family once a week.  The entire process is maybe 20 minutes and a healthy option to feed the family, not to mention economical.

Fish Taco Confetti

 

Without a long narrative, all you need to know about this is Sweet - Savory - Heat - Crunch.

This is a perfect accompaniment to simple fish tacos without adding a long list of expensive ingredients. This makes a meal quick and easy and flavor that is out of this world.

Even easier, spoon this over your favorite grilled or sautéed fish fillet and no need to bother with the corn tortilla. Leaving out the tortilla will  save you calories too. Serves 8

Cranberry-Stuffing What ?

 

Last Fall a friend asked if I had tried an ice cream shop walking distance within my friend's and my neighborhood? I said, :"No, what about it?"  My friend said, "You must try it, they have very unique flavors that rotate on their menu. They have a Thanksgiving flavor. right now"  I thought oh boy, what the heck is Thanksgiving ice cream.  About a week later I was out for my weekend neighborhood walk and came upon this ice cream shop "Salt and Straw".  On the sidewalk stood their sign with the flavors of the day.  Sure enough, there it was, first on the list, "Thanksgiving Ice Cream".  The ingredients listed were vanilla ice cream with cranberry sauce and stuffing swirls. I had to have it...

It tasted fabulous, just as I had imagined it should. When I purposely went back the following 

Saturday to satisfy my new savory and sweet addiction the flavor was no longer on the menu.  It has been nearly four months since and I cannot get this unusual concoction out of my head so I decided to make my attempt to re-create it..

Before you laugh or wince at the thought of this Fall combination of flavors in a frozen dessert I must remind you that many of you have been to the Gilroy Garlic Festival just to try the garlic ice cream and I am sure there were skeptics when salted-caramel made it onto the dessert scene, and you love that, right?

Garlic Cheese Frosting

 

I'm the girl who takes cupcake indulgence to a whole new level, savoring each bite with a meticulous equal balance of cake and frosting that's just perfection. But that's not where my culinary adventures end—I've got an unabashed passion for garlic bread that knows no bounds. If only I could dive into the buttery garlic spread with the same enthusiasm I reserve for my beloved cupcakes, life would be a true gastronomic delight. This is a low and slow baking process for very good reason.

This is TALLBlonde's exclusive recipe that offers that same balance of a 2 cheese frosting and bread delivery system.  You may not initially understand this theory, but every time I serve it to my guests they go wild and beg for more. Serves 8.

Sour Cherry Chocolate Bread

Here is a cheerful bread recipe that mixes a simple savory dough with that classic combination of cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips. This recipe comes from Master Bread Baker Paul Hollywood.  It is his recipe that TallBlonde has adapted the measurements to Imperial instead of metric.  This makes two medium loaves, one for you and one to wrap and gift to a friend during the holiday season.. Serves 8.

Lobster, Baby

 

Lobster cakes

This recipe is luscious,  buttery, delicate yet decadent and very Lobster-y!

I do have a ProTip cheat, wanna know wat it is? You will just have to watch TALLblonde three minute "how-to" video. And away we go. Serves 4.

3 small uncooked lobster tails, 8 oz. cooked lobster

1 Tbl. salted butter

1 small shallot, finely diced

1/2 tea. lemon zest

1 Tbl. fresh Italian parsley, finely diced

2 tea. hot sauce

1 egg

Secret cheat

-> Watch this 3-minute HOW-TO You Tube Video (you'll be glad you did)

QUESTION: What do I do with excess stuffing? Easy, roughly spoon 1 inch drops of stuffing onto a cookie sheet and bake at 400-degress until the shaggy edges are browned and crispy.  These are fabulous as a topping to any hot bowl of soup especially chicken noodle.

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Protein: 17.94 g
• Fat: 5.31 g
• Carbohydrates: 13.55 g

TALL Blonde Style

TALL Blonde Bottoms Up

TALL Blonde Stories - Archive

Pumpkin-Bok Choy Ravioli & Lemon Cream Sauce

Let me go off topic regarding this recipe for just a moment. When I share my home cooking experiences to my kitchen-curious friends I always end my conversation with the following: "If you learn to prepare your favorite dishes at home you can reward yourself with the title of Best Cook on the Planet. Why? Because your food will always taste the way you like it.".

This recipe was inspired during a recent luncheon with a friend at a classy Italian restaurant. Eating a plate of ricotta/spinach ravioli that was totally uninspired and lackluster, served with a lemon sauce that swam at the bottom of the plate in a sloshing liquid pool I decided to create something much more original and exciting for the taste buds. The ingredients and preparation began to take shape in my mind during the hour long drive home. Serves 6.

Good Reason For Fruit Cake

 

Still holding on to that fruitcake your neighbor gave you over the holiday season? Maybe they are re-gifting a fruitcake from their neighbor; and so on and so on.

This recipe may have you rethink next years' fruitcake.  TALLblonde uses hers to make a fabulous bread pudding and it only takes a few basic pantry items.

Brie en Croute

 

A little frozen puff pastry, a little sweet, a little imagination helped to make my NYE appetizer table very tasty.  Many recipes make one large wheel for parties to share with all your guests.  Mine are individual servings and you don't have a messy unappetizing platter on your party table that looks like zoo animals trampled through it. These cheesy puffs are crispy, creamy and sweet. Serves 12.

Pork - Sweet Sour Sauce

 

Classic Sweet and Sour Pork recipe will bring you back in time.  This is the flavor you remember and crave. This recipe has simplified steps from other recipes TALLBlonde has researched and tested.  The deep frying method of cooking the pork morsels coated in corn starch has been changed to dry frying in a skillet making this recipe a bit more heart smart. This recipe also uses well trimmed pork tenderloin instead of a traditional fattier cut of pork shoulder.  Dice all ingredients to same size pieces to your liking, anywhere between 1/2-inch to 1'inch in size. Serves 6

Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce

 

Perhaps the best dark chocolate sauce on the planet.  This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen and I cannot find any room for improvement.  It is perfection in a bowl and simple to make. Makes 10 servings.

Vietnamese Shaking Beef

 

I have a personal story related to this dish through being brought up by my very old fashioned Western European parents. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area surrounded by a bounty of great food both through local grocery store offerings and restaurants of food from around the world. San Francisco is home to a popular Vietnamese restaurant known for their Shaking Beef dish, correctly known as Bo Luc Lac. This is a deep, dark, rich beef perfumed dish. 

A few years ago we finally made the trek to try this dish. It arrived to our table in a steaming loud sizzling presentation dish.  To make shock, this dish was chunks of seared beef served on a bed of fresh watercress salad. Wha? Huh?  I have been eating  beef steak with watercress since I was old enough to eat adult food.  This is a French inspired dish obviously developed during the French occupation of Vietnam.  So when I hear someone refer to Vietnamese Shaking Beef, I quietly smile inside.

TALL Blonde's recipe below uses fresh arugula salad for ease of supply and makes a great compliment to the seared beef. Serves 6.

Orange - Olive Oil Cake

 

In my past culinary experiments, in an effort to add healthy ingredients to my family meals I attempted substituting olive oil for vegetable oil in my loaf cakes such as banana bread.

Cut - Void - Blue Pencil - Delete - Scratch That - Unsuccessful

I had no clue that perhaps olive oil may be heavier than vegetable oil. It pretty much sank to the bottom of the baking pan and stayed there.  The loaf was fully baked and not undercooked but it was not appetizing.

I have played around researching other recipes and came up with this set of ingredients to create a moist and creamy everyday cake, and yes it includes olive oil. This is perfectly eaten on its own as a light morning breakfast pastry, embellished with a slathering of orange icing, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a healthy blanket of sugar macerated fresh ripe strawberries poured over a generous slice. The combination of fresh orange slices and olive oil is a classic dessert in Mediterranean cuisine. My husband born in England carries with him his definitively British appetite for warm "Bird's" <click link> custard poured over cubes of a simple vanilla cake. This sweet treat will replace even your favorite pound cake. Serves 10.

Nashville Hot Cauliflower

 

A Nashville Hot is an old Southern staple taking a head of cauliflower and indirectly grilling in a smoky BBQ covered pit.  The overall process is to marinate a whole head of cauliflower in a spicy buttermilk dressing and baste regularly with a sweet spicy sauce of brown sugar, garlic, cayenne and melted butter. This recipe was inspired by Steven Reichlin.

As I do not have access to an outdoor BBQ, this is TALL blonde's oven roasted version and it is mighty tasty.

Party Eggplant Parmesan

 

Picture by TLLBLND

I named this dish 'Party' Eggplant Parmesan for its elegant personal portion rather than cutting a messy square from a large flat casserole.  This is also a perfect make-ahead dish to pop in the oven for busy home life or dinner party.

The recipe is simple, admittedly we all know the components of a basic eggplant parmesan but this also removes the pre-salting method that so many recipes use to remove water from the eggplant.  Instead these are fried in olive oil after being dipped in an egg wash bath.  Olive oil is a healthy fat and eggs add protein to the dish. Serves 4.

Yummy Bear Claws

 

Almond Bear Claw pastries

Simple to make

Easier than you think

As yummy as your neighborhood bakery

For ease, this recipe is tailored to use Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets to minimize extra work and portion control.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Serves 8.

California Hummus

Avocado Sauce is prominent in Central Mexico but not limited to this region.  This is not Guacamole for chip dipping or sandwich spread as a replacement to mayonnaise. This glorious sauce is a thick but pourable consistency and used liberally on grilled fish or grilled sliced meats. I had a version of this at a Mexican hotel located in a little fishing village Los Barriles in Baja Sur.  It forever changed my culinary grilling-life. 

The common avocado sauce recipe uses crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt as a base with fresh avocado.  TALL Blonde has revamped this recipe to eliminate dairy while adding nutritional value in the form of protein with white beans. Upping your protein game seems to be all over the news today in a concerted effort to look for healthy options. All of this and I have to mention the HDL good fats that comes from avocado. Serves 4.

With this recipe you won't miss that creamy texture either.

ADOBO - Quick & Dirty

 

I have been cooking for so long and mastered nearly all the basics that I find myself branching out to dishes and cuisines that are outside of my comfort or familiarity zone. I have simplified a classic adobo recipe compared to the traditional but still offers complex flavors. To add to this recipes' simplicity I used regular cubed stew beef instead of a more classic flank steak.

Note: there is spicy heat.

Adobo weather it is Mexican or Filipino is generally served as a sauce with chicken or pork. For all you red blooded eaters out there this recipe features beef. This recipe leans towards Mexican cuisine and while a great adobo takes hours of preparation and dozens of warm toasty ingredients you can make a great tasting  adobo with fewer ingredients and prep. steps.  I also prefer to use my crockpot for my long slow braise dishes rather than the oven. The oven simply over heats one's small apartment and clean up is so much easier. Serves 6.

Spanish Rice, Stupid Easy

 

This is "stupid simple" Spanish rice that has the same ingredients you would be slaving over chopping onions, tomatoes, green chilies, etc. Serves 6.

Best Pork Chile Verde

 

I found this pork chile verde when I was a kid and loved it.  Mexican food for me at that time, still living in my parental home was a unknown cuisine. Over the years I tailored it to my adult lifestyle in ease of preparation and taste buds. This recipe is perfect for a crock pot or mindless roasting in the oven. Serves 8.

Momma's Pecan Rum Gateau

 

This is an adult affaire...
This is a richy-rich cake...
This is a super moist cake...

...is why I could not understand why it tasted so good made by my restauranteur mother. She was in the biz most of her adult life although her food at home and at the restaurant was always outstanding, without complaint, sweets were never her strong apron, never, nada, zip.  I begged for the recipe and voila, of course, it uses a box cake mix. It all makes sense now.

So here it is, a rich cake elegant enough to take to parties and simple enough for anyone to bake. Good enough to enter in a bake-off contest and win!

Poulet Roti a la Francais

The very BEST roast chicken is the simplest roast chicken. Few ingredients, no cooking skills required and while roasting you will simultaneously make the most incredible sauce. In France a roasted chicken is commonly served with French fries. Below are both recipes for a roasted chicken and how to season French fries in the French manner. Serves 4.

Honey Pecan Shrimp : Just Like Fast-Food

 

There are those times when I am really craving fast-food, even if I have to make it at home. Here is TALL blonde's version of Honey Walnut Shrimp, but using pecan nuts instead of walnuts simply because pecans were available in my pantry and I am not a big fan of bitter walnuts. Feel free to substitute it back if you are a recipe purist.

Numero Uno Spiral Ham

 

                                           Before Roasting      -        After Roasting

Dammit, I forgot to take a glamor-shot of the whole roasted ham as it exited the oven.  It was  lightly charred, juicy, sweet, fragrant, holiday spicy, smoky and tender. Take a spiral sliced ham, or with a steady hand and a very sharp knife do it yourself, then make a flavorful and aromatic paste. Perfect for next morning breakfast, added to soup or if you lack culinary imagination...a really tasty sammy and that it okay too!

Tacos con Verduras Asadas

To dine out, or not to dine out, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of Covid-19 and indoor dining, or to take arms against a sea of the unvaccinated and host a meal for your favorite friends at home.

It is always my preference to host friends in my home and share a home cooked meal with pleasant drink drenched in raucous laughter. Sometimes the happy compromise is to meet friends at a local eatery that has a menu that can accommodate all palates.

Under the new normal, I will hesitate to meet a friend and sit indoors surrounded by who knows who, and who knows what and if they share with me their viral cooties.  I decided it is for me to up my culinary game and invest time and research towards a very respectable vegetarian meal.  

Recently I prepared a three-course lunch plus dessert for a dyed in the wool vegetarian friend that included Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce (sans shrimp), Spinach and Cheese Quiche and these roasted veggie tacos with a bounty of complex but complimentary flavors. Recipe in three parts most of which may be prepared the day before, warmed through and quickly assembled.

Seafood Cocktail Sauce

I have the honor and humility to share with you that after trying this cocktail sauce friends have told me this is the best they have ever eaten. Traditionally served with cooked shrimp or crab. May also be added to a classic Thousand Island dressing to give it an extra zing.

The long list of ingredients may look daunting but the bold savory flavor of this cocktail sauce you can never go back to the others, they will taste like ketchup by comparison  We are a small family so this recipe is perfect for the two of us. I would highly recommend doubling it as it will also make the shopping more worth while for a big batch. After all, this lasts in my fridge for up to one month.

All of the ingredients should be very finely diced, No one likes a lumpy cocktail sauce so using a blender is perfectly fine for ease and time saving with one exception; *do not add the parsley to the blender as it will give an off color. Serves 6.

Mixed Berry Scones

 

Recipe courtesy Cook's Country

I am married to a Brit and as a Brit he sometimes has terrible judgement in food.  He loves scones and I think they are dry and gaggy like a bad bagel or old pita bread. Until now....

Here is a wonderful recipe for mixed berry scones that is easy and tasty and I can't wait to jump out of bed in the morning just to have one (or two).  This recipe uses frozen berries so they are easy to find year 'round no matter the time of year or region in which you live. makes 8.   NOTE: The fruit must be kept frozen during the making of the dough. Serves 8.

Smoked Salmon Scramble

 

I wish you could be here to smell the aroma of the smoked salmon and taste the creamy, delicate, buttery egg curds. A simple recipe, can be made in 10 minutes. perfect for morning breakfast when serving overnight guests or a great brunch with a pink champagne. Click open to view time lapse easy to follow video.

Vegan Choco Cake

 

There is some debate if this chocolate cake recipe is truly vegan due to the use of refined sugar.  The process of making white sugar involves the sifting through bone dust. The only sugar that does not undergo this process is powdered sugar but that has corn starch added and not proper for baking a cake. You may chose to substitute using brown rice syrup, date syrup, maple syrup, molasses or agave,  This cake recipe is intended for those folks that are vegan in order to reduce cholesterol intake. Remember most honey is not considered vegan. Serves 6.

Decadent Beef Wellington - Bouef en Croute

MMMMmmmmmmm, Beef Wellington; aka 'Bouef en Croute'. A wonderful combination of buttery crust blanket wrapped around a beautiful medium rare Filet Mignon roast lovingly bathed in a cognac fois gras and shallot vest. Although some folks believe this is a classic French dish because of its undyeable richness of flavor and depth of aromatic sauce it's origin is actually from New Zealand.  Evidence of a British Kingdom producing elegant food. HA!

This recipe is not for the faint of heart, it takes some planning, there are four major steps in its creation and it is expensive due to the cut of meat, but oh so worth it.  10 years ago I made this dish in a 5-course dinner for 10 friends and it was quite an effort but they still talk about it to this day. Perfect for a holiday dinner or very special occasion, perhaps replacing your November turkey or December ham.

I have made this recipe using home-made Puff Pastry and it tasted fabulous (as pictured), but this recipe is tricky enough where I opt in for the ready made stuff and minimize the extra steps.

Sweet Potato Garbanzo Curry - VEGAN

 

To be frank, I am on the hunt for vegan recipes to entertain our vegan friends. It's a culinary exercise for me to sharpen my skills and broaden my repertoire.

Okay now enough of the mumbo-jumbo, vegan cooking is not what it was 30 years ago. No longer do you have thoughts of corrugated wood pulp shipping boxes. Vegan dishes are packed with flavor, fresh ingredients and a smaller impact on the environment over an omnivore diet (but I still like meat).  This recipe is also easy to shop for ingredients and in 35 minutes you have a fragrant tasty meal and your kitchen will smell like heaven.

Adult Tuna Sandwich

 

Pan Bagnat is a colorful Provencal layered sandwich of good quality canned tuna, an aromatic olive salad in vinaigrette and hard boiled eggs. If the aroma is familiar to you this is roughly the sandwich version of Salade Nicoise.  Pan Bagnat translates to bathed bread to give you some idea how the vinaigrette influences the dish, but this is by no means a sloppy sammy. It is a healthier alternative to a traditional tuna sandwich with mayonnaise and pleasing to an adult palate. This admittedly is TALLBlonde's favorite food group: the sandwich.

Best made in advance if you can curb your appetite so that the flavors meld and flow into a tangy sourdough baguette. Tuna used must be a good quality albacore packed in olive oil as albacore tends to have a dry quality so olive oil is preferable to water-packed. Whenever cooking with olive oil, always purchase California olive which is certified 100% olive oil and not cut with other oils. EVOO from other countries are not always pure olive oil.

Pot Roast - Nightshade Free

 

I love a great stew, can be made ahead, can be slow cooked in the oven or crockpot. I have never used an InstaPot but I assume it can handle the challenge.  Nightshade-free cooking is my latest area of culinary experimentation and a move towards good health.  Click nightshade free recipes in the Category link of this blog if you are curious.  Like all stews you are likely using an inexpensive cut of meat, slow cooking and always a treat served with a crusty toasted sourdough baguette for that savory umami sauce or served sliced and poured over cooked and hot wide egg noodles, especially on a cold day....as in San Francisco in July (ha ha).

Brazilian Moqueca

Moqueca is a flavorful and creamy fish stew from Brazil. Tomato and bell pepper based sauce with a twist. This includes coconut milk and heavily flavored with cilantro. I say this up front for those of you that do not care for it.  You can use any combination of shellfish and firm white fish.  I prefer to use equal amounts of cod and large shrimp. 

The tomato coconut sauce is brought to a rolling boil then turned off, add the fish and allow it to slowly cook in the residual heat in a lidded pot so the fish cooks evenly and not rubbery. You will also need the use of a strong food blender.

Party Skewer Salads

 

I am going to admit it right here, right now, I stole this from AllRecipes. But hey, when there is a great idea it should be shared.  These salads are clever, attractive on any table, easy to eat and if you are throwing a party you can serve several different salad variations with ease. If your party guests are standing while attempting to eat, than these salad recipes eliminate the balancing act of placing one hand on the paper plate, one hand on the fork and balancing a glass of wine on their head. Served on long sandwich length toothpicks with a colored frill or 5-inch bamboo skewers.

So fasten your seatbelt, there are 11 recipes to race through and I am sure you will find two or three you will try at your next party-

Jalapeno Powder

 

Jalapeno Powder. I struggled on how to make this post interesting, what image to use, what description to offer but very simply put I now tell all my friends, "Don't buy grocery store spices anymore".  The best part of this statement is that you can create your own flavor bombs with ingredients you cannot find in a prepackaged spice jar, and the flavors are more intense and fresh tasting. I don't recommend parsley, it must always be used fresh.

<View video below>

While most of us were stuck at home last year I found new ways to amuse myself  and spend my free time that I no longer used for daily commute or face to face meetings. I decided to spend my time in the kitchen as this is one of my passions to create new dishes and new ways of cooking.  You do too, or you would not be reading my cookbook blog.

Tater Salad Dressing

 

Completely packed with flavor and a little heat, TALLBlonde not only uses this for potato salad but it makes a tasty tuna sandwich. It has also become my favorite tartar sauce for deep fried fish, just add 2 tsp. dried tarragon.  I suggest emptying a full jar of mayonnaise and refilling the jar with this great creamy creation, double the recipe.

One cup of this dressing is perfect for 1 large potato or 2 medium potatoes.  Peel potato, cut into one-inch dice and boil in salted water until soft in the center but before it falls apart in the boiling water.  Drain and mix in dressing while potatoes are warm so dressing soaks in.

Pizza Crust & A Dash More

 

Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay has posted his simple and perfect pizza crust recipe. Admittedly I can never resist a tweak so I always add A Dash More.

Using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour will give you a crispy crust and wonderfully filled with air bubbles and has a light chew without being gummy.  I added a link to my NoMato Red Sauce for those who are nightshade-intolerant (potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers, chilies) and craving a pizza but cannot abide the inflammation and indigestion.  NoMato Sauce is perfect for pizza or casseroles such as lasagne, although not recommended for a plate of standalone pasta as it does not adhere well. Happily, you cannot detect the lack of tomatoes.

Makes 2 10-inch pizza crusts.

Rice Paper Bacon

 

As anyone can see by my recipe collection I am neither vegetarian nor vegan but I do enjoy experimenting outside my culinary comfort zone. I like bacon and while I do not slather it on everything and for some the occasional Bloody Mary cocktail it is a great addition to many dishes, especially sandwiches. TALLBlonde's favorite food group!

Toasted Butter Pecan Ice Cream

 

Have a little patience with this recipe, it is a 3-parter. The flavor you will create is worth all the extra time you will give it.  Ice cream is not meant to be made spontaneously. You can thank me later by whispering to yourself, "Oh, this is so good", with each spoonful.

This toasted butter pecan ice cream is so rich you will not be filling a soup bowl of the stuff after dinner.  Recipe makes 1 luxurious pint.  Double the recipe if you are feeding an army or small party.

Nomato Sauce

 

Okay America, I am just going to say it, this Nightshade-Free NoMato sauce is "effing" amazing.

I must admit, I could not believe that a rich and flavorful Marinara Sauce could be made without tomatoes. I am cooking for a family member that can no longer eat nightshade veggies (tomato, potato, eggplant, all peppers).  The inflammation from the naturally occurring enzymes create great havoc with their immune system.  If you suffer from arthritis, you may want to try eliminating nightshades for a few weeks and see how your joints feel with less inflammation and pain. I have reviewed numerous recipes and have developed this recipe that is 95% the closest to the real thing, a classic Marinara sauce without tomatoes. It can be done.

Some recipes require an expensive InstaPot, which I do not own, nor do I want to dish out for one.  TallBlonde's recipe requires only a crockpot and a classic blender. And may I say this is healthier than the stuff you purchase in a glass jar at your local grocer. I highly recommend sharing this with your friends that are suffering the ravages of nightshade terror.

They can eat pasta and pizza again, that alone make this worth it even if you are not nightshade intolerant because it is fresher!