French Potato Salad

If you're looking for a fantastic recipe for a mayo-less potato salad, this is the perfect one. However, I must warn you, this is the most expensive potato salad recipe I've ever made. The champagne vinegar alone cost me $10 and that was on sale. Since I made this for a big group of people for Easter it was worth the expense but normally I would pick a recipe that's less pricey.

French Potato Salad
by Ina Garten

Ingredients


1 pound small white boiling potatoes

1 pound small red boiling potatoes

2 tablespoons good dry white wine

2 tablespoons chicken stock

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 tablespoons good olive oil

1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Any ideas on what I can do with the almost full bottle of champagne vinegar I have left?

Curried Couscous- great work lunch dish

This started out as a side dish for grilled chicken I made one night and ended up being a perfect lunch for work. I'm not a big sandwich fan so I'm always looking for recipes I can make to take for lunch. This is really yummy cold and keeps well in the fridge.

I left out the carrots (I don't like them), red onion and parsley (I didn't have any on hand). I swapped the currants for diced dried apricots. Delicious!

Curried Couscous

by Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup small-diced carrots
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
• 1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup small-diced red onion

Directions

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

What do you take for lunch to work?

Cheddar Dill Scones- Barefoot Contessa

Happy Sunday! Are you recovering from a green beer induced hangover or maybe a corned beef food coma? I hope you had a great St.Patricks Day. It was raining here all day yesterday so I spent it cozied up on the couch and baking in the kitchen. How do you like to spend a rainy day? Maybe baking something with so much butter and cream that you vow to spend the rest of the week exercising? Such as these Cheddar Dill Scones....flaky, cheesy and oh so good.

Cheddar Dill Scones- Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced
• 1 cup minced fresh dill
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

Homemade Granola Bars That Travel Well

These granola bars are the perfect snack or even dessert as my grandma likes to eat them.  I made them especially for her and since I was sending them in the mail I had to make sure they would travel well. The bars arrived to her perfectly.

You can cut them as big or little as you like. I prefer the standard long rectangle shape.

I swapped the dates for golden raisins since I couldn't find any at the store.

Guess who didn't have enough honey and had to add a little maple syrup.....still just as yummy.

I swapped flax seed and oat bran (which I already had) for wheat germ. I was going to buy it but at $5.99 a jar-no thanks.

Packaged and ready to send.

Do you send treats to your family or friends?

Homemade Granola Bars
by Ina Garten

Ingredients


2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Brisket with Carrots & Onions

We had some family over for Sunday dinner recently and I decided to make brisket. I cooked it in my Crock Pot since I was gone for most of the day. I chose Ina Garten's recipe since it called for tomato juice and I had a lot leftover in the fridge from a gazpacho recipe I made. Although the dish turned out good, I don't know that I'd make it in tomato juice again. I hate to say it, but I prefer the Lipton onion mix recipe. I served the brisket with baked potatoes, rolls and a bottle of red wine.  We ate outside in between sessions of football watching. Typical Sunday LOL

Brisket with Carrots & Onions
by Ina Garten

ingredients
6 to 7 pounds beef brisket


2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

6 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (I cooked mine in a slow cooker)


Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)

Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.