Hot and Cold Potato Salads

Last week I had said that “Potato Salad” recipes would be coming in a couple of weeks.  Well, I looked at the calendar and realized that summer in the USA is over half gone.  So I figured I better move the potato salad recipes up so you have time to use them yet this summer.

I’m sure everyone one has a potato salad recipe and that most are different from any of the others.  Actually, that is one of the best things about potato salad.  Variety is the spice of life.

I already have 3 potato salad recipes on this food blog and all have a different taste profile.  So this week I’m adding two more.

The first (Wednesday) is one for a basic “German Potato Salad” and if you are not familiar it’s served warm.  German potato salads use vinegar as their base in the dressing or coating of the potatoes.

On Thursday, I’m offering a “Red Potato Salad” that uses both a vinaigrette and mayonnaise base for its coating.  In this recipe you can slice or cube your potatoes depending on the look you want to present to your fellow eaters.

For any of you that require “Gluten-Free” food, both can be made GF by using the correct substitutions in the recipes.

I hope that you will try and like these recipes.  I also hope that you will share them with others.

Thank you and “Happy cooking” until next week.

Summer Cole Slaw

Summer Cole Slaw

(8 servings)

Ingredients:

4 cups Green Cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups Red Cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups Carrots, shredded

¼ cup Green Onion, diced

¼ cup White Balsamic Pear-Infused Vinegar

½ cup Canola Oil

1 tsp. Celery Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbages, carrots and onion.  In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, celery salt and pepper.  Combine both bowls together and refrigerate 2 hours.  Toss mixture again just before serving.

Note:               Use regular white balsamic vinegar if you can’t find the pear-infused one.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Raman Noodle Cole Slaw

Raman Noodle Cole Slaw

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. pkg. Cole Slaw Mix

1 pkg. Beef Raman Noodles, uncooked noodles only

¼ cup Sunflower Seeds

1 small pkg. Slivered Almonds, toasted

3 medium Green Onions, sliced

1 packet from Beef Raman Noodles

¼ cup Sugar

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

½ cup Canola Oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine slaw mix, broken up Raman noodles, sunflower seeds, almonds and onion.  In a small bowl, whisk together the beef packet, sugar, vinegar and oil.  Just before serving, carefully mic the two together and serve.

Note:               It is best to refrigerate both bowls for an hour or 2 before mixing and serving.

Note:               Toast almonds in a dry skillet or on a sheet pan in the oven before adding to mix.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Summer Cole Slaws that are a Little Different

One of the most popular side dishes in the summer is “Cole Slaw.”  It’s probably second only to “Potato Salad” during this season.  During grilling and picnic season, these two are very popular.

For both of them, there are countless recipes and variations to be found and used.  This week I’m just looking at cole slaw.  In the coming weeks I’ll offer some potato salad recipes too.

I’d say that about 98% of the cole slaw recipes call for a cabbage of some type.  Your basic green cabbage is the base for most.  The red cabbage is usually added for color and a little more nutrition.

Cole slaws usually have either a mayonnaise or vinegar base to their dressings.  This week’s recipes are both vinegar based.  The popularity of yogurt these days has added that ingredient to the mix for based too.

Tomorrow’s recipe of “Raman Noodle Cole Slaw” uses beef Raman noodles in both the slaw mix and the dressing.  I suppose you could use other flavorings of the Raman noodles to give you a different taste profile.

On Thursday, “Summer Cloe Slaw” is the recipe and it uses pear-infused white balsamic vinegar to make its flavor profile a little different.

Be sure to try one of these recipes or some other cole slaw recipe that might inspire your taste buds.

So until next week “Happy Cooking” and be sure to share the link to these and other great tasting recipes and information.  Thanks again for checking in with my “Cabana Boy Cooks” food blog.

Cherry Flatbread

Cherry Flatbread

(2-4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpea Flour, plus more for dusting

½ tsp. Garlic Powder

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

4 tbsp. Warm Water

½ cup Ricotta Cheese

¼ cup Gorgonzola Cheese

½ cup Sweet Cherries, pitted and thinly sliced

¼ cup Arugula, finely chopped

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Add the olive oil, and using your hands, mix in the oil.  Slowly add in water and knead into a ball.  Let dough rest about 10 minutes.  Dust rolling pin and work area with chickpea flour.  Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  Transfer dough to a pizza stone or parchment-ling baking sheet.  Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.  Spread ricotta cheese over flatbread and sprinkle with crumbled gorgonzola, cherries and arugula.  Add freshly ground black pepper if desired to taste.  Slice into wedges and serve.

Note:               If you can’t get gorgonzola or want to use a less expensive blue cheese, it will still taste wonderful.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Cherry Clafoutis

Cherry Calfoutis

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

½ cup Sugar

1 lb. Sweet Cherries, pitted

3 large Fresh Eggs

1¼ cups Buttermilk

1/3 cup Almond Flour

2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, finely grated

¼ tsp. Salt

as needed Powdered Sugar for dusting

Directions:

Grease a 9-inch pie pan with unsalted butter.  Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. of the sugar and arrange cherries in a single layer in the pan.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, remaining sugar. Almond flour, all-purpose flour, vanilla, ginger and salt until smooth.  Pour mixture evenly over the cherries.  Place dish in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and set in the center.  Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is done.  Cool slightly, dust with the powdered sugar and serve warm.

Note:               Try making this dish with Rainier Cherries too for a little difference.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Sweet Cherry Season

It’s “Sweet Cherry Season” and you can’t beat them for a summer favorite fruit in my opinion.  Just grab some fresh cherries, rinse them and start eating.  If you are outside, I guess you could have a pit spitting contest to see who can go the farthest.  But I wouldn’t do that in front of the children, they may follow suit.

There are several varieties of sweet cherries most of which come out of the northwest area of the USA.  Mainly Washington and Oregon.  The two most popular varieties are “Bing” and “Rainier” cherries.

Fresh sweet cherries are usually just eaten straight away, but there are recipes to use them in too.

I’m offering up two this week.  The first is a French dessert called “Cherry Clafoutis” and that’s Wednesday’s recipe.  It is cherries in a flan type custard.

On Thursday, you can try “Cherry Flatbread” for something different.  It uses chickpea flour instead of all-purpose with ricotta and gorgonzola cheeses and arugula.

For those of you that eat Gluten-Free, with one change in the Calfoutis, they are both available for you to enjoy as well.

Even for today.  “Happy Cooking” until next week and enjoy trying these recipes.  Remember to share the link with others.  Thanks.