My Latest Food Adventure

A couple months ago, my friend Emily called me to ask if I'd be interested in heading up the meal for the VBS Volunteer Luncheon (to serve 50-70 people). Now I haven't known Emily for very long, but obviously long for her to figure out what a crazy foodie I am. I was so very flattered and honored that she would put her confidence in me and it didn't take long for me to tell her a resounding "yes." I was giddy with excitement; this was exactly the kind of foodie challenge that I was up for: planning and preparing a meal from beginning to end with no constraints on my creativity. My giddiness even kept me up that night, as my I poured through my mental recipe file, searching for the perfect combination of dishes.

A couple of weeks later, as I strolled through Sam's Club with Emily, I started feeling a little overwhelmed. My behemoth-sized grocery cart was filled to the max with food and I couldn't help but think,"Holy Crap! Can I really do this?" Thankfully, I was reassured knowing that I had a handful of wonderful women who graciously teamed up with me to get the job done. I am especially grateful to Jillian, who worked for 6 hours in the church kitchen with me the day before the luncheon, sweating with me and keeping me sane! She's quite a foodie herself, plus she has way more catering-type experience than I do, so her input and hard work was invaluable. Without all of these gals, I absolutely could NOT have pulled this off! Here are the 5 of us finishing up on Sunday morning (from left- Anna, Liz, Jillian, Sabrina and me):

Everything went off (mostly) without a hitch and it was a joy to help serve all the VBS workers in this way. So without further adieu, here are the recipes:

VBS Volunteer Luncheon Menu

Slow-Cooked Mediterranean Chicken

Emerial LaGasse's Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Tossed Salad

Fresh Fruit Saladp>

No-Bake Peanut Bars

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Slow-Cooked Mediterranean Chicken

Originally found in Cooking Light, this slow-cooker recipe quickly became one of my favorites. I adore Greek food, so I figured, what's not to love about it?! The original recipe calls for turkey breast, but I have easily substituted chicken many times. For the luncheon, I opted to cut down on the cooking time, since I wouldn't be able to use a slow-cooker. Instead, I basically marinated the chicken breast in all the other ingredients for 24 hours, then roasted them in the oven at about 300 degrees for 2 hours. It worked really well in lieu of the slow-cooker, however, to get the full effect of this dish, I would always opt for the slow-cooker over the oven.

• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup julienne-cut drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning mix (such as McCormick's)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) boneless turkey breast, trimmed (or 6-8 large, boneless chicken breasts)
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Combine first 9 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup broth and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Cut turkey into slices.

Yield: About 8 servings

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Emeril LaGasse's Mediterranean Style Pasta Salad

Oh. My. Gosh. Holy cow, this is the most phenomenal pasta salad known to man. You've never tasted pasta salad till you've tried this one. Even for people who normally don't care for pasta salad, this will bring new light that ho-hum, mayo-based pasta salad so popular at potlucks. One of the facets that makes this recipe so fantastic is the roasted garlic vinaigrette. Don't be scared of using an entire bulb of garlic; when garlic is roasted, its flavor becomes very mellow. Plus, the smell of garlic roasting in the oven will make your home smell so inviting. Then, when you're ready to take your first bite, make sure you're sitting down cause this bad boy just might knock you off your feet! Thanks to Emeril and the Food Network for this recipe..."Bam!"

• 1/2 pound fresh angel hair pasta (I substituted rotini)
• 10 roasted cloves of garlic (about one whole bulb, see note below on how to roast garlic)
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 roma or plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh sweet peas, blanched (I always omit peas cause I don't care for them)
• 1/2 cup Greek black olives, pitted and halved
• 4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled (herb-seasoned feta is wonderful in this dish)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and place the pasta in a bowl of ice water. Stir the pasta a couple of times to separate the pasta. Drain very well; Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, add the garlic. Using the back of a fork, mash the cloves until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil slowly. Whisk until the mixture is slightly thick. Season with salt and black pepper. In a large mixing bowl, add the onions, tomatoes, and peas. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta, olives and cheese. Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve either cold or at room temperature.

**How to roast garlic: This is pretty darn simple, but you'll want to do this ahead of time so that the garlic is roasted and cooled before you prepare the pasta salad. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Loosely wrap the garlic bulb in foil and place in preheated oven. Roast for about 1 hour, checking periodically to make sure it doesn't burn. You'll know it's done when the bulb is very soft and the cloves are a lovely golden brown. Multiple bulbs of garlic can be roasted at one time, too.

**How to get the roasted garlic out!! Okay, so you've roasted your garlic...now what? Allow the garlic to cool so that you can easily handle it. Then, insert the tip of a paring knife at the edge of the stem on the bottom of the bulb. You should be able to easily pry up the stem and pull it off. Now, holding it over a small bowl, squeeze several times at the top of the bulb and all the roasted goodness will squirt out the bottom. I should warn you, though, that it can be a little messy at times and roasted garlic is quite sticky on hands. But don't dismay, it's totally worth it! Now you're ready to use the your roasted garlic.

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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Okay, so I have to admit, these bars are the one part of my meal that was a total, last-minute decision. I just had no clue what to make for dessert, but I knew it had to be simple. So I asked my husband, an expert dessert-taster, what I should make for dessert: cake? cookies? bars? etc. His response was, "Hmmm...bars really say 'VBS Luncheon' to me." So bars it was! I found this recipe on an ad for Nestle Toll House and as I've mentioned before, the chocolate/pb combo can never be beat in my book. The results were quite astounding and indeed, the recipe was super-simple to prepare. Although the Nestle employee who wrote the recipe must've been smokin' crack because it said that it yielded 60 bars!! Unless I cut those bars into 1 inch squares, there's no way to get 60 bars from one pan. Besides, when it comes to dessert, more is always better. :)

• 2 cups peanut butter, divided
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan. BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula. MELT remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Char Sui Pork Roast

Okay. The truth is out. I must admit that there are several areas of cooking in which my skills could greatly use some improvement. One of these areas is the preparation and cooking of meat, and more specifically, higher-quality cuts of pork and beef. So that's why, if I'm going to cook a dish that calls for pork or beef, I prefer to choose recipes that have a "fail-safe" method built in. Rather, I choose recipes where it would be difficult for me to screw it up. And what could be more fail-safe than the tried and true slow-cooker?! Oh faithful crockpot, you have never failed me yet.

This recipe had been calling my name for several years now, as it is on the same page in a Cooking Light issue as another one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes. I finally tried it a few weeks ago and it was, to say the least, deeee-lish!! Little effort to put it together, huge return on the taste. Also, don't be intimidated if you've never heard of a few of the ingredients; they are all available in your regular grocery store, in the Asian section. Here are the menus that I put together for 2 meals for my family. And I still had some pork leftover after those 2 meals, so keep reading to find out another creative way to use the leftovers. (Sorry--no pictures this time!)

Suggested Menus:

Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast

Oven-roast Red Potatoes

Steamed Vegetables or Green Salad

or

Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast

Prepared Asian Noodles (I used "Simply Asia" brand)

Asian-style Vegetables (from frozen foods)

Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.

Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.

Suggested Use for Leftovers: After we had 2 meals, I froze the pork that was left. Then, when I was ready to use it, I thawed it, shredded it a bit more, and served it on buns as "Char-Sui Shredded Pork Sandwiches."

Because they asked for it...

In my very first blog post, I said that one of the reasons I wanted to start a food blog is because I often get asked for my recipes. So in order to simplify my life and avoid giving out numerous copies of the same recipe, it seemed reasonable to just post a frequently-asked-for recipe here. Then when someone said to me, "Hey Foodie, I just adored your (insert a delicious dish here). Could I get the recipe?" And with great relief, I could say, "But, of course! Do you have internet access?" Saves me time and everyone is happy.

Last week I was asked about a handful of times for the recipes from our church's Wednesday Night Dinner, which I planned and helped prepare. Ahh, at least I know my blog is getting good use! Here you go!

Menu

Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls

Tortilla Chips

Texas Two-Step Coleslaw

Fresh Fruit

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

*For the "Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl" recipe, click here

*For the "Texas Two-Step Coleslaw" recipe, click here

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

• 2 pkgs. (18 oz. each) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 cups chopped peanut butter cups (about 15 large)

Press both tubes of cookie dough into a 15x10-in. jelly roll pan. (It works easiest if the cookie dough is about room temperature.) Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes at 50% power, stirring halfway through cooking time (you may need to microwave slightly longer, as microwave powers may differ.) When chips are fully melted and smooth, spread over cooled cookie. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes for chocolate to harden.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Spread over the chocolate. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups. Chill until ready to serve. Cut into bars; refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 20-24 servings

Garlic Roasted Salmon (with addendum added)

I have three, all-time favorite salmon recipes. And last night, I prepared one of those recipes. (Also noteworthy: the fact that I'm posting less than 24 hours after I prepared the recipe!!)

Suggested Menu:

Roasted Garlic Salmon

Angel Hair Pasta w/Garlic Butter

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Baby Portabellos

Roasted Garlic Salmon

• 1 lb. or 1-1/2 lbs. fresh salmon, skins removed
• 3 T. butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut salmon into 4-6 portions; place salmon into a greased casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush each salmon portion liberally with garlic-butter mixture (make sure to use it all up, too! You'll want all that savory, buttery goodness). Bake salmon, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook it...nothing worse than dried out salmon!

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Baby Portabellos

I love the flavor of roasted veggies, and have made many variations using lots of different vegetables. I wondered how it would work to use a light, honey glaze, so this what I came up with last night. Although I overcooked it slightly and probably should've stirred it more often, because the sweet potatoes were slightly burned. But they still tasted good! And b/c this is a newly created recipe, the measurements are just approximations, so use your own judgement.

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. baby portabello mushrooms, thoroughly washed
• 1-2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1-1/2 T. honey
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper; place on a greased jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, stirring a few times. Then add the mushrooms to the pan, toss again. Roast for an additional 20-30 minutes, stirring a few times during the cooking time. It's done when potatoes are cooked through and slightly crispy.

**Addendum to previous post--In my previous post, I had responded to a comment, asking if my husband and son ate all the different types of foods I cook. I'd like to use this current post as an opportunity to assure all my readers that my child is not consuming liver and brussel sprouts on a daily basis. Like I said, he eats pretty well, but he's also 4 years old. And as many of you know, a 4 year has this delightful tendency to change what they like and dislike on an hourly basis! Just so I don't turn into the kind of parent who's constantly bragging about how brilliant and gifted their kid is...

Case in point: this salmon meal was NOT so well received by Calvin. Despite my darndest efforts of prodding and all my goofy "parental" exclamations ("Oh, salmon is sooo yummy, Calvin!"), he turned his nose up at both the salmon and vegetables. He's been offered salmon before and eaten it happily about half the time. And normally, he loves sweet potatoes and squash, so I'm not sure what the problem was last night...maybe the crispy exterior disguised the sweet potatoes too much, maybe it was the honey glaze, but most likely, it was just a 4-year old being a 4-year old. I digress.

Indonesian Chicken

I'm a huge fan of year-round grilling. Come sun or come snow, you'll find me tending the grill at least a few times a month. I came across this recipe long before I ever had a grill and it sounded so enticing that I held onto it until we inherited a lovely grill two summers ago. Let me tell ya--it was well worth the wait! A flavorful, crispy outside and tender meat inside...mmmm, just kick those ordinary chicken recipes to the curb!

You might notice an ingredient in this recipe that you've never heard of: fish sauce. This is a fermented sauce essential in many Asian dishes and you can find it at any local grocery store, in the Asian foods section. I'll give you some fair warning, though, that fish sauce has an extremely funky odor, not that far off from the smell of fermented gym shoes. However, the end result of this recipe will not taste like fish sauce!! You have to trust me on this one, when I first made it, I was a little hesitant, too, when I first inhaled the aroma of the fish sauce. But the other ingredients in the marinade balanced out the pungent odor and the resulting, finished product was a delightful dish that made me keep comin' back for more.

Suggested Menu:

Indonesian Chicken

Trader Joe's "Thai-Style Lime Pilaf"

(or any boxed rice pilaf, such as "Near East" brand)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Green Salad

Indonesian Chicken

• 1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 2 T. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 to 3 tsp. curry powder or turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs (or cut-up fryer chicken)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients until smooth. Place chicken in a 2 quart glass baking dish, or large resealable plastic bag, and pour marinade over the chicken. Turn chicken to coat it well. Cover dish, or seal bag, refridgerate at least 6 hours or ovenight.

Heat grill. When ready to grill, drain chicken, reserving marinade. Place chicken on gas grill over low heat or charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once and brushing frequently with reserved marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

**Tip--You can remove the skin from the chicken prior to marinating, however, I prefer to leave it on. By doing so, it keeps the chicken from overcooking and drying out. Also, I do not recommend substituting boneless chicken breast in this recipe. Bone-in chicken, again, helps keep the meat moist and the bone adds so much flavor. Plus, bone-in chicken is so much cheaper than boneless!

More Signs of the Season

I was driving down Mason Road the other day and was struck at the sheer beauty of a particular row of trees lining the street. The trees alternated--one red, one orange, one gold, one green (evergreen trees), and the combination of colors was just brilliant. My heart leaps with joy upon viewing such sights. The only thing that could possibly match such brilliance would be to come home and inhale the aroma of a seasonal soup, simmering on the stove.

Well-respected chefs and nutritionists often recommend taking advantage of the produce that's currently in season. Cooking Light's "Velvety Squash Soup" is a perfect display of the autumn harvest. I made it for the first time last week and it certainly lives up to its name--smooth and creamy--and warmed my family through and through.

Suggested Menu 1

Velvety Squash Soup

Rustic Italian or French Loaf

Green Salad

Suggested Menu 2

Velvety Squash Soup

Grilled Turkey 'n' Cheese Sandwiches

Velvety Squash Soup

• 1 (3 pound) butternut squash
• 1 (2 pound) acorn squash
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 5 cups chicken broth (preferably fat-free, lower sodium)
• 2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 T. molasses
• 1 tsp. curry powder or turmeric
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
• 2/3 cup half-and-half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut each squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place squash, cut sides down, on jelly-roll sheet (or large cookie sheet) coated with cooking spray.

Combine onion and oil, tossing to coat. Spread onion mixture onto pan around squash. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, or until squash and onion are tender. Cool slightly. Scoop out squash pulp from skins; discard skins.

Place onion and squash pulp in a Dutch oven. Stir in broth and the next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.

Place half of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Return squash mixture to pan; stir in half and half. Cook over medium-heat for 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Yield: 10 servings

**Tip--I strongly suggest baking the squash earlier in the day, to give it ample time to cool. I however, did not do that. Instead, I had to try and handle near-piping hot squash while scooping the pulp from it. To quote a fellow blogger: "Be ye not so stupid."

**Second tip--Turmeric, one of the spices found in curry powder, will leave a bright yellow stain on anything it touches. Be careful what utensils you use when making this soup. Stay away from utensils such as white plastic or silicone and wooden spoons. If you spill any on formica countertops, wipe it up right away. Don't let my warnings discourage you from using turmeric, though. It's extremely flavorful and essential in creating the right flavors in many recipes. It can be found at most local grocery stores, in the spice aisle.

Mulliga-what??

So I did promise earlier that I would posting some healthier recipes soon, and I figure I better start living up to that promise. Thus far, my posted recipes, although tasty enough to send you straight to foodie heaven, have enough fat and calories to send you to an early grave!! All good things in moderation.

If you've never heard of mulligatawny before, it's an Indian soup made from pureed red lentils and coconut milk. It may vary some, depending on the Indian restaurant, but it's usually never "hot" spicy, just flavorful. The very first time I had mulligatawny was 12 years ago,when a good friend of mine decided it was about time that I be properly introduced to Indian food. At the time, I lived in Nebraska and the only logical place to go for Indian cuisine was "The Oven." My friend had prepared me for mulligatawny by telling me, "Most people either love it or hate it." For me, it was love at first bite.

I discovered this recipe a few years back in my beloved "Cooking Light" magazine. I had tried a few other mulligatawny recipes prior to this, but I think this one ranks supreme above the rest. To give you even more incentive to try it, you should know that it's quite simple to prepare and extremely healthy (loaded with fiber, protein, and iron).

Suggested Menu:

Mulligatawny

Brown Basmati Rice

Indian Naan Bread

Green Salad

Mulligatawny

• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (preferrably fat-free, lower sodium)
• 1 cup dried, small red lentils
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
• 3 T. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 T. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• Hot cooked basmati rice

Combine broth, lentils, and onion in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove pot from heat and let stand 5-10 minutes, or until it has cooled slighly. Pour lentil mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Return mixture to stockpot.

Place coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, cumin and turmeric in the blender; process until smooth. Add coconut milk mixture to the lentil mixture in the stockpot and stir until combined. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, salt and pepper. To serve, place about 1/4 cup cooked basmati rice in each bowl and ladle soup over the rice.

**Tip -- You can get light coconut milk at any grocery store, but Trader Joe's has it for just 99 cents a can! Also, my family is quite fond of Trader Joe's Indian Naan Bread, found in frozen foods (only $2.29 for 4 large pieces of bread). If you don't have access to TJ's, naan bread can also be found at ethnic grocery stores.

Indoor Picnic

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had the privilege of participating in my church's wednesday night dinner program the past year and a half. Last spring, I had a culinary vision of a meal for the upcoming year: An Indoor Picnic. All the traditional picnic-ey fixins', complete with red and white checkered tablecloths and plastic ants (although we discovered that plastic flies were cheaper...more realistic, too, since flies are more problematic at a picnic than ants are!) My vision was brought to fruition in September and here is the menu and recipes:

Giant Sub Sandwiches

Hot Bacon Potato Salad

Assorted Individual Bag of Chips

Tossed Salad

Fresh Fruit Bar

Marbled Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

Hot Bacon Potato Salad

This has become one of my all time favorite potato salads. Originally found in a Betty Crocker grilling cookbook, you can make it just as easily in the oven, too.

• 2 lbs. unpeeled red potatoes
• 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dry ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat water to boiling in a 3 or 4 qt. saucepan. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Allow to cool until easily handled, then cut into large chunks (about 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes). Place cut potatoes in a baking dish (or a disposable, aluminum pan if grilling).

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth. Add green onions and bacon. Pour dressing over potatoes and toss until combined.

Oven instructions: Cover with foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring once, until heated through.

Grilling instructions: Cover with foil. Grill 4 inches away from medium heat (charcoal or gas) for 20 minutes, stirring once, until heated through.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Marbled Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

I've always been a fan of both chocolate and of peanut butter. Alone, they are, indeed, quite delightful. But combine the 2 together and you've achieved something just short of pure genius. My friend, Linda, knowing what an aficionado I was of the chocolate/pb combo, found this recipe on a jar of Reece's peanut butter many moons ago and typed it out for me. It immediately became one of my all-time favorite brownies. And once you taste them, that is, if you're still alive after tasting them, I'm confident that you'll feel the same way I did. **Note--This is direct cut 'n' paste of the recipe, but be reassured, it is not necessary to us Reese's and Hershey's brands to achieve the same results!

• 2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter or REESE'S Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2-1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips or 1 cup HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Prepare PEANUT BUTTER FILLING by beating cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg and milk.

3. Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH (100%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in remaining 2 cups sugar and vanilla. Add remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Remove 1 cup batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into prepared pan. Spread PEANUT BUTTER FILLING over surface. Drop reserved chocolate batter by teaspoons over filling. Using knife, gently swirl through top layers for marbled effect.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Cajun Night

Two summers ago, I was perusing through the announcements bulletin during church and I came across something that caught my attention. The women's ministry was going to be taking over the wednesday night dinner program, and in particular, their focus was going to be on making home-cooked meals. Of course, my heart raced at the thought of participating in such a culinary adventure and, in a momentary lapse of consciousness, I somehow volunteered to help head up the whole project. When I came to and realized what I had just committed myself to, I was a tad overwhelmed. But in midst of being overwhelmed, I was working with a fantastic bunch of women who were committed to preparing quality meals and having a great time of fellowship in the process. We made it through the year with flying colors. This year, I've pulled back quite a bit and am only involved twice a semester to plan a meal and then work with a team of women to prepare and serve it. My most recent meal was our Cajun Night and I'm excited that this will be the first menu I'll be sharing on my newborn blog. Sorry to say, though, that if you're looking to cut calories and fat, this probably won't be the meal for you. When I multiplied the jambalaya to serve 150 people, it used like 9 sticks of butter...mmm, cholesterol! (But be on the lookout...healthier menus and recipes will be posted soon!)

Jambalaya

Whenever I say the name, it always makes me think of Newman from Seinfeld, on the "Soup Nazi" episode. He ordered some and ran down the street saying, "Mmm, Jambalaya!" Although it's technically not soup, but don't get me started.

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 lb. fully cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups instant rice, uncooked
• 1 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced
• 2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 T. worcersteshire
• 1 T. hot pepper sauce
• 1 T. browning sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, saute the onions, green peppers, and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Place in a large bowl; stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer to a greased, shallow 3-qt. baking dishes. Cover and bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring twice.

Yield: 8 servings

Homesteader Cornbread

I've never had much success in finding a cornbread recipe that resulted much better than mediocre. In pursuit of a better cornbread, I stumbled across this one on allrecipes.com. It's described as "a moist, sweet cornbread with a crisp crust is the goal, fully realized with this recipe." After making it myself last year, I gotta say, that is the honest truth!

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yield: 15 servings

**Note: This cornbread freezes well. With a family of three, we have little use for 15 pieces of cornbread, so I'll freeze the extras, putting 3 or 4 pieces in each bag. That way, when I need some for a meal, I can just grab one bag, with enough for one meal. Voila!

Caramel Praline Cheesecake Squares

• 1 16 oz. package Pecan Sandie cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1 - 12 oz. jar caramel topping, divided
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 - 5.1 oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup caramel topping until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Spread filling over cooled crust. Sprinkle with pecans. Cover and refridgerate for at least 6 hours. Before serving, drizzle with remaining caramel topping and cut into servings.

Yield: 12 - 15 servings