Menu #26 for the Gutsy Cook's Club - Cassoulet!

Another week has ramped up to demonstrate menu #26 of The Gutsy Cook's Club:

Roasted Beet and Feta Salad

Cassoulet

and

Dessert: Baked Pears in Marsala

We are all cooking/baking from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible by Victoria Blashford-Snell. Monica of Sweet Bites (mastermind behind the Gutsy Cook's Club) has received permission from Victoria for each host to present the recipe in his or her blog as well. If you would like to read a brilliant write-up of this delicious, savory and sweet menu, please go to The Gutsy Cook's Club Announcements segment. You will not be disappointed! Monica has posted great ideas, antidotes, and history behind the meal. I chose a light salad and dessert because the dinner is hearty and deserves colorful, bright, fresh vegetables and fruit to compliment a heavy main course. Cassoulet has enamored me since I read about the dish in Julia Child's first French cookbook published and I have only made the dish once before (not Julia's recipe but another's). The dish took 3 days total. Victoria's cassoulet took me (1) day and my only alterations were using chicken legs instead of duck; duck legs would have required an hours drive; and andouille sausage filled with chicken, feta cheese, and herbs. We loved every bite; extremely filling. The roasted beet salad was picked out of a fascination for any recipe that compliments beets. Beets are a healthy root vegetable and gorgeous for plating purposes (definitely messy as well). The dressing used to toss the salad together has great flavor and depth with just a hint of sweet from the honey. The pear dessert was chosen for simplicity, color, and plating. I chose to serve ladyfingers on the side, soaking up the Marsala sauce, waiting to be used as a scoop for the slightly sweetened whipped cream. The pears were light with a tinge of cinnamon and Marsala flavor. We enjoyed all three segments of the menu and I could see myself making each dish again.

Cassoulet

Ingredients:

2 cups dried Great Northern Beans

1 T. olive oil

8 Italian pork sausages

9 oz. pancetta, diced

2 onions, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 duck legs

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T. tomato paste

3 1/2 cups hot water

one 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 cup white wine

2 cups bread crumbs

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T. chopped parsley

Directions:

1) Place the beans in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand 2-3 hours. Drain.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook for 7-8 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer to the sausages. Add the onions and carrot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside for 1 minute.

3) Preheat the oven 425 degrees F. Prick the duck skin all over with a fork and put on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the duck tothe sausages and reserve 2 Tablespoons of the fat in the pan, Reduce the oven temp to 275 degrees F.

4) In a large flameproof casserole, layer half the beans, the onions and carrot, sausages, pancetta, duck legs, thyme, and bay leaves, followed by the remaining beans.

5) Dissolve the tomato paste in the hot water, then stir in the tomatoes and their juices and the wine. Pour over the beans. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and uncover. The cassoulet should be thick, but moist. Taste and season with salt and pepper and add a little hot water, if needed. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour more.

6) To make the topping, mix the bread crumbs and garlic. Heat the reserved duck fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbs and cook, stirring often, about 7 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stir in the parsley. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and stir. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping over in a thick, even layer, and serve hot.

Roasted Beet and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

6 small beets, scrubbed but unpeeled

2 T. olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 oz. arugula

4 oz. feta cheese, cubed

2 T. chopped mint

For the Dressing

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 t. honey

3 T. olive oil

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets in a roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup water and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Roast about 1 3/4 hours, or until tender.

2) Uncover the beets and let cool. Peel and dice the beets.

3) Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and honey together in a small bowl, then whisk in the oil. Combine the beets, onions, and dressing in a bowl and toss. Sprinkle the arugula, feta, and mint over the top. Toss gently, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Baked Pears in Marsala

Ingredients:

6 firm, ripe pears, such as Bosc, peeled, halved, and cored

1 cup dry Marsala

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

one 3-inch cinnamon stick

1 cup heavy cream

2 T. confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the pears in an ovenproof dish, cut side up, and sprinkle with the Marsala, sugar, and vanilla, then pour in 1 cup of water. Tuck in the cinnamon stick.

2) Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, basting occasionally, until tender.

3) Meanwhile, in a chilled bowl whip the cream, gradually adding the confectioner's sugar until firm peaks form. Serve the pears warm (or cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled), in their syrup, with the whipped cream.

What a whirlwind of a month. Thank you for letting me host the menus for the month of March. What a great experience this was!

CEiMB- L.O.V.E. Wrap Sandwich and Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad

Joanne of the blog Apple Crumbles was the host of this week's choice for Craving Ellie in My Belly: Lettuce, Onion, Vegetable, Egg Salad (L.O.V.E.) Wraps.

I was truly surprised over the flavors in this wrap! First of all, I already LOVE egg salad but had "no" idea I could get away with just 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard - still having great flavor and texture. I already had whole wheat pita pockets so I used those instead of the wraps; after eating the sandwiches and finding out how messy the pita pockets were, wrap bread it will be next time.

We also made Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad to go with the wrap for dinner. I bought fresh, "LIVE" Dungeness crab to make the salad and actually had to chase the crabs down as they seemed to enjoy scurrying around my deck. I think I squealed more then they would have if they could.

Fresh Dungeness crab is AMAZING! I had no idea fresh crab tasted that great. WOW! The salad is fresh, light, and does not overpower the light flavor of crab meat. The recipe came from a Cooking Light magazine; since the website Project Foodie prints all recipes from this magazine, I thought I would post the recipe here.

Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad

4 servings (1 cup each)

1 1/2 c. diced, peeled papaya

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 pound lump crab meat

3 T. canola oil

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. sugar

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t. salt

Directions:

Combine papaya, green onions, celery, jalapeno pepper, and crab meat. Combine canola oil, cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over crab mixture; toss. Chill.

I wish you could see this crab moving and know how crazy this feels picking up a wiggling creature when so many of us are used to asking someone behind a counter to clean and package our food. The fisherman selling the live crab said to boil them in salt water for 22 minutes. We did and the meat came out perfect.

My only frustration was finding ripe papayas in the middle of winter.

I boiled eggs and the crabs at the same time, making dinner efficient and, like most of Ellie's recipes, fast.


I thought I would share another up close and personal picture of my live dinner. He backed himself up into the bag he originally found his way out of. Larry couldn't believe the phone call on his way home asking him to help chase dinner. I told him if he would put the crabs in the boiling water, I would be happy to clean them.

CEiMB -Chicken Pot Pies and a Tuscan Salad

I have had the pleasure of cooking along with wonderful people who care about eating healthier, one of several reasons for cooking with the "Craving Ellie in My Belly" group, and this week is my week to host. Hooray!!!

I chose Ellie's You and Me Chicken Pot pie with a phyllo dough topping , loads of vegetables, all combined in a delicious sauce.

Instead of butter moistening the phyllo dough, Ellie calls for olive oil, then a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Pop the dishes into the oven and 30 minutes later we are ready to eat.

I used to be alarmed at using phyllo dough. So fragile looking. If I take my time, moisten as I go, the phyllo dough is work-able.

Verdict: A dinner I will be adding into my list of go-to recipes. We loved it. I did substitute sweet onions for leeks but I can see the potential for adding any type of vegetables and meat (or no meat if you wish).

The You and Me Chicken Pot Pie recipe is posted on the Food Network site here.

I also made a Tuscan Salad to go with the pot pies.

The recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis:

Tuscan Salad

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

* 1 head Romaine lettuce, torn

* 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

* 1/2 cup pitted black olives

* 1/2 sweet onion, cut into slivers

* 1 lemon, juiced

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.

In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

ABC of the Month & CEiMB - Healthy versus Chocolate~!

ABC of the Month is suppose to be on the first Tuesday of every month AND this month was my pick. I am actually 1 1/2 days late! I feel terrible. My choice: All-American Choc Cake with Divinity Frosting and Milk Chocolate Paint. (CEiMB is posted just below.)

I did not have two 6 x 3 - inch pans so I used three 6 x 2 - inch pans and boy am I glad that I did (the cakes puffed to the very top of all three pans). Flo Braker's cookbook, Baking for All Occasions, has us baking a dark chocolate cake mixed with 1 cup of coffee, unsweetened melted chocolate, sour cream, brown sugar and a few other ingredients to combine into one of the moistest, flavorful chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. Am I the only one that did not see where in the directions to swirl in the melted chocolate? I added the chocolate in just before the coffee and used a spatula to swirl it in.

The divinity frosting went together like a breeze and painting on melted chocolate was a wonderful visual touch. I have met my chocolate cake match and LOVE this recipe. Flo, you and Evie Lieb (mentioned in recipe dialog) are both brilliant!

Hanaa and to the rest of the group, I sincerely apologize for being late! Everyone else, Flo Braker's book is stunning and well put together. Definitely worth every penny and Amazon has used copies at great prices. With this said, on to CEiMB!

Elina of Healthy and Sane chose this week's recipe: Baked Felalfal Sandwiches (recipe found on the Food Network site here.)

I have never eaten a falafel ~ ever. No idea what one should taste like. Then I start looking for Tahini paste ( recipe calls for the sesame seed paste for the sauce). Nope! Not happening. Now what? Invent my own sauce. BTW, we like this but I definitely altered a few things, listed below.

Dinner:

**Sauteed pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Crushed Macadamia Nuts**
**CEiMB's Baked Falafel Sandwich w/Creamy Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce**

**Sweet Potato French Fries Roasted with Lemon Olive Oil and a Roasted Red Pepper & Cheese Dip**

Sauteed Pear Salad

(adapted from the vanillacompany.com)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 firm-ripe Bosc pears, cored, peeled and cut into slices

2 tablespoon honey

4 cups of salad greens and/or baby spinach leaves, rinsed and chilled

1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber

2 ounces Bleu, Gorgonzola or goat cheese

1/2 cup chopped roasted macadamia nuts

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and allow to warm. Add pear slices and saute in oil for 2 minutes on each side. Turn off heat and drizzle honey over pear slices, and gently turn pears so that it coats them on both sides.

While pears are cooking, put greens and vegetables into a large salad bowl and mix well. Add warm pears, cheese, nuts and gently mix.


Mix salad dressing ingredients, add juices from pan and pour over salad. Serve right away. (Or you can arrange salads on each plate individually instead of mixing everything in a bowl.)

Falafel Sandwich Sauce was created by mixing 1 cup of non -fat plain Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup of Roasted Garlic Hummus and 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. I thought this tasted pretty good.

Next change: I only baked the falafel ball for 10 minutes on each side. The comment reviews from a few other people stated 20 minutes per side may cause the falafel balls to be dry.

I used a mixed green salad combo with the tomatoes and cucumbers too. The flavor was great but the falafel balls need to be layered in the pita pocket and not all on the top, like the one I made myself. I was totally overwhelmed. Now I know.

I also wanted to share the Roasted Red Pepper-Cheese Dip. Low calorie Dip found in my Cooking Light cookbook:
Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
1 small onion, peeled and halved
Cooking spray
1 whole garlic head
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Directions:
Preheat Broiler.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove peel and discard. Set roasted pepper aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

Place onion halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap in foil. Place garlic on baking sheet with onion. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes; turn over onion halves. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until onions are soft and begin to brown. Place onion halves on a plate. Return garlic to oven, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Separate the cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.

Place roasted pepper, onion, and garlic pulp in a food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add yogurt, cheese, cumin seed, and ground red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon dip into a bowl, and stir in parsley. Cover and chill.

2 Tablespoons = 20 calories. (Great for dipping veggies in too. I used this recipe for my sweet potato FF dipping sauce.)

Thank you Elina for widening my flavor vocabulary. I really enjoyed this sandwich and loved the healthy options.

CEiMB Thursday - Salmon Cakes with Ginger-Sesame Sauce and a Polynesian Shrimp Salad

I have been to the CEiMB home page about 6 times in the last month. Do I join or don't I? I bought Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave cookbook over 2 months ago and have definitely flipped through the pages and tabbed half the recipes to "try soon" BUT have not tried any to date (except for today's recipe). Several days ago I sat down in front of the computer and knew today was the day I wanted to start. I really enjoy how Ellie puts recipes together, cutting out a large amount of calories, but not taking away the flavor.

My first dinner with CEiMB was a great way to start. Sarah of Sarah's Kitchen Adventures (Gorgeous header photo Sarah) chose Salmon Cakes with Creamy Sesame-Ginger Sauce. I cut the recipe in half because there were just the two of us eating tonight and used Bumble Bee Salmon in the little 5 oz. cans. A first for me using canned salmon. Great flavor (I was pleasantly surprised) and the chestnuts added a wonderful crunch plus the scallions gave added color. Ellie was absolutely correct about the dipping sauce! I could see dipping veggies or anything else, including my finger, in the sesame-ginger sauce. We loved it.



My only negative point to add is, for some reason, my patties were on the dry side. I had trouble keeping the patties together, especially when flipping them gingerly in the pan. Crazy. =) Thank you Sarah for the wonderful selection and for hosting this week. We really enjoyed our dinner! To get the recipe for the salmon patties, go to Sarah's beautiful blog and/or buy Ellie's Cookbook.



To go with the salmon patties and dipping sauce, we made a Polynesian Shrimp Salad with just a hint of mild yellow curry powder, pineapple chunks and the reserved juice. Summer time and cold salads go hand-and-hand.

Polynesian Shrimp Salad
Serves 6 (20 min. + chilling to Make)

Ingredients:
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups cooked medium pasta shells
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper



Directions:
Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice; set pineapple aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, curry powder, salt, pepper and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in mayonnaise and sour cream.

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, pasta, water chestnuts, red pepper and reserved pineapple. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

COLD Summer Salads; Creamy or Crunchy - Perfect for HOT Days

It's hot out and I don't feel like cooking, to only heat up the house, even with the stove vent running. Putting together cold salads in the morning works for me. I did boil potatoes for the creamy potato salad, blanch the green beans for 3 minutes in boiling water and grill 6 ears of corn while the air was cool. The rest is simply chopping up fresh summer ingredients and whipping together light vinaigrettes and one creamy sauce. I prepped everything Friday morning for meals Saturday and Sunday.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

(I mix red kidney beans and black beans for more color and flavor; Serves 6)

2 cups fresh corn grilled and cut off the cob or frozen and thawed corn kernels
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups no-salt-added cooked black beans, rinsed and drained; use a mix Kidney and Black Beans
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

First, grill the corn on the cob for roughly 5 minutes at medium heat. Cut kernels off the corn. If using frozen corn, dethaw and drain any excess water before adding to bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Add beans, corn, onion and bell pepper and toss until just incorporated. Cover and chill for about 2 hours. Add cilantro and toss again before serving.

Creamy Layered Potato Salad
8 medium baking potatoes
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream

1 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 teaspoon (or more) prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water just until fork tender. Drain and cool.
Peel and slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick.

In bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Greek yogurt, horseradish, and salt.
In second bowl, combine onion and parsley.

In large serving bowl, arrange a single layer of potato slices. Cover with a layer of mayonnaise mixture and sprinkle with some onion mixture. Continue layering ending with parsley and onion mixture. Do not stir.
Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Grilled Corn Salad with Green Beans and Garden Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t. sugar

Salt and pepper

4 ears corn, grilled (Before grilling, spray with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.)

1 pound green beans, blanched and cooled

1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved (or use the tomatoes in your garden)

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly shredded

4 ounces Gouda cheese, diced into small cubes

Directions:
Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut kernels off corn cobs and put in a large bowl. Add beans, tomatoes, onion, Gouda cubes and basil. Drizzle vinaigrette over and toss to combine. Chill salad until ready to eat.

Summertime Simple

*Menu*

~Lemonade Tea with Mint

~Artichoke and Tomato Salad

~Chicken and Shrimp Clemeneau

Dinner in the summertime. How does summertime affect choices in your kitchen? We eat fresh and simple; many of us are in the middle of heat waves but where does your taste buds drift?

Heirloom tomatoes, fresh figs, local new varieties of cheese, different cuts and a wider variety of meats (such as bison, salt cod, kobe beef) have been a new for several years in the NorthWest. We have local coffee made with personal touches (one local coffee farm succeeds by incorporating enthusiastic volunteers; Vashon Island's homegrown and roasted variety of coffee and tea comes to mind . . . LOVE the chocolate tea!), local cheese stores where the cheese is made on site, an amazing Russian sausage house only open Thursdays thru Saturday in Shoreline (the rest of the week you can see the smoke emitting from the small store, readying stock for the weekend), wonderful local butcher stores keeping costs down and variety up (the Swinery in Seattle and DD Meats in Mountlake Terrace are two of my favorites), and the many local fruit, berry and nut farms open to the public to pick for a cheaper price along with bringing the produce to local stands. Friday and Saturday Farmer's Markets are wonderful for a wider variety of selection then just your local fruits and vegetables. Kind of like a homemade metropolis for most every part of a home. Woodworking, plants, quilts, canned goods, fresh seafood, fresh-cut flowers, and the list goes on (I love each of the Farmer's Markets in Port Orchard, Gig Harbor and Olympia along with the ever popular Pike's Place Market in Seattle, open 7 days a week).

Tonight's dinner incorporates local prawns, poultry, and vegetables accompanied with an inner feeling of warmth because I have helped support my local business community.

Lemonade Tea with Mint

12 cups boiling water

12 single-size tea bags

3 fresh mint springs

1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Directions:

In a large pot, combine water, tea bags, and mint. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in lemonade concentrate.

Pour some of the tea into an ice cube tray for serving time. Freeze.

Refrigerate the rest of the tea for approximately 1 hour, or until ready to serve. When serving, use tea ice cubes in freezer.

Artichoke and Tomato Salad

1/2 cup baby spinach
1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, or different colored tomatoes (yellows, oranges, and reds), diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 artichoke hearts, cut in half

Directions:

Remove stems from baby spinach, clean and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, oil, and vinegar. Arrange baby spinach on plates and top with tomato-basil mixture. Lightly cover salads with Parmesan. Arrange artichoke halves around salad.

Chicken and Shrimp Clemenceau

(adapted from Dooky Chase Restaurant)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 1/2 c. peeled and diced Idaho or Yukon potatoes (approximately 3 medium potatoes)

3/4 c. butter, divided

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

2 pounds medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)

1 t. minced garlic

1 1/2 c. green peas (fresh, frozen, or canned)

1 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (out of my garden)

1 t. hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1/2 t. ground paprika

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: sliced green onions

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, and heat. Fry potatoes until browned, 7 to 9 minutes. (Or you may blanch potatoes in water, drain, and then brown in butter.) Transfer potatoes to a dish with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet, and add 1/2 cup butter. When butter melts, add chicken strips, and brown lightly, in batches if necessary, approximately 5 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a dish. Set aside.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter (if needed) in the same pan. Add mushrooms, and cook until they release juices. Add shrimp, and cook until pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Return chicken to pan, then add potatoes and peas; heat thoroughly. Top with parsley, hot sauce, paprika, salt and pepper. Garnish with green onion, if desired.

Spicy Taco Salad with Lime Tortilla Chips and Dressing

The picture may not be food porn gorgeous but the flavors are jumpin!

This is an easy recipe, great for Spring/Summer, bright and cheerful with kick. The cucumber slices add a nice coolness to the heat. Take a bite and you will see what I mean!

Taco Salad with Lime Tortilla Chips and Spicy Dressing Recipe

Dressing:
8 ounces taco sauce, medium to hot
12 ounces salsa, medium to hot
3 T. sour cream
1/2 pkg. hot taco seasoning (you will use the rest further down)
SALAD:
1 head lettuce, chopped up
4 diced tomatoes (If using Roma tomatoes - Use 6)
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds lean hamburger, browned, drained and mixed with remaining taco seasoning
12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium can sliced olives, drained
hot peppers, sliced (your choice)
Diced cucumber

Salad:
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dressing:
Mix together, add all of dressing mixture to salad, toss salad thoroughly and top with a bag of crushed lime tortilla chips or Frito chips and serve.