No Fuss, No Muss, Just Delicious

No matter the season, I like simple recipes. Not overloaded with ingredients and generally don't take longer than 30 minutes to make. In the summer, lack of cooking really adds to a recipe's appeal. So when my mom shared this recipe with me last summer, I was so excited that it fit the bill. Make it the morning and when it's time to eat dinner just pull it out of the fridge. Presto! So easy!

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches broccoli florets
  
• 1 red onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 10-12 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
  
• 1 cup mayo
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

1. Chop and clean broccoli. Drain and place in a bowl.
   
2. Fry bacon slices. Cool, then crumble.
   
3. Mix onions, raisins, mayo, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Pour over broccoli and mix well.
   
4. Stir in crumbled bacon.
   
5. Chill before serving.

Summertime Staple

Growing up, a summertime staple for dinner was green bean salad. I can still see my grandmother sitting on her front porch, snapping the ends off the beans. My grandmother dressed her beans with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, and dried Italian seasoning. My mother makes them this way, too, and tasting them is like tasting my youth.

After I was married I had subscribed to Cooking Light magazine in an effort to cook healthy and branch from the five meals I knew how to make. When I saw this recipe for green beans I knew I would have to give it a try, not because I don't love the way my grandmother made them, but because, sometimes, you just gotta mix it up a bit. Particularly when your dad has a garden and it's green beans, green beans, and more green beans!

Green Bean Salad with Pancetta
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
  
• 3 sliced pancetta
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cook green beans in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, shock in ice water, and drain again. Place in large bowl.
   
2. In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, pepper, and salt. Set aside.
   
3. Cook pancetta in skillet until crisp. Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on dish covered with a paper towel.
   
4. Add shallots to the pan and cook in the pancetta drippings, stirring frequently.
   
5. Add vinegar, scraping the pan to loosen the brown bits.
   
6. Add contents of pan to the honey mustard mixture. Mix well, then pour over beans and toss to coat.

Note: This dressing is equally delicious over potatoes. Cook red or yukon gold potatoes for a warm potato salad. Yum!

The Best Ever. No, Really.

I am a recipe junkie. I'm constantly printing recipes or tearing them from magazines. I eventually have so many that it's virtually impossible for me to make them all. So about twice a year I sit down and sort through them all, deciding which pile to put them in: keep or recycle. The following recipe is one I placed in the "keep" pile, and I'm so grateful I did! Originally from the July 2009 issue of Country Living magazine, the name of the recipe is "The Best Potato Salad Ever." A bold statement indeed. And naturally, I was a bit skeptical.

But as I sampled a forkful before putting it in the fridge, I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed. It was delicious, and one of the better potato salads I've tasted. And then when I sat down to eat it at dinner ... Yum! The flavors intensified and it was just delicious! Creamy, tangy, smooth, crunchy. It was the perfect contrast of flavors and texture.

With Memorial Day a little over two weeks away, you might want to add this to your menu. I know I'll be making it throughout the summer.

Best Potato Salad Ever
Adapted from Country Living magazine

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. unpeeled red potatoes
  
• 3/4 cup chopped vidala onion
  
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
  
• 3 chopped, hard boiled eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
  
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cover red potatoes with salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until they're easily pierced with a skewer, about 40 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, combine white onion, red pepper, dill pickles, and hard-boiled eggs in a large bowl.


3. Drain potatoes and cut into half-inch pieces while still warm. Transfer to the bowl and sprinkle with dill pickle juice and cider vinegar. Toss salad gently with mayonnaise. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Chill before serving.

Going Green

A staple of every meal when I was growing up was salad. It was on the table every night. And for the most part, I continue to eat salad every day, either with lunch or dinner. The problem is, sometimes I get tired of those greens, and I'll go a month or longer without eating any, which is not ideal.

This past fall, in an effort to spice things up and literally taste the season, I created my own "Autumn Salad." It was delicious, like October in a bowl. And I ate them throughout the winter.

Now the weather is warming up, and the opening of my local farmer's market is on the horizon. To keep salad interesting and take advantage of what's in season, I found that swapping a few ingredients puts the taste of spring in my bowl. Yum!

Autumn Salad

• Salad greens - hearts of romaine are my favorite
  
• Handful of raisins - craisins would be equally delicious
  
• Chopped apple - Gala works best because it takes a long time to brown
  
• 2 tablespoons blue cheese - gorgonzola is my favorite
  
• glazed pecans (recipe below)
  
• Balsamic vinegarette dressing

Spring Salad

• Salad greens - hearts of romaine are my favorite
  
• Sliced strawberries
  
• 2 tablespoons feta cheese
  
• glazed pecans (recipe below)
  
• Balsamic vinegarette dressing

Glazed Pecans
Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole nuts
  
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.


3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spread into a single layer on cookie sheet.


4. Bake for 25 minutes, turning over halfway through.

Tip: For even easier clean up, line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.