Bok Choy Salad

• 1 bunch bokchoy, sliced (include both green and white parts)
• 6 green onions, sliced (include both green and white parts)
• 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 3 T slivered almonds
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce

Mix bokchoy and onions and set aside.

Crunch ramen noodles and mix with sunflower seeds and almonds. Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350.

Mix sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then let cool.

When ready to serve, add the ramen crunchies over the greens, then pour olive oil mixture over all of it. Serve immediately.

If you plan to eat this for a couple of days, keep greens, crunchies, and oil separate so everything stays crunchy.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 bunch bokchoy, sliced (include both green and white parts)
• 6 green onions, sliced (include both green and white parts)
• 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 3 T slivered almonds
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce

Mix bokchoy and onions and set aside.

Crunch ramen noodles and mix with sunflower seeds and almonds. Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350.

Mix sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then let cool.

When ready to serve, add the ramen crunchies over the greens, then pour olive oil mixture over all of it. Serve immediately.

If you plan to eat this for a couple of days, keep greens, crunchies, and oil separate so everything stays crunchy.

Wonderful Homemade BBQ Sauce

This is a wonderful homemade BBQ sauce that resulted in two very memorable dishes this summer and certainly an appreciation for home made BBQ sauce. The first application was on a smoked skirt steak and the second, smoked pork ribs.

• (BBQ sauce recipe courtesy of Joseph Realuto's Townline BBQ via The Barefoot Contessa.)
  
  Makes about 3 quarts that refrigerates well.

• ¼ pound butter
• ¾ cup minced onion
• ½ cup minced garlic
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 ¼ cups ketchup
• 1 cup tomato juice
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons molasses
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup chili powder
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons chilpotle puree (I used San Marcos ChilpotlePeppers in adobo sauce, extracting the peppers & shaking off the adobo without rinsing, and making it into puree with the food processor.)
• Pinch of kosher salt
  
  Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, ketchup, tomato juice, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, chilpotle puree, salt and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  
  http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=50&S=0
  Townline BBQ Sauce

Wonderful Homemade BBQ Sauce

This is a wonderful homemade BBQ sauce that resulted in two very memorable dishes this summer and certainly an appreciation for home made BBQ sauce. The first application was on a smoked skirt steak and the second, smoked pork ribs.

• (BBQ sauce recipe courtesy of Joseph Realuto's Townline BBQ via The Barefoot Contessa.)
  
  Makes about 3 quarts that refrigerates well.

• ¼ pound butter
• ¾ cup minced onion
• ½ cup minced garlic
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 ¼ cups ketchup
• 1 cup tomato juice
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons molasses
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup chili powder
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons chilpotle puree (I used San Marcos ChilpotlePeppers in adobo sauce, extracting the peppers & shaking off the adobo without rinsing, and making it into puree with the food processor.)
• Pinch of kosher salt
  
  Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, ketchup, tomato juice, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, chilpotle puree, salt and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  
  http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=50&S=0
  Townline BBQ Sauce

Revisiting Classic Potato Salad

Potato salad is a must in the Summer, paired with a smoky BBQ and of course some coleslaw. As I've been re-visiting basic recipes in The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary Ed.), I found that for years I had been skipping ahead to the American Potato Salad recipe - the one you'll find in pretty much every deli in the U.S.


For me, the discovery was that the basic recipe, which although has several steps in the preparation, is a refreshing change. I was also reminded how nice it is to have a freshly made Vinaigrette on hand.

There are many variation decisions you can make along the way, in short I went with a marinade of both chicken stock and Vinaigrette, heavy on herbs & fresh ingredients, finishing with sour cream (instead of mayonnaise) for a fresher taste.

VINAIGRETTE
1 cup
1 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice - should be juice from 2 lemons (or red wine vinegar)
1 small minced shallot (Recipe actually suggests 1 teaspoon.)
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
Whisk until blended. Add gradually, whisking constantly after each addition:
3/4 cup olive or walnut oil
Cover and refrigerate.

POTATO SALAD
8 servings

Boil in salted water until tender:
2# potatoes

Drain; when cool enough to handle, peel & slice. Marinate in:
1/2 cup Vinaigrette
1/2 cup warm chicken stock

(I marinated the potatoes for about an hour. The smell was incredible.)
Add:
2 teaspoons salt
Paprika
Pinch of ground red pepper
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 celery stocks including leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons flat parsley (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh baby dill (chopped)

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add:
1/2 cup sour cream
Refrigerate 1 hour longer. Before serving, toss in:
Coarsely chopped watercress

Revisiting Classic Potato Salad

Potato salad is a must in the Summer, paired with a smoky BBQ and of course some coleslaw. As I've been re-visiting basic recipes in The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary Ed.), I found that for years I had been skipping ahead to the American Potato Salad recipe - the one you'll find in pretty much every deli in the U.S.


For me, the discovery was that the basic recipe, which although has several steps in the preparation, is a refreshing change. I was also reminded how nice it is to have a freshly made Vinaigrette on hand.

There are many variation decisions you can make along the way, in short I went with a marinade of both chicken stock and Vinaigrette, heavy on herbs & fresh ingredients, finishing with sour cream (instead of mayonnaise) for a fresher taste.

VINAIGRETTE
1 cup
1 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice - should be juice from 2 lemons (or red wine vinegar)
1 small minced shallot (Recipe actually suggests 1 teaspoon.)
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
Whisk until blended. Add gradually, whisking constantly after each addition:
3/4 cup olive or walnut oil
Cover and refrigerate.

POTATO SALAD
8 servings

Boil in salted water until tender:
2# potatoes

Drain; when cool enough to handle, peel & slice. Marinate in:
1/2 cup Vinaigrette
1/2 cup warm chicken stock

(I marinated the potatoes for about an hour. The smell was incredible.)
Add:
2 teaspoons salt
Paprika
Pinch of ground red pepper
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 celery stocks including leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons flat parsley (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh baby dill (chopped)

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add:
1/2 cup sour cream
Refrigerate 1 hour longer. Before serving, toss in:
Coarsely chopped watercress

MEDITERRANEAN SEARED TUNA SALAD

A remarkable take-out lunch on a day of landscaping and fence building.

MEDITERRANEAN SEARED TUNA SALAD - sushi grade tuna, avocado, mango and sesame seeds from Heffner Grill in OKC formerly branded Lakeside...