Category: Appetizers and Sides

Cucumber Salad – COLLECTION

Cucumber Salads

INGREDIENTS

  • Cucumber
  • Other ingredients vary between recipes

HINTS

  • Use a mandolin to get nearly paper thin slices of cucumber
  • When thin the green skin is very edible, and gives a nice crunch
  • If you don’t like the skin, use a zester to artfully remove much of the skin
  • You can get a fancy crinkle cutter or lemon zester at Amazon. I use mine often for many other dishes

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad

CLICK HERE

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad


 

Sunomono Salad – Spicy Cucumber Salad

The thinner your cucumber,
the better your sunomono.

CLICK HERE

Sunomono Salad

Cucumber and Krab Salad

CLICK HERE

Cucumber and Krab Salad

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

CLICK HERE

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Great Grandma Andrews’ Cucumber and Onions

This is the recipe that my mother made for me when I was young. She used to make me my own jar from which I could snack any time of the day or night.

  • 1 medium to large cucumber – English cucumber if available
    – Peel using a julienne stripper or potato peeler – Leave some of the green
    – Halve the cucumber and use the edge of a spoon to deseed
    – Cut into spears, then into 1/2 inch chunks. To make it pretty, you can use a crinkle cutter
  • 1 large sweet onion – Halved and slivered and soaked in ice water for 5 minutes
  • Toss cucumber and onion with 2 tsp salt
  • Let rest in a plated colander for 30-60 minutes – Liquid will drain from veggies

Great Grandma’s Marinate

  • Combine
    – 1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
    – 1 TBL sugar or honey
    – 1 tsp salt
    – 1/2 C boiling hot water
  • Pour hot liquid over top of the cukes
  • Top, if necessary, with water so that liquid completely covers mixture.
    GRANDPA’S MEDITERRANEAN TWIST
  • Add 1/2 tsp Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder, 1/3 C sour cream, 1/4 C chopped mint
  • Toss together and plate as an appetizer topped with a mint leaf

Small Dressed Cucumber

This is similar to the above recipe, made by my mother, but this one was from The Church Ladies at Phoenix First Church

  • Score your cucumber before slicing thin
  • Half of a small sweet onion – sliced thin
  • 1/4 C cider vinegar
  • 1 TBL honey
  • 2 TBL chopped parsley
  • 1/2 chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt dissolved in 1/4 C hot water
  • 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
  • Marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours

Plated Cucumbers

  • Japanese, Kirby, Persian cucumbers or English cucumber
  • Peel leaving some green in between peeled strips (for color)
  • Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • In a measuring cup combine 2 TBL apple cider vinegar and 2 TBL pickle brine (from a standard jar of pickles)
  • Add 2 TBL EVOO, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dill seed
  • Toss cucumber slices in the vinegar mixture
  • Plate cucumber slices on a plate
  • Sprinkle with grated pepper and Maldon salt
  • Sprinkle with capers and pickled red onion

Pickled Red Onion

  1. Slice red onion as thinly as you can
  2. Boil 2-3 TBL apple cider vinegar (microwave 30 seconds)
  3. Melt 1 tsp sugar into the vinegar
  4. Pour over the red onions and let cool for at least 15 minutes

Cucumber Carrot Salad

  • 1 medium to large cucumber – Halved and seeds removed, then sliced thin
  • 1 large sweet onion – Halved and sliced very thin
  • 1/2 carrot – Julienne strips
  • 2 radishes – Sliced thin
  • Combine
    – Apple Cider to almost cover mixture
    – 3 TBS Dill
    – 1 TBS brown sugar
    – 1 tsp Worcestershire
  • Shake to combine and coat
  • Let marinate at least overnight
  • Serve cold

Daikon Cucumber Salad

  • Slice cucumber thin on a mandolin
  • Julienne strips of carrot
  • Mandolin Daikon Radish very thin
  • Toss with marinate ( below )
  • Let rest for one hour
  • Toss with pieces of green onion (green and white)
    Cut on the bias in about 1/4 inch pieces

Marinate for Daikon Cuke Salad

  • 3/4 C rice wine
  • 1 tsp minced Ginger
  • 1 tsp minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Sambal olek
  • 1 tsp Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Fish sauce

Cucumber and Jicama Salad

  • Combine in a large mixing bowl
    – Juice and zest from one lime
    – 1 hand of cilantro – chopped
    – 2 TBL Rice Vinegar
    – 1 TBL honey
    – 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
    – 1/2 tsp salt
    – 1 TBL EVOO
    – 2 scallions – Cut on the bias in 1/4 inch pieces
  • Toss with
    – Cucumber cut into 2 inch pieces, and then cut into strips
    – 1/2 as much jicama, also cut into strips of the same length and thickness
  • Optional
    – Add 1/8 C smashed peanuts
    – Add 1/2 C shredded chicken

Pickled Cucumbers

  • Peel cukes, slice in half, and remove seeds.
    • Alternately use a Benreiner Spiralizer
  • Slice thinly as possible
  • Add in large canning jar
    – 1/2 C sugar
    – 1 tsp salt
    – 1 tsp ground Cardamom
    – 1 tsp ground Alspiace
  • Add 1/2 C rice wine vinegar (HOT)
  • Optional
    – 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

Marinated Cucumbers: VIDEO

Here is a cooking class that I took while on board the Holland America.

Marinated Cucumbers: VIDEO

Asparagus – COLLECTION

  • Pencil thin asparagus has an intense flavor.
  • Older thicker asparagus has a milder flavor.
  • Dry cooking activates the amino acids, giving a meaty flavor
  • Moist cooking gives the asparagus more of a grassy flavor
  • Quick method:  Microwave in a wet paper towel 3-4 minutes
  • When buying, examine that stalks in the center
  • Stalks will dry from the bottom, and rot from the tips
  • Tips should be tightly packed
  • Store upright in a glass of water – like flowers

 

Onion Tart

  • 3-4 sweet onions – sliced medium pieces
  • 1/2 C balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1 C water
  1. Simmer sliced onion and other ingredients for 20-30 minutes
  2. Spread pizza dough on flat baking pan
  3. Using slotted spoon to place onions on dough – discard liquid
  4. Sprinkle lightly with shred mozzarella and cheddar
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350º
  6. Top with goat cheese
  7. Put back into oven for three minutes

Optional toppings:  Garlic, Kalamata olives, proscuitto, bacon, ham, tomatoes, etc.

 

Green Bean Casserole

Title of Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can seasoned green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French fried onion rings
1 small jar mushrooms (if you want)

Instructions:
Put drained beans in a casserole dish then add can of mushroom soup, onion rings and mushrooms. Add slat & pepper if desired. Mix spread evenly and bake at 350° about 10 minutes or until soup bubbles.

Boston Baked Beans

Title of Recipe: Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 qt pea beans
¾ lb fat salt pork
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp – 1 cup molasses
½ tsp mustard

Instructions:
Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain cover w/ fresh water. Cook until skins will burst (determine by taking a few on the tip of a spoon and blowing on them). Drain. Scald pork and scrape, remove ¼” slice and put in bottom of pot. Cut remaining every ½”. Put beans in pot, bury pork. Mix salt, molasses and sugar. Add 1 cup boiling water. Pour over beans. Add boiling water to cover beans. Cover and bake 6-8 hours in slow oven. Uncover last hour. Add water as needed.

Boston Baked Beans

Title of Recipe: Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb navy beans (soak overnight in 6 cu water)
1 ½ tsp soda
1/3 cu molasses
¼ cu sugar
pepper
1 tsp mustard

Instructions:
Make sauce of 1 cup reserved liquid (beans soaked in), 1/3 cu molasses, ¼ cu sugar, pepper and mustard. Pour over beans, stir and put into casserole, add enough liquid to cover. Cover and bake at 300° for 2 hr. Add remaining liquid and stir, bake covered 1 ½ -2 hours till tender and liquid absorbed.

Bruschetta

All of these are served on top of a French Bread or Bauguette sliced on the bias (angle) and toasted until it just starts to turn brown.

Caprese

  • Tomato, slice of mozzarella, topped with a basil leaf or black olive
  • Drizzle with EVOO at serving time

Caramelized Red Onion

  • Caramelize slivers of red onion in EVOO, then spread marscapone and prosciutto. Top with fig and red onion

Goat Cheese and Pear

  • Spread goat cheese and top with wedges or thin slices of pear. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar glaze

Burnt Mozzarella

  • Shave whole-milk mozzarella over sliced bread. Cover bread completely, then broil about 60 seconds to melt the cheese. Top with pesto

Olive Tapenade

  • Variety of pitted olives roughly chopped, then mixed with a sprinkle of anise seed, Greek oregano, red pepper and EVOO. Top with aged balsamic vinegar

Brie

  • A thin slice of brie with a few capers or slices of persimmon

 

Here are some more ideas:

  • Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon
  • Sauteed Spinach with Bacon
  • Cream Cheese and Pomegranate
  • Cream Cheese w/ Onion and Caper
  • Goat Cheese and Raspberry Jam
  • Goat Cheese with Cherries
  • Feta Cheese topped with Cucumber
  • Sliced Ham with Apricots or Figs
  • Salami with Dijon Mustard
  • Parmesan and Grilled Peppers
  • Spinach Pesto and Sardines

The ideas are nearly limitless.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.

 

Spanish Style Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 Russet potatoes
  • 1 TBL salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda

STEP BY STEP

  1. Wash and dry four potatoes
  2. Optional: Peel potatoes
  3. Cut into one inch segments
  4. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil
  5. Add 1 salt and baking soda to the water
  6. Add potatoes and bring pot back to a full boil
  7. Turn off heat and let potatoes simmer in the hot water two minutes
  8. Strain potatoes from water – discard the water
  9. Dump potatoes onto a clean towel and let air dry for 30 minutes
  10. Return to a large mixing bowl and toss with 1 TBL EVOO
  11. Add 1 TBL large grain kosher salt and toss until coated
  12. Pour onto a baking pan and let rest 30 more minutes
  13. Heat up 3 C canola oil to 375º
  14. Add potatoes all at once
  15. This will reduce oil temperature, but that’s OK
    Do not reduce heat on the oil, you want it eventually to start frying
  16. Cook 25 minutes from the time you add them
  17. Remove to a paper towel to drain
  18. Sprinkle with salt while they are still warm
  19. Serve with a side of dipping sauce

Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce

  1. Microplane two cloves of garlic
  2. Heat up 1 TBL EVOO in a pan to medium low heat
  3. Heat 2 TBL tomato paste till it starts to break down
  4. Push the tomato paste to the side and add a splash more oil in the clear space
  5. Add garlic and 1 tsp sweet paprika to the oil
  6. Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp powdered cayenne pepper
  7. Mix cayenne 20 seconds, then mix all ingredients together
  8. Add 1/4 C water and 1/4 C chicken stock and whisk all together
  9. Bring up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer
  10. Let simmer 5 minutes
  11. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tsp white wine
  12. Put into bowl and set aside to finish cooling
  13. Add 2 TBL Miracle Whip salad dressing

 

 

 

Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onion

Wash whole Brussels sprouts
Cut off bottom of stem and remove outer leaves
Halve Brussels sprouts
Blanche in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking process
Cut two bacon slices into 1/2 inch pieces
Emulsify 1 TBL melted unsalted butter into 1 TBL apple cider vinegar
Mix vinegar mixture with 2 TBL brown sugar
Toss in a large pan with celery salt and cracked black pepper
Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes or until they start to blacken

MEANWHILE
Slice 1/2 sweet onion as thinly as possible
Sauté in 1 TBL butter and 1 tsp EVOO
Cook until heavily caramelized

Serve the Brussels sprouts topped with the caramelized onion
Optional: Shave a bit of Parmesan cheese over the top of the onion

Green Tomato Pickles

Boil:

  • 1 1/2 C white vinegar
  • 1 C water
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1 TBL mustard seed
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt
  1. Quarter green tomatoes into clean canning jars
  2. Pour boiling hot brine over top leaving 1/2 inch headroom
  3. If poured into sterile jars, refrigerate up to 3 months
  4. With hot water bath, keeps for up to 18 months

 

 

Creamed Corn

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of bacon – browned
  • Red onion
  • Chopped chives
  • Garlic
  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • Smoked paprika
  • Fresh tarragon
  • Corn – fresh or canned
  • Half and Half to moisten
  • 1/4 C cream cheese
  • OPTIONAL
    • Diced poblano
    • Diced red bell

Step by Step

  1. Brown bacon, then set aside and crumble
  2. Dump much of the grease
  3. Add first four veggies
  4. Soften 5 minutes
  5. Add Old Bay, smoked paprika, tarragon
  6. Add corn
  7. Add Half and Half and cream cheese
    – Healthy alternative: substitute chicken stock and blend1 C of veggie mixture, then add back in

 

Tuna Tar Tar

Adapted from Jeff Smedstad – Elote Cafe in Sedona, Arizona.

Jeff’s Special Elote Mayo Mixture

  • 1/2 C Best Foods mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Choloula to taste
  • 1 TBL fresh lime juice

Ingredints

  • 1 LB Grade #1 Tuna
  • 2 TBL grated carrot
  • 1 TBL finely diced radish
  • 2 TBL diced onion
  • generous portion of cilantro
  • 2 TBL bottled lime juice
  • 1/2 sliced avocado
  • dash of soy sauce
  • dash of cream of tartar
  • 1/2 C Elote Mayo Mixture

Step by Step

  1. Cut your tuna into small pieces
    Remove the black vein from the fish if present
  2. Mix all ingredients except tuna
  3. Toss mixture with tuna
  4. Serve on rustic crackers

Do not keep for more than 6 hours

 

Adapted from Lincoln Steakhouse and Bar – Chef John Frasier

  • Sashimi Grade Aji Tuna – cubed
  • Avocado, lime, salt pepper
  • Pineapple Juice
  • Soy Sauce – low sodium
  • Thai Chili Paste
  • Lemon Zest
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Fresh Garlic
  • Chopped Jalapenos
  • Charred Pineapple
  • Red Bell

Combine

  • 1 TBL soy sauce
  • 1 TBL pineapple juice
  • Dab of chili paste
  • Lemon Zest, Grate Ginger
    • Let marinate 3 minutes
  • In food ring add
    • 1/4 ringAvocado
    • 3/4 ring tuna
    • Fresh peppers and Garlic on the side
    • pineapple on the top

 

Stuffed Peppers – COLLECTION

– How to roast a pepper – – SEE VIDEO

Cotija Stuffed Poblanos

Step by Step

  1. Soak corn (shucked) for 15 minutes in buttermilk
    (Optional: Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn)
  2. Sear corn in a bit of butter over high heat
  3. Roast and peel 2 poblano peppers SEE VIDEO
  4. Slice open and remove seeds – set aside
  5. To skillet add:
    1. seeded and diced tomato to the corn (still at high heat)
    2. 2 TBL Hatch or Macayo’s Green Chiles
    3. 2 TBL diced sweet onion
  6. Reduce heat to low and add
    1. 1/4 C Cotija cheese
    2. Season with EVOO, salt and pepper
    3. Add optional chicken, shrimp, etc
  7. Toss well
  8. Stuff peppers with skillet mixture
  9. Bake at 10-15 minutes at 350º or serve cold
  10. Plate and top with Mexican Crema (option heavy cream plus a bit of yogurt)

Stuffed Poblano on Red Bell Pepper Sauce

INGREDIENTS

  • Red bell pepper
  • Poblano pepper
  • Goat cheese or Monterey
  • Queso fresco
  • Shallots
  • Fresh red bell pepper
  • Shrimp, lobster, krab or cooked chicken

STEP BY STEP

  1. Roast (blacken) your poblano pepper – SEE VIDEO
  2. Slit the side and remove all seeds and veins
  3. Flatten your red bell and put it under the broiler.  This will become your sauce
  4. Chop up meat
  5. Mix and combine with cheese and fresh red bell
  6. One serano chile
  7. Fresh cut cilantro
  8. Basil chiffonade and chop
  9. Salt
  10. Stuff the poblano
  11. Cook 10 minutes at 350º
    RED BELL PEPPER SAUCE
  12. Blend (puree) sauteed shallot, garlic and roasted red bell, chicken stock, salt and pepper
  13. Put into skillet and heat to reduce
  14. Serve stuffed pepper on a bed of the red bell pepper sauce

Stuffed Mini Peppers

  • A bag of what I like to call mini peppers from the supermarket.
    WASH and dry before using
  • Blacken over a gas burner, with a torch or under the broiler about five inches from the heater element – or on the grill.
  • After they have blackened put them into a glass bowl and seal with plastic wrap.
  • Let stand ten minutes to loosen the skin, then peel off. DO NOT RINSE.
  • Use a paper towel to scrape off most (not all) of the blackened skin

Peppers Stuffed with Cream Cheese

INGREDIENTS – OPTION ONE

Photo from www.aspicyperspective.com
Photo from www.aspicyperspective.com
  • Cream cheese
  • Goat cheese
  • Grated cheddar
  • Ground basil
  • Cilantro – chopped

STEP BY STEP – OPTION ONE

  1. Prepare peppers as shown above
  2. Stir together cream cheese, goat cheese, grated cheddar, ground basil and cilantro.
  3. Put a slit into the side of the pepper and carefully remove the seeds and the veins as much as possible.
  4. Spoon cheese mixture into the peppers pressing gently to close the slits. Do not overstuff.
  5. Return peppers to the pan (slit side up) and bake 10 more minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with chives.

Peppers Stuffed with Meat

INGREDIENTS – OPTION TWO

Photo from theitaliandishblog.com
Photo from theitaliandishblog.com
  • 1 LB uncooked Ground pork, chicken, beef, or whatever you prefer
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Handful of Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 chopped green onion
    SAUCE – OPTION TWO
  • 1 TBL EACH – Soy, fish or oyster sauce, mirin
  • 2 TBL EACH – Sake, sugar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch in 1 tsp sake (hold aside)

STEP BY STEP – OPTION TWO

  1. Cut pepper in half length wise – remove seeds, stem and veins
  2. Mix together all of the above ingredients ( for the stuffing – not the sauce )
  3. Shake the halved peppers gently in a bag of flour
  4. Carefully pack the stuffing into the pepper
  5. If you are able to do it at the same time, prepare sauce while the meat and pepper are cooking – otherwise, do it now and then set it aside. Use cornstarch to thicken or sake to thin
  6. Fry MEAT SIDE DOWN in safflower oil for about 3-4 minutes
  7. Flip in skillet to give a light fry to the pepper itself
  8. Plate and top with your sauce
  9. Garnish with minced chive and/or 5 spice powder

 

Apple radish slaw

Julienne strips of two Granny Smith Apple and one Gala
Ten radishes – cut into thin slices or julienne strips
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Juice and zest from one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Based on a salad served at Sun Up Brewery in Phoenix, Arizona

  1. Cut apples and toss in lemon juice to keep from browning
  2. Cut radishes and toss that in as well
  3. Add mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss well
  4. Keeps for a couple hours in the fridge.

Cod Fritters – Bacalhau

This is best with cod, but you can also use talapia or catfish.

Ingredients

  • Fish (see note at bottom)
    DRY INGREDIENTS
  • 1 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBL baking soda
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp sugar
    WET INGREDIENTS
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 lemon – juice and zest
  • 1 C beer
    FOR DREDGING
  • 1 egg white

Step by Step

  1. Sift together all dry ingredients
  2. Mix together wet ingredients
  3. Fold dry ingredients and 1/2 wet ingredients together
    Mixture should be the consistency of a thin pancake batter
  4. Cut fish into two-bite pieces
  5. Dip in egg white – let drip so it is not too wet
  6. Dredge in flour – shake off excess so it is not too gummy
  7. Dip in batter – let drip so it is not too wet
  8. Fry until browned – about three minutes
  9. Put onto rack to drain – salt while still hot
  10. Dress with lemon or spicy tomato sauce or cocktail sauce

If using salted cod

  1. Soak salted cod for 48 hours in refrigerator
  2. Change water every 8 hours
  3. Blanche for 10 minutes in unsalted boiling water
  4. Dry 60 minutes on a rack, then proceed to recipe

Peas and Onions

Ingredients

  • 2 C whole sugar snap peas
  • 1 C shelled peas
  • 2 TBL butter
  • 3 shallots or large green onions
  • 3 mint leaves

Step by Step

  1. Start large pan of boiling salted water
  2. While coming up to a boil, prepare a large bowl of water with a dozen ice cubes in it
  3. Boil your large shelled peas until one of the largest ones is soft – taste them
  4. Dump them into the ice water
  5. Boil your whole sugar snap peas for two minutes
  6. Dump them into the ice water with the other peas
  7. Slice your onions and sautee them in butter
  8. When soft, put your peas into the pan with the onions
  9. Cook for a few minutes, the put chiffonade pieces of the mint into the mix
  10. Serve as a side dish

 

Brown Sugared Carrots

Ingredients

  • 12 carrots
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 1 T molasses
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • Salt, pepper

Step by Step

  1. Peel the 12 carrots and halve or quarter into long spears
  2. Heat butter, sugar and molasses in a pan
  3. Add the carrots and a splash of water
  4. Add salt and pepper and the sprig of rosemary
  5. Cook about 3 minutes
  6. Add splashes of water as necessary to keep things from burning
  7. Plate caramelized carrots
  8. Remove the rosemary and discard
  9. Top with fried carrot tops

Fried Carrot Tops

  1. Heat 2 TBL grapeseed oil and 1 tsp sugar to shimmering
  2. Fry carrot tops until browned, but not black
  3. Set on waxed paper to drain and cool.
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