Ok, let’s take a really healthy salad and cover it in a not so healthy salad dressing. Truthfully, I don’t make this salad often but every time I do I just love it. I don’t even feel guilty when I eat it because it’s so delicious! Sweet and tart, with the flavor of bacon. I mean, I’m buying the healthy bacon ~ no nitrates. That surely must count for something. Also, I didn’t add this into the recipe but I really like to put a dollop of chunky blue cheese dressing (homemade of course) right in the middle. Yep, I’m bad, but there’s something about the creamy cold blue cheese dressing and the hot bacon dressing. Ok, now I may be feeling a little guilty… nothing that an hour walk can’t cure!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For Hot Bacon Dressing:
1 lb. Raw Bacon, diced
2 Onions, diced small
2 1/2 cups Cold Water
3/4 cup of Sugar
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 tsp Salt

For Salad:
1 lb. of Baby Spinach, washed and patted dry
8 large Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 Eggs, hardboiled, shelled and sliced
4 thin slices of Red onion
20 Cherry Tomatoes

METHOD
For Hot Bacon Dressing:
Brown the bacon until well done; add onions.
Saute until the onions are translucent.
Incorporate the cornstarch into the sugar (you are doing this so the cornstarch doesn’t get lumpy when added to the pan).
Add all the remaining ingredients into the bacon and onions, bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium low and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, or until somewhat thick.
Makes about 4 cups of dressing.
Be sure to refrigerate the leftover dressing and warm before using again.

For Salad:
Divide the spinach equally onto 4 plates.
Top each salad with 2 sliced mushrooms, 1 hard boiled egg, sliced, one slice of red onion, separated into rings, and 5 tomatoes.
Drizzle with the hot bacon dressing, to taste, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Tomatoes are in season! If you’re not growing your own tomatoes, you can find so many varieties now in the grocery store or at your local farmer’s market. Such a versatile fruit, yes it’s a fruit! There are so many wonderful ways to use fresh tomatoes such as Homemade Tomato Soup, Marinara Sauce, Pasta Alla Checca, or an all time favorite, the Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich.

I wanted to try something different to really showcase these gorgeous Heirloom Tomatoes, keeping them intact and the star of the show! This tart was absolutely delicious! The Pepper Parmesan crust is divine, and I plan on making it for other veggie tarts in the future.

After a layer of fresh mozzarella, I placed the heirloom tomatoes on top, a little salt and pepper, and for the finale I drizzled some Gia Russo Balsamic Glaze on top of the tart. It’s available in your grocery store near the vinegars. If you haven’t tried it, please put it on your shopping list. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Nope, I’m not getting paid by this company. It’s just that I absolutely love this glaze! It’s delectable and brought all the flavors to life.

I sure hope you’ll give this simple and delicious tart a try!

INGREDIENTS
For black pepper parmesan pastry:
1 1/4 cups Flour
1 stick cold unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
2 to 4 Tbsp Ice Water

For filling:
3/4 lb fresh Mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced
2 Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Balsamic Glaze (I use Gia Russo brand)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh Basil, for garnish (optional)

Special equipment: pie weights or raw rice

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375°F.

For the crust:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
Gently squeeze a small handful: It should hold together without falling apart. If not, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.)
Place dough on a floured work surface and roll out into a 12-inch round.
Fit into a 9-inch round tart pan (the type with a removable rim).
Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim.
Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until golden, about 15 more minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack.

To Assemble Tart:
Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a serving platter.
Arrange the mozzarella slices in the bottom of tart shell.
Place the tomato slices overlapping, on top of the cheese.
Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with Gia Russo Balsamic Glaze.
Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil or two.
Enjoy!

Who doesn’t love chicken wings?! These Honey Soy Chicken Wings are both sweet and savory. I love the flavor combination of the cilantro, lemon and ginger. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS
2 lb Chicken Wings and/or Drumettes
1 cup Soy Sauce (I like to use low sodium)
1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, grated
2 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Lemon, juiced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Honey
Toasted Sesame Seeds, for garnish – if desired

METHOD
In a large bowl combine soy sauce, ginger, cilantro, garlic, and lemon juice to create a marinade.
Set aside.
Rinse chicken wings or drumettes and pat dry.
If using wings, remove tip and discard; separate each wing at the joint into 2 pieces.
Place wings in a shallow dish and pour the marinade on top.
Toss well to coat and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
Remove wings from marinade and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the honey and chicken wings and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until browned on each side.
Continue cooking the wings on medium heat, turning them over often to coat them as the glaze reduces and the wings are sticky and cooked through.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
Enjoy!

You may want to double this recipe… these are delicious and they go fast!

I had these egg rolls at The Cheesecake Factory and fell in love with the Cilantro Sauce. It’s so creamy and delicious. I just had to find a way to duplicate the recipe!  The sauce is my favorite part (being the Saucy Girl)… but the deliciousness of the avocado inside an egg roll is fantastic. Hope you’ll give my recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed!

This recipe makes 4 egg rolls.

INGREDIENTS
For Dipping Sauce:
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1/3 cup Honey
pinch of Turmeric
1/2 cup Cashews, chopped
2/3 cup fresh Cilantro
2 cloves of Garlic
2 Scallions
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

For Egg Rolls:
1 large Avocado, diced
2 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp Red Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh Cilantro, chopped
pinch of Salt
4 Egg Roll Wrappers
1 Egg, beaten (or equivalent vegetarian substitute)
vegetable oil for deep frying

METHOD
For Dipping Sauce:
In a microwave safe bowl combine vinegars, tamarind and honey. Stir until completely blended. Microwave for 1 minute.

In a blender add the vinegar mixture with all the other ingredients… except the oil. Puree. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For Egg Rolls:
In a small bowl combine the avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt. Divide evenly among the 4 egg roll wrappers, placing filling on the center. Fold one corner of the egg roll wrapper 1/4 of the way over the filling. Brush the remaining corners and edges with the beaten egg. Roll up the right and left sides and then fold the top corner over all and press gently to seal.

Once you have filled all 4 egg rolls, deep fry them in 375 degree oil for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

To serve: Slice the egg rolls diagonally in half and serve with the Cilantro Dipping Sauce on the side.

I only made one flavor – Vanilla Cherry Buttercream. Honestly, I didn’t want to make a lot of flavors because I didn’t want to be doing all that sampling! Summer is coming, if you know what I mean.  

I’m happy to share my recipe version of Candy Easter Eggs. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if you come up with some interesting flavor combos of your own. You can make your candy eggs large or small ~ any shape/size you’d like. I opted to make a little of both… but after making about a dozen of the smaller eggs I was happy to just make the balance of candy into larger eggs. It’s easier and the effect is more dramatic.  My step-mom always made the eggs large, and that’s how I remember them. It was wonderful to admire the large candy egg and then slice into it for everyone to share.

They make perfect little gifts for family/friends and neighbors. Seriously, who wouldn’t want a beautiful delicious candy Easter Egg!!

Chocolate Covered Buttercream Candy

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, very well-drained
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
7 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Cover:
2 cups chocolate chips or pieces
1-2 Tablespoons butter

METHOD
Rough chop the maraschino cherries. Place in a colander and allow all the liquid to drain out. I also wrapped mine in a couple of paper towels and gave a gentle squeeze to release even more liquid. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and heavy cream at medium speed until creamy and light, scraping the sides of the bowl when needed.

Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until well blended.

Chill mixture for at lease 2 hours or until firm. Shape into egg shapes (or desired shape) and place on a tray lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Melt chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.  I melted mine in the microwave on medium setting for a few minutes. It worked just fine, but keep an eye on it.

Dip each buttercream egg in chocolate and place on waxed paper covered tray. Place in refrigerator to set chocolate.

I then placed the candy eggs in a plastic container and keep them in the fridge. They are extremely sweet, so only a little can be eaten at a time. Fortunately, they keep well in the fridge and can last a long time.

The other day when I posted the Palacinky recipe, my mother (Jo) was very touched and happy. Not only was I sharing a recipe of her mothers (Helen – my Grandmother), but I was also bringing back some of her fondest childhood memories, as well.

Unfortunately, my grandmother hasn’t been with us for a very long while. But, I still feel very close to her, especially when I prepare some of these family favorites in my own kitchen.

Today, while my mom and I were talking on the phone about food and recipes (surprise there, huh), Potato Pancakes made their way into the conversation. My mom remembered her mother making them, Austrian style, and would always serve them whenever pork chops were on the menu. The recipe below is shared by my mom. I hope you will give them a try! They are super simple and scrumptious!!

Austrian Style Potato Pancakes

Makes about 20 pancakes

INGREDIENTS
6 cups grated potato
1 large grated onion
1 large egg
1 teaspoons salt
black pepper, as desired
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Serve with:
applesauce, if desired
sour cream, if desired (plain yogurt is a great substitute!)

METHOD
Place grated potato and onion into a strainer and let all the liquid drain out (20 minutes or so).

Once liquid is drained put potatoes and onion into a large bowl. Add egg, salt and pepper. Mix together well. (Use no flour).

Place half the butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium/medium low heat. Drop potato mixture by large tablespoons onto hot pan. Spread mixture with back of spoon until it is about 3 inches wide. When it looks dry on top, flip it over.

When golden remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt while still warm.

Great served with applesauce and sour cream.

Homemade Applesauce:

Add peeled, cored apple slices, cinnamon, organic sugar and a little water.

Cook apples until tender.

Mash it up!

Homemade Applesauce - quick & delicious!

The soup on it’s own is not enough for us as a meal, but paired with the sourdough Panini sandwich it was a wonderful dinner last night. For the sandwich; I had a thin spread of mayo (the kind made with olive oil) on the bottom bread, topped with a layer prosciutto, fresh basil leaves, homemade cheese, and olive tapenade. I didn’t put tomatoes on it since it was being served with the tomato soup, and I was sure that dipping would be going on!

I pressed the breads together and toasted the whole sandwich on the grill until it was hot and crunchy. OMG it was all so good together.  

Tomato Soup
2 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp olive oil
7 Roma tomatoes
4 cloves finely diced garlic
1 ½ tsp Italian Seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme, & rosemary)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or 2 cubes of boullion with 2 cups water)
½ cup milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper, if desired

METHOD
In a medium saucepan add the olive oil and tomatoes.
Add about 1/3 cup of water and sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt.
Turn on medium heat and cover for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Once the tomato skins have all split, turn the heat to low.
Carefully remove the skins using tongs.
They should peel off easily.

Mash all the tomatoes using a potato masher.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and stock.
Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until it comes to a slow boil.

Turn off heat and blend using an emulsion blender so that the soup is still somewhat chunky.
Stir in milk or cream. Taste and adjust flavor with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
Enjoy!