Red Potato Salad with Bacon and Eggs

We all need a go-to potato salad recipe and I found a really good one.  This recipe is in the July/August issue of Food Network Magazine from Robert Irvine (love him) The picture looked so good and the recipe was pretty simple.  I substituted turkey bacon for regular bacon and nobody missed it, in fact it got rave reviews.  Tasty and easy, my new go-to potato salad, maybe yours?

 

 

Recipe:

4 lbs small red-skinned potatoes, quartered

1 1/2 lbs turkey bacon, chopped

4 large eggs

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

6 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

6 scallions, finely chopped

1 medium red onion, diced

2 tablespoon sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon in a skillet over low heat until crispy, about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Put the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover and let stand 6 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; peel and chop

Drain the potatoes (do not rinse),  and let cool 6 to 8 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, scallions, red onion, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and add the bacon and hard-cooked eggs; fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Serve at room temperature, or can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

10-12 servings.

Recipe adapted from Robert Irvine's Bacon and Egg Potato Salad

 

 

Enjoy!

Spring Risotto

I love this Risotto, its just bursting with the fresh flavors of spring produce,  and has a pleasing texture.   This dish would make a welcome accompaniment to your Easter or Passover dinner. 

Recipe
12 cups vegetable broth
6 Tbsps unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 med leek - white part only, sliced crosswise into thin rings
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups of 1" pieces thin asparagus
2 cups petite frozen peas
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Instructions
Place broth in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Cover and keep on low heat.  In an extra large heavy saucepan or dutch oven set to med-low heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter with the oil.  Add the onions, leek and garlic, sautéing until almost tender about 6 minutes.  Add rice, and stir until translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 mins.  Add the wine and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 1 minute.  Add broth 1 cup at a time until rice is about half cooked, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stir often - this process will take about 10 mins.  Stir in asparagus and parlsey and continue adding broth by cupfuls and stirring until rice is almost tender, about 6 more minutes, add peas during last few minutes.  Remove from heat and add cheese and remaining butter, stir until cheese and butter melt.  Season with salt and pepper, serve with additional cheese.    
Serves 12.
Adapted from bon appetit

  Enjoy!

Potato Mushroom Gratin

This Potato Gratin is so good, its simple ingredients of tender slices of Yukon potatoes, olive oil, garlic, cream, fresh Parmesan cheese, thyme, baby bella mushroom slices and salt and pepper combine to make one very tasty and satisfying dish.  It goes so well with Thanksgiving dinner or any festive feast.  If you make it be prepared for future requests for this dish!

This recipe was found In Bon Appetit December 2008 issue and is also available on Epicurious.com.  I've doubled the recipe for a big, hungry crowd,  will feed about 20.

Ingredients:
10 Tbsp olive oil, divided
5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise and sliced into 1/8 in thick slices
3 tsps  kosher salt, plus additional for mushrooms
1 1/2 tsps freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for mushrooms
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
24 oz fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush 2 large 13X9X2 inch glass or oval ceramic baking dishes with 2 Tbsp oil each.  Arrange 1/3 of potatoes, slightly overlapping, in dish.  Sprinkle each dish with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Pour 1/3 cup cream evenly over potatoes in each dish, sprinkle each dish with 1/4 cup cheese.  Repeat layering of each dish:  1/3 of potatoes - divided into the 2 dishes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper on each dish, 1/3 cup cream over each dish, 1/4 cup cheese over each dish - - 2 more times.  Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender, adding cream by Tbsps if dry, about 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, maintaining oven temp.  Sprinkle thyme and garlic over potatoes.  Toss the mushrooms in a large bowl with 5 Tbsps oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Arrange 1/2 the mushrooms atop the gratin around each dish, slightly overlapping each mushroom.  Drizzle mushrooms on each dish with 1/4 cup cream and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.  Continue to bake uncovered until mushrooms are tender and edges of potatoes are golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Layering the potatoes with the salt and pepper, heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Finished cooking potato cream mixture until tender, now sprinkling with thyme and garlic and arranging mushrooms around the dishes. Then sprinkle mushrooms with heavy cream and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, bake till mushrooms are tender and edges of potatoes are golden brown 

 

Enjoy!