RED, WHITE & BLUE POTATO SALAD

Posted on June 13, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc
The first in series Jack Fields and Amber Reyes adventure novel is available at all major e-book retailers.

The first in series Jack Fields and Amber Reyes adventure novel is available at all major e-book retailers.

EASY RECIPE

It’s BBQ season! And what goes better with BBQ anything than potato salad?  How about  potato salad with red and white potatoes, bacon, and blue cheese?  My easy recipe this week is for Red, White & Blue Potato Salad. If you like bacon and blue cheese you are going to love this easy recipe.

This recipe serves 6 to 8 as a side.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. small red potatoes – skin on

2 lbs. small white potatoes – skin peeled

1 cup green onions – chopped

1 cup blue cheese – crumbled

3/4 C fat free sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

7 strips of bacon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Preparation:

Wash red potatoes and place in large pot with water.  Wash and peel white potatoes and add to pot.  Water should be about an inch over the top of the potatoes.  Bring water to boil and then reduce heat to strong simmer/low boil for 12 to 16 minutes ( check with fork to see if done).  Drain the water and run cold water over the potatoes to stop the cooking process.

Fry the bacon.  Place fried bacon on paper towel to soak up excess grease.  Place on chopping block and chop.  Reserve about a quarter of the chopped bacon for topping the potato salad.

In a small bowl mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pepper, salt, cumin, and rice vinegar.

Cut the potatoes into small 1/2 inch pieces and place in large mixing bowl.  Add green onions, and 3/4 of the bacon. Gently stir and then add the blue cheese and the contents of the small bowl.  Gently stir the salad until thoroughly mixed.

Plate the potato salad and garnish with the reserved bacon (note I thought of this step after taking the photograph).

And there you go, an awesome easy fresh potato salad to go along with your special BBQ main dish.

AND STUFF

Not sure I understand social protocol anymore. I’m pretty sure there used to be a general understanding between people as to what was proper. Back in the day it was called social protocol or perhaps on a more basic level common sense.

Common sense isn’t what it used to be. Perhaps it has been dulled by rules. There are rules for virtually everything. In the past there were fire rings on the beaches, which could be used for cooking hot dogs in the day, and warmth at night while enjoying the beach in the evening. Now fire rings are gone, due to the result of a negative impact on air quality. OK, makes sense. But there goes the Frankie and Annette post surfing Beach Parties.

In fact, now there are signs prohibiting a BBQ at the beach and most nearby open spaces. Why? I dunno, probably pollution issues, maybe potential for fires that could spread rapidly in an urban area. OK, I get that, makes sense.

Seems when there were less rules, individual behavior was controlled by common sense, and social protocol. Some things just weren’t done, because it just wouldn’t be proper. Nowadays because of extensive rules, is it possible that a gap between rules and common sense has been created? If there is no sign prohibiting something it must be OK.

I once hired an expert to opine for a jury on the affects of warning labels. His opinion was that when individuals are over bombarded with warnings there is a point of saturation, where the warning not only does no good, it may do harm by reducing the impact of  common sense. Has something similar happened to social protocol? Has the codification of almost everything dulled common sense?

So, if there is no sign, it must be OK to park an RV in front of my home for a three day weekend, and sit on a lawn chair cleaning fish on the grass between the street and sidewalk. And, it goes without saying that since you can’t BBQ at the beach or the adjacent park, it must be OK absent a sign, to BBQ between your van and the car parked behind you, on the street in front of my house. Really, just whip out the good old coal BBQ and fire it up next to the curb. Heck everyone likes the smell of a BBQ, and no issues with pollution or fires from flare ups when you are safely tucked between your gas tank and the engine of the car behind you.

Maybe it’s just a SoCal thing.  But, I’m not going to be the first to roll up to a home in  (insert name of your state), park my RV throw out some lawn chairs and fire up the BBQ. My common sense, and strongly honed survival skills, suggests such a move would not be wise. Then again, if it was wrong, there would be a sign….

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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PENNE RIGATE WITH JALAPENO CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Posted on June 6, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

EASY RECIPE

I discovered a great jalapeno chicken sausage at Whole Foods and matched it with Sue’s garden fresh peas, oregano and basil to come up with an easy meal for family or friends. Just follow the step by step directions and  enjoy!

Recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

1 lb. jalapeno chicken sausage

1 – 14.5 oz can tomato sauce

1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4  cup peas

1/3 onion – minced

1/3 red bell pepper – diced

1/4 cup red wine

2 cloves garlic – diced

1 Tbsp fresh oregano – diced

1 Tbsp fresh basil – diced

8 oz Penne Rigate pasta

Preparation:

In large sauce pan heat tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Add diced oregano, basil, garlic, red bell pepper and wine.

Brown sausage with skin on. Remove from fry pan and cut into bite size rounds.

Saute onion.

Add sausage and onion to sauce bring to boil and reduce to simmer.

In large pot bring water to boil and then add pasta.  Reduce to strong simmer until pasta is al dente. Place peas in colander and drain pasta in the colander to heat the peas. 

Plate pasta and peas, add sauce with sausage, top with parmesan cheese, and garnish plate with sprig of fresh basil.

AND STUFF

I think I figured out why every television show is geared to the 10 to 30 year old age group. There is an inverse correlation between age and needs.  A young person needs everything whether they need it or not.  The new consumer must have the new video game, phone, I-this or I-that, gadget, shoes, clothes, car, thing, thing,  and of course the other thing.  Every show and star on or off the screen is knowingly or unwittingly creating a need that kids think must be fulfilled.

Conversely, assuming a mature person has the basics, that person has minimal consumer needs.  Recently She Who Must Be Obeyed asked me what I wanted for Father’s Day.  I thought for awhile, and responded that there was nothing I really needed.  I don’t need the latest golf driver, as the one I have slices perfectly well.  I don’t need a tie, as I’m actually trying to get away from ties.  I have two perfectly good pairs of dress shoes, and  enough suits to last out what’s left of my career.    Nope don’t need nothing.  Don’t want one of those new “computers” that instead of being useful are little more than a gaming machine with Internet.  I already have a phone for that.

The TV  ads  left me feeling  abandoned and …… unneeded.

But then,  I realized that my age group is still sought after by the advertisers!   It’s just now the products aren’t fun or cool.  They tell me I need this drug or that drug to make some things hurt less and other things get bigger.   The  advertisers depict retired people enjoying retirements that after two stock market crashes and a never ending recession are unobtainable. TV repeats  ad nauseam  ads for a three-wheel motorcycle – really three wheels?  Hell, its even easier to operate my car which has  four wheels , and I can open my windows if I need the feeling of the open road.

So, great news,  it turns out they are still trying to sell me stuff I don’t need or want.  I guess I’m just mature enough to say no to things I don’t need, or too stubborn to cross over into the world of treating every little ailment that pops up. Here’s a little secret, life is much calmer and happier if one focuses on what one actually needs versus what others tell you is needed.

Life is good.  Think I’ll spend time with my kids  and later go for a walk with She Who Must Be Obeyed – that’s what I need.

Happy Father’s Day!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Blue Cheese

Posted on May 29, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc

This week my easy recipe is Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Blue Cheese. This recipe has a little kick to it,  is super easy to make, and should be very low in fat, calories and other nasty things. Follow the step by step directions and it will lead you to a very fresh and tasty summer meal.

EASY RECIPE

Ingredients:

For Marinade:

1/4 Cup White Wine

1/4 cup Virgin Olive Oil

2 Garlic cloves – minced

1/8 tsp Dried red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp Cumin – powder

For Salad Dressing:

1 and 1/2 tsp Wasabi powder mixed with a little water to form a paste

1/2 Cup Greek Plain Yogurt

1/8 Cup white wine

2 Tbsp fresh Lemon juice

1/2 tsp Srirachi Sauce

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

dash Lemon pepper

For Salad:

20 large shrimp (15 per pound)

Baby Spinach

1/2 Red Onion – sliced thin

Dried Cranberries

4 Fire Roasted Red Peppers – sliced  (one for each plate)

Blue Cheese- crumbled (as much as you like)

1 loaf Kalamata Olive Bread

Preparation:

Shell and clean shrimp.

Mix all ingredients for marinade.

Place shrimp in plastic baggy, add marinade, seal and place in refrigerator for half hour.

For Salad Dressing:

Mix all salad dressing ingredients together in bowl, stir to until creamy, cover and  place in refrigerator.

Barbecue shrimp over medium high  heat for 2 minutes each side. Plate and cover.

Cut Olive Bread.

Wash and plate Spinach.  Add cranberries, red onion, fire roasted red peppers, shrimp and blue cheese.

Add dressing, garnish with lemon, and serve with Kalamata bread.

That’s all there is to it.  Super easy and fresh!

AND STUFF

We are so blessed to live in our neighborhood. I have lived in a number of states and cities over the years and in my experience it is the exception to have neighbors who enjoy the company of each other as much as we do in this little bubble in LA.

Take last weekend.  Saturday my little family went to the beach and had a little quiet time.  When we got home there was a text saying, ” Wine and pot luck tonight?”  Our immediate responsive text yes and where.  Wasn’t long until all the neighbors were gathering with various dishes and drinks. Kids were playing and the adults were talking up  a storm well into the perfect SoCal night.

Sunday She Who Must Be Obeyed and I we went down to the beach again.  After awhile the neighbors began filing in one couple, and kids, at a time until the sand around us filled with kids playing while the ever watchful parents soaked up sun for hours. The gathering slowly eroded as some decided to go for ice cream,  and others to finish up last of the weekend chores.

I am certain many of you experienced similar activities whether at the park, lake, river, or your neighborhood wherever that may be. Turns out it doesn’t matter where you are, just matters who you are with.  Here’s to great friends and neighbors!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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Grilled Chipotle Steak Sandwich

Posted on May 23, 2012 by easyrecipesandstuffc
The first in series Jack Fields and Amber Reyes adventure novel is available at all major e-book retailers.

The first in series Jack Fields and Amber Reyes adventure novel is available at all major e-book retailers.

I hope you enjoy the following encore Memorial Day easy recipe and stuff story first posted in 2011.

EASY RECIPE

This recipe would be great for a Memorial Day barbecue. I am using a Chipotle Vinaigrette as a marinade for the rib-eye steak and to make a spicy mayonnaise spread. The Chipotle Vinaigrette recipe is from  Mii amo Cafe’, located in the Mii amo Spa and Resort in Sedona, AZ, and their step by step recipe is reprinted here with their permission. To learn more about their resort, and Mii amo Cafe’ cookbook go to http://www.miiamo.com/mii-amo-cafe/ .

Chipotle Vinaigrette:

2          Chipotle Pepper Pods (canned with adobo sauce)

1tsp     Oregano

1/4      Yellow Onion (diced)

1/2      Bunch of Cilantro

1/2 C  Red Wine Vinegar

1tsp     Dry Mustard

Dash    Salt

Dash    Pepper

1tsp     Adobo Sauce (from the can of Chiptole Pepper Pods)

2 C       Thickened Veggie Stock  (add cornstarch to thicken)

Add all ingredients, except veggie stock and cilantro, into blender.  Slowly add veggie stock while blending to emulsify.  After the ingredients are nicely blended add the cilantro and blend again briefly (do not turn the vinaigrette green).

For my my grilled steak sandwich portion of the recipe.  You will need:

1 lb       Rib-eye Steak

1            Ciabatta loaf of bread about 12 inches long

1            Bunch Spinach

1             Red Onion

2             Avocado

Havarti Cheese slices

Olive Oil

1/2C      Mayonnaise

Place the steak in a sealable plastic bag and cover with the Chipotle Vinaigrette (reserving some for later use), seal the bag, make sure the steak is nicely covered with Vinaigrette and place in refrigerator for 2 or more hours.

To the 1/2C mayonnaise add reserved Chipotle Vinaigrette (about 1/4C) and place in refrigerator.

Wash the spinach and slice the red onion and place in refrigerator.

About a 30 minutes prior to the time you plan to barbecue the  steak remove the bag with steak from refrigerator and let it rest on the counter.

Slice the Ciabatta bread in half lengthwise, and brush with olive oil.

Barbecue the steak about 4 minutes on each side, place steak on a plate and let the meat set up.  Next briefly brown the Ciabatta bread on the barbecue.

Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices.

Peel avocados and slice thinly.

Assemble the sandwich as follows:  spread mayonnaise chiptole sauce on the bread, add a good layer of spinach, add the sliced steak, spread a little more mayonnaise chiptole sauce on the steak, add red onion slices, avocado, and finally, top with slices of Havarti Cheese.

Cut the assembled sandwich into 4 and serve each with sides such as green salad, baked beans, and potato chips.

There you go, from an easy recipe you just created an awesome Grilled Chiptole Steak Sandwich which your guests are going to love!

 AND STUFF 
I have always loved air shows. When growing up my parents would take my brother and me to air shows at the Minot Air Force Base. I remember as a child watching in awe as the USAF Thunderbirds performed precision maneuvers in their brightly colored jets. Later we waited for an F-106 Delta Dart to do a fly by at a speed above the sound barrier. The air show announcer kept announcing how close the jet was getting and then, he instructed us to look to the east, and just then the Delta Dart jet burst silently into view and streaked past overhead, followed a moment later by the blast of the sound barrier and the roar of the engines. Back “in the day” things were a little looser in the world and if you were at a military air show in the geographical center of nowhere military jets were allowed to break the sound barrier at air shows, and man was that cool. I carried on the tradition of attending air shows with my wife and children.

One of my vaction ideas is the great air show held at the famous Top Gun School in Miramar, California. Nowadays, the planes are not allowed to break the sound barrier, and the shows are masterfully controlled to assure the safety of the crowd and the pilots.

At Miramar they put on a show to be remembered. But in the morning I like to view the planes displayed on the tarmac. It is just amazing to walk around and examine up close just about every type of airplane that exists. The display includes amongst other aircraft,  WWII airplanes, Cobra or Apache Helicopter Gunships, the F-14 Tomcat, an F-18 Hornet, and even a B-52 Bomber likely flown in from my hometown. And I even got to walk up the ramp and through the cargo hold of the gigantic C5 Galaxy transport plane. One year they even had a stealth fighter on display with a rope around it so you could not get too close, and to make sure distance was maintained every so many feet an armed Marine kept watch.

Viewing the static plane display would be enough for me, but the show just keeps building. Next they start the civilian stunt pilot show which exhibits the skills of amazingly talented civilian pilots.

And finally it is time for the military show to start. The military portion of the air show starts with the Army Golden Knights parachuting in freefall and then grouping together one by one to form a stack formation, which from the ground looks like each Golden Knight is standing on the Golden Knight below him.

The last Golden Knight trails the American Flag for presentation.  Finally, they break formation and each Golden Knight performs a standup landing on the designated dot right in front of the crowd. What an inspiring way to present the Flag.

After the Anthem is song, the show kicks into high gear as the Marines execute a full Air-Ground Assault Demo. The Demo includes: Harrier jets, attack helicopters, heavy lift helicopters carrying Marines, canons, and assault vehicles, and it is all executed in perfect precision. They even simulate bombing runs with pyrotechnics producing blasts so large you can feel the heat.

At the completion of the Demo the young Marines parade by the viewing stand on foot, or sitting atop tanks and assault vehicles to the nonstop ovation of the crowd.

At Miramar, the last event of the day is always the Navy Blue Angels who demonstrate the absolute ultimate in precision flying skills.

All too soon, the inspiring, and at times emotional, show is over and it’s time for the crowd of thousands to leave. While walking with the mass of people along well controlled paths, on the way the way to the parking area, I passed many young men and women Marines offering assistance and directions. I saw our servicemen and women up close. I saw their young faces, their proud focused eyes, and observed how well they conducted themselves. They are maybe 19 or 20 years old. And then it hits me, the show stopper is not the wonderful airplanes and complex equipment. No, the show stopper is the marvelous young men and women of the United States Armed Forces. We are so blessed by their devotion to God and Country.

While enjoying your Memorial Day barbecue, take a moment and join me in remembering our heroes.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

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