Fried Potato Salad

If you got past the "fried" then let me mention there is also bacon involved in this recipe.  If that doesn't stop you, proceed--I promise it will be worth it.

You will need:

a dozen small red potatoes

2 or 3 green onions

six strips of bacon

a handful of flat leaf parsley (or a 1 - 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)

For the dressing:

1 Tablespoon brown mustard

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until almost cooked through.  Drain and cool.  Slice into 1/4" rounds.

In the meantime, cook the bacon and crumble it.  Remove on tablespoon of bacon drippings for use in dressing.

In a bowl mix brown mustard, red wine vinegar, the tablespoon of bacon grease, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in olive oil.

Use the remaining bacon drippings to fry the potatoes--laying flat in pan and turning once--until browned.  Do in batches if they don't fit in the pan in a single layer.  You must be fair and allow every piece to bath in the bacon juice!

Remove from pan and place in bowl.

Add crumbled bacon. . .

. . . add chopped green onion. . .

. . . add parsley. . .

. . . add dressing.

Toss. . . gently. It will taste good, but not be nearly so pretty if you break all the little potato rounds.

Enjoy.  If it makes you feel better, serve it with steamed veggies and grilled chicken so it feels a little healthier! 

Winter Salsa

Are you itching to get out there in the garden and put your hands in the dirt?  Tomatoes, and peppers, and herbs. . . I have plans this year.  There is something great about picking food from your garden and bringing it into the kitchen and making delicious dishes with it.  

I love tomatoes.  There is nothing like a freshly picked, garden grown, vine ripened tomato.  And one thing I love to make is fresh salsa.  During the winter it just isn't the same with the anemic tomatoes you can buy at the store and pay a fortune for.   So I have a solution for winter salsa urges.

Instead of fresh tomatoes I use canned tomatoes and everything else fresh.  And it's yummy.  You will need:

2 cans of tomatoes.

Add: a large handful of cilantro--chopped, a small red onion (or half a large one)--chopped, a jalapeno (or half a large one--add the seeds for more kick)--chopped, one clove of garlic--pressed or chopped,  A squeeze of lime juice, and salt to taste.  If you need more kick you can add a little red chili powder.  It's fun, try it.

Enjoy. If you really want to titillate your taste buds, make some guac to go with it.  

Linzer Cookies

Sweet tarts for your Sweetheart.  

This recipe has origins in Austria centuries ago.  And the original Linzer cookie wasn't actually a cookie, it was a torte made with ground almonds in the dough and filled will black currant  preserves.  But despite these differences, this modern variant of the torte is divine to eat and pretty to look at.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar, divided

2 eggs, separated

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

3/4 cup  preserves (Raspberry Preserve Recipe)

Cream butter in mixing bowl.

Add 2/3 cup sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.

Add yolks--beating well after each.

Combine flour and salt--gradually add to mixer.  Form a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Dust counter with confectioner's sugar.  Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness--cut shapes (I used hearts but you could use rounds or other shapes--be sure to have a smaller version to cut the "window" out.)  

Be sure you have an equal number of bottoms. . . 

. . . and tops.

Beat egg whites until frothy and brush onto bottom cutouts.  If you are using whole almonds process them in the food processor with the remaining sugar--the sugar keeps the almonds from clumping into paste.  sprinkle the mixture over bottoms--atop the egg white.  

**by not combining the almonds in the dough it allows you to leave it out should you choose not to use nuts.  You may also use ground hazelnuts. I have also seen hazelnut varieties that use Nutella as filling instead of preserves.

Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 

6 - 8 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

Spread about two teaspoons of preserve on eat bottom cookie. . .

. . . powder the "window" tops with confectioner's sugar. . .

. . . and assemble.

Present to your sweetheart. . . or eat them all yourself.  I won't judge you.

Say "I love you" With Chocolate. . .

Raspberry Filled Chocolate Bars

I have a weakness for chocolate. . .dark chocolate. . . and raspberries.  So let's combine them and enjoy a moment of pure bliss, shall we?

You will need a chocolate mold.  I found this one at Williams Sonoma last week.  It is actually a brownie mold--but hey, it works great for chocolates!  (I have yet to make brownies with it).

Ingredients:

Chocolate--to melt (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chips)

Raspberry filling (see recipe below)

Raspberry Filling:

You will need-

2 cups raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbs corn starch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine in pot and bring to boil.  Heat and stir until thickens.  

Press through sieve to remove seeds.

Cool completely.

For Chocolates:

Melt chocolate in microwave one minute at a time, stirring until all smooth.

Pour first layer into mold and freeze for five minute.  (Be sure to tap the mold to make sure the air pockets get out.)  

Paint chocolate around edge of mold so the filling won't show through on the sides.  Freeze a couple more minutes.  

Add raspberry filling (or peanut butter or whatever you want).  Freeze for 5 - 10 more minutes.

  

Pour top layer of chocolate--tap to remove bubbles.  Freeze for 10 - 20 minutes.  

Remove from freezer and dump out chocolates.  Then enjoy. . . or what for it to thaw a little, then enjoy.

Guacamole

Simply calling this dish guacamole doesn't do it justice.  This "get this party started" guac.  This is, "forget the main dish--I'm eating the guac" good.  It is a tradition in our house to make it today. . . the day of the "Big Game."  And even thought it is also tradition to make steak sandwiches as the main course, I inevitably fill up on the guac and can't finish my sandwich--which is also divine.  

So with no further ado, you will need:

3 - 5 ripe avocados

1/2 a large red onion, diced

handful of chopped cilantro (about 1/3 cup)

1 jalapeno (if it's large I use 1/2) 

juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

Directions:

Peel and smash the avocados. . .

Dice the onion. . . 

Dice the jalapeno. . . 

Chop the cilantro. . .

Add to smashed avocado along with the squeeze of lime and the salt. . .

Mix all together. . . and try to save room for the main course.  Or just plan on not having one.

White Almond Fudge

This creamy fudge is a lovely compliment to your Christmas Candy Arsenal.  I have a weakness for almond flavored. . .anything, actually.  If I could master a good Almond English Toffee all would be right with the world.  I will keep you posted on that front.  In the meantime, enjoy this creamy little treat.

You will need:

4 cups sugar

1 cup cream

1/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 pkg white good quality white chocolate chips.

1 tbs almond extract

Dump it all in the pot.  Stir until boiling.  STOP stirring and let it boil until the temperature reaches 225 degrees.

Take it off the heat.  Stir in white chips.  Continue to stir until chips are melted. Add Almond flavor and stir until creamy.

Pour into 8X8 inch buttered pan.  Cover and let sit for several hours, or overnight.  Cut into squares and enjoy.

Perfect Penuche

This is a treat we try to make every year.  This year we finally manage to turn it out to perfection (which is more than I can say for a couple other candies I still haven't mastered).  Finally getting it right is really very rewarding.  

Penuche is a brown sugar fudge that is known for its grainy texture, but adding corn syrup makes it creamier and oh so much more satisfying.

Ingredients:

2 lb. bag of light brown sugar

1  cup of evaporated milk (if you don't have it substitute 2/3 cup dry milk + 3/4 cup of water. . .I did)

1/2  cup butter

4  tbs. light corn syrup

1/4  tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a medium saucepan mix brown sugar, milk, butter, corn syrup and salt.

Cook--stirring until butter is dissolved.  Then cook without stirring until soft ball stage is reached (or 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.)  

Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.  Add vanilla.  Beat until thick. It should loose its glossiness as it firms.

Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan or 11X7 inch pan.  When firm, cut into squares.

Enjoy. . . in moderation, of course. There are lots of other candies to make, after all.  Save some love handle real estate for the next treat.