Potato Salad (Yes, Again)

Rachel here.

The other day my mom posted about potato salad here. Unbeknownst to me before reading her post, she expected me to whip up a version of my own.

Gauntlet thrown? Check.

Challenge accepted? Instantly.

So, this weekend I made this insanely easy and fantastically flavorful potato salad. I've got a bit of a thing against mayonnaise (it's not a hard, fast rule but more of a general resistance) and so I was excited to find a recipe (in that marvelous pull-out pamphlet my mom referenced from the Food Network Magazine) that went without. It was so good, in fact, that as we speak I have potatoes boiling for another batch. I'll put some in a tupperware for a soiree we're attending this evening and leave the rest in the refrigerator for my mother-in-law when she gets in to visit later this week.

And once it's all gone? Yeah, I'll be making it again. STAT.

I made the Herb-Vinegar version (#23), but here's the total recipe list from the FNM for your mouth-watering perusal.

My only modification was using more potatoes (I think you could go up to a whole pound more. There's a ton of dressing). John and I are thinking that sometime we'd like to throw some crumbled bacon into the mix, too.

Shrimp Salad

Janet here: It's hotter than Hades here in the Northeast, a distinct difference from the Bay area in California where the top temperature last week was about 75 degrees. I have to say I did not miss the heat and humidity of the Northeast. But here I am and so I decided to offer up something on the cool side for a hot night. Yes, you have to cook the orzo and quickly roast the shrimp either on the grill or in the oven, but that's temporary heat my friends. Add a little bread and you've got a complete (and delicious I might add) meal.

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad
serves 4
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home

ingredients
salt and olive oil
1/2 pound orzo
1/3 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (I am kind of a fanatic about this part)
1/2 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced in medium pieces
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

method
Heat oven to 400 degrees
Fill a pot with salted water with a splash of olive oil. Bring the water to a boil and add the orzo. Simmer for about 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over hot pasta and stir well.

Place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and then spread in a single layer. Roast about 5 minutes. Don't overcook.

Add the shrimp to the orzo. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Add feta and stir. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend or refrigerate overnight. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Fried Friday

Rachel here: This past Christmas, my mom gave John a subscription to the Food Network's magazine. While I try to let John read it first when it arrives in the mail, I'd be lying if I said that I don't also read it cover to cover each month. There's always a huge mix of recipes, some of which get my mouth watering and others which don't. In the most recent issue, though, there was something that I just knew I had to make and pronto: fried pickles.

Ok, so all pregnant women like pickles, or so the folk lore seems to go. I, however, have always loved pickles. Growing up we each had a special Christmas ornament; mine was a pickle. On my birthday? Yup, more years than not I receive a card that is in the shape of a pickle. Pickles, I guess you could say, are kind of my thing. Throw pregnancy into the mix and, well, you get the picture. I had never had a fried pickle before I made these and I will definitely be having them again. In case you're not a pickle fanatic, I'll let you know that John isn't either and he devoured these.


Ingredients
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
cayenne
3/4 c. cornstarch, divided
1/2 c. corn meal
2 T. chopped fresh dill
2 tspn. paprika
salt and pepper
3 dozen pickle slices (I bought really good pickles and sliced them myself, though certainly pre-sliced would work)

Method
In a bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and a hearty dash of cayenne. In a separate bowl, place 1/4 c. of cornstarch. In a third bowl, mix the remaining cornstarch, cornmeal, dill, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip the pickle slices in the plain cornstarch, then the egg mix, and finally into the cornmeal mixture. Fry in 2 inches of canola oil until golden brown. Drain on a towel.
*The magazine suggests serving with ranch dressing to dip in. I sliced a baguette, toasted the slices, smeared cream cheese on them and then topped with the fried pickles. It was super yummy.


Janet here: While I, too, was intrigued by the idea of fried pickles, I thought it was best to leave this for the pregnant part of this duo. Instead I decided to make my own fries, something I've thought about but never actually done. While the result was not quite as crispy as I would like, I was pretty pleased with this first attempt and think there are going to be a lot more homemade fries on our family's dinner table.

French Fries
serve 3 or 4

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 large potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
salt to taste
Mrs. Dash's seasoning blend or whatever seasoning you want to taste. I used the Southwest Chipotle but the possibilities are endless of your own variation: garlic, red peppers, whatever.

Method
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Wash and cut the potatoes. I did mine by slicing the potato in half lengthwise and then slicing each half into slabs that I then cut into 1/4 inch strips. Some of the longer strips I cut in half, but it all depends on how you like your fries.

Place the potato, oil, salt and seasoning in a big bowl and mix well. Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray. (I use Pam organic canola oil.) Place the mixture on the sheet in one layer. Bake for 35 minutes.