Not Momma's Potato Salad

  Servings 4 - Prep Time 25 minutes - Cook Time 15

"Not My Momma's Potato Salad " is a healthier twist on the classic potato salad. You'll need big potatoes, olive oil, sour cream, light mayo, spicy mustard, fresh Parsley, minced garlic, celery seeds, mini bell peppers, fresh chives, and hard-boiled eggs. First, cook the potatoes until they're just tender, then let them cool. While they're cooling, mix up a dressing with the olive oil, sour cream, mayo, mustard, garlic, celery seeds, and some of the Parsley. Toss the cooled potatoes with the dressing, then add the bell peppers, chives, and eggs. Chill the salad to let the flavors meld together.

Serve it on a bed of lettuce and garnish with cherry tomatoes and more Parsley. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 5 large potatoes peeled and cut into small quarters.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Spicy Mustard
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped Parsley (divided)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tablespoon celery seeds
• 3 mini bell peppers ( red, yellow, and orange) diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
• 2 hard boiled eggs chopped

 Step 1

In a large 3 - 5 quart pot filled with a little over half of water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until just fork tender, but do not overcook ( 5 - 7 minutes). Drain potatoes and let cool.

Step 2

While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing for the potato salad. In a medium-sized bowl, combine olive oil, cooking sour cream, mayo, mustard, garlic, celery seeds, and half of the Parsley then set aside.

Step 3

 Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Then add diced peppers, chives, and hard-boiled eggs. Mix well, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the salad chill to allow all the flavors to come together.

Step 4

Serve salad in a bed of lettuce and garnish with sliced cherry tomatoes and the balance of Parsley. 

Cafe Quick and Easy Shrimp Fried Rice

 

Summary of Recipe

 Café Quick and Easy Shrimp Fried Rice provides a comprehensive guide to preparing a quick and easy shrimp fried rice dish using common pantry ingredients.

Ingredients and Equipment: The recipe requires ready-cooked basmati rice, shrimp, vegetable oil, sesame oil, onion, garlic, frozen vegetables, eggs, soy sauce, and optional oyster sauce. Essential equipment includes a wok or large frying pan.

Cooking Instructions: The preparation process involves several steps: preparing the shrimp, sautéing aromatics, adding vegetables, scrambling eggs, combining all ingredients with rice and sauces, and finally incorporating the shrimp back into the pan.

Special Tips: The recipe also includes special tips on how to thaw frozen shrimp and prepare a brine solution using salt and baking soda to enhance the flavor and texture of the shrimp before cooking.

        Ingredients

         2 packs of ready-cooked basmati rice

1 pound of medium fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of Sesame oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½  cup frozen vegetables ( peas, carrots, and corn) each

3 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Green onions, chopped (for garnish)

               Equipment

                Wok or large frying pan

    Instructions   

1.     Prepare the shrimp: In a large pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque, for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

2.     Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of sesame seed oil and olive oil. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant and the onion becomes translucent.

3.     Add the vegetables: Stir in the frozen corn, carrots, and peas, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they are tender.

4.     Scramble the eggs: Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour the beaten eggs into the other side. Scramble the eggs until they are fully cooked, then mix them with the vegetables.

5.     Combine everything: Add the ready-cooked basmati rice to the pan and stir well to combine. Pour in the soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until everything is well mixed and heated through.

6.     Add the shrimp: Return the cooked shrimp to the pan and toss everything together until the shrimp are heated through.

7.     Garnish and serve: Garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot.

Special tips on Fresh or Frozen Shrimp Brine preparation  

1.     Thaw the shrimp: If using frozen shrimp, place them in a colander and run cold water over them until they are thawed. This should take about 5-7 minutes. If you use fresh shrimp, skip this step.

2.     Prepare the brine: In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of cold water, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Stir until the salt and baking soda are completely dissolved.

3.      Brine the shrimp: Add the shrimp to the brine solution. If needed, add ice cubes to keep the water cold. Let the shrimp soak in the brine for 15-30 minutes. Do not brine for longer than 30 minutes, as this can make the shrimp too salty.

4.     Rinse and drain: After brining, remove the shrimp from the brine and rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove any excess salt. Drain well.

5.     Pat dry: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before cooking. This will help them cook evenly and prevent them from becoming too watery.

Cooking From the Pantry - Crab Chowder

Starting a meal with a comforting bowl of chowder or soup is always great whether at a fancy restaurant, deli, or cafe.  Or have a classic bowl of soup or chowder with French bread or crackers as a complete meal.  While you are enjoying the first course or your complete meal, the soup or chowder is so good that you savor every spoonful to seek out all the flavors you can identify, so you create this meal at home yourself.  This restaurant-inspired chowder is from Crispers, a little bistro deli not far from where I work.  The chowder is called “Kickin Crab Chowder,” and it is full of beautiful flavors but lacks one thing: crab meat.  So, I am creating my version of this chowder, which is full of flavor and has lots of lump crabmeat.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• ½ cup of flour
• 3 cups Fat-Free Chicken Broth
• 5 cloves garlic (diced)
• ½ medium onion (diced)
• 1 cup Fat-Free half & half creamer (room temp)
• 1 tsp. Creole Seasonings
• 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 cups Corn
• 16 ounces Lump Crabmeat
• ½ cup Red Bell Peppers (dice)

Step # 1 – Making the Roux   Cook time about 3 – 5 minutes

  In a medium saucepan, add olive oil and butter.  Sprinkle in the flour once the butter has melted and combined with the olive oil.  Cook over gentle/low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes.  (Your roux should be light yellow, so do not let it get dark.)  Remove from heat and gradually stir at room temperature half & half, adding a little at a time and stirring constantly until the cream is incorporated before adding more.  When all the milk has been added, return to the heat and cook, stirring until thick and smooth.  Then add creole seasonings, cayenne pepper, and old bay seasoning. (See special note about making Roux’s) (Set aside for next step).

 Step # 2 – let’s get down to the chowder

 In a 3 - 5-quart soup pot, add chicken broth, garlic, and onions, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add your roux and blend all ingredients well. Now add corn and bell peppers. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for another 3 – 5 minutes.  

 Step # 3 - Add the crabmeat to that chowder

Add crabmeat and be careful not to break up the lumps.  Let simmer for 3 -5 minutes, then serve in soup bowls and garnish with fresh chives.  This chowder is excellent with French bread, crackers, or parmesan cheese toast.  This chowder has crowd-pleasing possibilities. Enjoy 

Special Note about Roux

Roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat, traditionally clarified butter. It is the thickening agent of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking: sauce béchamel, sauce velouté, and sauce espagnole. Butter, vegetable oils, or lard are commonly used fats. Roux is used as a thickener for gravy, other sauces, soups, and stews. It is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight