Crunchy Asian Slaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing

Colorful and crunchy veggies with cilantro and peanuts, all tossed with a Thai-inspired peanut-lime dressing. Light, fresh, and perfect for entertaining! 

It's hard to believe we have been in this home for 4 years already. Prior to that we lived in our first home together for 9 years, and spent the second half of those years house-hunting looking for a home we could stay in forever.

When we first looked at our current home we liked the layout, the size, and the possibilities, but knew it would take some work. Ok, a lot of work. Then we stepped out onto the patio and were sold - a large, private, tree-lined back yard (gives us so much shade!!!) with an enormous flagstone patio (that needed a lot of work and we eventually replaced). But the best part of the entire yard is the garden wall that curves around the entire patio with a large garden behind it. We spent an hour sitting on that wall, looking at the trees, and talking about the house - and it was March in the Northeast so it was chilly. Immediately we made an offer.

Yes, we bought the house for the garden wall and trees.

One of my friends calls our backyard an oasis, and because of this we made plans to have dinner together on the patio. We were so determined to enjoy a night on the patio that we rescheduled twice due to weather! Then, last week, we had the most perfect Saturday. It was sunny with low humidity and a light breeze. We lit several torches around the garden bed and I made really easy centerpieces out of mason jars, groundcover and herbs, and floating candles to sit on our new table. An oasis it was!

My menu had to revolve around grilling and warm weather food, and since my friend loves Asian inspired food but never cooks it, I went in that direction.

We had edamame to start. Our main course was Jon's grilled beef negimaki. To go along with it I made noodles tossed in a sesame soy mixture with green onions and sesame seeds, and this amazing Asian Slaw.

This slaw is packed with so many crunchy veggies and just look at those colors! Just looking at this slaw makes me want it again ASAP! The dressing for this is awesome too - peanut butter, lime juice, and some heat from Sambal Oelek. It is thick enough to really coat all of the veggies but isn't too heavy at all. Surprisingly, even after being dressed, the leftovers held up fine in the fridge for 2 days! So feel free to make a lot of you want to have some leftover.

Thanks to our friends for sharing a great night of friendship and food with us!

Asian Coleslaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing
Adapted From: Center Cut Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, julienned and then copped into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 inch pieces
• 1 sm can water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 cucumber, julienned and then chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced into 2 inch strips
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 c peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

• Combine the cabbage, carrots, pepper, water chestnuts, cucumber, green onions and most of the cilantro. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
• In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil, Sambal, hoisin, lime juice, ginger and garlic. Tip: I used the whisk attachment on my handheld immersion blender. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 
• When ready to serve, quickly whisk the dressing before pouring it over the salad. Toss well, and then top with the remaining cilantro and peanuts. 

Grandmom's Macaroni Salad

This is one of those dishes that takes me back to childhood, and now I make it often for my family. It is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients, but is one of my favorite sides for burgers, dogs, grilled chicken, or really any summer party or BBQ food.
You know those mac salads that you sometimes get at a diner in a little cup and they are all wet with way too much mayo? And they are a bit too sweet? That's not this salad.

I have a few tips to make this the best mac salad you will every try. First, you have to cook the pasta to al dente. You want it to still have a bite, so definitely rinse it with cold water as soon as you drain it. Overcooked, soft mac mixed with mayo is not what you are going for! 

I use only carrots, red onion and green pepper. It's important to dice them into the smallest dice you can get. You don't want them to stand out in the salad, but simply give flavor and some texture. 

I add my mayo in 2 steps and end up with a perfectly creamy mac salad. The first time I add it I mix it up and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. When you take it out it will look almost dry. That's when I add the rest of the mayo and veggies. Oh - and it must be Hellman's Mayo!!!!

Finally, don't be scared to season it! Salt and pepper only, but be generous and keep tasting every time you mix. 
Timewise, this is a really quick salad to pull together. The water takes a few minutes to boil and then the pasta only takes 5 minutes to cook. During that time I chop my veggies, and then the mixing only takes a few minutes. I'll even pull this one together for a weeknight meal as long as I have an hour to let it chill in the fridge. 

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So forget those sweet, wet mac salads that have given macaroni salad a bad name and give this one a try! I guarantee it will be the one everyone asks for! 
Grandmom's Macaroni Salad
Original family recipe
Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni/elbow noodles
• 6 Tbsp mayonnaise, separated (amount is approximate)
• 1 carrot cut into a small dice
• 1/4 red onion cut into a small dice
• 1/2 green pepper cut into a small dice
• Salt and pepper, approximately 1 Tbsp each

Directions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and then add your noodles. Cook to al dente, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl.
• Add half of the mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and place in the fridge for one hour. 
• Add the veggies, and slowly add more mayonnaise until you get the creaminess you want - remember, you don't want it to be too wet. Continue to season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
• Chill until you are ready to serve, stirring before serving. 

Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Baby Spinach

A quick and easy side dish - orzo with bright and zesty lemon, fresh garlic, and baby spinach.

This side dish is light and summery but satisfies that pasta craving. Orzo also reminds me a lot of risotto, but without the time or labor. 
I served this lemon-garlic orzo with baby spinach alongside grilled chicken. I love when I only need to make one dish inside and Jon can be grilling the rest outside. Easy prep and super easy cleanup. 

Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Baby Spinach Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Ingredients

• 12 oz dry orzo
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• Zest of 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 bag (6oz) baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook orzo according to package directions
• In the meantime, heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn
• Add in the lemon juice and rind.
• Toss in the orzo and stir in the spinach.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan

Asparagus is hands-down my favorite vegetable to grill, so I am crazy excited that asparagus season is upon us. We have a friend who cuts asparagus at his brother's farm, and I am just counting the days until we get our first bunch. There is nothing like cooking it just a few hours after it was cut - it's so sweet and fresh, and we easily eat the entire bunch in one sitting!

Not only is asparagus delicious, it has so many health benefits. Check out more info on asparagus shared by Quick Easy Cook.

There are so many ways to cook asparagus. I usually toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it, but for our first grilling night of the season, I wanted it to scream spring. Adding lemon brightens up the flavors, and garlic is a must because, well, garlic! It makes everything better.

I mixed olive oil with lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic and poured it over the asparagus before adding sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

These grilled up quickly, so they were still slightly crunchy with a perfect char on the tips. Once they came off the grill I quickly added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• One pound of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
• 1/2 c olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• Zest of 1/2 of a lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Additional lemon zest, if desired

Directions

• Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic. Pour over the asparagus and toss until coated. 
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place on a hot grill and cook 2-4 minutes; flip and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until charred but still crisp.
• Transfer to a plate and top with the grated Parmesan cheese and additional lemon zest. 

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Fried rice no rice! And no, you won't miss the rice.

Ricing cauliflower for fried rice is something that has been on my list to try for a while now, but I just haven't put it on the menu or taken the time to come up with a recipe. Last week I was doing some work around the house with The Chew on in the background when I heard Clinton Kelly start to talk about making fried rice with riced cauliflower. I had to stop to see if it would be a recipe I'd want to try and it was - simple flavors and not overwhelmed with other veggies, just carrots and baby bok choy.

A half of a head of cauliflower made so much fried rice - probably 5 servings. The cauliflower was a nice substitute for rice - not the same by any means, but it really held up and took on the flavors of everything I added. What a great, healthy alternative to traditional fried rice!

Cauliflower Fried Rice
Slightly adapted from: Clinton Kelly

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into small florets
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 bunch green onions, minced
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 heads of baby bok choy, thinly sliced 
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced on a bias
• 1/2 c edamame 
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
• Optional: chopped mint leaves and chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

• Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set aside.
• Heat the sesame in a large skillet over high heat. 
• Add 3/4 of the green onions and all of the garlic and ginger; stir until fragrant. 
• Add the carrots and bok choy; cook for 2 minutes. 
• Add the cauliflower, edamame and soy sauce. Stir until everything is combined. 
• Serve topped with the cilantro, lime wedges, chili garlic sauce and the rest of the green onions. 

Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

Sweet summer corn - isn't it the best?

My favorite way to prepare it is grilled - charred, to be exact - and that is what inspired this salad.

Charred corn is packed with smoky flavors, so pairing it with something bright and zesty with a touch of heat works perfectly. I used cilantro and lime for the bright and zesty flavors, grilled red onion for some sweetness, crunchy red pepper for texture, spicy jalapenos for heat, and a dressing featuring chili and lime to pull it all together.

This Grilled Corn Salad can be eaten as a salad or you can really get creative with it. Picture it on fajitas or tacos - the perfect topping! Put it on top of grilled chicken or fish. Or just grab some chips and scoop it up like salsa!

I will definitely be making this one a few more times before the summer corn runs out.

Check out two of my other favorite summer corn recipes here -
     Grilled Corn with a Chipotle Lime Butter
     Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with with Citrus Aioli.


Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, cleaned (remove husks and all silk) and washed
• 1 red onion, sliced into rings (don't separate within the rings)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• Handful of cilantro, washed and chopped
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• Zest from 1/2 of a lime
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
• Heat grill to medium high
• Brush/spray the corn and red onion with olive oil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until charred in spots (to your liking), about 15 minutes. 
• Stand the corn on end. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels into a bowl. 
• Chop the grilled red onion
• Add in the red pepper, jalapeno and cilantro
• Toss with the dressing and serve. 

Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes

I tend to make roasted potatoes in the fall and winter as they can be a bit heavy and you need to keep your oven on for a while. Using small, new potatoes cuts the time in half, and the flavors of lemon and garlic turned these roasted potatoes into a summery side.

I used my handheld immersion blender to combine lemon juice, zest, garlic, parsley with some oil, salt and pepper. A quick toss with the potatoes and then into the oven for 20-25 minutes - look at these beauties!

Using a metal pan for roasting really helps to give these potatoes a nice crust on the cut side. Start with them cut side down before tossing them around halfway through the cooking.

These potatoes are the perfect summer side and the leftovers go great with eggs for breakfast!

Lemon-Garlic Roasted Potatoes Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Ingredients

• 1/2 lb baby red/new potatoes, halved
• 1/4 c olive oil
• Handful of fresh parsley
• Zest of 1/4 of a lemon
• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• Using a food processor or handheld immersion blender, combine the oil, parsley, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and several pinches each of salt and pepper
• Toss the potatoes with the mixture in a large bowl
• Transfer to a metal roasting pan, cut sides down, and season with a touch more salt and pepper
• Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping the potatoes once halfway through, until crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes, Garlic and Herbs

Every time I make roasted cauliflower my husband always comments how plain our plates look. It's true - for some reason I end up making cauliflower when everything else on the plate is somewhat lacking in color, like chicken in a creamy sauce or a side like risotto or rice. It's funny because I'm always concerned about color on a plate and making it appealing to the eye, but for some reason I haven't held to this when I'm making cauliflower.

Until now. I bought a head of cauliflower and was determined to make a pretty plate with it.

I tossed the cauliflower with multicolored tomatoes, garlic cloves, oil, and some dried herbs and then poured them onto a cookie sheet to roast.

After 20 minutes the cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the garlic was soft and sweet, and the tomatoes had melted, their juices mixing with the oil to help coat everything. We loved this as a side to our grilled chicken, and then the next day as a side to grilled burgers.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes, Garlic and Herbs
An original recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cauliflower chopped into florets
• A cup of multicolored tomatoes, halved
• 6 cloves of garlic, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp dried herbs - I used equal amounts of oregano and an Italian blend of dried herbs

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with tin foil
• Place the cauliflower, tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle in the oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Toss everything with a wooden spoon to coat.
• Pour the veggies onto the cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes
• Serve immediately

Green Bean Casserole

Confession: I never had the wildly popular cream-of-something-soup based green bean casserole traditionally made at Thanksgiving, and I never thought I was missing anything with all of the other amazing food on the table. But now after having a homemade version, I never want another Thanksgiving dinner without this dish.

Making the creamy sauce is SO easy that there is NO need for the canned soup. And even though I never had the canned version, I can guarantee that there is no comparison - this one will blow you away. Heck, the sauce was so good that I couldn't stop tasting it as I was making it. I considered forgetting the beans once the sauce was done and just eating it as a soup.

I did take one shortcut just because I had so much cooking going on that day. I used the canned fried onions instead of following the recipe to make my own. The next time I make this I will make my own, but if you need a shortcut this would be the one I recommend.

So if you are still trying to finalize your turkey day menu, try this one. I can't wait until next week so I can make it again!!




Green Bean Casserole
Adapted From: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
• Few gratings fresh nutmeg (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved

Directions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Prepare the beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and boil greens for 5 minutes. Drain beans, then plunge them into ice water to full stop them from cooking. Drain again, and set aside. You can do this ahead of time, up to one day.
• Make the mushroom sauce: Over medium-high heat, melt butter in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute them until they start releasing their liquid, anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how they were chopped. Add the garlic and saute one minute more. Add the flour and stir it until it fully coats the mushrooms. Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring the whole time. Simmer mixture for 1 minute, then add cream and bring back to a simmer, cooking until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Assemble and bake: Add cooked greens beans to sauce and stir until they are coated. Sprinkle crispy onions over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and onions are a shade darker. Eat at once.

Italian Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

It's September but we still have great tomatoes and zucchini. My mom found this recipe, brought over the ingredients that my dad picked up from a local roadside stand, and I made the recipe. I love local summer tomatoes and then add cheese to them and bake until hot and bubbly? Heavenly.

Not only was this a great side for dinner, I heated it up the next morning and served it alongside scrambled eggs and loved it.

Italian Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

Adapted from: Gluten Free Mama

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 2-3 large tomatoes (I love Jersey tomatoes!!), cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1 Tbsp Italian Herbs Seasoning blend
• 1/4 c good olive oil
• 3/4 c shredded cheese - Italian blend (Parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, etc)
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Toss the tomatoes and zucchini (in separate bowls) with the oil, herbs, and a touch of salt and pepper
• Layer zucchini in a single layer in a large baking dish; I used a 9 inch Corning Ware casserole dish (you want a deep dish). Sprinkle with some cheese.
• Layer tomatoes over the zucchini in a single layer; sprinkle with some cheese.
• Repeat with a layer of zucchini, cheese, tomatoes, and the rest of the cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until veggies are cooked through and the cheese is melted

French Onion Cheese Bread

On Saturday morning I was sitting at my daughter's gymnastics class with my iPad so I could browse recipes to finalize my Father's Day Menu. I only had a small bowl of yogurt that morning, and my daughter claimed my Kind bar as her own before class, so I was starving. Looking at mouth-watering food pics while hungry is pure torture, especially when I was searching for some sort of bruschetta or crostini using Gruyere cheese. So many pictures of gooey melted cheese and crusty bread. Why was I doing this to myself??

After pulling myself together and focusing, I decided on a recipe for French Onion Cheese Bread that I found on the web site foodiecrush. Upon reading it I figured that it would taste like French onion soup just without the broth, and I was right. The French bread base is the crouton, and then there is a layer of creamy and nutty melted Gruyere cheese followed by some sweet caramelized onions. I served these as an app but can also see them being a great side.

Caramelizing the onions takes a while, but once that is done (and you can do it ahead of time), these are quick and easy.

French Onion Cheese Bread
Source: foodiecrush

My notes and small changes are noted in italics

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only (I used 1/2 tsp of dried thyme)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 4 French rolls, split in half (I used half of a baguette, split in half and then each piece halved = 4 total pieces)
• 2 cups Gruyère or Fontina cheese, shredded (I used just over 1 c of Gruyere)

Directions

• Caramelize the onions: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower heat to medium low, add the sugar, salt, and pepper; stir and cover and cook for 1 hour (mine took 35 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for another 10 minutes or until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place bread halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese then spoon caramelized onions on top.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread turns golden brown.
• Cut into pieces and serve immediately. Garnish with extra thyme leaves if desired