Dill Potato Salad

Every time Den has potato made any other way he waits until we are alone and then tells me that I should have made the potato salad.

We really have developed into a big fan of Yukon Gold potatoes. The flavor is pretty had to beat.

I make this and we eat on it for breakfast even. I have no set amounts so forgive me if I am guessing here. Use your own taste buds to decide where you need more or less of something.



In a large pot cover with water and add about 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1-1.5 # Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced fairly small
Boil on a medium heat until fork tender.

Drain and wash with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside

Boil in a small pan 3 large eggs. I like to bring them to a hard boil and then turn the heat off and let them set for about 4 or 5 minutes. Them cool them down under cold water and peel them.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 quarter of a Texas sweet onion diced finely or what ever sweet onion you like, just no more than about 1/2 Cup at most.

3 Tbsp dill pickle relish, don't drain it, you want that in there too.
2 - 3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard, brown mustard is really a good alternative.
1 C. good mayonnaise, we use Hellmans's Canola at our house

Mix this up pretty well and then add the now cooled potatoes. Slice the eggs and mix well.

If you have access to some fresh dill, I would rough chop a table spoon of that in .

See what you think!!

Crock Pot Beef

There are tons of ways to do meat in a crock pot that yield tend, juicy and flavor filled result but this one is one of my favorites. It is easy and you can make it ahead.


Get you larger crock pot out. Put in the "Slow Cooker Liner". I swear by these things. So much easier than cleaning up after and no residue.

Add to the crock pot

1     3-4# beef rump (arm works well as well and so does sirloin tip or tri-tip)  roast, trimmed of as much fat as you can
1 envelope of dry Lipton Onion Soup mix poured over the meat

Add
1 Cup of dry red wine or you can use water, beef stock or beef broth, I like the wine

Cover and set on High for about 45 minutes and then turn down to Low.

Let her cook, low and slow for about 12 hours. Carefully pull the meat apart using 2 forks. Try not to poke the liner, that kind of would mean that you have to scrub the crock pot which the liner was making not a requirement.

What you have is something akin to French Dip. I love this on hoagy buns or small French loaves. Drizzle some of that juice on the bun if you like or put it in a ramikin on the side for dipping. I like sweet banana peppers and provolone cheese on the sandwich as well.

This is one of those make it for a crowd thing where you get to enjoy the time together with out a ton of work.

Hope that you enjoy!!!

Crab Stuffed Catfish Fillets w/ Cajun Remoulade

 Chef Rusty Hamlin from Southern Living Mag.

Ingred:

1/2 C Butter
3 ribs of celery trimmed and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp, Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 pd. fresh lump crab-meat, drained (I don't have access to this kind of thing so I used the canned and drained it)
1 C. panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
6 (7oz) catfish fillets
1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil (I used my Basil infused for extra flavor))
1 tsp. paprika (I used Penzey's Smoky Paprika)
Veggie spray, table salt and pepper
Cajun Remoudade

Direction:
Melt the butter over med-high heat in large skillet; add celery, onion, green pepper and garlic. Saute' for about 6 minutes until tender.
Add the lemon juice, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, crab-meat and Panko and mix well. Remove from the heat and cool completely (10 or 15 minutes)

Preheat the oven to 425F
Butterfly the catfish fillets length wise.

Spoon the crab mixture into the open butterfly cut and then bring the top piece of the fish over the top of the stuffing.

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray a wire rack with cooking spray. Place the wire rack on the parchment paper lined jelly roll pan. Place each filled fillet on the rack. Brush each stuffed fillet with EVOO and then season to you liking with salt and pepper. Lastly sprinkle with the paprika.

Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes.

Cajun Remoulade
1/2 C. dill pickle relish, drained
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C diced yellow onion
1/4 C diced celery
1/4 C diced red bell pepper
1/4 C chopped fresh flat leaf parsely
3 Tbsp Ketchup
3 Tbsp. yellow mustard (I would use DiJoun)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 dashes of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste.

Process all of the ingredients with the salt and pepper in a food processor for 30-40 second or until finely chopped. Serve immediately or chilled. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling
Directions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/blueberry-crumb-cake-recipe.html?oc=linkback


This is rather like a coffee cake. The batter was very tasty and my husband had no trouble scarfing down the bowl licking. Hope he like the baked product as well. It has all of the right stuff in it. 

Linda's Lemon Cake w/Mango Cream Cheese Frosting

This one will come in under the "almost homemade" category. It is made using a cake mix and a tub of frosting. It is easy and it is full of flavor.


Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Duncan Hines's Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
Zest of one lemon
Juice of on lemon
1 tsp. good vanilla

Perpetration:

You are going to make this cake per the directions on the box with the exception of the following:
Where it calls for the water, you want to make the juice of the lemon a portion of that water. Additionally you are going to add the zest of the lemon and the vanilla. Bake it off just as the box calls for.

Cool completely. I use a 9x13 pan and leave the cake in the pan but you can remove it if that is what you wish.

Frosting:

3 small yellow mangos, peeled and flesh removed from the seed. Puree in a blender and pour into a medium size mixing bowl.
Add;
1 container of Cream Cheese Frosting at room temperature
1 tsp. good vanilla

Mix the mango puree, frosting and vanilla together with a spoon until well blended. Frost your cake.

Store in the refrigerator until time to serve and any left over store in the fridg as well.

The cake has the best real lemon flavor you can imagine and the mango and cream cheese are a wonderful compliment.

Alternative;
If you can't get the mangoes the frosting is great with the zest of a lemon instead and the vanilla.

Ree Drummond's Salisbury Steak

Ree is kind of spicy for us, a good bit of the time but I love Salisbury Steak and this one has all of the right stuff with nothing exotic to trip us up. 

Ree Drummond's  Salisbury Steak
  
 
 
Yield:6 servings
Ingredients

*         Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled (or powdered beef base)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

*         Gravy:
1 whole onion, halved and thinly sliced (or diced if you prefer)
2 cups beef broth, more if needed for thinning
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon seasoning sauce, such as Kitchen Bouquet, optional
4 dashes Worcestershire
1 teaspoon cornstarch, optional
Salt and pepper

*         Directions
For the meat mixture: Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, ketchup, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon and some salt and pepper. Knead until all combined. Form into 4 to 6 oval patties, and then make lines across the patties to give them a "steak" appearance.

Fry the patties in a skillet with the butter and oil over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the skillet and pour off any excess grease.

For the gravy: Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions. Stir and cook until golden brown and somewhat soft, for several minutes. Add the beef stock, ketchup, seasoning sauce, if using, and the Worcestershire. Then combine the cornstarch with a little beef broth and add to the sauce if using. Stir and cook to reduce.

Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more broth if needed for thinning. Then return the patties to the gravy. Spoon the gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple of minutes.