Hatch Seasoned Pecans

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Whether we’re serving guests or family, I think that we all like our dishes to be extra special. We want them to have that certain something that sets them apart from everyone else’s. There’s a secret to that, it’s easy, and I’m going to tell you about it.

As you have no doubt observed, I am a big fan of Melissa’s Produce. Everything they offer is of the highest quality. One of my favorite things is their seasoned pecans, and I cannot get enough of them. They offer two tasty varieties, Green Hatch Pecans and Red Hatch Pecans, both seasoned with the unique and so yummy deliciousness of hatch chiles. Nuts freeze beautifully, so when you see these in your store, be sure to stock up. A simple addition of nuts to a salad (and I am talking green salad, spinach, chicken, or tuna salad) makes a world of difference, not to mention increases the nutritional value.

In addition, chopping them up finely and using them to top a dip, whether you’re serving it cold, or baked, is going to add so much extra flavor, your diners are going to wonder why their food doesn’t taste nearly as good as yours. Pulverize them, and they make an excellent breading for chicken or fish.

If you make your own granola or muesli, adding some chopped, seasoned pecans, is going to give it that extra kick that your morning needs.

Try these for yourself, and come up with ideas of your own, and be sure to share those ideas. (If you’re stymied, I highly recommend the nut cookbook called In a Nutshell: Cooking and Baking with Nuts and Seeds.) In the meantime, get shopping! If you can’t find them in your local stores, they offer them on the web, click here for more information. Oh, and by the way, they are plenty delicious all on their own.

Nuts to you!

Corn & Blueberry Salad and a Book Review

Food in jars has surged in popularity over the last number of years, and no one is more appreciative of this clever way to store, serve, and display food than I am. That's why I didn't hesitate for a moment when I was offered a copy of a new book to review, Mason Jar Salads and more by Julia Mirabella.I am in love with this book!  Its subtitle is “50 Layered Lunches to Grab and Go,” but it is so much more than that. Lunches, yes, but dinners, side dishes, and the convenience of having a fresh, delicious meal at arm's reach makes this book a necessity in every kitchen library. Imagine a busy day, no time or energy to prepare a meal, but a delicious and healthful one readily at hand, previously prepared and stored in the fridge in a Mason jar. This is the stuff dreams are made of. 

It's a lovely book, loaded with mouthwatering pictures - so important in cookbooks - with an incredible variety of succulent salads from more commonplace green salads (though there is nothing at all common about these ingenious recipes and unique combinations) to breakfast, pasta, rice, snacks, you name it! I'm talking curried chicken salad, chili, potato salad, and ratatouille.  I may need to buy an additional fridge, and certainly cases of Mason jars, to hold the ample and diverse jarred meals included in this book. The Porcini Mushroom Risotto is excellent, the Mango Salsa I could eat right from the jar. Who needs chips when you have something this good?

If you are a fan of homemade salad dressings like I am, let me tell you that this book is worth having for the vinaigrette recipes alone. I have had a different salad dressing every day this week and am stymied as to which one I like best. All of them have a summery freshness that makes me feel as if I am dining at an Oceanside resort.

One of my favorite salads so far is the Corn and Blueberry Salad with Lime Vinaigrette.  I have been crazy about the inclusion corn in salad ever since first having it in Italy in 2000. They must have had a bumper corn crop that year because every restaurant in every city we visited featured corn in the salad. I love that tasty, colorful little addition. Blueberries are another favorite, undervalued in salads, I think, providing a blast of juicy deliciousness and welcome hint of sweet. I customized the original recipe (shown below) by using a mixture of romaine lettuce and my own homegrown sorrel (a spring green that is thriving in our 90+ degree heat), and layering it in a quart jar. Sorrel has a bit of a lemony taste making it perfect with this salad combination.  It pairs beautifully with the lime vinaigrette and really makes the flavor of the berries pop. This salad, and many others, are restaurant quality, and make a satisfying and filling meal when paired with a crusty piece of bread or tasty biscuit or muffin. 

I highly recommend this wonderful book. No matter how many cookbooks you have in your collection, make room for this one. You'll thank me later.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

2 ears of corn, for about 3/4 cup kernels

1-1/2 tablespoons Lime Vinaigrette (I used 2 T.), recipe below

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup cucumber slices (half- or quarter-moons)

1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup blueberries

1 pint-size Mason jar

Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Pour enough water into a pot to cover the corn and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the corn and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and let cool for a few minutes, then slice off the kernels.

Layer the salad ingredients in the Mason jar, starting with the vinaigrette, then the onion and the cucumber. Finish with layers of corn kernels, cilantro, and blueberries. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lime Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if using). Slowly add the olive oil, whisking, until the dressing thickens.

This post is linked to:

Amaze Me Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

Homemade Croutons

Have you ever wondered what to do with your old buns?  Your old, stale, dried out buns?  And by this I mean hot dog, hamburger, and sandwich buns.  The buns that always seem to come either too many or few to the package and you either never have enough or you have way too many.  If you have too many, consider yourself in luck!  Stale sandwich buns make the best croutons, bar none. They make a great addition to salads, to top soups, as a tasty snack, and the best part is they freeze beautifully so you can make them now to serve at Thanksgiving!

Select an assortment of buns that have seen better days.

Using a bread knife, slice them into half-inch squares.

Gather the spices you'd like to use to season them.  These are the ones that I use, but it's really a personal preference.  Try not to use too many with heavy concentrations of salt or your croutons will be too salty.

One secret to good croutons is butter.  Be generous, but not overly so or they'll not dry properly in the oven.  Put a stick of butter into a large saute pan and add your spices.  Stir everything together as the butter melts.

Add the bread cubes and stir to coat well.  After sauteing them in butter and seasoning, they'll bake in the oven for an hour or so to dry out.

Bake them in a slow oven (250 degrees F) for an hour to an hour and a half.  They should look like this when they're finished, i.e. dry and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Now enjoy them in your favorite soup or salad.

Here's a recipe that I like.

Cream of Spinach Soup with Onions and Mushrooms

(With homemade croutons)

1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and very thinly sliced

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 large onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. butter

1/4 cup dry white wine

1-1/2 T. flour

1 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz.)

1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (10 oz)

1 cup cream

1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and white pepper to taste

In a large pan or Dutch oven, place first 5 ingredients and saute mixture over low heat, until mushrooms and onions are soft and all the liquid rendered, is evaporated. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in flour and cook and stir for about 2 minutes, turning all the while. Stir in broth and spinach and simmer soup for 2 minutes. Add cream and simmer soup for 10 minutes, uncovered. Add seasonings to taste.

(Aren't these little bowls the cutest? I picked them up in the clearance section of Anthropologie for half off! Now I wish I'd have bought more than two, but I always feel guilty picking up yet another dish of some sort even though I love them. I love them ALL!)

Bon Appetit!

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