Food By Franz

German style Potato Salad – Serve warm or at room temperature. Travels well as it has no mayo in it!

Ingredients:
4 potatoes
4 strips of bacon
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 C Water
1/4 C white vinegar (rice vinegar may be substituted)
1/2 C green onion, chopped (optional)
dash of celery seed
S & P

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender (usually about 12-15 minutes). Drain, cool & coarsely chop. In a deep skillet, brown your bacon. Reserve approximately 1 tbsp of bacon grease (leave in pan), take cooked bacon and crumble and reserve. Add the flour to the grease in pan – mix well and allow to cook over med for 2 minutes, stir in sugar, water and vinegar. Cook until this thickens – just a few minutes. Add the potatoes, bacon and onions until well coated. Sprinkle with a tsp of celery seed and serve. This salad is best warm to room temp.

Think Cool, Crisp and Tasty about this main dish salad. Travels well in individual servings or makes a pretty party salad. This recipe is written for two generous individual portions.

Cool and Tasty for Summer

Pasta of choice (bowties look pretty, elbows travel better)
Salmon – 3 oz per person, cooked and flaked
celery 1/4 C chopped
red onion, 1/4 C chopped
cucumber, approx 1/2 C, sliced thin
peas, 1/8 C (*optional)
lettuce, or napa cabbage
black olives (about 4 per person – quartered)
Baste of soy, sugar & pepper
Dressing of choice – but we suggest the Creamy Cucumber Dressing – Ranch works well also.

To make the salad -
Set your pasta water boiling. Slice the cucumber thinly (about 1/3 C sliced per salad serving) and place in ice water to “crisp up” and mix up your baste for the salmon fillets. Boil your favorite bite size pasta – you want about a generous cup of cooked pasta per portion or about 2.5-3 C for a bowl. Drain and set aside. While it boiling – take your salmon fillets, brush with mix of: 1/3 C soy, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 grinds of pepper – cook (broil, pan, bake or bbq) until just done – flake and set aside You can substitute Canned salmon or smoked salmon if you prefer.
Chop celery, red onion to make 1/2 C, add 1/3 C of peas (I usually use frozen unless I have fresh peas from the garden) Snap or Snow peas are a great fresh addition if available and toss with the pasta when cool.
Tear your choice of greens, lettuce, nappa cabbage, or a mix of green
Quarter the black olives.

To assemble the salad – layer each container or one large bowl with the lettuce or greens of choice
Next layer is the pasta – mixed with the peas, celery, red onion – spread over the lettuce
Next layer is the sliced cucumbers, drain well and layer over the pasta
Then take the flaked salmon and layer over the cucumber layer and top with a few black olives.
Package for travel and take the dressing on the side. Or serve in a pretty glass bowl and dressing in cruet – both need to be refrigerated until ready to serve.

This produces about 1.5 Cups of Dressing – An immersion blender/food processor makes this recipe a snap

2/3 C cuke, rough chop – put in immersion blender bowl as base – peeled and de-seed if needed
1/3 C cuke – fine dice, ice & set aside
1 Tbsp sweet or green onion, chop – put in mix bowl
1/2 C cottage cheese in mix
1/2 C sour cream in mix
1/4 tsp salt
2 turns fresh ground pepper or 1/8 tsp white pepper
pinch of celery seed
1 full tsp of fresh dill, chopped
pinch of fresh chives chopped

Dressing in progress

Minus the fine dice, iced cukes – whiz this all together until quite blended. Fold in the drained, iced cucumbers – cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Keep chilled until use. Will keep for 2 days if refrigerated.
If you use this dressing next day – stir and adjust seasonings before serving. If you need to thin it any – use half & half or milk.

Recipe of the Month#1 – August 2009 – Cold Japanese Noodles

Soba Noodles are a japanese buckwheat noodle – you can use any pasta, but the wheat noodles give this more texture & earthy flavor. The soba noodles also help on the caloric scale. This recipe is built for two, but it can be combined to make a wonderful picnic side.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp grated/minced ginger
1 lb chicken breast
1/3 C soy sauce
¼ C aji mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp Sirracha (asian hot sauce)
2 tsp sesame oil
Pkg of buckwheat soba noodles
1 bag fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp red pepper, sliced fine ( I use a red jalapeno or hotter pepper)
4 crimini mushrooms, sliced fine (any fresh mushroom)
Chopped green onions
Toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

To Assemble: Boil water for noodles, drain noodles – wilt spinach in same water, keep noodles handy in cold water. Mix together soy, mirin, ginger, chile paste and sesame oil. Set ½ C aside – toss the rest with the chicken. Grill or broil chicken until done, 4-5 minutes per side approximately, when cool tear or cut into bit size pieces. Assemble your salad – pile noodles in the bottom of each bowl & toss with the red pepper, top with spinach, chicken and mushrooms. Pour the ½ C of sauce between two bowls, garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

This travels well and is a wonderful chilled salad main for summer. Feel free to add additional vegetables, I have used sliced baby corn, julienne carrots, water chestnuts, even thinly sliced cauliflower.

Caloric Information (from Google)
Chicken – breast or leg – 1 portion, 140 Cal
Mushrooms, Brown, Italian, Or Crimini, Raw – 1 cup, 19 Cal
Noodles, Japanese, Soba, Cooked – 1 cup, 112 Cal (if you use regular pasta-1 portion 248)
Soy Sauce Made From Soy&Wheat (Shoyu) – 1 tbsp, 8 Cal
Spinach – 1 portion, 34 Cal
Oil, Sesame, Salad Or Cooking-1 tbsp, 123 Cal
Dinner – 436 Calories approximately per serving.

published as first ROM – August 2009

Pork Souvlaki, Greek Salad, Garlic Bread

Shopping List:

Pork roast (arm or rump) 1/2 lb per adult
Check your seasonings – oregano? rosemary? thyme? Cavendars?
1 lemon
Oil
Broth or beer
garlic clove
1 cucumber
1 tomato
4 oz Feta cheese
red onion, olives, peppers (optionals)
Vinaigrette
Bread for Garlic bread
Skewers for cooking the pork on. If you don’t have metal skewers, use the wooden ones, but soak them overnight to prevent from charring

To marinade the Pork

Cube the pork into a uniform size(as best you can – this ensures even cooking) and place in a resealable bag, add
juice of 1/2 lemon + 1 tsp of lemon zest (the yellow only from the rind of the lemon)
oregano – 2 tbsp fresh, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried
thyme – 1/2 tbsp fresh, or 1/4 tsp dried
rosemary – 1/2 tbsp fresh, or 1/8 tsp dried
1 Tbsp EEVO (or any oil will do)
1/3 C Beer (or broth)
1/2 Tbsp Cavendars seasoning
Garlic clove, minced – Marinade the port for 3-4 hours.
Place the pork on the skewers, grill or broil on low – turning once.

Serve this with greek salad, recipe follows

Cube the cucumber, tomato, and Feta bite size – Toss with
Red onion, slices (optional)
Vinaigrette – your favorite 1/2 Cup**
klamata or your favorite greek olives (optional)
Peperoncini peppers (optional)

**To make your own vinaigrette – pour scant 1/4 C red wine vinegar and rice vinegar each in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil with a whisk until emulsified (turns thick yellow) usually a 1/2 C approximately. Season with salt & pepper – perhaps your favorite herb to taste.

Serve with Garlic Bread

Stuffed Vegetables -Greek Style

Ingredients
• 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
• 3 large red, yellow, or green bell peppers
• 3 large, ripe tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano) – (add 1 Tbsp of chopped mint for an interesting taste twist)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Juice of a large lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them in a shallow baking pan. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stalk and seeds, brush the inside with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place in the baking pan with the eggplants. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. Let the eggplants cool to room temperature, then peel off the skin. Cut the eggplants in half, remove the seeds, and dice into 1-inch chunks.

Cut a lid from the tops of the tomatoes and save the lids. Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the eggplant chunks and remaining ingredients, except the feta, to the bowl and toss gently.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff the tomatoes and peppers with the eggplant mixture and replace the tops. Place the stuffed vegetables in the baking pan. Top each with crumbled feta cheese. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. This dish can be enjoyed hot or room temperature.
Serves 4

Ole’ – a new twist on guacamole!
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 a cucumber
1/2 C cabbage
1/4 C onion (red or green)
1 jalapeno pepper
EVOO (oil – use your favorite non flavored)
2-3 tbsp vinegar (more increases sharpness/tang)
sugar
cumin
garlic powder
oregano
S & P

To prepare the salad
Chop cucumber – salt & ice for 10 minutes while you do the following
1 avocado, halved, seeded and cubed – leave in shell w/seed until your ready to mix
De-seed and dice finely the jalapeno pepper
Finely slice the cabbage
Chop fine the red or green onion

Then mix the vinaigrette for salad – use a whisk in a bowl big enough for the salad
Mix – 2 Tbsp EVOO, 2 Tbsp vinegar (experiment w/this – red wine, balsamic, rice or an herbal vinegar)
Whisk this together until it begins to emulsify, then add a pinch of sugar, dash of each-cumin, garlic powder, oregano.
Taste is the key here – when you have the vinaigrette ready, mix in the onion, drained cucumber chunks, cubed avocado, chopped jalapeno
Toss gently with vinaigrette, add S & P to taste – arrange sliced cabbage on plates and spoon salad on top – best served at room temp.
Garnish w/tortilla chip or lime wedge if handy

A grande all around southwest side dish