Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

Summer came a little late here...mid June again this year.

Now that it's late August, tomatoes are finally on! Corn is super sweet. Fresh herbs are plentiful.

Do you love- fresh, simple and absolutely delicious?

This is it.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

adapted from allrecipes.com

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6 ears corn

3 large fresh tomatoes

1/2 large onion or about 1 cup chopped ( I used a sweet onion)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

two to three sprigs fresh oregano (optional)

2 tablespoons white vinegar ( I used white balsamic)

1/4 cup olive oil

coarse sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Boil corn in large pot of water for about 7 minutes. Drain and plunge corn into cool water. Cut corn off cob and set aside to cool completely.

Chunk tomatoes and onion. Coarsely chop basil and strip the oregano off stems. Place cooled corn, chopped vegetable and herbs into large bowl. Toss with vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste. Serve chilled or room temperature

Tips:

-The recipe called for white vinegar, but I love white balsamic (sweeter) vinegar. Apple cider vinegar would also work. I don't recommend regular balsamic vinegar. The dark red color will discolor the onion and corn and the overall look of the salad will change.

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Alton Brown's Baked Mac and Cheese

Alton Brown. Like most FN stars, you either love or hate him. I love his quirky show. He is kind of the Cooks Illustrated aka Test Kitchen of the FN. Does it bug you that I like to abbreviate? My friend KD likes it, I like it, it saves time, and causes you to think- "Why does she do this?" Or "What does FN stand for?"

So I'm going to keep doing it.

Anyway. I usually make the Foster Family version of Mac and cheese, but thought the panko topping on this recipe looked yummy, and gave it a try. I learned something while reading the notes on this recipe. Have we talked about this before? Warning! Long ramble on comments: When you get a recipe off of the WWW, always look to see if there are any comments from cooks who have tried the recipe. Some of the comments need to be taken with a grain of salt (haha just realized this is a pun on the following ramble) - you know, kind of like when you read reviews on Trip Advisor (love that site). Some comments are really helpful. If I read a recipe with multiple negative reviews, I steer clear. If you read over and over that a cube of butter can be left out with great results, prob true. So when I read a few pages of reviews on this recipe (there were over 1200), some readers stated the recipe was bland. Then I read a comment about salt in the water. This cook suggested that salting the water meant salting it to the point where it was like SEA water. Ok, well, I spent some time at the ocean recently, and got a little of that in my mouth. I can tell you this. I never salt my pasta water that much. So this time, I did. And it made a difference. Thanks commenter lady. You helped me become a better cook today.

Oh btw - you are going to love this dish. Creamy, cheesy (but not in a sick, processed cheese kind of way) and a little crunchy with the Panko topping.

Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Food Network

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1/2 pound elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced*
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

For Topping:

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Tips:

- *I minced the onion, bc I was making it for a family with younger kids, who I thought might not like onions, I could not detect the onions in the dish after baking.

-To learn how to temper an egg into hot liquid, click on this link for a nifty video tutorial.

or read this: When egg yolks are added into a hot mixture, to help ensure that they do not suddenly cook or scramble, a technique called tampering is used. With a ladle, gradually add about 1 cup of the hot mixture into egg yolks, mixture constantly. Then, add egg yolk mixture to mixture in pan and continue cooking according to the recipe.

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Mother's Day Menu 2010 -Part 3 Grilled Veggies and Winner!

Thanks to all who shared what you love most about your MOM, or what you love most about being a MOM. Loved reading your comments. The Random Counter picked - #1 ( wow, number 1, it pays to enter early, who knew?) Bonnie who said:

"This is one of my favorite ways to cook potatoes. I loved being a Mom when my girls were little. I loved to dress them up in frilly matching outfits. I love even more that now they are older, we shop together like friends, and they dress me up in the latest fashions."

Sweet, Bonnie! Email me at Abountifulkitchen@gmail.com, and I'll send your gifts.

Another quick and easy recipe for your Mo Day menu. Grilled veggies. Fire up the grill, or if you are having inclement weather, ahhhhem. Hello, Weather People in Charge (is that your title?), ITS MAY.

NO.

MORE.

SNOW.

Please.

Grilled Vegetables

swiped from ABK Mo Day 2009 menu

printable recipe

Assorted vegetables MOM likes:
Asparagus, zucchini,carrots, peppers yellow and red,
onions, mushrooms
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

This is easy: Cut some veg's like asparagus, carrots (not the minis), and some onions, mushrooms up. Uh- you washed them right? Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Grill the vegetables, turn and remove from BBQ. If you have a fresh lemon, squeeze it over the top of the vegs when they are almost done. Don't over cook, they should still be a little firm to the tooth. It takes about 10 minutes, tops with the heat on medium to low heat. Grill the vegetables before the meat if your grill is on the small side. It's OK if they are done before the meat. They don't have to be hot. After you grill the vegetables, take out a nice platter and arrange them on the platter. Cover with foil until everything is ready to serve. Vegetable shrink up a bit after cooking, so make a little more than you think you will need, you know Mom will eat the leftovers.

Tips:

-If it's bad weather on Mo Day, which I'm not counting on, but just in case - you can "grill" veggies inside too. Either use a pan with grill marks or turn the oven on to 450 degrees, convection is great, if you have it, and cook until veggies start to blacken a little.

Key words: A little.

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Mother's Day Menu 2010 -Part 2 Parmesan Baked Potatoes and Giveaway! CLOSED

This is one of Di's easy and yummy go-to recipes. It's the perfect accompaniment to our Mo Day main dish, which I'll post later this week. Another dish Mom's going to luh-huv.

Giveaway time! Just in time for Mother's Day.

From the Hip Hostess- A Demi Style apron of your choice:

The Hip Hostess is a Mother/daughter team (you won't believe they are mother-daughter when you see their pic!) who design and sell darling 100% cotton aprons for all occasions.

Hip Hostess special deal to A Bountiful Kitchen readers -

20% off on your order-Expires May 10th. Promo code: KITCHEN

From Jennifer Curtis, Pink Chandelier Jewelry designer,

one custom made charm:

From yours truly :) at ABK - two cookbooks:

one for you, and one for your mom...

The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

and the tried and true New Better Homes and Gardens cookbook:

To enter- Share what you love most about your MOM or what you love most about being a MOM. All entries must be posted by Friday, April 30 at midnight. Winner will be chosen by Random.org Winner announced on Saturday May 1st.

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

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6 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan

8-10 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Pour butter into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle grated cheese into pan. Place potatoes cut side down on top of cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle generously with Kosher salt and pepper. Serve while hot. You may bake these and keep warm, covered with foil in a 200 degree oven.

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Asparagus and Grape Tomato Saute

I love asparagus. Especially when the spears are thin, thin, thin.

Just before Easter, I tried out a recipe for Caprese pizza. Loved the way the tomatoes were cooked in a pan before adding to the pizza. The recipe called for grape or cherry tomatoes. I had a few grape tomatoes leftover, so, on Easter Sunday I used the same method- and added a handful of tomatoes to our asparagus.

So simple. If you're looking for low fat, healthy, yummy and fresh, this is it.

Asparagus and Grape Tomato Saute

printable recipe

1 bunch asparagus spears, washed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes (or 2 tomatoes, chunked), washed

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

juice from 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Break off tough stem ends of asparagus, discard. Set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When oil is heated, add tomatoes and a little salt. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until tomatoes are shriveled a bit, and give off juices. Add the asparagus and garlic. Cook on medium high heat for about 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Remove from heat and top the vegetables with juice from one-half lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:

-I didn't add any water to the pan. Plenty of juice from the tomatoes to steam the asparagus. If your tomatoes don't yield enough water/juice, add about 1/4 cup to the pan when adding the asparagus.

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Cook's Illustrated Baked Ziti

I've tried several recipes similar to this, and I believe the Cook's people got it right, again. Perfect Baked Ziti. If you haven't read the article, here it is.

"...Most versions seem like they went directly from the pantry into the oven, calling for little more than cooked pasta, jarred tomato sauce, a container of ricotta, and some preshredded cheese. The results—overcooked ziti in a dull, grainy sauce topped with a rubbery mass of mozzarella—more than earn the dish its reputation as mediocre church-supper fare."

YIKES. (My commentary)

The Goal
To make this dish the way it’s meant to be—with perfectly al dente pasta, a rich and flavorful sauce, and melted cheese in every bite.

The Solution
We didn’t want to spend all day hovering over a pot of stewing tomatoes, so we needed a sauce that was big on flavor and light on prep. Most “quick” tomato sauces call for sweating garlic in olive oil before adding some type of tomato product. Whole canned tomatoes and crushed tomatoes both had good flavor but took time to cook down. To speed things up, we added a can of diced tomatoes. Next, fresh basil added rich, aromatic savor, but more herbs were essential. In the test kitchen, we usually opt for fresh herbs, but for convenience and without sacrificing flavor, we chose dried oregano. Just when the tomato sauce seemed perfect, we added ricotta, and a familiar problem reared its head: Rather than baking up creamy and rich, the ricotta was grainy and dulled the sauce. A different dairy product was clearly in order.

First we tried cottage cheese, and, to our surprise, it was a success. Its pillowy curds have a texture similar to ricotta, but creamier and tangier. And since cottage cheese curds are bigger, they bake up with none of ricotta’s graininess. For our next batch, we boosted the flavor by combining the cottage cheese with eggs, Parmesan, and heavy cream thickened with a bit of cornstarch. Adding this milky, tangy mixture to the tomato sauce produced a sauce that was bright, rich, and creamy—all at the same time.

As for the pasta, most recipes cook the ziti in boiling water until al dente before tossing it with the sauce and baking. But pasta continues to absorb sauce as it bakes, with two drawbacks: overcooked pasta and sauce that has been robbed of moisture. We found that cooking the pasta for about half the cooking time that most recipes call for and with nearly twice the amount of sauce yielded perfectly al dente pasta in the baked dish with plenty of sauce left to keep the whole thing moist.

The remaining question was how to deal with the cheese. Grated cheese congeals into a mass that makes the dish unappetizing and difficult to portion. Instead of shredding the mozzarella, we cut it into small cubes—reasoning that they would melt into distinct but delectable little pockets of cheese—and mixed half of the cheese with the sauce just before adding it to the pasta, then sprinkled the rest over the top. This strategy yielded a hot, bubbly success. The cubes on top remained perfectly distributed, and the casserole below was dotted with gooey bits of cheese."

Me again. Absolutely delish. I loved it. Grant loved it. The boys loved it. Hardly any leftovers. That pretty much says it all.

Cook's Illustrated Baked Ziti

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Note: The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well.

1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
Table salt
1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves , minced
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Tips:

- Use fresh grated Parmesan.

-I used regular, not heavy cream.

-Not a huge garlic fan, so I only used about 1 clove.

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Chunky Yams and Apples

Yams. About twice a year I get a craving for some. My mom always made the type out of the can, with marshmallows melted on top. Still does. Every year. In the same dish. An oval cream colored casserole with fainted gold leaves printed on the sides. When I grew up and started making Thanksgiving dinner on my own, I tried several sweet potato/yam recipes. For years, I made the mashed type, tasted almost like pumpkin pie filling with a pecan brown sugar topping. They were yummy, but I grew tired of the dish after years of making it, and gravitated toward yams with chunks of apples and a sweet, buttery, not to spiced coating. Every time I fly through Atlanta, I go to Paschals ( airport version). It's a Southern restaurant, and they have really yummy candied yams. I've experimented with several recipes trying to duplicate that texture and flavor. This one is close (with the addition of apples). Another great make ahead dish. You can make it a day or even two ahead, and on the day of feasting, take it out and bake. More time for watching the parade. Or planning Friday shopping. Or playing in the Turkey Bowl.

Absolutely NO IDEA why Tay is wearing a BYU Law shirt?

Justin, my nephew started asking everyone in the family (back in September) if they would be attending. Not if they would be attending Thanksgiving dinner, if they would be attending THE Turkey Bowl. Taylor, our sports superstar, is the female rep. in the picture. The rest of us womenfolk :) are back at the homestead, getting dinner ready.

Chunky Yams and Apples
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4 yams, about 8 cups cooked (after peeling)

1 apple, peeled, cored and chunked

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

dash salt

additional brown sugar for topping

Place the yams, sliced in half, skin on, in a large pot of water. Bring to boil and cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until soft and skins are beginning to peel away from yam. Remove from water and let cool. Peel and cut into large chunks. Set in greased 9x13 or large casserole dish. Peel and cut an apple into small chunks. Place apple chunks on microwave safe plate and cook for 3 minutes on high. Add to yams in casserole. In microwave or small saucepan, melt butter, add lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour over yams and apples in dish. Crumble about 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional brown sugar over top of yams. Cover and refrigerate if using later. Bake covered with foil at 350 for 30- 45 minutes, until yams are heated through and sugars are bubbling.

Tips:

- I prefer apples that are not too tart, McIntosh or Jonathan's work well.

-You can double this dish and use the same size pan, the layer of yams will be thicker, and require about 10-15 minutes more baking time.

-If baking after refrigerating, let dish sit out of refrigerator for about 30 minutes, uncovered, or bake for an additional 15 minutes.

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Creamed Corn with Cheese and Cilantro and Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to all who left comments about what we are most grateful for this time of year! The winner is - Betsy who said:

" I am most grateful that my father is now cancer FREE! & going strong again :]"

Send your address to me at: abountifulkitchen@gmail.com and I will send your cookbook out tomorrow. Happy cooking!

Just before the harvest was over, I bought some corn from our local farmers market, and made a batch of this creamed corn.

I love this recipe that combines cheese, corn and cilantro. Yum! This is not your mama's (canned) creamed corn. Different from the usual bowl of corn at Thanksgiving, it's a dish that adds a rich and slightly creamy texture to your holiday table. The original Gourmet recipe said it served 6 (this could only be true if you were having CORN as your entree), but with a large holiday meal, it would easily serve 10-12 as a side dish. Put this on your list of sides for Thursday, Nov 26th.

Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro
adapted from Gourmet

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (about 6 large)
12 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs or 8-9 cups frozen corn
2/3 cup cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large garlic clove (optional)
6 ounces queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled (1 1/3 cups) OR

1 cup grated white cheddar and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup cilantro sprigs

Heat butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then cook scallions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes.

Stir together cream and cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, then add to corn and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn mixture to a blender with garlic and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). OR if you have an immersion blender, place it in the pan and pulse in several places, blending about a third of the corn mixture. After blending return corn to skillet and cook, stirring, until just heated through.
Transfer corn to a large shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining cheese and cilantro over top.

Tips:

- I used 1 cup of grated white cheddar and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan folded into the corn before spooning into the serving dish. Then, topped the corn with a little crumbled feta and fresh cilantro.

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Fresh Apple and Pear Chutney

I have a big basket of assorted apples in my garage, courtesy of friends and neighbors who love to share. You know how I love fruit and meat together, so I thought, what would go better with Sara's Sunday Pork Tenderloin, than a little fresh apple and pear chutney? I love this combo of apples, raisins, pears, sugar and spice. This would also be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table. Oh joy! Only 7 weeks till the Big Day. I'll try to contain myself.

Fresh Apple and Pear Chutney

printable version

2 cups apple cider

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 pounds assorted apples, preferably tart, peeled, cored,

chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, chopped

1 1/2 cups golden raisins

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon grainy mustard ( or 2 teaspoons mustard seed)

3/4 cup brown sugar

dash cayenne

Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine all remaining ingredients into sauce pan with cider mixture. Simmer until apples are tender and chutney thickens, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. If you have a immersion blender, place the blade into the pan and pulse quickly about 2-3 times. Just until about a fourth of the mixture is blended. Place in serving bowl or canning jars, cover and refrigerate. Will keep for about 2 weeks refrigerated.

Tips:

-This could be made with lots of different fruit combos. Some people like to add nuts to their chutney, or even fresh garlic cloves.

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Apple and Cabbage Slaw

I never used to like coleslaw. Memories from childhood are of KFC dinners my Dad brought home -complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and soupy slaw. Ick. Years later, I ate coleslaw at a restaurant, and loved it! This grown up slaw was sweet and crunchy and had fruit mixed in with the cabbage. Here is my version. A must for a standard Labor Day bbq dinner.

Apple and Cabbage Slaw

printable version

1/2 large head cabbage (or 1 1/2 bags of coleslaw mix)
2 large carrots, grated (omit if using bagged mix)
1-2 apples, I like Fuji washed, cored, cut into chunks ( peel on)
1/3 cup Golden Raisins (more or less depending-if you are a raisin lover)
1/4 cup Craisins (optional)
3/4 cup Mayonnaise (not light)
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons sugar
3 tsp celery seed

Wash and chop cabbage. Place cabbage in large bowl. Add carrots, apples, golden raisins, and Craisins. In separate bowl, mix the mayo, cider vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. If you like the dressing more tart, add vinegar, a tablespoon at a time. If you like your slaw dressing sweet, add more sugar. When the dressing is mixed well, add the celery seed. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and fruits. This salad is best when chilled for at least an hour.

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Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Pear Tomatoes and Garlic Chives

I took one look at this recipe and knew I had to make this salad. The only problem was - well two problems. One - no garden= no tomatoes. Especially no pear tomatoes. This is where great neighbors come in. A call to the Farr's. Beg their girls to go out into the garden and see if any of those cute little pear or cherry tomatoes are ripe. Problem solved. Second problem: Read the recipe and look at the ingredients really fast, and you might think this is a SALAD recipe. It looks like a salad in the pic in August Bon Appetit. Re-read the recipe. A little more carefully this time. Right before making dinner. This is not a salad, but is a hot dish. Oh well. I decided to go with my vision, and make it as a salad. Loved it. Hopefully, you have neighbors like the Farr's, or maybe you grow your own pear tomatoes. If not, you are missing out. Big time. This salad is so yummy. Fresh. Hurry summer is slipping away...

Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Pear Tomatoes and Garlic Chives

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10 Oz Orecchiette (little ear shaped pasta, about 3 cups uncooked)

1 pound fresh mini mozzarella balls (found these at Costco)

1 pound grape or pear tomatoes, red and yellow if available

8-10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6-8 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons minced fresh garlic chives or regular chives* see note below

4 tablespoons minced fresh oregano

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Pour into large bowl, and add all of the remaining ingredients. Season with kosher salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.

Tips:

-I added extra oil and vinegar to the pasta after the salad sat for a while. The pasta absorbs the oil and vinegar, and becomes a little dry.

-Using a white balsamic is important, if using red, it will discolor the pasta and cheese. White balsamic is found in Italian markets, and in some grocery stores.

-*Note that the recipe calls for 5 tablespoons minced garlic or regular CHIVES,

not 5 tablespoons of garlic.

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Asian Grilled Flank Steak Salad

Goodness, this was yummy.

Here is the manly part of the salad (below). BEEF.

Tomorrow is my little brother's birthday. He is my one and only sibling. Harold. Uncle Harry to my kids. The favorite uncle, on my side. He has a fun, YELLOW (if you are into the COLOR CODE) personality. I asked Jacob, my youngest to describe him: "Funny, strong, loud, cool, garbage gut, always happy". My little bro is always game for the park, basketball court, carnival rides, swimming pool, sledding, shopping mall- you name it- he's up for it. The two of us rode for countless hours in the back of my parents camper on road trips all over the Western U.S. We fought a little, but mostly got along, because we only had each other.

Kind. Friendly. Thoughtful. Generous. Considerate. He married a great person, Kaari, who brings out the best in him. They have two beautiful and sweet daughters. Harold is a great dad! I admire him for always putting his family first. When I go home to visit, and watch him with his own little family, I think - when did he grow up?? When did I grow up? It seems like it wasn't that long ago we were riding around in that gold camper. When we were kids, we mimicked our parents eating habits. I was just like Dad, give me anything sweet, and I could make a meal out of it. Pie and cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner - that's me. Harold was just like Mom. A piece of fruit was a great dessert. Salads? I would tolerate a salad with dinner, but mom felt like a meal wasn't complete without salad. Harold's tastes have changed a little, he likes sweets more now than in his younger days, but he still loves to eat salads with meals. He also LOVES meat. When I made this salad a while ago, I instantly thought of him. I wished we lived closer, so I could run over a big platter of this salad to him. It's a delicious summer salad. Big hit at our house. Enough meat to satisfy a manly appetite, and enough green and pasta to please the lady like eaters in your fam. We absolutely LOVED this. And I know you (and your brother) will too.

Happy Birthday little brother, I love you.

I used these noodles I brought back from my trip to Japan last October...

had to guess what this said (see package below).

Asian Grilled Flank Steak Salad

printable recipe

For Flank Steak and Marinade:

1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

3 scallions, white parts only, sliced (may sub chopped onion)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

For Dressing: (to be mixed with remaining 1/2 of marinade)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

For Salad:

1 oz Asian rice noodles, or other Asian noodles

1 head leaf lettuce- Boston, red or green leaf

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup small sweet onion, chopped or sliced into

thin rings (optional)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, or two medium sized tomatoes, sliced

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I used honey roasted)

1. Score the flank steak on both sides, across the grain. This helps the meat to absorb the marinade. Place the steak into a 9x9 or 9x13 glass dish.

2. Place all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix together well. Make sure the sugar is dissolved. Pour about half of the marinade over the steak in the glass pan. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Save the other half of the marinade for the dressing.

3. Add to the remaining (for dressing) marinade the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons honey. Whisk and set aside.

4. Bring about 2-3 quarts of water to a boil and cook the Japanese noodles, according to package directions. You may use soba noodles, or rice noodles. Rice noodles only need to be soaked in cold water, then drained after about 1 hour. If the rice noodles are not tender after an hour, you may need to boil in water 1-3 minutes. Drain noodles in colander, rinse with cold water, toss with a little oil. Set aside.

5. Pre-heat barbecue.

6. Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except peanuts. Toss together.

7. Brush oil or lightly spray PAM on heated grill. Place the flank steak on the hot grate and grill until cooked to taste 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to cutting board and let rest for at least 3 minutes. Cut the steak into paper thin slices across the grain by holding the knife blade at a 45 degree angle to the top of the meat.

8. If serving in a large bowl to a crowd, toss the salad ingredients and mound the noodles in the center of the salad, drizzle dressing over all of the greens and noodles. Top with sliced steak, and garnish with chopped peanuts and mint. Toss all together just before serving. If serving on individual plates, lay salad ingredients on plates, top with small amount of noodles and few slices of steak. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-Rice noodles are available in Asian specialty stores, or many grocery stores. They usually only need soaking, but some varieties require soaking and a brief boil.

-This salad may be made with any type of meat: chicken, pork tenderloin, or even tofu.

adapted from: How to Grill cookbook by Steven Raichlen

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Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

Have you tried the corn this year?? It's unbelievable. I love, I mean LOVE fresh corn. I could eat fresh corn on the cob for dinner. All by its lonesome. Tonight I had to come up with a quick appetizer to share at a church dinner, so I ran to the grocery, and picked up the ingredients for one of my all time favorite salsas. If you don't make this in the summer when the corn is fresh, you're missing out. It's good with frozen corn, but out of this world with fresh corn off the cob. If you want, it could be served as a side salad on top of some shredded lettuce, or on a piece of butter lettuce. In the word of a dear friend I spent the week with recently -"Yummalicious".

Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

printable version

3 ears of fresh corn, white is good, yellow makes for better color contrast

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

1 medium purple onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

juice of 2 limes

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from pan and place in large bowl filled with ice and water. Cut kernels off cob, and place in medium size bowl. Make sure corn is completely cooled before adding to rest of ingredients. Add avocado and next 7 ingredients to corn. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill up to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Penne with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Arugula

In UTAH, school is almost out, and there are a gazillion places to be and programs/games/meetings to attend before the end of May. I was looking for a quick and easy dish to prepare for dinner last week and found this in Gourmet magazine. I had to make a few adjustments-

1) I already had a huge container of spinach I needed to use in my fridge, so I used spinach instead of Arugula.

2) I used fresh tomatoes instead of sun dried, because the boys don't love sun dried, and I had fresh on the counter. It totally changed the overall taste of the dish, I'm sure.

3)My neighborhood grocery deli girl looked at me with that "what are you talking about??" look when I asked for some pancetta . Instead of making a trip to the big city, I subbed a little bacon. It was an acceptable sub, but the pancetta would have been WAY better. Omitting the meat altogether probably would have been a better option.

The boys loved it, so I can't complain too much. Start to finish, less than 1/2 hour.

Happy May!

Penne with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Arugula

1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 cup cream

1/3 cup milk (my addition, because the cream amount was not enough liquid) see tips below

1/2 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped

8 cups fresh arugula or spinach

1 pound Penne pasta*

1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus additional shaved Parmesan for serving

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

salt and pepper

Cook Pasta using package directions. Reserve cooking water to thin pasta sauce. Set aside.

Cook pancetta in one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet (I like Teflon for this dish) over medium heat, stirring occasionally until brown and crisp. Transfer pancetta to paper towels and drain. Pour off all extra oil, wipe out any crumbs from meat remaining in pan. Over medium heat, cook onion in 2 tablespoons oil in pan until softened. Add garlic, salt and pepper cook for about 8 minutes total. Stir in cream, milk, sun dried tomatoes and cooked pancetta, simmer until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, add arugula stir, just until wilted about 1 minute.

Add pasta to sauce in skillet and toss together with grated Parmesan. Thin sauce with reserved cooking water if necessary . Stir in fresh basil, serve with shaved Parmesan on top.

Tips:

-I thought 1 lb of pasta was too much past for the amount of sauce. A little of the dry side. Next time, I'll either just cook 3/4 lb of the pasta, or adjust the sauce to make a little more. Maybe up the overall liquid dairy products to 1 1/2 cups. I added 1/3 cup of milk, because I thought the 2/3 cup of cream was not enough. Even with the 1/3 cup of milk addition, and a little water from the pasta, it was not enough sauce for me...

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