Fingerling Potato Salad, Mexican Style

When it gets as hot as it gets here, with triple digits for sometimes an entire week at a time, salad are the food of choice.

New ways to fix potatoes always works.

This turned out really great, and I hope you like it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 to 14 small fingerling potatoes
• 4 slices bacon
•            8 Brussels Sprouts, quartered
• 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced in rounds
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat
• 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 chipotle chile en adobo, or to taste, mashed and minced
•  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take the potatoes and place in a sauce pan, add some salt and barely cover with water. Cook the potatoes until nearly done. Drain, spread on a cookie sheet and cool.
2. Clean the Brussels and then add them to the potatoes and cook until al dente, drain and spread with the potatoes to cool.
3. Cook 4 slices of bacon, cut up into 1" pieces until crisp. Remove to paper toweling to cool. 
4. Take one tbsp of the rendered bacon fat, add 4 tbsp olive oil, and the red wine vinegar, and whisk. Add salt and pepper and the chipotle chile, and whisk again. 
5. When potatoes are cool, slice in half and then add with the red onion rings to the bacon pan, and saute until browned nicely and the onions are softened and charred. Remove. Add the Brussels and char them a bit. 
6. Add all to a bowl, and mix thoroughly, adding the bacon pieces over the top after mixing the dressing well into the veggies. 

SERVES: 4-6

NOTES: You could use fresh green beans or pea pods or broccoli as the extra veggie. 

SOURCE: NYTimes

•           

Tomato Corn Salad

This is an elegant and very delicious salad. The greens are important, so please use some good quality spring greens if you can't find arugula. Baby spinach works well. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes cut into bite-size wedges
• 1 1/4 cups (2 ears) cooked corn
• 4 cups arugula
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Char the corn by grilling it, or putting it under the broiler or frying it. Just use a little EVOO and brush it on the corn still on the cob, or a tbsp or so in a saute pan.
2. Make the vinaigrette and set aside.
3. Assemble the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, add the corn, and drizzle on the dressing and mix well. 
4. Can be eaten at room temperature or cooled. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: If you can't get really good tomatoes, try cherry varieties which generally taste more tomato-y.

SOURCE: Epicurious

Maurice, Maurice Salad

This is an old favorite of mine. I saw it on Facebook, and googled around to make sure that the recipe was authentic.

Then I made it, and tasted it.

Sure enough it reminded me fully of sitting in J L Hudson's dining room and eating it in downtown Detroit.

It was a favorite of mine, and of countless others, given the ease of finding this recipe just about anywhere.

Hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon white onion, finely grated with juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 C deli ham, diced
1/4 C deli turkey, diced
1 heaping Tablespoon sweet gherkins, diced
1/4 C Swiss cheese, diced
1/4 C green olives

INSTRUCTIONS:

• To make dressing, whisk together first 7 ingredients (vinegar thru salt). Whisk until sugar dissolves. Stir in egg and mayo and pulse in a food processor until smooth. Stir in parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Stir well before serving.
• To make salad, pile lettuce on a plate. Top with ham, turkey, gherkins, cheese, and olives. Drizzle with dressing.

SERVES: 1

NOTES: I've taken a bit of liberty with the proportions. You can too. 

SOURCE: What KP's Cooking