Curried Potato Salad

Potato salad is even  better the second day when all the flavors infuse. This is my version, a real amalgamation
of  ingredients to ensure taste and texture. Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients
6 to 8 Yukon gold potatoes boiled and cut into pieces
1 small red onion chopped
6 radishes  thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Lebanese cucumbers sliced
1/2 cup butter pickles diced
1/2 large bell pepper diced
1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped

Dressing
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/2 cup olive oil
1 heaping  tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl add the onion, radishes, vinegar and the sugar. Set aside for about 10 minutes and drain reserving the vinegar.  In a large bowl add the mayonnaise, the Dijon mustard ,curry powder and reserved vinegar. Gradually whisk in the oil.  Add the potatoes, onion, radishes and remaining ingredients and toss.
 Serves 6

Cheese Souffle

I recently initiated a "Throw Down", as coined by chef Booby Flay; and in fun, challenged fellow Food Network Community members to consider making retro recipes from the 70's. The gauntlet was dropped, and we agreed that we would attempt soufflés in place of  aspics, which were also the trend. However two of our finest, Susie and Ava, agreed to also include jelly molds. I opted to start with a simple cheese soufflé, and as the picture above shows, I was pleasantly surprised with the end result. I even got the seal of approval from my husband ,who initially said he would not go near a dish "with all those eggs and cheese". It turned out light as a cloud  and delicious. To accomplish this dish, I did  go back for a refresher course, and was expertly guided by Julia Child herself, via her phenomenal PBS videos. So, I hope you can forgive my digression from healthy recipes, just for a little while, as I reminisce and have some fun. If you too are ready for a "Throw Down", drop a line with your suggestions at Anna's Table.

Mediterrean Tuna Salad

 Summer salad anyone? Hope you enjoy another one of my creations and give it a try.

Ingredients
mixed spring salad
arugula
olive oil
red balsamic vinegar
1small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine
1  can 7 ounce  Albacore solid white tuna
1 Roma tomato,seeded and diced
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
6 black kalamata black olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl or ramekin, add the finely chopped shallot and cover with white wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside and let marinate while preparing the tuna.
Drain the tuna removing any excess water.  In a bowl, add the tuna and with a fork; break into bite size pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Serve on a bed of mixed salad,tossed with olive oil and red balsamic vinaigrette. The ratio for the vinaigrette is1part vinegar to 3 parts oil. Garnish with whole kalamata olives and  parsley. Serves 2 as a main course

Minestrone Soup

A rainy cold day in June, it happens, and it makes you head for the soup pot and raid your refrigerator for a quick comfort fix. Here's my version of minestrone soup; as determined by the contents in my fridge at the time. Remember almost anything goes, just trust your eyes and taste buds to put together this hearty soup. Top it off with homemade croutons and you have a one bowl meal to take away the chills.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup short pasta
1 cup of canned tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 slices 1/2 inch slice pancetta, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 potato, diced
1 zucchini with peel, chopped
1 cup chopped (1 inch pieces) green string beans
1 cup frozen peas
10 ounces canned white beans, drained
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
chili pepper (optional)

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions. Add the pancetta and brown. Remove excess fat, if necessary. Add the carrots and celery and saute for about 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and cook a few minutes to let the flavors infuse. Pour in the broth and add the potatoes. Add your herbs. Allow the potatoes to cook slightly, before adding the remaining vegetables and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drop your pasta into the boiling broth and cook until desired texture for the pasta. Garnish with croutons and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Pineapple-Mango Sorbet

Do you ever go out  of your way to buy extra ingredients, for that ' illusive' special recipe that you are going to come up with?  If your anything like me, sometimes the best laid plans go astray.  So was the case one more time, as my forgotten pineapple and mangoes sat  forgotten on my kitchen counter, begging for me to do something before it was too late. Panic sets in; because you know full well, that you can't possibly consume all that fruit overnight.  So I scrambled for a quick, no fuss recipe that required absolutely no stove or oven use; but yet, would preserve all the freshness of the fruit.  With the nice warm weather, sorbet came to mind. Why not, after so many years, attempt  reviving  my sorbet making skills; as if, you really need any?  The recipe is super easy, and full of luscious fruit flavours that burst through with each spoonful. Give it a try for a nice no fat alternative to ice cream!

Ingredients
1 pineapple chopped in cubes
3 mangoes chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 to 2 tablespoon fruit sugar ( to taste if using)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons Triple Sec (optional)

Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a 9 inch baking pan and freeze for about 2 hours.  Once the fruit blend is firm; return to the food processor and blend until a smooth consistency.  Transfer into an airtight container and freeze.  Makes about 6 cups.

Pad Thai

After seeing Mark Bittman, of the New York Times,demonstrate his Pad Thai recipe; I have been itching to make it at home. Once you prep your ingredients, the rest is quite easy.  As you probably know by now, I tend to always stray from recipes. So here we go again, with my  adaptation of  the various recipes I researched.  All to say, add or eliminate some of  the ingredients in the recipe, and tailor the dish to your personal taste.  For the vegetarian version, simply leave out the shrimps. I kept my recipe rather simple. I opted not to use the cabbage nor the carrots and added extra mung bean sprouts.

Ingredients
8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 1/2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar
juice of 1/2 small lime 
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/4 to1/2 cup canola oil
1 garlic clove minced
3 green onions finely sliced
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 pound tofu cut into large cubes
8 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
2 cups mung bean sprouts (set aside1/4 cup for garnish)
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (set aside 1 tablespoon for garnish)
4 tablespoons roasted, chopped peanuts (set aside 1 to 2 tablespoons for garnish)
lime wedges
Thai hot sauce 

Place your noodles in a bowl with lukewarm water. Soak for about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl add the tamarind paste to 1/4 cup of water and let soak for about 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and add ,the fish sauce,sugar, lime.  Combine the ingredients.
In a wok or large saute pan heat the 3 tablespoons of oil on high heat.  Add the scallions,garlic, chili pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Add your shrimp and cook for about two minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Using the same pan,on medium high, saute the tofu  until golden. and transfer to a plate.  Add some extra oil to the pan and swirl in the eggs. Set aside the scrambled eggs. Drain the noodles Add more oil to the pan and heat until hot and add the noodles. Pour in the sauce and cook until al dente.  Toss in the egg, the shrimp, tofu, 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, saute for 30 seconds or so. Toss in the 3 tablespoons of the cilantro. Plate and garnish with extra cilantro,remaining bean sprouts, and roasted chopped peanuts .Serve with lime wedges and Thai hot sauce.
Serves 2  (main course)

Penne with Vodka and Caviar

You don't have to be in the kitchen for hours to present a visually appealing, elegant and delicious main course for your guests; or for that matter just for yourself. All you need are a few ingredients and less than thirty minutes in the kitchen, to have this gourmet pasta dish on your table. Although most recipes for pasta and vodka call for tomatoes; I opted not to use them to allow the rich red colour of the caviar and its salty flavor, permeate throughout the dish and not compete with this exquisite ingredient. So from my table to yours, enjoy!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1/2 cup Vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red caviar
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
14 oz ridged small penne
6 quarts water
salt

In a large pan boil about 6 quarts water. Add salt to the water. Cook the small ridged penne al dente for approximately 9 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.
In a separate saucepan, heat the butter. Add the onions, garlic, and cook til transparent 3 to 4 minutes).
Pour in the vodka and and and the cream and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the caviar, leaving a small amount for the garnish. Drain the pasta and toss immediately with the sauce. Plate the pasta and garnish with the red caviar.
Serves 4 to 6