Merlot Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish

When I ask my daughters what their favorite Thanksgiving dish is, they always say garlic mashed potatoes.  That used to be the only thing they loved about our Thanksgiving meal, but now they look forward to eating cornbread stuffing and turkey with cranberry relish.

I was never a fan of cranberry relish until my family started buying Williams-Sonoma Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish. When I was diagnosed with celiac, I stopped eating it, because it has a warning that it is prepared and packaged using machines that may come in contact with wheat/gluten.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Yesterday was my husband's birthday, and when I asked what he wanted for dinner, he requested roasted fingerling potatoes, steak with herb butter, and apple crostata.  

My favorite fingerling potatoes have always been the Russian Banana variety, which I purchase at Whole Foods or The Fresh Market.  

When I am roasting fingerling potatoes or small round potatoes, I cut them in half and roast them face down, never turning them.  

I used to just season them with kosher salt, but lately, I have been adding some fresh rosemary and coarse ground black pepper as well.  

You know the potatoes are ready to serve when you turn them over, and they are beautifully browned and crispy.  

No matter what seasoning I put on them, my girls always love dipping their potatoes in ketchup.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

3 lbs organic fingerling potatoes - washed & scrubbed
3 T olive oil + additional oil for baking sheets
3 sprigs of rosemary - needles removed & chopped
Kosher or sea salt - to taste
Coarse ground black pepper - to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Rub a light coating of oil on two baking sheets.

Cut the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise, then toss them with the olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Lay the potatoes face down on the baking sheet, and roast them for about 25 minutes, until they are a little crispy and golden brown when turned over.  Check the seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serves 6 to 8

Recipe Notes

 My rule of thumb for roasting potatoes is to use 1 tablespoon of olive oil per pound of potatoes.  I used one large baking sheet and one smaller one so I was able to fit them both on the same shelf  in the middle of my oven.  If you only have two large baking sheets that won't fit on the same shelf of your oven, rotate them after about 15 minutes.

This recipe would work with very small round potatoes as well.  When I am roasting larger potatoes, I cut them into cubes, and roast them for 30 to 35 minutes on 425, turning them at least twice.

Black Maize Salsa

I have been a fan of Black Maize Salsa for a couple of years.  I first discovered it at the TD Saturday Market in downtown Greenville.  I buy it every time I am in South Carolina visiting my parents, and they bring me a jar or two when they visit Orlando.  It is my mom's and my favorite salsa.  

I first stopped at the Black Maize Salsa booth because I noticed the words "Gluten Free" on their sign.

The original Black Maize Salsa is available in mild, medium, hot and XX, and they also sell jars with mango or pineapple.

You can view their list of retailers here, but they are all in South Carolina.

Today was the first time I ever tried the mango and the pineapple Black Maize salsas.  

The pineapple was really good, but the mango is my new favorite.  

Since I don't have regular access to Black Maize Salsa, I created a copycat recipe that I named Black & Gold Salsa in honor of my favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Black and Gold Salsa

Ingredients

2 cans of black beans - rinsed

3 ears of corn - cooked and cut off the cob

2/3 container of grape tomatoes - diced

1 large orange or red bell pepper - diced
1/2 sweet onion - diced

1 jalapeño pepper - minced
2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 T white balsamic vinegar

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 2 limes and 1 lemon

1 tsp of sugar 
Kosher salt - to taste
Coarse ground black pepper - to taste
Optional - add diced mango or pineapple

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stir, cover, and let marinate for several hours in the refrigerator. 

Served with our favorite chips, this salsa is a great appetizer, side dish, or lunch.  My daughters love it! 

What is your favorite store bought salsa or salsa recipe?  

Potato Salad

I really love my Italian Potato Salad recipe, which is super easy to make and includes bacon, but if I had to choose, I would make this potato salad recipe on a holiday.  It's a little more labor intensive, but the outcome is amazing!  Yep, I am saying that about a dish that contains mayonnaise, an ingredient I dislike in almost every other recipe except my husband's egg salad and a recipe I have for black bean dip from Kaya in Pittsburgh.  

Happy Independence Day to you and your family! 

Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 lbs medium size red skin potatoes

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 C mayonnaise

8 hard boiled eggs - chopped

3/4 C celery - diced

3 T chives - minced

2 tsp kosher salt 

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper 

Directions

Rinse and scrub the potatoes before placing them in a large pot.  Cover them with cold water, then bring them to a boil. Cook uncovered until the potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife.  Drain the potatoes in a colander.  

When the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, peel them and cut them into 1 inch pieces.  Place them in a large serving dish, then add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper while they are still warm.  Gently stir the potatoes, and allow them to cool.  

When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add the mayonnaise, eggs, celery, and chives.  Gently stir, then place the potato salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  

Recipe Notes

I use organic potatoes and Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise in this dish.  

Typically, it takes about 35 minutes to cook the potatoes, but that can vary depending on the size of the potatoes I buy.  

Rice Salad

I love renovating family recipes that were a favorite of mine when I was a kid.  Today, I was all set to make a copycat recipe of a Quinoa Salad I had at Caviar & Bananas in Charleston, when I started thinking about the rice salad my aunt used to make.  My plans for dinner changed when I found her rice salad recipe in my recipe binder.  There was no way I was going to make the recipe as is.  First off, it called for using bottled Italian dressing, which I don't use because I am a self-professed dressing snob.  I always make my own.  The second issue was that it called for artichoke hearts, which I detested as a kid and still don't like.  Now that I am making the recipe and not my aunt, bye-bye artichoke hearts.  :-)

My husband loved the rice salad and is taking the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow.  My daughters enjoyed it too, but one of my girls left a little pile of olives behind on her plate.  :-)

Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 C basmati rice
1 C water
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
3 T white balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
10 oz bag frozen sweet peas
1 large seedless cucumber or 2 medium pickling cucumbers (seeds removed)
1 can (6 oz) medium pitted black olives
1 1/2 T mayonnaise
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the rice, water, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and kosher salt in a medium size pot, stir, and bring to a boil.  Stir again before covering with a tight-fitting lid, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes with the lid still on.

While the rice is cooking, drain the olives and cut them into quarters.  Peel the cucumber and cut it into small pieces, about the size of the cut olives.

When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork, then put it in a large bowl with the frozen peas.  Add the olives, cucumbers, mayonnaise and pepper, then gently stir.

Chill the rice salad in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.  Add more kosher salt to taste.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe Notes

I used Lundberg California White Basmati Rice in this recipe.  My liquid to rice ratio and cooking directions are compatible with the rice I used.

Do not cook the peas before adding them to the rice.  They will defrost as you mix them with the warm rice.  I used a 10 oz bag of Publix GreenWise organic sweet peas.

You can use 1/2 cup of bottled Italian dressing instead of the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, pepper, and salt.   I won't judge!  ;-)

Italian Potato Salad

My original goal for Memorial Day was to make two different potato salads and write a blog post called Potato Salad Two Ways.  Well, I decided at some point this morning that I am tired of spending the whole day in the kitchen on holidays, and that I was going to keep this meal simple.  

Last year, my daughters didn't like the potato salad I make with mayonnaise.  There are only three things I will eat with mayonnaise -- my potato salad, my tuna salad, and my husband's egg salad.  I knew my mom made a potato salad with oil and vinegar, so I called her for the recipe.  I changed things up a bit to suit our tastes and make things easier, and everyone loved it.  

This dish has 7 simple ingredients and was really easy to put together.  

I definitely plan on making Italian potato salad again on the 4th of July.  It's a perfect side dish to serve with hamburgers.  

Italian Potato Salad

Ingredients

4 lbs small organic red skin potatoes

1 lb bacon 

8 hard boiled eggs -- chopped

4 to 5 T extra virgin olive oil

4 to 5 T white balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Coarse ground black pepper

Optional -- chopped fresh parsley, scallions, or chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put the bacon on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.  Cook the bacon for about 15 to 17 minutes, until crisp.  When it is done cooking, lay the bacon out on a plate with paper towels to remove the grease, then cut it into 1/2 inch pieces.

Wash and scrub the potatoes, place them in a large pot and cover them with water, then bring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork or knife.  While still hot, cut each potato into 4 slices.  

In a 10 by 10 inch baking dish that is at least 2 1/2 inches deep, put down a single layer of warm potatoes.  Drizzle the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of vinegar.  Add salt and pepper, to taste, then 1/4 of the egg and bacon. Repeat each step until you have 4 layers total. 

This dish is best prepared about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. 

Serves 8 to 10

Recipe Notes

My mom likes to remove the skin from her larger red skin potatoes, cut them into slices, then boil them.  I decided to leave the skin on, which is much easier, and our potato salad tasted great.  She also uses a green element, like scallions, chives, or parsley, but I was afraid my girls would not eat it, and I thought the dish was perfect without it.  My mom recommended I use a darker balsamic vinegar, but I always prefer white.  

Before serving, you can drizzle one last tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar on top.  If you have refrigerated your potato salad for a while, you could take it out of the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving it to let it warm up a bit.  We made our potato salad about an hour before we served it, and put it in the fridge until right before we were ready to eat.

We hard boiled our eggs first, then put them in the refrigerator until we were ready to use them.  I did not put directions for hard boiling the eggs in this recipe because for the life of me, I cannot hard boil an egg.  They never seem to cook!  I recently used a foolproof method that I learned on The Chew and my eggs were still not cooked enough.  I let my husband take care of them today because he never seems to have any trouble with eggs.  :-)

What do you like to put on your potato salad?

Linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Edamame Hummus

Yesterday, my daughters and I stopped at Costco on the way home from school.  As we walked through the freezer section, I spotted a box of organic shelled edamame.  My daughters loved edamame in any form, so I decided to buy it and make edamame hummus. 

 I will not buy edamame (young soybeans) anymore if it is not labeled organic or non-GMO.  Same thing with corn.  Yep, I saw the movie Food, Inc., and it has had an impact on what I buy at the grocery store.  

My edamame hummus did not turn out as smooth as I would have liked because I decided to blend it with my stick blender, which is never the best choice.  My NutriBullet was out of commission, and I was afraid all the ingredients wouldn't fit in my tiny food processor.  My kids weren't complaining though.  They loved it and asked to take it for lunch today.

Edamame Hummus

Ingredients

1 lb organic shelled edamame -- cooked & cooled
1/4 C olive oil
Juice of one lemon -- 2 to 3 tablespoons
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. 

Recipe Notes

We ate our edamame hummus with corn chips, and rotisserie chicken from Costco.

The chips in the picture are The Better Chip beet corn chips.  They are certified gluten free and non-GMO, and are made in a nut-free environment.  Ingredients:  corn masa flour, beet, sunflower, safflower and/or canola oil, and sea salt.  I purchased them at The Fresh Market. 

Edamame hummus would also be good served with sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives.

I got the idea to make edamame hummus from my mom a couple of years ago, so I texted her last night to see what she eats it with.  Here's what she said:

Me -- I made edamame hummus tonight.  What do you do with it?
Mom -- Put it in the refrigerator.  (She's a funny lady, my mom)
Me -- No, I meant what do you eat it with....lol
Mom -- I usually eat it with tuna, but you can eat it with any meat or with crackers.  I like to eat it plain.  It's yum.
Me -- Tuna out of a can or fresh tuna?
Mom -- Fresh.  I don't eat tuna out of a can.
Me -- Snob
Mom -- You got it

So, I hope that gives you some ideas for what to do with edamame hummus, if you choose to make it.  :-)

Last night, I considered changing my mom's basic recipe up a bit by adding a can of cannellini beans and/or two tablespoons of tahini, but I settled on kicking it up a bit with some black pepper.  If I add those ingredients the next time I make edamame hummus, I will definitely be increasing the amount of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper I use.

Lemon Rice

My mom and aunt have been making lemon rice for as long as I can remember.  Last year at Easter, I decided to use Arborio rice, a short grain rice used to make risotto,  in my family's recipe.  I loved the creamier, chewy texture it had compared to the long grain rice I grew up eating.  

Lundberg White Arborio Rice is gluten free, non-GMO, and eco-farmed.  I purchase it at Whole Foods.  

My husband, daughters, and I all love this dish.  It's easy to make, and great left over.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients

2 C arborio rice
4 T butter
3 C gluten free chicken broth
2 T fresh lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
Kosher salt to taste

Directions

Saute the rice with 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium size pot over medium high heat.  Stir for a couple of minutes, until the butter melts.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Bring to a boil, stir, then cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the burner and let it stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork, and add at least 2 to 3 pinches of salt, and 2 tablespoons of butter.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe Notes

The lemon rice in the first picture is darker, because I used The Fresh Market gluten free chicken stock, instead of chicken broth.  We prefer to make this dish with Pacific chicken broth, which has a milder taste.

I have also made this recipe with Lundberg Jasmine Rice.  Following the cooking directions on the bag, I combined 2 cups of rice with 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of butter in a pot.  I then added the zest of two lemons and two tablespoons of lemon juice before bringing everything to a boil.  I covered my pot with a lid, reduced it to a simmer, and cooked it for 15 minutes.  I then removed it from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork.  Before serving, I added two more tablespoons of butter, and salt to taste.  The lemon rice turned out great, and I would definitely make it with jasmine rice again.

I like to make lemon rice on Easter Sunday to serve with my lamb roast with homemade hummus, and gluten free Easter Bread.  You can view all of my Easter recipes here.



Lemon rice is also great served with steak, and a green vegetable like green beans, peas, or broccoli.

Linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays 

White Corn Guacamole

I am a huge fan of California Pizza Kitchen's White Corn Guacamole + Chips.  You can read my review of CPK here. 

For lunch today, I created a copycat recipe of CPK's white corn guacamole.  

My family said it tasted exactly the same!  This recipe made enough to serve all four of us for lunch with a little left over.  

White Corn Guacamole

Ingredients

3 avocados - cut into cubes

1 C corn

1/2 C black beans

1/2 C red bell pepper - diced

1/2 C jicama - diced

Juice of 1 large lime

2 serrano peppers - diced

1 clove (1/2 tsp) minced garlic

Kosher salt - to taste

1 or 2  T fresh cilantro - finely chopped

Optional - 2 T minced sweet onion

Corn chips

Directions

If you have a mortar & pestle, use it to mash the serrano peppers, garlic, and 2 pinches of salt together.  If you don't have one, just skip this step.  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and gently stir.  Add kosher salt to taste.  

Recipe Notes

I bought 3 fresh ears of corn today to use in this recipe.  I like to cook corn a little bit before adding it to salsa or guacamole.  After shucking them, I wrapped the three ears of corn in parchment paper and cooked them on high in the microwave for 90 seconds.  I cut the corn off the cob and allowed it to cool before adding it to the guacamole.  

I had extra black beans (I rinsed one can), red pepper (I cut one large pepper), jicama, and corn.  I added a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and kosher salt to them before putting the leftovers in the fridge.  

We served our guacamole with Tostitos Simply Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. They are made with certified organic blue corn, expeller-pressed sunflower oil & sea salt, and are labeled gluten free.  

Mortar & pestle

Caprese Salad

Insalata Caprese (salad from Capri) is a simple and delicious salad made of fresh sliced mozzarella, tomatoes & basil, seasoned with olive oil and salt.  Caprese salad is a favorite in our house, and we make it in a variety of different ways.

I love to use heirloom tomatoes for Caprese.  Locally, Waterkist Farm grows amazing heirloom tomatoes that can be purchased on Saturdays at the Winter Park Farmers' Market.

Whole Foods has a great selection of fresh mozzarella, and they usually have heirloom tomatoes in stock.  My standard Caprese recipe consists of a plate of sliced tomatoes, a ball or two of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and kosher salt.  It's so easy to make and my daughters love it!

Tonight, I made a Caprese salad using ingredients I had in the house -- a pint of grape tomatoes, a package of BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls, and leftover homemade pesto and balsamic glaze from the Pesto Pizza we made last night.  I cut the grape tomatoes in half, and tossed them with the mozzarella, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and kosher salt.  I then added a big dollop of homemade pesto, which I stirred in after taking this picture, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze when I served each plate.  We all loved this twist on a traditional Caprese Salad.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients

Tomatoes of choice - preferably heirloom
1 or 2 balls of fresh mozzarella - sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Kosher or sea salt
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T white balsamic vinegar or a drizzle of balsamic reduction
Optional - coarse ground black pepper

Directions

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a large plate or platter.  Sprinkle them with kosher salt.  Add the mozzarella and basil leaves.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.  Add another sprinkle of kosher salt before serving.  Optional - season with coarse ground black pepper.

May 15, 2015 Update -  For this Caprese salad, I used a package of mozzarella pearls, a couple of handfuls of Primodoro snack tomatoes that I cut in half, fresh chopped basil, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar, and a good amount of kosher salt.  The second I sat this on the table, my kids dove in.  They always get excited for Caprese salad.  We also love Caprese panini.  You can read about our panini making here.

Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers with Buffalo Mozzarella

One of my favorite dishes at Tutto Italia in Epcot is the Bufala Mozzarella served with roasted sweet peppers, basil, Maldon sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil.



I always add a little balsamic vinegar, like I do with Caprese salad.

Sometimes, I use small mozzarella balls instead of buffalo mozzarella in this recipe.  It makes for a very pretty presentation.

My daughters love this dish, and I am always happy when they get excited about eating vegetables.

Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers with Buffalo Mozzarella

Ingredients

1 lb sweet mini peppers
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 + 1/8 tsp sea salt
Buffalo mozzarella slices or an 8 ounce container of small mozarella balls
Fresh basil leaves - whole or chopped
Optional - white balsamic vinegar or white balsamic reduction

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and dry the peppers before tossing them with the olive oil and sea salt in a large bowl.

Spread the peppers out on the baking sheet, and cook them for 15 minutes.

After the peppers have cooled, cut off the stems, remove any seeds, and arrange them on a serving platter.  Add the basil and the mozzarella, sprinkling it with a little bit of sea salt, before adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Optional - add a little white balsamic vinegar or white balsamic reduction.

White Bean Hummus and Flatbread

I am not a huge fan of most brands of store bought hummus, so I created this white bean hummus recipe.  We serve it with the lamb roast we make on Easter, or with crackers or gluten free flatbread.

White Bean Hummus

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - rinsed

1 can of white cannellini beans - rinsed
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

2 T fresh lemon juice 

2 T tahini
3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)

Directions

Use a NutriBullet, food processor, or stick blender to puree all the ingredients until smooth.

Recipe Notes

Tahini is a paste of ground, hulled sesame seeds.  I purchase organic tahini at Whole Foods.

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers are great with this hummus.

Rosemary Garlic Flatbread 

I learned how to make flatbread with Udi's Pizza Crust from the chefs at Tusker House Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  

I let it defrost a bit before rubbing olive oil on both sides.  I then put it in a frying pan over medium heat, and sprinkle a good amount of rosemary and garlic salt on top.  

If I am not busy with other food prep, I press it down with a spatula, working my way around the pan, so it browns more evenly.  

As you can see, the side with the rosemary browned a bit better because of my spatula treatment.  

As soon as it's finished, I cut it with my kitchen shears and serve it right away.  It's definitely best served hot.  I love to serve this flatbread with hummus, roasted red peppers, or even Caprese salad on top.

Linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays