Wedge Salad

I love to order a wedge salad when we go out to eat.  My favorite is a deconstructed wedge salad that is served at Ruth's Chris.  I tried to make mine like that one, but for presentation sake it remains a wedge.  

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Iceberg lettuce
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 green onions, chopped fine
• 1 can French’s French Fried Onions
• 4 oz. of Blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 C. of Chunky Blue Cheese salad dressing

Directions:

1. Remove the heart of the head of lettuce by firmly pounding it into the counter
2. Fill the head of lettuce with water and allow to drain
3. Cut the lettuce in half , then into fourths
4. Place each wedge on a plate
5. Pour ¼ C. of salad dressing over each wedge
6. Sprinkle each with green onions
7. Next add the following to each wedge: 1 strip of bacon, ½ of a tomato, 1 oz. of blue cheese, and ¼ can of French Fried Onions
8. Serve with salt and pepper

Tips and Tricks:

• I like to drizzle some Balsamic vinegar over my wedge also.
• This makes a great presentation for a dinner party.

Spicy Corn Chowder

This is a recipe from the Neelys.  It's spicy and hearty and it feeds about 8 people.  I made this with leftover corn and potatoes from a seafood boil.  It came out great!

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. of bacon, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium, red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 T. kosher salt
• ¼ C. all-purpose flour
• 6 C. chicken stock
• 2 large red potatoes, small diced
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 lb. frozen corn or 6 fresh ears
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the bacon until crisp then remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and reserve
2. Add the onions and red peppers to the pot and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes
3. Add the salt, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté for 1 minute
4. Add the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently
5. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender
6. Add the bacon, cream, corn, cayenne, and bay leaf
7. Simmer for 20 minute
8. Remove the bay leaf and about 4 C. of the chowder into a bowl
9. Puree the 4 C. of chowder in a blender or use an immersion blender
10. Return to the pot and stir well
11. Serve hot

Tips and Tricks:

• Do NOT scrap the seeds of a jalapeno pepper out with your fingernails.  You WILL regret this.  Scrap with a teaspoon and save your skin.
• Making your own chicken stock for this recipe is cheaper and tastes better. Follow my link to find out how I make mine.

German Potato Salad

I am German.  My Mom learned from her aunt how to make potato salad.  No recipe was written, but when I got one from the Germanfest I attended in Roberts Cove, LA and showed it to my Mom. She said, "That's it, that's the recipe my aunt used." My Mom doesn't make this potato salad (she has her own recipe, which I will share later) but I do. Here it is!  Thanks, Germanfest!

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 6 green onions, finely chopped (greens only)
• ½ lb. bacon, cooked crisp
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• ¼ C. apple cider vinegar
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes and eggs in one pot together until potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes
2. While potatoes and eggs are boiling, cook bacon until crisp (save the drippings)
3. Quickly fry the green onions in the bacon drippings until limp
4. Whisk the drippings, onions, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together
5. Peel and cut the potatoes and eggs and while the potatoes are still warm pour the combined mixture over the potatoes and eggs
6. Serve warm

Tips and Tricks:

• I cut green onions with kitchen shears.  I think it is easier than chopping them.
• Apple cider vinegar is not necessary, but only use light colored vinegars.  Darker vinegars (like a balsamic) change the color of the potatoes and eggs and then it looks bad.

Brussels sprouts with bacon

I love Brussels sprouts.  This is a Emeril's recipe.  It's easy to make and it serves about 4 people.  It is also easy to double.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts
• 6 oz. of bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the Brussels spouts for 8 minutes and drain
2. Cut in half and place on the side
3. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy
4. Remove the bacon and cook the onions in the drippings until limp
5. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes
6. Add the Brussels sprouts and the salt and pepper
7. Cook until sprouts start to brown

Tips and Tricks:

• The recipe calls for fresh Brussels sprouts, but I haven’t had much luck with the fresh.  I buy the frozen in the bag.  It is not quite a pound, but that’s what I use.
• If you boil your veggies with salt as I do, you will need to reduce the 1 t. of salt to about ½ t. of salt.  The recipe does not call for salt while boiling.