Green Bean Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
2 lb "French" green beans (the skinny kind, AKA haricot verts), steamed
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries or a mixture of the two
2-3 strips thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

dressing:
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pepper sherry
1 tablespoon tangerine zest
2 tablespoons tangerine juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt
pepper

Directions:
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients or shake it in a dressing shaker until smooth and emulsified. Set aside. Toss together the other ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss again. Serve hot, warm or cold.

My thoughts:

Green beans are one of the few vegetables I don't mind buying or eaten after being frozen. I also don't mind peas, spinach and home-frozen corn. Like the other, green beans, if frozen properly, retain much if not all of their texture and flavor. Squash is wonderful of course but they about this time of year, I am already hoping for something different. I created this dish to bring to dinner because it is equally good hot, cold or warm. I hate having to go to someone's house and have to cook a dish from the beginning and in the winter, it is tricky to keep a vegetable dish warm for a trip over a few minute drive. Frankly, I prefer to bring a potato dish or dessert or even rolls/bread but it was my mother doing the asking and I was tasked with vegetables. And rolls, but that was easy. My family is full of pickier eaters than I am so I wanted to make something that was a little different that what they might not normally eat but not anything intimidating. Yet another reason the humble green bean was a perfect choice. Pretty much anyone will eat a green bean. They rest of the ingredients weren't anything to be scared of either but come together in such away that it is anything but boring.

Mac + Cheese with Tomato + Bacon

Ingredients:
12 oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 cup shredded extra sharp, aged cheddar
1/3 cup panko
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 slices thick cut bacon, crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz canned, diced tomatoes, drained
1 lb small or medium sized pasta, cooked

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and heat through. In a small, dry skillet, quickly toast the panko.

In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Add the milk and evaporated milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Whisk in the cheddar until smooth. Pour over the drained pasta. Add the tomato mixture and bacon; stir to evenly distribute. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.

Yield: about 4-6 meal sized servings, 8-10 side dish sized servings

My thoughts:

Years ago an older lady lived across the street from my mother. She was really nice (in fact she gave me my first slow cooker!) and we would visit her and my mom would take her shopping and out to lunch. To repay us (not that she had to) she would occasionally make this macaroni and cheese that was unlike any mac and cheese that I had ever had. It had bacon and a tomato-y sauce. I never did get the recipe but I've thought of it fondly over the years and thought I'd try to recreate it with a few of my own touches. It actually ended up being pretty much nothing like her mac and cheese beyond the bacon and tomato additions but I think she'd like it just as much. It is creamy and flavorful and surprisingly, not as heavy as you would think. The perfect comfort food to help ease into the colder months.

Bacon Cheddar Chipotle Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup shredded chipotle cheddar
1/4 cup diced green onion
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 strips thick cut bacon, crumbled
1 egg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Oil or spray with baking spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Fold in the cheese, bacon and green onion. Pour into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

It's been a while since I've made cornbread so when Matt put in the request for some I was happy to oblige. At first he wanted a chile cornbread but then found a bag shredded chipotle cheddar at the store so we decided to try that instead. The bacon was added to accent the smoky flavor and the green onions were a last minute flash of genius. The result is a really moist, surprising not heavy, slightly smoky-spicy cornbread that not only complements chili but pretty much any Southern/Southwestern entree.

Grilled Mexican Hot Dogs

Ingredients:
1 large white onion, sliced
6-8 jalapenos, halved and seeded
4 hot dogs
4 strips thick cut bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced

mayo or salsa (optional)

Directions:
Prepare grill. Lightly oil a grilling pan and arrange the peppers and onions in a single layer. Wrap the hot dogs in bacon. Secure with toothpicks if needed. Place on grill. Grill the hot dogs until the bacon is fully cooked. Grill the onions and peppers until softened flipping occasionally. Place the hot dogs in buns or rolls and top with toppings.

My thoughts:

As soon as I heard about Mexican hot dogs (also called Tijuana hot dogs or Sonoran hot dogs_ I knew I had to make them. I read dozens of menus and reviews of hot dog joints online and anything else I could find out about these dogs. The base is always a hot dog wrapped in bacon and the toppings can vary (no ketchup, please!) from avocado to spicy mayo to guacamole to pickles to cheese to raw onions to pineapple salsas to pickled pepper and are served either on a hot dog bun or a bolillo.


The ones that appealed me the the most were the spicier versions. I thought the spice of the peppers would help cut the heaviness of the bacon wrapped hot dog. Since I love the smoky flavor that grilling gives jalapenos, I decided to grill the peppers along side the dogs. I grilled the onion too which not only made it easier to keep on the bun than raw but it added a sweet-smoky flavor that went so well with the bacon. YUM!

Grilled German-style Potato Salad

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold or red skin potatoes, quartered and parboiled
1 white onion, cut into wedges
3 strips thick cut bacon

for the dressing:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 bunch green onion, chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
salt
freshly ground pepper


Directions:
Place the dressing in a jar or salad dressing container. Shake until well mixed. Set aside. Prep grill according to manufacturers' directions. Oil a grilling pan with canola oil. Place the potatoes, onion wedges and bacon on the grilling pan.

Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, turning occasionally. Place the potatoes and onion in a bowl. Crumble the bacon on top. Toss. Drizzle with dressing and toss again.

My thoughts:

German potato salad is traditionally served hot and it is great, but when it is summer in Baltimore and you live in a 1930s house with no air conditioning, you really don't want to be standing over the stove more than you have to. I had the idea to grill it instead and I really think I like it better. The smoky, grilled flavor of the potatoes and onions really ties in with the bacon and the potato gets sort of crisp around the edges. Yum! I hate it when potatoes in salads are mushy. I just make sure I boiled the potatoes until they were almost fork tender. You don't want a potato falling apart on the grill! Using quartered potatoes (or small wedges) is important too, slices are difficult to turn. I used a grated grilling pan that only took up part of the grill so we were able to make our whole meal at once which was awesome. The grill pan really is needed for this recipe, the spaces in the grill rack are too large to cook bacon or thin slices of onion on. Luckily they aren't terribly expensive and we use it all the time for vegetables and more delicate grillables.

Island Style Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:
3 slices thick cut bacon
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
5 1/2 cups fish stock
1 lb cooked salmon, cut into chunks
2 cups peeled, diced white potatoes
3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup dark rum, optional
2 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 green onion, diced
1 or 2 Scotch Bonnet pepper(s), minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Directions:
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In a large pot, saute the onion, shallot, garlic, pepper, potatoes, celery and carrot in a couple tablespoons of bacon grease until the onions are softened and translucent. Add the tomato, spices, bacon, broth, Worcestershire sauce and rum. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly fork tender. Stir in the thyme, green onion and parsley and salmon. Cook until the salmon is heated through. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.

My thoughts:

This recipe was somewhat inspired by Bermuda's fish chowder and the conch chowders popular in the Caribbean. I've been researching vacations (oh, for a break from cooking and dish washing) and of course, that involves researching the local cuisines. While salmon isn't the traditional fish found in these local chowders, the fact that I had a pound of it leftover after another meal made me give it ago. It worked really well! Salmon is "meaty" enough that it doesn't breakdown in the soup and its richness contrasted well with the lush spice of the broth. It is also the perfect chowder as we creep towards warmer weather, it isn't as heavy as most chowders and everyone knows spicy foods cool you off!

Matt's Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:
6 pieces of bacon
4 eggs
2 green onions, green parts, chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle (divided use)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked, cubed Yukon gold potatoes
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt
pepper
6 small soft tortillas, warmed (I prefer fajita sized, but taco sized works too)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Fry bacon until crisp. Reserve the drippings and break up the bacon onto bite-sized pieces. Add 2 teaspoons of the bacon drippings to a small pan and saute onion, garlic and jalapenos over a medium heat. When the onion mixtures begins to brown, add the tomatoes, the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the chipotle powder, and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Remove from heat and cover. While sauteing the onion mixture, crack the eggs into a small bowl. Whisk in the green onions, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder, a dash of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the bacon drippings in a skillet and scramble the eggs.

Assembling the tacos: I suggest a sprinkle of cheese then topping with egg then top with the rest of the ingredients.

My thoughts:

For brief period during the dark years before he knew me my husband lived in Texas where he became quite opinionated about things like barbacoa and barbecue. He also became enamored with Tex-Mex breakfasts. Since we live in Baltimore, our hot & spicy breakfast taco/burrito options are pretty limited. So, Matt took matters into his own hands and made these yummy tacos. No more difficult than making a simple omelette (barely more than making just eggs and bacon) but so much more fun.

Bacon Loves Shrimp Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

8 hard boiled eggs, cut in half lengthwise
3 strips thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup finely minced cooked shrimp
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced green onion or chopped chives
salt
pepper

shrimp slices for garnish

Directions:
Place the yolks in a small bowl. Lightly mash with a potato masher. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Mash until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients taking care that they are evenly distributed in the egg mixture. Divide evenly among the halves. Garnish with a bit of shrimp.

My thoughts:

The these eggs are perhaps the most over the top, goyisha deviled eggs I've ever consumed. Bacon and shrimp! I'd like to claim credit for that bit of genius but these eggs are the product of my husband's imagination. For some reason he got it in his head that he wanted to make deviled eggs and this is what he came up with. Since he didn't grow up eating a lot of deviled eggs, he prefers them closer to the "stuffed" egg territory with lots of bulky ingredients than their traditional fairly smooth and sprinkled with paprika forebearers. Being as overstuffed as they are, they make a great snack or appetizer, they are more substantial than than regular deviled eggs which in my opinion makes them better.

Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter OR bacon fat
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 quarts seafood or chicken stock
4 andouille sausages, sliced into coins
1 lb okra, sliced into coins
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 lb catfish, cut into nuggets
1 lb shucked oysters (with liquid)


cooked white rice to serve
file powder, optional

Directions:
Over medium heat, cook the flour, spices and butter/bacon fat together, whisking pretty often until it turns brown but doesn't burn. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and saute until starting to soften. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage and okra. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and catfish. Cook until they are almost cooked through then add the oysters in their liquid. Cook until the oysters are cooked through. Serve over rice.

My thoughts:

I have to say, I make pretty good Cajun food. When my husband brought home a bunch of seafood with an eye on making gumbo, he suggested I make the roux and take a more supervisory role for the rest. Fine with me! I make my roux over a lower heat than I've seen called for in cookbooks which makes the process much less fraught but yields the same results in just slightly more time. I also like to add the spices to the flour which makes them nice and toasty tasting. Beyond that I don't get too fancy; cubanelle peppers instead of bell (bell peppers are so insipid) and a jalapeno thrown in for extra spice. Since it is a month with an "r" in it, local oysters were a natural fit as was my favorite catfish. Rounding it out is shrimp but I bet crawfish or even (for an extra luxe touch) chunks of lobster would be great. This is my favorite kind of gumbo, homey and comforting but the seafood makes it seem special. It is also surprisingly quick to make which makes it a great choice for a weekday meal.

Bacon & Chocolate Chunk Buttermilk Waffles

Ingredients:
2 cup flour
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
2 eggs

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, vanilla and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate and bacon. Follow the instructions included with your waffle iron to complete the waffles. For most large, Belgian-style waffle irons you would use 1 cup of batter for each waffle. I love my waffle maker.

Yield: 4 large Belgian-style waffles

My thoughts:

Much like the characters of Glee, I do think that chocolate and bacon go together even though, perhaps, they shouldn't. When I saw that Vosges had launched a bacon & chocolate pancake mix, I knew, without even trying it that this was something I could make at home. While it is nothing like the waffles we had in Belgium this fall (although, now that I think of it, topping sugar waffles with chocolate was pretty common)it was actually really good. I was careful to only use the meaty bits of bacon not much fat, so it added a crispy, smoky note to the waffles not a greasy one. Anyway, chocolate + bacon + buttermilk waffles = over the top, decadent breakfast fun. Perhaps not fun that you'd want to eat every day, but definitely a delicious treat.

Smoked Gouda & Ham Jalape�o Poppers

Ingredients:
10 large jalape�o peppers
1 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten

filling
4 oz soft goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1/4 cup diced smoked (lean) ham
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. Mash all of the filling ingredients together until fairly smooth and the ingredients are well distributed. Slice the peppers in half or cut a slit down the middle of one side of the pepper and leave it whole.



Remove the seeds. Fill with filling mixture.



Dredge each popper in the flour, dip into the egg, then dredge in the matzo meal or crumbs to coat.





Place in a single layer, cut side up, on the lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden and the pepper is hot all the way through, about 30 minutes.

My thoughts:

I have to admit that until I made these, I had never actually had a jalape�o popper. The few times I have seen them listed on menus, they are always fried. While I do love fried foods (who doesn't?)the idea of frying something that is stuffed with that much cheese makes me feel a little queasy. So I thought I'd try my hand at this gourmet-ish baked version. I know they are typically stuffed with little more than a mixture of cheeses (and maybe a bit of crab or bacon) but I thought a bit of ham would be fun and help cut the heat a bit. I love smoky flavors so I went all out using smoky spices (and cheese! and ham!) but it all melded together and was a great contrast to the creamy goat cheese and straight up hot jalape�o. The poppers tasted almost grilled which took the sting out of them being baked rather than fried. They are just as crispy outside and gooey inside as they would have been fried (I admit, I did a test fried popper to compare and contrast) but not as heavy tasting.



Note: If you really want heat, look for peppers at your local farmers market. The jalape�o peppers sold at regular supermarkets are often pack less heat than their local cousins.

Zippy Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Pinenuts and Cranberries

4 broccoli crowns
3 slices (cooked) bacon, crumbled
1 bunch green onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted pinenuts

dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar
salt
pepper


Directions:
Quickly blanch the broccoli by plunging it into boiling water for one minute. Rinse off under cool water. Allow to cool. Thoroughly drain (a salad spinner works nicely) then chop into bite-sized pieces. Toss with salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing. Drizzle over the salad, toss to coat and evenly distribute.

My thoughts:

My family never made broccoli salad when I was growing but from what I've encountered at picnics and parties since, we were in the minority. I think I have had at least 10 variations of the salad. They all seem to have some things in common: something crunchy, something sweet and some sort of onion. When I went to make my own version, I didn't see any reason to leave any of that out. Raisins seem the most popular sweet ingredient but since I find them abhorrent and bug-like I went with sweet-tart dried cranberries. The need for bacon was clear and for crunch I added some toasty pinenuts. Often the dressing in broccoli salad is rather sweet which isn't terribly appealing to me so I made basil vinaigrette with just a drop of agave nectar for sweetness. Green onions and shallot provide the onion flavor without the sometimes harsh flavor of raw onion.

Quick note: While blanching the broccoli seems like an unnecessary step; it brightens the color of the broccoli and takes some of the raw edge off which really adds something to the salad.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice Grilled Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes
3 strips center cut bacon, crumbled
1 chipotle pepper in adobe, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh or freeze dried minced chives
salt
pepper

olive oil for brushing


Directions:
Prick the potatoes with a fork. Brush all sides with olive oil. Place mesquite chips in a foil packet, poke holes in the foil, and place on the coals. Cook the potatoes directly on the grill over hot coals for 30 minutes, then turn.



Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from the grill. Slice in half. Scoop out the insides and gently mashed with the remaining ingredients. Scoop back into the skins. Place on the grill.



Grill until the cheese melts and they are hot all the way through, about 5-10 minutes.





Quick tips: Measure out the filling ingredients before you start to grill and refrigerate them until the potatoes are ready. Also, bacon crumbles easily after it has been refrigerated, make extra next time you cook bacon for breakfast or another recipe. If using freshly cooked bacon, cut it up with kitchen shears.

My thoughts:

This is a great side dish to make when you are grilling a main dish that takes a long time; the potatoes don't take up much room on the grill. I've made this when grilling a large piece of meat over indirect heat, I just put the potatoes around the edge of the grill over the coals. The potatoes take on a light, smoky, grilled flavor that is reflected in the chipotle and bacon. The skin gets wonderfully crispy-the perfect edible container.

Bacon-Barbecue Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb 93% lean ground beef or sirloin
1/3 cup crumbled, cooked center cut bacon
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning*
1 1/2 tablespoons minced cubanelle pepper
1 small onion, minced

additional barbecue sauce

Directions:
With a light hand, mix all ingredients together. Form into four equal, 1/4 inch thick patties.




Brush one side of each patty with additional barbecue sauce. Place the burgers, sauce side up, on a hot grill.




About halfway through the cooking time, flip the burgers. Place mesquite chips in a foil packet, poke holes in the foil, and place on the coals. Cover and cook until the burgers are to your desired doneness. Serve on hamburger rolls.



*I used this. I've seen other brands refer to a similar mix as "Canadian" steak seasoning.

My thoughts:

These slightly over the top burgers are sure to become a new favorite. For best results, use lean beef and bacon. Higher fat meats may cause the burgers to fall apart during grilling. Believe me, you won't miss the extra fat. Between the smoky bacon, the peppery cubanelle and the yummy barbecue sauce, they are bursting with flavor and quite juicy.

Bisquick Bacon Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Syrup and Bacon Frosting

Used Bisquick's pancake recipe...added maple syrup and bacon bits...and baked at 350...Frosting was basic white...added maple syrup and put bacon bits on top! Tastes like breakfast!




Have a great week...and remember to Rock On!

CQ

Bisquick Bacon Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Syrup and Bacon Frosting

Used Bisquick's pancake recipe...added maple syrup and bacon bits...and baked at 350...Frosting was basic white...added maple syrup and put bacon bits on top! Tastes like breakfast!




Have a great week...and remember to Rock On!

CQ

Strawberry-Asparagus Salad with Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 bunch spring lettuce
1 bunch baby spinach
2 strips crisp bacon
3/4 lb fresh asparagus
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup bee pollen dusted hazelnuts
2 oz ch�vre

for the vinaigrette
2 oz avocado oil
2 oz pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar*
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 strawberry, mashed**

Directions:
Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or salad dressing mixer. Shake until a smooth, emulsified dressing forms.

Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the spinach. Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and cut into manageable sized pieces. Arrange on the salad. Add the sliced strawberries. Dot with goat cheese. Toss in the hazelnuts and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

*I used locally bottled Pompeian vinegar.
**I just put it on a cutting board and mashed with with a potato masher until pretty smooth.

My thoughts:

A while back I was invited to do a cooking demonstration at the Maryland Heartland Sustainable Living Fair which is going on today. Of course I agreed to do it. The major challenge was designing a recipe that made the most of what is in season in the end of May in Maryland. Which, unfortunately, isn't terribly much as May is pretty much the beginning of the growing season here. I had thought of doing some sort of stir fry but when I looked at the list of what was in season I realized that a big salad might be a better choice. I used locally grown strawberries, lettuce, spinach and asparagus along with some local fresh goat cheese. I tossed in some bacon because it just smells so good and thought it might draw some people in to watch the demo. It also adds a smoky note to the salad. I used some hazelnuts from a family owned farm (in Oregon) that were dusted in local bee pollen for some crunch. The dressing was simple but extremely tasty and added an additional fruity note to the salad. Unfortunately some of the dressing ingredients were not quite local but there is a drawback to living in the mid-Atlantic; no avocado or olive trees for oil.

All of these seemingly disconnected ingredients came together to from a very satisfying salad that felt light and fresh. I loved the asparagus and the strawberries, they made the salad feel hearty despite the near absence of meat. The perfect springtime meal salad.

Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
4 cooked strips of bacon, crumbled
1 lb steamed shrimp
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 avocado, diced
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together. Serve on a roll or bread.

My thoughts:

This salad, while simple to make, is one of the tastiest in my repertoire. I like to think of it as sort of a cross between a club sandwich and a classic shrimp salad. The creaminess of the avocado contrasts nicely with the shrimp and smoky bacon. A yummy change from the everyday.

Top-Drawer Chicken Salad

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 red radishes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 carrot, finely diced
2 tablespoons capers


for the marinade:
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt
pepper

for the dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
juice of 1/2 lemon
white pepper


Directions:
Place the chicken and marinade in a nonreactive container. Marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Then grill or saute the chicken until cooked through. Cube and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Serve immediately or for better flavor, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.



Yield: 4-6 servings

My thoughts:

This is my current favorite version of chicken salad; it was so good, I made it a second time in less than a week. The capers give it a salty, pickle-y kick, the radish and red onion lend some spicy crunch and the dressing is creamy but not cloying or too mayonnaise-y. Chicken salad nirvana.


If you are feeling decadent, this chicken salad is particularly good on sourdough bread topped with a couple slices of bacon and avocado.

Black Bean with Bacon and Oyster Mushrooms Soup

Ingredients:
3 to 4 slices cracked black pepper bacon
30 oz canned black beans, drained
3 1/2 cups broth (chicken*, pork or vegetable)
6 oyster mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced


Directions:
In a large pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of grease. Drain the bacon on paper towel lined plates. Crumble the bacon. Set aside. Saute the mushrooms, garlic, onion, and celery until just beginning to soften. Add the broth, beans and bacon. Heat through.

Yield: about 4 servings

*I actually used reduced sodium Progresso chicken broth.

My thoughts:

I made this soup for a quick lunch the other day but it really is enough to serve as dinner, perhaps with a roll or cornbread.

Normally when I made black bean soup I go the spicy route but for a change I used the pepper bacon to add some spice and smoky flavor and kept it pretty simple. The flavors of the vegetables and beans really stand out. I choose oyster mushrooms because they have a meaty texture that holds up well in soup. A good substitute would be portobello but you will miss the oyster-like flavor of the appropriately named oyster mushroom.