Quinoa Salad (aka Tabouli reimagined)

I love a good salad! And I don't really care what season; Summer or any other time, an excellent salad hits the spot. This is my reimagined Tabouli. I've had Tabouli made with Bulgar Wheat, the traditional way, and I must say I much prefer Quinoa. And Quinoa is gluten free if you need it to be. I prefer the flavor and texture, though GF is good for me, as well. So basically, the photos below are the whole shebang. The assemblage is straightforward, and after everything is combined, stick it in the chill chest for enough time to marry all the veg friends. This folks, is a hit salad for pot-luck, picnic, or any old Tuesday night you need a little pick-me-up and tasty fiber. Here you go...

Disclaimer: The mint in my herb patch was not quite ready for picking, but had it been, I would have added about half as much as the parsley. It brings a bright, fresh taste sensation.

Grape tomatoes halved or quartered, your preference.
One small container.

One English cucumber parsed into bite-sized bits.

Four green onions, both green and white.

Minced garlic, two cloves.

Fresh parsley, about a very loosely-packed one cup.

Mixy, mixy!

Two lemons, freshly squeezed, and a bit of zest if you like.

An excellent grassy green extra virgin olive oil.
One-fourth to one-third cup.

Mix the lemon juice and EVOO together, and pour over the mixed veg. Gently toss to combine, and chill until service. 

Using the directions on the Quinoa package, cook 1-cup Quinoa, and fluff it with a fork after it has completely retained all the liquid used to cook. Allow it to cool before adding to the veg. Again, gently combine the Quinoa with the veg mixture. Done!

I must confess I didn't snap a photo of the finished product. Just allow me this; it was so delicious. I took it to a dinner party that evening, and all that was left was a polite dab no one was willing to take. I had that for lunch the next day. Yum!

Salad Dressing ~ DIY

Beautiful Basil

Spring has passed and all over the South gardens have been planted for early Summer harvest. There are so many fresh veggies to be enjoyed in so many ways. One of my greatest garden pleasures is to watch my herbs grow. My herb garden is planted in the small raised bed Allen built for me just before he died. It's just out my backdoor near the sunlit portion of the patio. Everything in it is growing like gangbusters. While I have the desirable fresh variety, I like to ramp up my recipes. The perfume is heady when picking each herb. Simply rinse them in cool water, chop and adorn the recipe of the moment with their lovely redolence. A happy for me. Making salad dressing is a great way to begin by inserting fresh herbs. The effort is minimal but the results are stellar. Here are a few of my recipes.

Ranch Style Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican Crema
1 teaspoon fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
Black pepper
Splash of buttermilk (if needed)

Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream together. 

You may choose to use the suggested Mexican crema. I love its tang. If you do add the crema, it's likely you will not need to add the buttermilk.

Chop the herbs and finely mince the garlic and onion. Add to the mixture and stir. Sprinkle on cracked black pepper to your taste. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of buttermilk. Refrigerate before serving.

Flat Leaf  Italian Parsley

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette 

Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

I use the 3 to 1 rule, oil to acid (lemon juice,  lime juice, or vinegar). Depending on how much you are making this rule works every time. It can be for just one, or for a big old salad for a crowd. You may use any measuring device necessary to make an adequate amount. Simply measure 3 parts oil to 1 part whatever tasty acid you like. Chop the thyme leaves and drift in the black pepper. It's so easy.

Thyme

My Favorite Vinaigrette

Extra virgin olive oil
White wine vinegar with grape must (you can find it online if not locally available)
Fresh parsley leaves
Garlic

Again the 3 to 1 rule applies for the oil and vinegar. Chop the parsley and very finely mince the garlic. The vinegar with grape must is the reason this is so delicious. I love the stuff.

Feathery Dill Weed

Thousand Island Dressing

Blue Plate mayonnaise
Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
Ketchup
Prepared yellow mustard
Sweet pickles with a splash of juice
Onion
Chili powder
Paprika
Black pepper
Fresh dill weed

Disclaimer: I do not purchase or use Miracle Whip Salad Dressing as a rule. Indeed, this is the only thing I use it for due to its sweetness balancing with the tart flavor of the mayonnaise. It definitely works in this recipe. Just so you know.

Mix equal parts of mayo and salad dressing; for example I typically use 1/2 cup each which is an adequate amount for a family's dinner salad. Add about 1/4 cup ketchup for taste and color, and a small dollop of mustard (not much mustard though). Chop your favorite sweet pickle, whether bought or homemade, to a fine dice, and add a bit of the juice when you toss in the mixture. My very favorite pickle to add is my homemade Icycle Pickles.

This is an ingredient you may choose to add a lot or a little if you have a pickle hater in your crew. 

Then finely dice about 1/4 small to medium sweet onion and add to the bowl. Now the remaining ingredients are again, a matter of taste. I add just a small amount of each dry ingredient, but I taste and adjust as needed. The dill weed is the fresh herb component. You may be as liberal as you wish. A small sprig or two is just right for me.

One more thing, this doesn't resemble in taste the bought variety of Thousand Island Dressing very much. It's my version and pretty good stuff. I'm always asked for the recipe when I make it.  

Greek Oregano

While the next recipe isn't considered a salad dressing, it is a condiment using fresh herbs. This is an excellent recipe you should try when you serve seafood or crunchy fried catfish. It's delicious.

Anny's Tartar Sauce

1 cup Blue Plate mayonnaise
1/2 small onion
2 tablespoons dill pickle
2 tablespoons capers
2 green onions
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
Fresh parsley
Fresh dill weed
Red pepper
Black pepper

Into a mixing bowl add the mayo. Dice very finely the onion, dill pickle, capers, green onions and garlic. Add to the mayo. Stir. Add the powdered mustard and mix. Chop the parsley and dill weed, and add to the mixture. Add the red and black pepper to your taste. 

Sage! I 💚 Sage

I've added random photos of herbs that are actually growing in my garden now. While I don't have a recipe that includes Sage, it's just so pretty, and I fondly refer to it as the Thanksgiving herb. It's also incredible with roasted chicken. Try growing fresh herbs, snip off lots of flavor and enjoy.

Waste Not ~ Want Not

I love cooking Sunday dinner for my guys. Or anyone for that matter. And I love the traditional dishes I grew up eating at the family tables of my childhood. This past weekend I did Pot Roast, a staple at Ma's Sunday dinner table. A big Beef Chuck Roast to be exact with potato, onion, carrot and sweet potato thrown in at the end of the cooking time. I never add these until the last to keep them from overcooking. No mushy veggies for me. I serve the veggies cooked in the pot roast stock separate by removing them to a warm platter and layering the sliced roast alongside. I never leave them in the stock. That's reserved for gravy. Oh, yum. Trouble is, I cooked too much this time. I can't stand to throw away food if I can dream up a redo that's interesting; a way that totally transforms the ingredients into something almost exciting. My bright idea this time I must share with you. Monday is a day I frankly do not want to get in the kitchen and cook for too long. So it's usually simple and quick. Soup and salad is simple and quick and that's what we had last evening. Romaine Salad and Creamy "Pot Roast Veggie" Soup.  

Note: Having lots of veggies leftover was fortuitous for utilizing on Monday's menu. These veggies have tremendous flavor, so what a shame to waste them. To store them for later use I put them in a plastic bag and toss in the fridge.

Creamy "Pot Roast Veggie" Soup

Leftover potato, onion, carrot & sweet potato

(you could use plain oven roasted veggies)

Cream

Milk

Chicken stock

Freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper

Salt

Chives as garnish

Dill as garnish

 

So to begin this soup, I filled my Vitamix blender a little more than half-full of leftover veggies and 1 cup of chicken stock. I pureed until smooth. Add more stock if needed to blend well. Then into a small pot to finish. I added about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of cream and enough milk and stock to thin it out a bit. Roughly half milk to half stock. I brought it up to a low simmer and grated a bit of nutmeg to my taste. Probably a pinch if measured. Black pepper to taste and salt if needed. Boom! Done! Just like that I had a tasty soup with tons of flavor. To garnish, I just drifted over some chives and some dried dill weed. You could grate a bit of hard cheese over such as Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, Dubliner etc. Served with a light salad it was a perfect dinner. Simple, quick and scrumptious.  

My creamy soup and Romaine salad with tortilla strip crunchies

Pork Roast, Cole Slaw & Baked Beans

Last month The Horn Player was gone a whole week for business/school and tons of chores were waiting for both of us when the weekend came around. With a hot mug of Community Dark Roast in hand, we greeted Saturday morning sleepy eyed and semi-ready for work. Rain showers over the past week had grown the grass exponentially, so mowing was a must and thus far this Spring I hadn't tidied up any of my patio plants by re-potting etc. Plus, there were plants in my front yard that I wanted to move to the back yard.

Note: Do we ever get it right the first time? I don't think so. Every year I have a better idea for where a plant should put down roots. 

Well, one thing that was abundantly clear to both of us, it was an outside work day. The other thing that became abundantly clear was the swiftness of our approaching Louisiana summer. My boys were coming over for an afternoon visit and of course supper is always part of the deal. I needed to begin something that would more or less take care of itself. Pork Roast seemed like a good start. Baked Beans and Cole Slaw are great sides and both can be prepped before hand. Kitchen chores first.

Note: I do have a confession for this post. I was very mindful of snapping pics in the initial preparation of the food, but when it came time to capture the finished product, well, I didn't. The boys were hungry and I confess I did not give it another thought. I did a 'face palm' thing when I was cleaning up after we had finished eating, but too late. 

Pork Roast, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Fresh Garlic, Steen's Cane Syrup, Onion and
Hot Chile Pepper

In the background of this photo you will notice a glazed-pottery roaster. I chose it as a hostess gifts for a Pampered Chef party I gave in my home several months ago. My friend, Shannon, was the reason I had the party and I am so glad I did because I absolutely love my roaster. It's wonderful for cooking a whole chicken or like today, a pork roast. 

First I sliced an onion into rings and scattered them over the bottom of the roaster. This serves as a tasty and edible rack for the meat. Next, I seasoned the pork roast with kosher salt and black pepper and rubbed it over the entire surface of the meat. I laid the meat in the roaster on top of the sliced onion and drizzled Steen's cane syrup over the top. I minced a goodly amount of fresh garlic, probably 4 to 5 cloves, and sprinkled over the top. Then I added a scattering of hot pickled peppers.

Good combination of savory and sweet

The juicy peppers added so much flavor

I covered the roaster with its lid and placed it into a preheated oven (350 degrees) for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. The time depends on the size of the Pork Roast, of course. When the meat registered 155 to 160 degrees internal temp, I removed the lid and left it in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, after which I carefully placed the pork roast on a platter to rest before slicing and serving.

Delicious! The pan drippings were out-of-this-world. I removed all of the fat from the top and served the pan drippings in a bowl to drizzle over the meat. And since I completely spaced off taking a picture of the finished product you'll have to trust me, it was excellent. Try this for yourself. The pork captures a little heat from the peppers, a slight sweetness from the cane syrup and the meat has the wonderful essence of garlic. But best of all, it's fall-apart tender.

Tri-Color Slaw

Cabbage
Carrot
Radish

This is veggie salad I love. It balances so well with rich meat and sauce. And it's easy, very easy. Finely chopped cabbage, grated carrot and grated radish makes for a pretty slaw. Onion can also be added for another layer of flavor. At times I do add it, but this time I did not.

Creamy Cole Slaw Dressing

Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Cane Vinegar
Sugar
Celery Seed
Black Pepper

I use about 3/4 cup mayo to 1/4 cup sour cream, a splash of cane vinegar, just enough sugar to cut the tartness, a light sprinkling of celery seed and black pepper to taste. Add a bit of salt if you feel you need it and mix well. Pour over the veggie mixture and cover with a lid or plastic wrap, then chill for at least an hour or even two. This also allows the dressing to flavor it well.

Pretty slaw into the fridge

My fav black pot and baked bean fixin's

Bush's beans
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup Ketchup
Small squirt of yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chopped capers
Chopped cilantro
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped stuffed green olives

This is a quickie recipe; open can, pour into the pot, add the ingredients according to your preference and stir. Take away anything you don't like and add what you do like. At any rate, cover and place in the oven on a rather high heat, 375 degrees, for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 7-10 minutes to thicken and brown the top a bit. 

Note: Green olives you say? Mama did this and it's good...try it.

We had a good day working outside and the meal all of us had together was most enjoyable with enough leftovers for a Pulled Pork Sandwich the next day. No hassle prep with delicious results. Good deal...

Suitable for a Picnic

Fried Okra Salad

I've seen this recipe in so many places; it would be very difficult to attribute this to any one source. I did what I usually do anyway; make my own version. The Horn Player's family has an annual Spring picnic and everyone brings a dish or two to be served under an ancient Oak tree that has arms wide enough to shade the whole yard and then some. So I wanted to bring a dish (something a bit out of the ordinary) that possibly no one had ever tried. As you've guessed I'm Southern to the core and what's more fitting for a Spring picnic than something with fried okra in it. Add a little bacon, well, you should try it.


Fried Okra Salad

24 ounce package breaded frozen okra
8 to 10 slices bacon
4 to 6 Roma tomatoes (according to size)
5 or 6 scallions (use green and white parts)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fry okra until crisp and browned. Drain well on paper towels and set aside. Cook bacon, drain, crumble and set aside. Chop tomatoes and scallions. Into a large mixing bowl add the crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes and chopped scallions. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the lemon juice, vinegar and honey. Whisk in the olive oil until well blended and add to the bacon/veggie mix. Lastly add the fried okra and gently toss to mix well. Serve immediately.

Hint: This is not a dish that will sit for very long and serve well. If you're doing it in advance, keep everything separate and assemble just before serving.