I cannot take credit for this following recipe, but I can brag about it.  My parents had us over for a Memorial Day celebration this past Sunday and my Mom made this salad she saw the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten make.  It’s called Guacamole Salad.  It was delightful!  Flavors bursting, crunchy and smooth textures, sweet and salty contrasts made this the perfect side dish.  Check it out.  The recipe is bleow…

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed limejuice (2 limes)
1/4-cup good olive oil
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

This recipe by far is the best cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had.  It is not my recipe, it’s actually Ina Garten from the Food Network’s recipe.  She is one of my favorite chef’s on the Food Network.  Follow this recipe exactly and you’ll wow your friends and family.  It pairs well with some lightly toasted sour dough bread.  Please comment back and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
(or just get the best variety you can find at the local super market)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

As with any pasta salad, you can serve it as a refreshing summer side dish, or you can make it your main dish by just adding a protein, such as chicken or shrimp.  Pasta salads can tend to be heavy and fatty.  The following recipe tickles your taste buds and leaves you feeling happy without weighing you down. 

The Dressing:

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

The Pasta:

1/2 pound gemelli (thin spirals) pasta

Salt

Olive oil

1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced

1 pound fresh mozzarella, bite size dice

8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

The Garnish:

1-cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup packed basil leaves, julienne

Cook the pasta salted, boiling water. Boil for 12 minutes, or until al    dente. Drain and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine all of the above “dressing” ingredients in a food processor and blend until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, add the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.  Serve chilled.  Add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp to make this a main dish or other wish just serve as is.  You are guaranteed to impress someone!

I guess those spice racks that you purchase at a major bed, bath and kitchen supply store are sleek and have everything that you need to spice your food with, but my question is……How long has that spice rack been on the shelf and where did those spices come from?   And what do you do with half of those spices really? 

Well if you are crafty enough to cook and use those spices, then you are crafty enough to go to a hardware store or a craft store and find some really cool looking jars to store your spices in.  But the whole point of my blog here is to make sure that your spices are less than a year old, and when purchasing spices, don’t buy those $.99 spice that don’t have any taste.  Spend a few bucks on the spices I’m going to list below, because if you really want to make a tasty meal, you need spices that have taste.

Must Have Spices:     $ (under 4 bucks)  $$ (4-6 bucks)  $$$ (over 6 bucks)

Parsley $
Oregano $$
Basil  $$
Thyme $$
Bay Leaves $$
Paprika $$
Smoked Paprika $$$
Cumin $$
Cinnamon Sticks $$$
Onion Powder $
Garlic Powder $
Cayenne $$
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt $$
Whole Black Pepper $$
 

Stay tuned for dishes you can use a variety of these spices in……