Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

We are a family of salad lovers. I know I've said it before, but I'm truly blessed with children who are not picky and always willing to give something new a try. They also adore their "greens" and a meal at our house would not be complete without a salad or vegetable along with dinner. Sure they all have their favorites, but even some of the less liked vegetables get eaten. They are all in agreement though when it comes to cucumbers; every single one of my kids loves them. They enjoy them when tucked into their lunchboxes with a little bit of light ranch dressing, but also love cucumbers with abundance when included in any kind of salad. 

My husband brought home two gorgeous looking English cucumbers a couple of days ago and after snacking on one, I still had one leftover to make a salad. I was looking for an Asian inspired recipe since I was preparing a Thai meal that evening. Checking the inventory of my fridge I also found carrots, radishes and red onion and figured all of them would fit perfectly into a salad. I found a basic recipe on Savory Sweet Life and decided to give it a go. This salad comes together quickly, it's the cutting of the carrots and radishes into matchsticks which will take you the longest. Once all the vegetables are cut, they are combined with the dressing. The vinaigrette is a simple mixture of rice vinegar, sugar (which I reduced from the original), chili garlic sauce and salt. The dressing is added to the vegetables and then everything is refrigerated for a couple of hours. I added two teaspoons of the chili garlic sauce and found it a sufficient heat level, but feel free to add more or less to taste.

This salad turned out great. The kids and us adults really enjoyed this great mix of sweet and sour along with the crunch of the vegetables. This is definitely a keeper and lends itself to so many different meals. I especially loved this salad since it is very light and with no oil in the vinaigrette it is also not too shabby on your waistline and boy, don't we all know that the bathing suit season is approaching!

Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (a mandolin works great)

1 large carrot, peeled and matchstick-julienned

4 radishes, matchstick-julienned

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a microwavable bowl add rice vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and salt. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir the vinaigrette until the sugar is completely dissolved. In a medium size bowl add the sliced cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and red onion. Pour vinaigrette over the cucumber mixture and toss. Cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Slightly adapted from: Savory Sweet Life 

Shepherd's Pie

 

Every year we celebrate St. Patrick's day. Not because we are Irish, in fact neither my husband nor I have one bit of Irish blood running through our veins, but we celebrate it simply because we like the food. We also like the beer, are fond of Irish butter and cheese and who can say no to some good Irish coffee? We also enjoy listening to U2 and are fans of The Cranberries. Most of all who can forget the years of reign by The Lord of the Dance,  Michael Flatley and his crew, as they were touring the world (even though it is quite debatable if being able to move your legs like this is completely natural). See, with all of this said, we could "almost" pass as Irish. Hence, we are not, but we can at least pretend once a year. Our typical meal for this holiday does include Corned Beef and Colcannon, however our kids are not the biggest fans of this dinner, so in order to keep the peace, I decided to smooth things over with another Irish specialty beforehand.

Shepherd's pie refers to an Irish meat pie made with minced beef (ground beef) and with a crust made from mashed potatoes. I've been tinkering with a few different recipes for this dish for years and while the end results were tasty, I was convinced they could be improved upon. While I was searching for yet another version to try, I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com. It is a recipe by Melissa d'Arabian who starred in The Next Food Network Star. In all honesty, while she was competing on the show I wasn't a big fan of hers, and I don't think I've ever watched her show, but she definitely hit a home-run with this recipe. This Shepherd's Pie is the real deal. It is full of flavor and utterly delicious.  A great filling and an even better topping make this truly a stand-out. Bacon, onions and ground beef are cooked along with carrots and peas in a flavorful gravy composed of Guinness Beer, beef broth and spices. The topping receives extra love from 10 garlic cloves, sour cream, more beef broth and cheese which will assure that every bite of this will make for a wonderful dining experience.

This Shepherd's pie, in my opinion, is as good as it gets and is my new go-to recipe. My kids loved this meal and so did the adults. It is comforting and perfect for a chilly day. Yes, this will take you a little bit longer than opening a jar of gravy and mixing it with ground beef and frozen veggies, before topping it with boxed mashed potatoes as many recipes I've seen suggest, but sometimes good things require extra love and time to turn into something truly spectacular.  So, keep in mind that if corned beef might not be your first choice for St. Patrick's Day, this recipe is a fantastic alternative, especially when served with a nice glass of cold Guinness. Cheers, or as they say in Ireland; sláinte!

Shepherd's Pie

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the Garlicky Potato Topping:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into eights

10 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 to 2/3 cup beef broth

4 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Filling:

4 slices bacon, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 93 % lean)

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 bottle of Guinness Beer

1/2 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

For the Garlicky Potato Topping: In a large saucepan add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, 1/3 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and mash until everything is smooth and the ingredients are incorporated. If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/3 cup broth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch  baking dish with nonstick spray.

For the Filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and almost crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate; set aside.

Add the oil to the drippings in the skillet and put over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook, stirring, occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked bacon, the broth, rosemary, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Let rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Adapted from: Melissa d'Arabian

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew

Our "cold" days are pretty numbered living here in Arizona. Any kind of chill in the air has us running for jackets, boots and scarves along with warm comfort food like soups and stews. Maybe it's because our winter season is so short that these meals are looked forward to and beloved. We are quite spoiled with the weather in Arizona, especially during the fall/winter/spring months. What we consider "cold" is pretty laughable by the rest of the country's standards. However I'm convinced that in order to survive our extremely hot summers our blood thins and once the temperatures dip below 65 degrees we are just not equipped anymore to take the cold. It is pretty humorous to watch all of the tourists flocking to Arizona during this time of year. Most of the "natives" are wearing winter clothes, but you can pick out all the tourists sporting t-shirts, shorts and flip flops once the thermometer hits 60. It's a heat wave, especially if you've just arrived from North Dakota, Wisconsin or any other northern state. 

Taking full advantage of the temperatures dipping last weekend, my husband was craving beef stew. Not just any old beef stew, but Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew. I have made a few beef stews over the years and all of them were an improvement over my first encounter with "Dinty Moore", which my husband introduced me too while he was in the military. Beef stew can be extremely blah or it can be a fantastic, flavorful meal. Tyler's recipe falls into the latter category.

Let me start with prefacing that this is NOT a meal that is cooked in 30 minutes. This is one recipe that requires time, but the end result is well worth the effort. This is definitely a weekend meal for us since weekdays are always busy. This is also not the cheapest of meals, especially if you use quality ingredients. However, I can justify the expense many times over by realizing that taking a family of 5 to a restaurant would be way more expensive. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but thought I would share a few pointers that I picked up while cooking this recipe. First off, the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour. This is an utter waste. The flour is used to coat your cubed stew meat and I used 3/4 of a cup at most. So start with one cup, it will be plenty. Secondly, this recipe calls for 1 bottle of red wine. It is important to use a good, well rounded bottle, something you would enjoy drinking as well. Do NOT use cooking wine, cooking wine is an abomination as far as I'm concerned and should never be used to cook with, it will ruin pretty much every dish. Also, if you don't like cooking with wine, then I would suggest finding a different recipe. There are no substitutions in this case, since the wine and acidity will help break down your meat, add flavor, depth and will overall end up making this meal extraordinary. I used a good middle of the road wine (Murphy-Goode: Liar's Dice), that I typically have on hand and it compliments this dish exquisitely.

I also used Yukon gold potatoes, rather then small new potatoes since this is what I usually have at home and it tasted great. The recipe calls for pearl onions, this is were I messed up slightly and simply forgot to grab some at the store. Instead of running back out, I decided to substitute with 1 large yellow onion, which I chopped and sauteed in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil before adding. 

This dish calls for ground cloves and a slice of orange zest. I briefly considered leaving it out, since in all honesty it sounded strange to me, but I'm glad I decided against it and went for it. You won't be able to detect either, but they added to the overall complexity of the dish. Last, but not least, the recipe calls for thyme sprigs. I used some butcher's twine to tie them together. Brilliant idea and much easier to remove once the dish is cooked than trying to sift for thyme stems.

The smell  of this recipe while cooking was indescribable and the finished meal turned out to be a hit. Totally worth the time, effort and ingredients makes this another wonderful Tyler Florence recipe. My husband's craving for a good stew was more than satisfied and considering that all of the kids had seconds, it was definitely a crowd pleaser.  I simply served this with some Peasant bread on the side and my husband enjoyed the stew topped with a bit of horseradish. What made this dish even better was the rainy, cold weather we had while eating along with a couple of glasses of red wine. This is pretty much what a perfect Sunday should feel like in the winter.

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour (this is a change from the original 2 cups)
2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 bottle good quality dry red wine 
8 fresh thyme sprigs (tied together with butcher's twine) 
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, diced and sauteed in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2
1/2 pound garden peas, frozen or fresh

Preparation:

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour in a large, shallow dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strips, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add diced potatoes, sliced carrots, sauteed onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last few minutes or cooking. Season one more time with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

Adapted from: Foodnetwork

Ragù alla Bolognese

Want to know how I spent my weekend? Besides hanging out with wonderful friends who came to visit we were also baking in the heat and jumping in the pool just to get the slightest bit of relief. Oh yeah, fall is in full swing in Arizona and blessed us with record temperatures of 109 degrees F over the weekend. My head keeps saying, "but it is fall, I want to to wear sweaters, and jeans and eat soups and stews" and my body keeps screaming "cool me off, it's another scorcher, find me the tank top and only feed me ice cream and salads". Quite the conundrum, don't you think?

So seriously, what's a woman (or man) to do when the rest of the country is begging for comfort food, and you as a food blogger have a responsibility to appeal to the crowds? You have to find a happy medium. Something that is comfort food, but also won't make you sit next to your open freezer while you eat that steaming bowl of soup. This is were one of our favorites always helps. Ragù alla Bolognese IS comfort food, but by adding a nice big bowl of salad on the side it fits the "scorcher" requirement as well.

I found this recipe a while back on one of my favorite blogs "Crepes of Wrath". If you haven't visited there, you should. Anyway, I only slightly adapted Sydney's already fabulous recipe to fit our taste and the result ended up "being on the money" as Guy Fieri would say. The recipe starts by sauteing onions, along with celery and carrots in butter. You add in some garlic and bacon, glorious bacon! This gets cooked until the bacon is slightly crisp. Ground beef is added and cooked until no longer pink. Then you throw in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and your usual Italian suspects of basil, thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, some nutmeg, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. This mixture then gets a good dousing of white wine and finally some heavy cream or half-and-half (if you must). The sauce will then hang out for a good hour on your stove which will give you plenty of time to make your salad, cook your pasta and grate your fresh Parmesan (step away from the green can on this dish).

This sauce is out of this world and there are hardly ever any leftovers, but if there are, it tastes just as good if not better the second time around. The sauce is flavorful, rich and has you smacking your lips while eating it. I've served this to friends and family and everyone keeps asking for the recipe which to me always means it is a keeper recipe. I hope you'll give this recipe a try, it is one that works wearing fall gear, but also works while baking in the sun!

Ragù alla Bolognese

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use 93 % lean)

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 bay leaves

1 cup white wine (don't use cooking wine!)

1/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1 pound Pasta

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Directions:

Melt your butter in a large pot or pan over medium heat. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat and then add in the diced onions, diced celery and diced carrots. Cook for 5 minutes until softened then add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add in the bacon and cook for 5 minutes or so until slightly crisp. Add in the ground beef and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through. Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, basil, thyme, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Add in the white wine and heavy cream (or half-and-half) and stir. Bring the bolognese to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for an hour, stirring every so often so that it doesn't burn.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and add to the bolognese. Stir to combine. Serve and top with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

Adapted from: Crepes of Wrath

Peas and Carrots "German Style"

Peas and carrots mixed together always bring me back to my childhood. It was my absolutely favorite vegetable my mom prepared, and to this day, it holds a special place in my heart. It is a super kid friendly vegetable mix, and my children have loved it since they were little babies and were able to start eating table food. This is another one of my mom's recipes that I made sure to acquire as soon as I moved out, and it has been a staple in our home ever since.

The dish is reminiscent of creamed vegetables without the heaviness. It starts by sauteing diced onions in a bit of olive oil. Cleaned, chopped carrots are added and sauteed for a minute. A little bit of water is added along with a vegetable bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Frozen peas are thrown into the mix, and everything is cooked until the carrots are soft, but still have a bit of bite left to them (nothing worse than mushy vegetables). A couple tablespoons of heavy cream along with freshly chopped parsley add the finishing touch. This recipe is certainly not difficult to fix, chopping the vegetables will be the hardest "chore" in this dish. After that, it is finished in no time.

I especially like to serve this along side mashed potatoes or simple boiled potatoes and a protein. Anything from a steak, to chicken or pot roast will be delicious. It is a very mild vegetable that is always incredibly well received, and despite the few ingredients, it tastes fresh and flavorful. So, if you are still guilty of heaving canned peas and carrots in your pantry, go ahead, and try this from scratch version, you might never go back to store bought again!

Peas and Carrots "German Style"

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cups carrots, diced

1 cup water

1 vegetable bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen peas

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion to the olive oil and saute until the onion turns translucent and slightly soft. Add the carrots and cook for another minute. Add water, vegetable bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, add the frozen peas, turn down heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the carrots have the desired consistency. Add the heavy cream and parsley, taste for seasonings and serve!

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe

Layer Salad

 

Layer Salad is one of my husband's favorite salads. It is also a great salad to take along to any BBQ, picnic, or potluck since it's visual appeal alone is a stand out.

This salad is best made a few hours ahead before serving so the frozen peas can un-thaw. Preparation for this salad is a little bit involved since you are chopping, grating and cooking the individual layers, but the results if presented in a nice glass trifle bowl are stunning.

This salad usually has something for everyone with all the different components of sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy. It is important however, that all the ingredients are at their prime. So don't skimp on sub-par vegetables since they are the star in this dish. A good quality mayonnaise is also key since it is mainly what makes your dressing. It is also a salad that if taken somewhere, the bowl is empty when you return home.

Hopefully you like this as much as we do when you serve it at your next function.

Layer Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded

1/2 medium red onion, diced

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 cups frozen baby peas

1 medium red pepper, diced

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Dressing:

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like Best Food's)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Layer the ingredients in the order listed into a trifle or other glass bowl reserving some of the bacon if desired to sprinkle on top.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl making sure to taste for seasoning. Spread dressing over entire bowl making sure to cover the entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Before serving add reserved bacon bits.

Better Than Restaurant Coleslaw

My children have always had a soft spot for KFC coleslaw. Every time we had the fried chicken (which isn't often) they would beg for the coleslaw over any other side the restaurant offered. I do have to admit that it is pretty good and creamy and I've enjoyed the occasional serving of it as well. I've had a lot of bad coleslaws over the years. There is usually one at every potluck present and while a lot of them are pretty good, there are just as many that are plain bland.

Figuring that I can make a coleslaw that is just as delicious as the fast food version, I was tinkering around with a recipe I had found on All Recipes. It was a good basic recipe but still lacked some of that wonderful creaminess that we all liked. After a lot of experimenting with the recipe and trying different things I came up with my take on this classic that has produced empty bowls time and time again. 

This coleslaw is fantastic with anything from grilled ribs to chicken or even seafood. It comes together quickly but will need to sit for a couple of hours for the flavors to really meld into one another.

I realize you might already have a coleslaw recipe in your repertoire, but maybe you still want to give mine a try and who knows, it might become a favorite of yours as well.

Better Than Restaurant Coleslaw

~ Serves 8~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package coleslaw mix

1/3 cup red onion, finely minced

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Combine the coleslaw mix and onions in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over the coleslaw and onion; stir well and chill for at least 1 hour. 

Slightly adapted from: All Recipes

Morning Glory Muffins

With school almost out for the summer and plenty of end of school year testing going on for all three of my children it is more important than ever to me that they leave the house having had a healthy breakfast that will have them all functioning well.

I've had this recipe for Morning Glory Muffins in my to-do list file for quite a while, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to go ahead and make them. They are bursting with good for you ingredients and are a great "on the go" breakfast.

The batter comes together very quickly, no mixer required. All you need is a couple of bowls, a wooden spoon and a whisk. While they are great right out of the oven they actually taste even better after sitting over night at room temperature. These muffins are low in calories (about 200 per muffin), low in fat (about 5 g), have a good amount of fiber (about 2.5 g) and are high in Vitamin A because of the carrots.* They are a wonderful start to the day.

My kids loved these and I felt good, knowing I sent them on their way with such a healthy breakfast in their tummy. Give them a try, they keep for a couple days well covered on the counter, or freeze them and take them out as needed.

*All nutritional information is only approximately.

Morning Glory Muffins

~makes 18 muffins~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, shredded or grated

2 medium apples, shredded or grated

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons wheat germ

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in carrots, apples, and raisins. Stir in apple sauce mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In  a small bowl, combine walnuts, wheat germ, and brown sugar; sprinkle over the muffin tops.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Adapted from: All Recipes

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

We love to BBQ all year round. Fortunately, we live in an area where the weather is fairly moderate in the winter months so we can continue to grill when many people in other parts of the country have to put their BBQ's in the garage or basement for the season. Burgers are always a big hit at our house and considering how quickly they come together it is certainly just as fast as driving to any fast food joint.

My husband is the grill master at our house. Grilling is his main passion. So while he does his magic on the grill, I'm usually the one getting all of the condiments ready for the burgers. The status quo in our household usually consist of a standard beef burger along with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and of course cheese.

After I got my newest Food Network Magazine and started flipping through the pages my eyes caught one of their "Weeknight Cooking" meals. It was for Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw. Now this one sounded very interesting. I read through the ingredients and figured I should try this Burger at least once. The burger doesn't require much more time than any other burger but the flavor was out of this world. It had the spice from the jerk seasoning (recipe follows), the sweetness from the slaw and the mayonnaise along with the bun which complimented everything. The ground turkey mixed with the apple (which you can't detect once cooked) was juicy and full of incredible flavor. I'm not the world's biggest mango chutney fan (maybe homemade tastes better than store bought) but in combination with the slaw and the mayonnaise it just works. The original recipe called for shredded cabbage and shredded carrot, but in order to streamline this process I just went with store bought coleslaw mix and it worked like a charm.

We all loved this burger. The only one who wasn't crazy about it was my youngest child, but he is a hardcore cheeseburger kid. This burger will be making an encore throughout our grilling season for sure. This was definitely not your standard "fast-food" burger and I'm looking forward to finding more unique burger recipes like this, so stay tuned!

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

~serves 6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 tablespoons jerk seasoning, plus more for sprinkling *(recipe follows)

1 medium green apple, peeled and grated

1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped, divided

1/3 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more for brushing

1/3 cup mango chutney, roughly chopped

4 cups coleslaw mix with carrots

Canola oil, for the grill

6 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

Preheat a grill grill pan to medium high. Mix the turkey, jerk seasoning, apple, 1/4 cup green onions and the panko in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Form into 6 1-inch thick patties and make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb to prevent it from puffing up on the grill. Refrigerate.

Whisk the mayonnaise and chutney in a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and the remaining 1/4 cup green onion, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Brush the grill with canola oil. Grill the turkey patties until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; toast on the grill, about 30 seconds. Serve the burgers and slaw on the buns.

Jerk Seasoning

~makes 1/2 cup~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon onion flakes

2 teaspoons ground thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons dried chives

Directions:

Mix together all the ingredients. Store leftovers in a tightly closed glass jar. It will keep its strength for over a month. 

Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of seasoning for each pound of meat.

Confetti Couscous Salad

Many years ago I was looking for a recipe to serve along side grilled shrimp. After searching through tons of magazines I found this recipe for Confetti Couscous Salad. I don't even recall in what publication I found the recipe but it has been a family favorite ever since. 

The first time I make a recipe I usually follow almost everything exactly, and then make notes if I do end up changing something as I'm sure a lot of cooks do. This salad however did not need one thing different or changed, the recipe was great as is. The salad is made very quickly and full of delicious flavors.

The name of the salad comes from the beautiful color of bright green celery, orange carrots and the  dark red of plump dried cranberries. Couscous, toasted almonds and a light vinaigrette round out this tasty dish.  I serve this salad most often with grilled seafood or chicken but it would taste great with just about anything. I truly hope you will give this one a try, it is a great salad.

Confetti Couscous Salad

~serves 4-6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1/4 cup green onions, finely sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover and remove from the heat. Let sand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool.

In a serving bowl, combine the couscous, celery, carrot, onions, and cranberries.

In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Add almonds just before serving.  This salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Susi's German Pasta Salad

Growing up in Germany I was introduced to this pasta salad as a young girl. I guess my mom found the recipe sometime in the 70's in a magazine and it has been a family favorite ever since.

I always looked forward to my mom making this salad. I remember us (my sisters and I) putting dibs on the leftovers if there were any. I introduced my own family to this recipe many years ago and it has been just as well received. My children will also fight over the leftovers, just like I did many years ago with my own siblings.

This pasta salad is made quickly and tastes great with just about anything from grilled chicken, to pork, beef, or sausages. Sometimes I even leave the ham out and make it a true vegetarian option depending on who is eating.  Because of the mild flavor of the canned peas and carrots this salad has proven over and over that it is a favorite with kids even if they are not too keen on vegetables. The dressing isn't as rich tasting due to the sour cream content which will cut the heaviness of the mayonnaise but I've also made this salad time and time again with low fat ingredients with the same great results.

I hope you'll give my German version a try, maybe it will become a family favorite for you as well.

Susi's German Pasta Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

8 ounces Elbow Pasta 

1 (15 ounce) can Baby Peas, drained (I prefer Le Sueur Brand)

1 (15 ounce) can Baby Carrots, drained and sliced (Le Sueur Brand)

1 (6 ounce) pack boiled Ham, diced

1/2 cup pickles, diced

2 tablespoons pickle juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 tablespoon pickle juice

Pinch of sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Immediately add the pickle juice and vinegar, toss to coat the pasta. Let cool slightly, then add the peas, the carrots, ham, and pickles. Mix together.

For the dressing add sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Taste for seasonings.

Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe