Avocado Salsa

Best of both worlds - avocado and salsa!

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

1 jalapeño, stemmed...seeds removed if you want less heat

1 cup filtered water

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, stemmed 

2 Tablespoons diced white onion

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until desired consistency. Refrigerate to let flavors meld. Take out of refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad...everyone has their own recipe. I took several different recipes and came up with my own version. This has been my go to macaroni salad recipe for several years now. It is requested at potlucks. My boss requested I bring it today for our Memorial day potluck - I was cooking the elbow macaroni last night and thought wow it sure did plump up! I took a second look at the box and I used the whole box - 1 lb, instead of 8 oz of dried macaroni. That's okay, because we expected a large crowd, but that meant I had to get the carrots, celery, olives, pickles, onions etc. back out of the fridge and cut up more - since I was now making a double batch, so yeah, the recipe doubles easily! Wasn't a drop left when the potluck was over. 

I use dill pickles, but you can use sweet pickles if you so desire. If so, please use Vlasic sweet gerkins.

The bouillon cubes add flavor to the macaroni. This is another reason why you only add a few pinches of salt when making the dressing.  You can use the same chicken / vegetable bouillon trick when you are cooking your potatoes for potato salad as well. It really adds a nice flavor. No one will know your secret as to why it's so yummy. 

Makes 5 cups ( can double recipe for 10 cups. If you double you don't have to double the amount of bouillon cubes)

8 oz dried elbow macaroni

2 vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes ( I use knorr brand, or you can use 2 tsp. vegetable or chicken base) 

1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion, red or white onion

1/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup chopped Vlasic brand baby kosher dill pickles (or use sweet pickles)

1/4 cup sliced black olives (leave them out if you are a hater)

In a small bowl mix together:

3/4 cup Best Foods or Hellmans mayonnaise (you heard me!) 

2 Tablespoons pickle juice

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 pinches salt (pickle juice is salty, and so is the mayo, so please don't oversalt)

In a large pot bring water to a boil as per macaroni package directions. Add the bouillon cubes, or vegetable/ chicken base to the water and stir to combine. Add dried macaroni and cook 7 minutes, or until al'dente. Drain. Rinse for only a few seconds to help cool off to stop the cooking process - you don't want to rinse off all the flavoring you just infused into the macaroni.

In a large bowl add the sliced celery, chopped onion, pickles, olives and sliced black olives. Add the drained and cooled macaroni. Add in the dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate so flavors can meld. Best if taken out of the refridgerator 30 minutes before serving to knock the chill off. Enjoy.  

Romaine hearts with blue cheese vinaigrette, grapes and walnuts

This salad would be good with sliced grilled chicken on top too. It's simple and yummy. 

 I found this recipe from Jessica Seinfeld (yes - Jerry's wife). 

serves 4

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey 

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese ( more for garnish)

3 hearts of romaine lettuce

1 cup seedless grapes ( use red or green)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place walnuts on a sheet pan and roast walnuts in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until roasted and fragrant. Let cool.

Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl wisk together the mustard honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Crumble and measure the blue cheese - then gently fold blue cheese into the vinagrette mixture. 

Wash the romaine hearts and dry with paper towels. Remove the core. Cut hearts and leaves into 1 inch pieces. Arrange lettuce on a platter. Wash the grapes; cut grapes in half lengthwise, scatter on the platter. Scatter chopped walnuts on top. Dress with vinaigrette just before serving and garnish with more blue cheese if desired. If you want to make it a meal add sliced grilled chicken breast. 

Labneh with sumac, parsley, lemon and pistachios

Labneh is greek yogurt that has been left to strain in cheesecloth for 24-36 hours. 24 hours gives it a velvety texture like softened cream cheese. It tastes like tangy cream cheese. The longer you let it strain the more dense it will get. So good. You can use this as a dip with pita chips, or raw or roasted vegetables, on top of roasted salmon, on toasted bread as a sandwich, in a wrap, on salad - its good in grain salads. Good with apple slices too.

      I see a heart formed from the sumac on the cream cheese on the cracker...do you see it too?!

32 oz of greek yogurt ( more or less depending how much you will use. I did 8 ounces)
pinch of kosher salt
cheesecloth

sumac
fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
lemon zest
roasted pistachios, chopped
good quality olive oil

Mix a pinch of kosher salt in the greek yogurt. Put greek yogurt in cheesecloth and close with string, or a sandwich tie, sit in a fine seive sitting in a bowl in the refridgerator ( to catch the drippings) to drain for 24 to 36 hours depending what texture you want. 

When ready to serve remove from cheesecloth and spread yogurt on a plate, sprinkle with sumac, fresh parsley, lemon zest, pistachios. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.