Herring Salad

Last week we invited my sister and her husband over for a traditional German dinner. My husband is German and we visit there once a year. I decided to make 10 of our favorite entrees and side dishes. This was very authentic and my sister and her husband were introduced to new flavors and textures. It was a lot of fun! We imported a lot of the ingredients and condiments from a German store out of Texas. My favorite are the drinks - black currant juice and cherry juice. That is something you just can't find here in the states.

One of the side dishes I made was Herring Salad. So this will be today's recipe. I thought this would be fun for those of you who like to be adventurous and try new flavors!

There are different variations of this salad from Germany to Sweden to Russia, to Denmark and Norway. My mother in law serves the salad over warm boiled potatoes. I include the potatoes into the salad and I added combined some other traditional ingredients. I love this salad and so does my family - but it is not for picky eaters. As strange as these ingredients sound together- trust me, it is delicious.

Herring Salad

• 1 jar of pickled herring (not as salty as plain herring)
• 1 cup of thinly slice dill pickles
• 2 sm. apples, pared, cored & diced
• 4 red potatoes, boiled, peeled & cubed (boil 10 minutes - do not let get too soft)
• 1/2 cup sliced onions (halved)
• 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. whipping cream

Cut fish into bite-sized pieces. You can drain liquid or set aside and replace it with the vinegar in recipe. In large bowl carefully stir together herring, apples, pickles, potatos and onion. Stir together vinegar, sugar and pepper until sugar is dissolved. Pour over herring mixture. Cover and chill. Whip cream to soft peaks; fold into chilled herring mixture. Top with parsley. Serve immediately or chill.

Apricot Jubilee! (3 Fabulous Recipes)

So I participate in a food co-op every other week. They have locations all throughout Utah. It's called Bountiful Baskets and for just $15 I get a laundry basket size full of random fruits and vegetables. I base my week's recipes off of whatever I get.

This week I received a bunch of ripe apricots. This was the inspiration for my apricot jubilee. I needed to use them all up before they got bad, so I made three separate apricot based dishes. All were fantastic and my husband and kids went for seconds on everything and left no crumbs behind!

What I love about this first recipe is it is so easy and soooo delicious. I quickly came up with this recipe yesterday as I needed to use up my apricots.

Curry is one of my top 6 spices to cook with and I think a lot of people confuse it as being spicy or just too different to try. Curry is not spicy, it gets that reputation from often being used in spicy dishes. It's a whole new world of flavor if you have never cooked with it before. You will love it!

This curry apricot glaze can also be used as a dipping sauce for breaded chicken or chicken nuggets. It also tastes great on rice.

Curry Apricot Glazed Chicken

• 1 lb sliced chicken breasts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange thawed chicken in baking dish.

Curry Apricot Glaze

• 1/2 cup Apricot preserves (I used apricot pineapple)
• 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Pour glaze over chicken and bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with basil or parsley.






















Apricot Peach Pudding
















I created this recipe to be quick and easy. It makes a great desert, snack or side dish.

• 1/2 cup apricot nectar (or apricot puree)
• 1/2 cup peach yogurt
• 1 cup sliced bananas

Top with whipped cream. Makes 2 servings.


Spiced Apricot Bars with Apricot Icing

This came from my Better Homes and Garden's Recipe book and smells heavenly in the oven. It is very light and healthy, and because it's not overly sweet you don't feel guilty after eating it. I made a few changes to the original recipe (like always) and found that when served with vanilla ice cream it is fabulous!

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apricot nectar (*see my variation below) or orange juice
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup snipped dried apricots ( I chopped up 3 fresh apricots instead)

Apricot Icing

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tsp apricot nectar *
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl - set aside.










In another bowl mix all remaining ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.











Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool for 2 hours and drizzle icing over top.












* Apricot Nectar Variation - for 1/2 cup of nectar, I pureed 1 ripe apricot and added water until it measured 1/2 cup. You may want to add some honey or sugar to sweeten it, otherwise it can be tart.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Mango Dressing

This meal is perfect for those hot summer evenings or afternoons when you aren't starving but you want something refreshing and satisfying.

I went to Bajio's Mexican Grill a few months ago and ordered a side of mango dressing for my nachos. Yes, it did look like nacho cheese but it was no accident. I wanted to change up my nachos. My friends copied me and we had the best meal ever.

I wanted to recreate this creamy mango sauce at home for salads and other Mexican dishes. Let me tell you it goes great with anything fresh and Mexican, just like mango salsa. You can even use it as a grilling sauce for your chicken on the BBQ grill. So good!!

Grilled Chicken Salad

• 4 cups of washed and chopped iceberg lettuce
• 4 cups of washed and chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 large avocados peeled and sliced
• 3-4 shredded or cubed grilled chicken breasts
• 1 cup of shredded Colby jack cheese
• 3 ripe red chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 yellow bell pepper chopped

Toss salad ingredients and serve on large salad platter with dressing drizzled over.

Creamy Mango Dressing

• 1 to 2 large (about 3/4 pound) mangoes, peeled, flesh cut away from the pit*
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Dash of salt (amount to your liking)
  
• Freshly ground black pepper

Blend together in food processor until creamy. I like to chill in the fridge for a couple hours before serving, so it becomes thicker. Enjoy!!

Candy Sushi

You don't have to like sushi to enjoy this fun recipe. I have to say as me and my husband are huge sushi fans this was a great dish to take to a sushi party we were invited to courtesy of my sister and her hubby.

I heard about this idea from a family member and thought I would give it a try and put my own spin on it. I added the coconut to make it look more like rice, came up with real sushi rolls that I would imitate (the red snapper and rainbow rolls), added the root beer syrup to emulate the ever popular "eel sauce", used the poppy seeds to look like the small fish eggs, and chocolate syrup for my "soy sauce" dip. My children were great spectators. They did more munching than helping though.

Candy Sushi

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 3 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 package of gummy worms
• 1 package rainbow colored Twizlers
  
• 2 boxes of color variety Fruit Roll-Ups
• 10-20 Swedish Fish
  

Preparation:

1. Prepare a 12x17” baking sheet by lining it with waxed paper and spraying the paper with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until melted, about 45 seconds.

3. Add 2 cups of miniature marshmallows to the bowl, and microwave until the marshmallows are completely melted, about 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until it is completely smooth.

4. Add 3 cups of rice cereal and stir until completely coated. Immediately pour mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray, and begin to press the candy into the sheet in a thin layer. Begin working from the edge of the shorter side of the sheet. The mixture will only cover approximately half of the baking sheet.

5. With the short side of the baking sheet nearest you, place a pair of gummy worms along with twizlers an inch from the edge. Place another pair directly below, and repeat until you have a line of worms& twizlers stretching across the baking sheet.

6. Using the waxed paper to help you, roll the cereal mixture around the gummy worms, pressing firmly to make a tight roll. Take a large sharp knife and cut the log away from the rest of the mixture. Place it off to the side, and repeat the worms/rolling/cutting procedure for the remainder of the cereal.

7. Slice the logs into 1-inch rounds. Wrap each round in a strip of green-colored Fruit Roll-Ups.

8. To make the fish-topped “nigiri,” repeat steps 1-4 to make the rice candy base, but do not press the rice mixture as thinly. It should be about ¾ inch thick once pressed into the baking sheet.

9. Cut the candy into rectangles about ¾ inch by 1.5 inches. Place a candy fish on top of each rectangle, and wrap a ½-inch strip of green Fruit Roll-Up around the entire package.

10. For a finishing touch, decorate your sushi platter to look more authentic. Suggestions include substituting chocolate sauce for soy sauce, green-tinted whipped cream (or melted white chocolate) for wasabi, and thinly sliced pink fish for pickled ginger.

Here is the root beer syrup I used to emulate eel sauce on my rolls. The rainbow colored fruit roll ups and twizlers justify my rainbow rolls and the Swedish fish are the red snapper.

This was a fun desert to enjoy with our homemade sushi rolls and tempura. We'll have to add those recipes for another post.

Chopped Garden Salad & Summer Potatoes

We have some amazing lettuce plants that have been growing in our garden for a couple years now. They are a mixed variety and have surprisingly survived the winter. So we are lucky enough to enjoy garden lettuce as early as May.

One of the lettuce plants has a very strong, spicy taste. The other has more of a nutty flavor. They are a great alternative to the flavorless lettuce sold in the grocery stores. To most people they look like giant weeds over taking our garden, but to us they are an overgrown bundle of crisp, green, salad bliss!

The other night when I had to decide what to make 20 minutes before dinner I made a quick trip to the garden and created this quick and delicious meal. What I like about it is you don't feel heavy after eating these potatoes. It's a light summer dish and goes excellent with refreshing lemon water or icy lemonade.















Chopped Garden Salad

4 cups chopped dark green lettuce
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup avocados (chopped or sliced)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Dressing

1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp paprika
dash of ground pepper
dash of onion powder

Blend in a blender for 15-20 seconds. Toss into salad.




Summer Potatoes

1 Tbsp canola oil
4-6 red potatoes chopped into wedges
2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil leaves
1/4 tsp onion powder
dash of salt to taste
dash of fresh ground pepper

Boil potatoes for 10 minutes until tender. Heat skillet to medium temperature and heat oil. Cook potatoes with other ingredients for 6-8 minutes. Serve with chilled salad.

Basil Burgers

So, I wanted to make healthy cheese burgers for my family and I wanted them to taste better than traditional burgers. I think I achieved that! Once again, no leftovers afterward which means another successful meal from Lindsey's Kitchen.

I usually make my burger patties from scratch but this meal was all about saving time. I was able to use lettuce and basil from my garden as well as pickled peppers I had just pickled myself. To make them extra healthy I used a new whole wheat hamburger bun made by Sarah Lee. They were surprisingly delicious. I also use Kraft Mayonnaise with Olive Oil. It has half the fat and my family loves it.

What I love about these burgers is that they are loaded with ingredients yet they aren't soggy, won't fall apart and kids can grip them easily. My 22 month old daughter ate an adult size serving without any mess! You won't feel greasy or sickly stuffed after eating them either. Hallelujah!

These are great served with sweet potato fries or baked chips. We wanted to try a new potato chip flavor made by Lays, "balsamic sweet onion". At first they have an interesting taste because they have thyme on them. Then they become addicting. The flavor goes outstandingly well with these burgers.

Basil Burgers

6-8 frozen burger patties (extra lean)
3 Tbsp Sweet Baby Ray's Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce (my absolute favorite!)
6-8 slices American Cheese
8 slices romaine lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes sliced
4 large dill pickles sliced lengthwise
1/4 onion sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pickled yellow peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Grill or fry patties until brown all the way through. Spread BBQ sauce on each side of patty when grilling. Top with cheese slices and melt. Set aside on covered dish to keep warm. Saute mushrooms in remaining oil from patties until golden. Spread mayo on buns. Stack in order of patty, mushrooms, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and basil. Top with favorite condiments. I use a lite amount of ketchup and mustard. Enjoy!!

Leftovers Reborn!

So what to do with 1 week old homemade bread, canned olives that need to be eaten and garden zucchini that's been in the freezer for 2 years? Make an Italian materpiece!

Before I can use my new groceries I always feel guilty if I don't clean out the fridge and use up what's left over. I just can't be wasteful so I have to get creative. It always helps too, when you have a garden growing of fresh herbs. My favorite - basil!

My husband and son who are not zucchini fans gobbled this up in minutes. The pictures don't do it justice. You know you made a good meal when there is nothing left over to put in the fridge.

Mediterranean Melt

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1b (block) of fresh mozarella sliced (the real stuff that comes packaged in liquid)
6-8 slices of thick artisan bread
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
3 ripe tomatoes sliced
1/2 can olives
dash of garlic power
dash of salt
dash of oregano
Sweet Balsamic Syrup (I get mine from Germany. Visit this link to learn how to make your own)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Arrange slices of bread on sheet and brush the tops with oil. Sprinkle salt, garlic and oregano on top. Arrange cheese slices over tops of bread until completely covered. Top with tomatoes, olives and chopped basil leaves. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes (until bread is toasted). Drizzle balsamic syrup over the top and sprinkle a dash of salt.

Zucchini Parmesan

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1/3 cup chopped onion
3/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
dash of salt
dash of ground pepper
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil

In a skillet add oil until hot. Add all ingredients except for cheese. Fry until zucchini is golden (a toasted appearance) then add cheese. Turn heat to low and stir in cheese until well blended and melted.