creamy potato dish

two things you can count on at easter dinner at my family's house: creamy potato dish and quotes from "what about bob?". the quotes are not limited to easter - the well of lines from that movie is bottomless. i watched it again a few years ago and was surprised at how annoying it was, but man... those quotes still have life in them! but i'm pretty sure talking about dr. leo marvin et al wasn't the point of this post.

this is an easy side dish that pairs well with many meats, but particularly ham. when it bakes, the top and edges get all crunchy and extra delicious. it'll leave you saying, "oh, fay!"

creamy potato dish
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. sour cream
1 (2 lb.) package frozen hash browns
2 T. grated onion
1/2 c. grated cheese (cheddar or mozzarella both work well)
2 t. paprika

preheat oven to 350. grease a 9x13" baking dish. mix all ingredients except paprika in bowl and then spread into baking dish. top with paprika and bake for about 1 hour, until top begins to turn golden brown.

bulgur salad with grapes and feta

ok, i'm labeling this as a "side", but full disclosure - i have never eaten it as a side. why? because "side" means smaller portions, a food sharing plate space with other edibles to form a meal. and i am hardly ever willing to share plate space with my bulgur (i also find it difficult to share it with others, i like it that much). this is a meal to me - and a tasty, easy, and healthy one at that!
bulgur is a whole grain wheat and i've found it at my local grocery store, usually in the healthy food or natural food section. it's dry, so it's got a nice long shelf life, so i usually make this salad when grapes are on sale. this is another kristin recipe that i have memorized from making it so much - hope you enjoy!

bulgur salad with grapes and feta
1/2 c. fine-grain bulgur wheat
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. boiling water
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
2 T. minced scallions (if i'm lazy, i just substitute a sprinkling of onion powder)
3/4 c. halved seedless grapes
1/4 c. toasted chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/4 c. crumbled feta
s&p to taste

in a medium bowl combine bulgur, salt and boiling water. cover and let stand until bulgur is tender - about 30 minutes. in a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients. when bulgur is tender, drain off any excess water and add to grape mixture. serve at room temp or chilled.

coconut noodles

here's a great dish kristin pointed out to me from "everyday food" magazine - my favorite food magazine, by the way. this is a delicious, soupy, fresh noodle dish with great thai flavors. i served this with chicken satay - yum!

coconut noodles adapted from everyday food
1 package (16 oz.) dry rice noodles
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (about one can)
1 c. cilantro
1/2 c. basil
4 garlic cloves
1 T. sugar
2 T. lime juice
2" ginger, peeled & cut into 1/8" rounds
1 jalapeño, halved, stems & seeds removed (more, if desired)
1 T. fish sauce (optional)

cook noodles, rinse with cool water - set aside. bring milk & broth to gentle simmer over medium-low. process cilantro, basil, ginger, garlic & jalapeño until coarsely chopped - about 5 seconds. add cilantro mix, fish sauce, sugar to broth; simmer 6 minutes. add lime juice, dish up noodle in bowls and ladle coconut milk sauce over noodles. enjoy!

potato salad

potato salad has never been something i get excited about - it's just a way to make barbecues more filling, right? my mind was changed at our rehearsal dinner. vicki, a friend of ours, hosted and provided a potato salad - and pretty much everyone went back for seconds. this is mighty simple, and when i asked vicki for the recipe, she sent me the ingredients, but no amounts, because this is one you can eyeball. the fun (easy!) part - the dressing is marzetti coleslaw dressing (usually by the fancier chilled salad dressing at your supermarket). it's delish!

potato salad
8 large red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
4-5 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
5 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1-2 t. dill
~ 3/4 of a jar of marzetti coleslaw dressing

in a large pot, cover cut-up potatoes with water and bring to boil. reduce to simmer and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender, let's not overcook. drain and cool. mix with remaining ingredients (any can be omitted if you don't like them), and serve or chill.

guaca-what?

best guacamole recipe i've had came from dear kristin... a white girl from small-town wisconsin. if you want to be the most authentic guac-er, i'm sure you can find fault in this recipe, but i'd suggest you just find some tortilla chips and start dippin'.


guacaomle
3 avocados, diced and mashed
1/4 c. finely diced onion
2 heaping T. chopped cilantro
1-2 chopped tomatoes
juice of a lime (to taste)
2 crushed garlic cloves
s&p (to taste)
1 de-seeded/de-veined jalapeno, finely chopped OR 1 T. tabasco (optional)

all ingredients are subject to your taste. hate tomatoes? skip 'em. just mix (with a fork to mash the avocados a bit) and enjoy. need help cutting avocados? try my how-to.

freaking amazing salad

yup, that's its real name. learned this one from my former roommate leslie, who is a fantastic cook. i love it - i crave it. my mom loves it, others i've shared it with do, too, with one exception. my dear james doesn't like bleu cheese much, so it's not his fave. i'll forgive him... more for me! this is a recipe that, other than the dressing, came with no amounts, so this is my best estimate - reduce or increase ingredients to your liking. and there will be liking, trust me.

freaking amazing salad
a chopped up head of lettuce (butter, boston, or red/green leaf works best)
one sliced stem of green onion
about one granny smith apple, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 T. bleu cheese
2 T. crumbled pecans
dressing:
2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 T. olive oil (i prefer the lighter flavor o.o., but either works)
2 t. sugar
2 t. dijon mustard
s&p to taste

toast up your pecans for a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat - really ups the flavor. whisk together dressing, cut up apple, and toss everything together. enjoy!