Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

I have been cooking for over thirty years. My early cooking adventures during my preteen years included many recipes with Bisquick, hotdogs, instant pudding, and chocolate chips. My best friend growing up was Susie, and we would spend our Saturdays grilling up a package of Oscar Mayer hotdogs and whipping up a batch of double chocolate instant pudding to eat topped with Cool Whip. Oh those were the days.

Fast forward to 2005. I am working with my friend Amy in a small gourmet shop. We are the cooks, dishwashers, menu planners, waitresses, counter help, and trash taker-outers. It is our dream job. Amy has a fantastic recipe for potato salad that came from a relative of hers. We put it on the menu, and it is a hit. Every sandwich and wrap comes with a side of Dill Pickle Potato Salad. We are making batches of the salad every day. I can even make the salad in my sleep.



With the Fourth of July just around the corner, a batch of Dill Pickle Potato Salad will be perfect for your holiday celebration. No picnic is complete without it.

Dill Pickle Potato Salad
makes about 6 servings

2 pounds of small red potatoes, about 10
1 tablespoon pickle juice from the pickle jar
2 tablespoons Italian dressing. I recommend Newman's Own Italian Dressing
2 whole dill pickles, cut in large chunks
2 stalks of celery, diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Fill a large pot with cold water and place on stove. Cut potatoes in large chunks and place in pot. Cook potatoes over medium high heat for about 20 - 30 minutes or until just cooked through. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add pickle juice and dressing and toss to coat. Cover bowl with a towel for 10 minutes.

Add pickles, celery, mayonnaise, pepper and salt. Toss to coat all the ingredients with the mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grilled Island Kebabs with Sugar & Spice Rub

Impromptu entertaining and summertime go hand in hand. Schedules are more relaxed, bedtimes are extended, and friends and family stop by just because. It is easy to grill up some burgers and hotdogs, but being a little more creative really doesn't take too much more work.

Inspiration for my cooking comes from many different sources. I read cooking magazines, cookbooks, newspapers, and blogs. I pick up the recipe cards on the counter at my local fish market. I ask friends what they are making for dinner. A visit to a farmers' market or ethnic store can expose me to ingredients I have not cooked with before. By purchasing a new vegetable or jar of homemade jam or chutney, I can spice up the meals I prepare for my family and friends.

Grilled Island Kebabs with Sugar and Spice Rub are quick to prepare and can be served as an appetizer or entree. Most ingredients for this chicken kebab with a kick are already in your pantry, and the mango chutney can be picked up at a specialty market or even in the aisles of your favorite grocery store.

When guests drop by, heat up the grill and serve some brie, crackers, and fruit while you enlist the help of a friend or two to help make the kebabs. Roast a pan of Crispy Parmesan Potatoes and toss mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette. Dinner will be ready in less than an hour and your guests will be treated to tasty meal.

Look all around you for new cooking ideas. With a little creative cooking, your summer dining can a little spice to your life.


Grilled Island Kebabs with Sugar & Spice Rub
serves 4 - 5 as a main course or 8 - 10 as an appetizer

sugar and spice rub -
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

20 chicken tenders, about 1 1/2 pounds
40 pineapple chunks
20 bamboo skewers
1/4 cup mango chutney such as Major Grey's Mango Chutney

Heat a grill to medium high heat.

In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Place the chicken tenders in a large resealable bag and add the rub. Shake to coat the chicken thoroughly. Set aside while the grill heats up, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the bag and thread onto the skewers. Place one pineapple chunk on either end of the kebab with the chicken in the middle. Grill for about 6 - 8 minutes turning frequently so the rub does not burn. During the last couple minutes of grilling, brush the kebabs with the chutney.

Remove from grill and serve.

Print recipe

Sliding into Summer

The lazy days of summer have not been very lazy around our house yet. We have been greatly anticipating the end of the school year so that we could stroll on the beach, lay by the pool, and generally not adhere to any schedule. Self-inflicted activities for the kids, cooking for a couple clients for me, and a new job for The Husband has equated to a hectic first week of summer. The busy days coupled with my recent lack of fresh and new dinner ideas has resulted in my blog being sadly neglected.

I have managed to stop by my favorite blogs during the past week and one in particular gets a daily read from me. Big Red Kitchen is written by Robin Sue and in my next life I am going to come back as her. Loaded with recipes, party ideas, menu planning, and tales of her foodie travels, her blog always is an interesting read.

After opening my refrigerator this afternoon and noticing the empty shelves, I decided it was time to stock up on quick foods to heat and eat. First up on my list of items to make for my bare refrigerator was Robin Sue's recipe for White Castle Sliders. Mini burgers with onions and melted cheese are the perfect grab and go lunch, afternoon snack or dinner. Pair the sliders with California Cole Slaw, Fennel Apple Slaw with Blue Cheese, or Lemony Garbanzo and Edamame Salad for a complete meal.

Make a double batch of these tasty burgers so you will have enough for the refrigerator and some for the freezer.

Thanks Robin Sue!!

Sliders

Sliding into Summer Sliders
adapted from a recipe on Big Red Kitchen

makes 24
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
about 1 1/2 pounds ground beef - 90/10 ground beef
seasoned salt
pepper
6 slices American cheese, cut into 4 squares
24 small party rolls- I use Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Cut into 24 patties and top with cheese. Return to oven for 1 more minute. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with the bun lid.

Note- Store these upside-down in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the onion layer. To reheat, place a few on a microwave safe plate and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds then 5 second increments after that until warm through.

Chunky Greek Salad

Many of our weekends during May and June are spent at lacrosse or softball tournaments. These hot days include visits to a variety of "snack shacks" which typically offer a menu that is less on the healthy side and appeal more to the kid in all of us. I love a good hotdog, bag of Cheetos, and a Coke just as much as the next person. But after one too many Fruit Roll-Ups, slices of greasy pizza, and nacho chips covered in neon orange cheese, my body is craving just about any vegetable or fruit.

Packing an ice-filled cooler with sub sandwiches, cut up celery, carrots, and broccoli with hummus, wedges of chilled watermelon, single serving yogurts, snack bags of trail mix, and mini pumpkin, zucchini, and lemon poppy seed muffins makes the dining experience along the sidelines of a dusty ball field a much more enjoyable experience. I have been including a few travel-worthy salads in the cooler with the latest favorite being Chunky Greek Salad.

Some sports-filled Saturday mornings start just as the newspaper hits the driveway at 6 a.m. On these early days, I am glad that this salad is prepared in practically minutes. By combining a few crunchy peppers and cucumbers with feta, olives, and bottled vinaigrette dressing, we are out the door and off for our day's adventures.


Chunky Greek Salad

makes about 6 cups or 4 - 5 servings

1 large green pepper, cut in 1-inch dice
1 large red pepper, cut in 1-inch dice
2 kirby cucumbers, cut in large chunks
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black olives, pitted, more if you love olives
about 1/3 pound feta cheese, crumbled in large chunks
about 3 - 4 tablespoons of Newman's Caesar Dressing or your favorite vinaigrette

In a large bowl, combine the peppers, cucumbers, olives and feta. Add vinaigrette to the ingredients and toss to coat.

Store in the refrigerator. Salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Mojo Skirt Steak

A classic dinner with beef as the star of the meal is a favorite at our house. Sometimes I try to create dinners that are more difficult than they need to be. The Family was craving a good grilled steak with some traditional sides and this quick meal delivered.

Mojo Skirt Steak embraces the flavors of Cuban cooking and includes a marinade of lime and orange juices, cumin, garlic, fresh oregano, parsley, and olive oil. A favorite cut of beef of mine is skirt steak. It is a long, flat piece of beef that is extremely flavorful It benefits for a marinade containing acid such as citrus juices and is a juicy steak when properly cooked. Our steak was paired with early season corn on the cob and salt and pepper crusted baby red potatoes.

"This is just a good meal," said My Oldest who has been enjoying some free time since the end of her high school softball season. Side note: Bragging Mom would like to add that she was voted MVP of her team this season.

No Thank You Boy generally dips every meat plus the occasional vegetable in A-1 Steak Sauce. I think he is looking to be their spokesman. This time though, he ate the steak on its own remarking, "This is really flavorful." It was enjoyable watching him eat only the inside of the tender, tiny red potatoes. He thought it was silly to eat the skin of the potato where most vitamins are.

Next time I am wrestling with what to make for dinner, I am going to think of this night. Even though math was not one of my favorite subjects in school, I am going to remember this equation.

Simple ingredients + simple preparations = delicious dinner.

Mojo Skirt Steak
adapted from a recipe in The Healthy Beef Cookbook

serves 5

for the marinade -
1/3 cup orange juice
juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon cumin
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Whisk together ingredients for marinade. Place in a resealable bag and add the steak. Marinate for about 2 - 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat grill or grill pan. Remove steak from the marinade and grill for about 4 - 5 minutes per side for medium rare. For medium, cook the steak a couple more minutes per side. Remove steak from the grill and let rest, tented with foil, on a cutting board.

To serve, slice the steak on an angle and squeeze lime wedges over the sliced meat.

Biggie Chocoholic Cookies

When I get a new cookbook, I read it like it is a novel. I devour every recipe, photo, and cooking tidbit offered by the author. Every once in a while, it is time to branch out and actually read a novel. The novels that I pick are about food and usually include recipes. Some of my favorite foodie reads include A Year in Provence, Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table, and Comfort Food.

One of the first fiction foodie authors I discovered was Diane Mott Davidson and her series of mysteries about a caterer named Goldy Schultz. I loved reading the descriptions of the food the heroine prepared and the lavish parties she catered. The novels are interspersed with numerous recipes and a favorite of mine appeared in Davidson's novel The Main Corpse.


Chocoholic Cookies are double chocolate cookies loaded with chocolate chips and oatmeal. I have made a few changes over the years and have come up with a family favorite cookie. Nothing is better than a good book and a great cookie.

Biggie Chocoholic Cookies
adapted from a recipe in Diane Mott Davidson's mystery novel The Main Corpse.

makes about 24 - 3 inch cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Hersey's Bits O' Brickle Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa mixing until thoroughly combined. The batter will be stiff. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add oats, chocolate chips and toffee bits and mix until combined.

Using a 2-inch scoop, drop batter about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 11 - 12 minutes. The cookies will still be slightly soft in the middle. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy with your favorite book.