Creamed Peas and Baby Potatoes

I first tasted this side dish at my Dad’s table. He harvested the potatoes and peas from the garden that morning for this simple farmers dish and it was so good I ate all the leftovers.

Now it's one of my most favorite side dishes, even if I don’t grow my own potatoes and peas.

Creamed Peas and Baby Potatoes
If you use fresh peas you’ll have to boil them for several minutes until tender. Print Recipe.

1 pound baby potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper, to taste

1. Gently boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and peas to the sauce and bring to simmer. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Recipe adapted from source unknown. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Brown Spanish Rice & Healthy Tostadas

I don’t have many recipes to share this week, mainly sticking to already posted favorites.

Meals have been easy. Things like vegan tostadas, grilled thinly sliced apple and sharp cheddar sandwiches, Slow Cooker Spicy Bison Chili, Coaches Oats Multigrain Pancakes with pan fried apples and toasted walnuts and doctored up jarred pasta sauce over linguini. Dessert was a low sugar banana pudding recipe that needs more testing.

I have a favorite new tea too. Stash Peppermint with an ounce of sugar-free vanilla syrup and a splash of milk. This past month has been a struggle to break my caffeine and sugar habits, but I feel I’m finally over these addictions.

Brown Spanish Rice has been a gem in my staples lately. Here as a base for flavorful tostadas.

To make these healthy tostadas, warm corn tostadas as directed on the package, smear on Spanish Brown Rice, sprinkle with warm pinto beans, shredded lettuce, fresh salsa and black olives.

Brown Spanish Rice
Print Recipe
You’ll need a rice cooker for this recipe. Though you can cook this one entirely on the stovetop, I don’t recommend it unless you want to switch out the brown rice for white because it tends to be crunchy. For white rice on the stove, place a tight lid on your sauté pan and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes on a low-simmer, or until the liquid is absorbed.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long grain brown rice
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups veggie, chicken or beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until toasted. Move the rice mixture to a rice cooker.

2. Add the broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt to the rice cooker. Select the proper setting according to your rice cooker and press start.

Nutrition per half cup of rice: 93.6 calories. 3g fat. 14.6g carbohydrates. 2.8g protein.

SparkPeople recipe adapted for a rice cooker by Laura Flowers.

Roasted and Mashed Honey Yams

This crazy little recipe is so healthy and easy you may never boil your yams or sweet potatoes again.

Roasted and Mashed Honey Yams
Print Recipe
This dish is more dessert-like than savory, almost tempting me to top my portion with whipped cream.

2 1/2 pounds yams or sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water
Cooking Spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Peel yams with a potato peeler and trim any tough woody edges off. Dice the potatoes into about 1-inch size pieces. Place them in baking dish. Drizzle with honey, salt and water. Cover dish with foil.

3. Baked at 350 for 50 minutes, or until fork tender. Carefully remove foil and mash yams in the dish. Move to a serving bowl.

4. Top with a little vegan butter or butter if desired, but I like to leave mine plain.

Serves 6.

Nutritional info without butter:
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 179.0
• Total Fat: 0.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 399.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 43.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
• Protein: 2.0 g

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with Parmesan Dressing

The Food Network Magazine doesn’t always grab my attention, but June’s issue jumped in my cart. With fifty recipes for condiments, new iced tea ideas, fresh fruit cocktails, hot dogs and make your own pasta salad concepts I’m going to be cooking out of it all summer.

I added some of those pre-grilled vegetables, vegetable rotini and a tad more garlic and lemon to their sauce recipe. It’s so good I can’t stop sneaking forkfuls.

Now I can’t wait to try the other sauces and suggestions! Summer here I come.

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing
1/4 cup mayo (I used olive oil mayo)
1/4 cup sour cream (non-fat is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic that’s been pushed through a garlic press
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. Toss with pasta and grilled vegetables, below.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
Recipe Printer Version
1 recipe Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing, above
12 ounce box Ronzoni Garden Delight Rotini or pasta of choice
8 3/4 ounce can of corn, rinsed and drained (no salt corn works best)
1 medium-large zucchini
1 onion
Olive oil
Granulated garlic powder
Granulated onion powder
Salt & pepper

1. Make the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.

2. Meanwhile, turn the grill to medium-high. Slice the onion and zucchini large enough they don’t fall through the grates. Season well with oil, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Grill until char marks form and veggies are tender. Chop into small bite sized pieces and cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, toss pasta with dressing and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately or chill until ready to use.

Sauce recipe adapted slightly from Food Network Magazine, June 2011. Pasta & picture by Laura Flowers.

Arroz Blanco (Mexican Rice Pilaf)

Arroz Blanco is a staple I keep in my arsenal. It’s a basic Mexican style rice pilaf to serve as a side or add to other dishes. Unlike its cousin Spanish rice, this recipe is tomato free.

This weekend I served Arroz Blanco under saucy Pollo en Mole Verde, but it’s also a nice side for fish dishes.

Arroz Blanco
Hot toasted pilaf is hard to resist.
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2 tablespoons light colored oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups medium grain white rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1. Heat the oil to a large skillet over medium high. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook until most of it turns translucent and some of the kernels start to golden brown.

2. Add the garlic, parsley, salt and lime juice. Cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

3. Turn the heat to low and cover skillet. Cook for 17 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and keep covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: For a vegan version use vegetable broth.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

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Black Olive Bread

You know those canned black olives? The type everyone seems to have a strong opinion about? Well love them or hate them, if you’re an American they’re likely deeply seeded into your childhood memories.

My brother Steve and I used to slink into the kitchen and pilfer out black olives from Dad’s holiday pickle tray. Smashing them down on our fingers, we’d race around like aliens with pod fingers until the last olive was sucked off our tentacles.

Steve and I did this year after year, until our fingers finally grew too big to fit in the holes. Perhaps giving up olive fingers is one of those rights of passage into adulthood. Like boxing up your GI Joes, if you haven’t blown them up with firecrackers already.

Last night, I paired this olive bread with artichokes and lemon dipping sauce for a light meal. It’s also good with soup, salad, or as a change to your standard garlic bread.

Black Olive Bread
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I love soft, salty black olives so much that I had to stop myself from pilfering them from the topping mixture.

1 loaf French bread

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, very soft

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely shredded Mexican cheese

2 (3.8 ounce) cans sliced black olives, drained

1/2 cup chopped green onions
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion powder


Dash of salt
Dash of pepper


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.



2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and mayonnaise. Stir in the Mexican cheese, olives, green onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.



3. Slice the bread into two long pieces and set them on the baking sheet. Spoon olive mixture on top and spread it out evenly with your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes or until warm and toasted.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

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Flax Seed Vegan Cornbread

I'm packing for one week of happy warm sun and one week of freezing miserable rainy cold. Austin, Texas for vacation then back to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to finish that too long real estate course.

Well, I’m supposed to be packing. Instead, I’m thinking sad thoughts as I sit here with a cup of steamy fragrant Japanese tea. Poor Japan, my heart goes out to them. I can’t even imagine an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. I think back to my college geology courses and remember how many thousands of times more powerful an 8.9 quake would be than anything I can comprehend.

My cousin Shea, on her way to Taipei is at the Hokkaido airport right now. They were diverted from landing in Tokyo and ended up sitting for 9 hours in a parked airplane. She’s safe and probably bored out of her mind, but what a surreal experience for a 22-year-old.

Some time ago, I realized we really are a sum of its parts. Connected to each other by our planet. Never truly separated. Global took on a more personal meaning and I became more empathetic.

Maybe this new generation is smarter than mine, more aware of this concept. Take for instance this cornbread. Created by 11-year-old Dana Sly, who wants to eat vegan! When I was eleven I was riding my bike all over town and wondering if dinner would be at McDonald’s. I think the only cooking I did back then, was warming a package of Ramen Noodle Soup on the stove. Which I also happened to survive on during college.

Maybe I’m finally getting smarter myself, more caring, but if I am it’s because I’m learning from intelligent kids, blogger friends from all over the world, and more information to be had then ever via the internet. All to be absorbed and questioned piece-by-piece.

For now, I’ll shake my head in awe and keep on learning.

Flax Seed Vegan Cornbread
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Flax seed, used as a substitute for egg, gives this cornbread a nice nutty flavor. I liked it quite well.

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup soymilk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 425°F Spray 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined. Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth (do not overbeat.)

4. Turn into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer.

Recipe created by Dana Sly. Found on Food.com. Picture by Laura Flowers.
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Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Pecorino Romano

Try to say the title of this one ten times!

Is it spring yet? It’s got to be close, because everything I’ve made or photographed lately has been green. Or maybe I just have a nasty case of spring fever. I’m emotionally done with winter and ready to start riding my bike again.

Too bad Mother Nature has other plans. There’s still heaps of snow over our frozen ground.

So I'll just keep thinking green instead. This cold pasta salad is based off an older Ina Garten recipe. I’ve switched it up a bit, as I couldn’t bring myself to add a whole cup-and-a-half of mayo to a weeknight dinner idea. I also liked Pecorino Romano quite a bit better than Parmesan here, but you can always switch out the cheese for your preferences.

We enjoyed this dish as an easy weeknight meal with toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with jarred bruschetta, but it would also be good as a side to sandwiches, meats or even as something to bring for a potluck.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Pecorino Romano
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Fresh and green, this pasta salad is ready for spring.

3/4 pound fusilli pasta (in the bulk section)
3/4 pound bow tie pasta (in the bulk section)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups pesto, store bought or homemade
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Ramano
1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas, defrosted
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large heavily salted pot of water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bow ties to the water and cook until both pastas are al dente. About 8 to 10 minutes total, but taste for doneness. Strain and rinse gently with cold water. Toss with olive oil and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook the spinach in the microwave according to package directions. Strain into a colander, rinse with cold water and press out the liquid with the back of a spoon. Set aside.

3. Place the pine nuts on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Toss and repeat until toasted, about 1 minute total.

4. In a very large bowl, stir together pesto, spinach, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and black pepper. Add pasta, pine nuts, peas, and Pecorino Romano and toss together until the pasta is coated. Serve immediately, or chill until ready to use.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers. Recipe based off an Ina Garten recipe from 2001.
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Red N Green Apple Salad

Searching this morning for an easy fruit salad recipe, an apple granola photograph popped into my head I’d shot awhile back for Yum Food and Fun for Kids’ winter issue.

The recipe comes from Menu Mom Christine Steendahl. I can only take credit for the picture and styling.

Red 'n' Green Apple Salad
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2 large Red Delicious apples, coarsely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup lemon yogurt
1 1/2 cups granola

Mix ingredients together and serve.

Serves 6. Prep time: 5 minutes.

Recipe by Menu Mom Christine Steendahl for Yum Food and Fun for Kids magazine. Winter issue 2010. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Garlic Tomato Hummus with Grilled Pita Wedges

What? I forgot to share my favorite hummus recipe? I’m so ashamed of my procrastination. Or maybe it’s my senility. Can one be senile at thirty-four?

I even have a picture. A two-year-old image from those early food styling attempts. Ok, I’m still attempting I admit it.

I think what happened is I wrote a different hummus recipe for Newman’s Own about the time I wanted to post this one. Obviously, I then became confused and forgot to share. It wouldn’t be the first time!

So, without any further convoluted ramblings here’s that long overdo much loved hummus recipe. Tomato paste gives it a nice full mouth richness and the garlic, lemon juice and cayenne make me never want to stop slathering thick layers of this yummy bean spread over charred pita wedges with sweet red pepper slices on the side.

Missy, where are my cane and keys? I need to buy more garbanzo beans!

Garlic Tomato Hummus with Grilled Pita Wedges
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With a food processor, homemade hummus is five minutes of prep away. Well, five minutes and an hour in the fridge!

1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans
3 tablespoons roasted sesame tahini (typically found by the peanut butter)
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 cloves garlic (use one if large)
1 tablespoon good quality tomato paste from a tube
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rinse garbanzo beans until the foam is gone; strain well. Place beans into a food processor bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.

For better flavor, please give this hummus some time to meld together by covering and refrigerating for an hour or more before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Grilled Pita Wedges
1 package whole wheat or regular pitas

Heat the grill to medium and warm the pitas directly on the grill until light grill marks form, about a minute or less. Turn over and repeat. Remove the pitas from the grill and cut into wedges. Serve with hummus.

Other Dipping Device Ideas
Pita Chips
Sliced sweet pepper strips
Baby carrots
Celery sticks
Broccoli
Cucumber sticks

Zucchini rounds
Sun dried tomatoes
Olives

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

Savory Onion Cheddar Polenta with Roasted Root Vegetables

I suppose these recipes would qualify as side dishes and I can envision them snuggled up to roast chicken, lamb or maybe even a rosemary rubbed pork loin. But over the years as I’ve skirted in and out of being vegetarian, I’ve come to feel that side dishes can be a satisfying and filling meal on their own. So more often than not, I serve this meal by itself.

I’ll leave that choice to you of course. You can also make one dish without the other, serve them side by side, or as I do piling the vegetables atop plated beds of this flavorful polenta.

Roasted Root Vegetables
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This is not a real recipe, but a method. Any combination of root vegetables works, so feel free to add or subtract as you please.

Parsnips
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Yams
Onions
Beets
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set out a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Peel sweet potatoes, yams, onions, beets, carrots and/or parsnips if using. Cut into equal sized pieces (as best you can). Place vegetables on baking sheet.

3. Coat vegetables in a generous about of oil, salt and pepper. Toss and spread the vegetables out so they are in a single layer. Do two trays if needed.

4. Bake vegetables for 25 minutes. Flip vegetables over and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes or until tender and caramelized.


Savory Onion Cheddar Polenta
Save yourself the trouble of having extra cornmeal to store and purchase a small amount of polenta in the bulk section.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup well diced onions
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar (Local Cougar Gold is my favorite.)

1. In a medium-large pot melt the butter over medium high heat until the foam subsides. Add the onions and salt. Cook until onions are soft. About 5 minutes. Add the broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

2. Slowly sprinkle in the polenta stirring as you pour. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 20 to 25 minutes stirring frequently until the polenta is thickened and soft to taste.

3. Turn off heat and stir in pepper and cheddar. Serve immediately or pour into a 9x13 inch pan to set. Once cool, cut polenta into squares.

Recipes and pictures by Laura Flowers.

Oven Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts

You need this Brussels sprout recipe in your life. Wait, stop! Don’t run away. I’m serious. When these odorous little vegetables are roasted with garlic and olive oil they turn into creamy umami heaven.

If you don’t already love Brussels sprouts please make this dish. You'll love me for it.

Oven Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts
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I wrote the recipe for 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, as that’s the size of the Costco bag. You can easily reduce or increase the amount, just use an appropriately sized baking dish.

2 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large)
5 cloves garlic, minced fine or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Move oven rack to the upper third and preheat to 425 degrees.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, toss together Brussels sprouts, garlic, water, oil, salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until caramelized to taste, tossing once about 25 minutes into cooking time. Remove from oven and toss Brussels sprouts in the pan scraping up brown bits into the sprouts.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.

Corn and Cheese Pudding with Green Chiles

This comforting side dish is a nice change from plain old corn on Thanksgiving, but also can be a tasty meal itself with a healthy salad on busy weeknights. The original recipe comes from Dishboy Scott via his mom and an early 1970s Vegetarian Epicure cookbook.

Corn and Cheese Pudding with Green Chiles
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When I think of the 1970s I wonder why anyone ever wanted to be vegetarian. Though sometimes, surprisingly tasty recipes like this one are a bright spot in a strange era of food.

2 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 scant cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups frozen super sweet corn
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounce can mild diced green chiles, drained

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole dish.

2. Beat eggs and flour to make a smooth paste. Beat in sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir in corn, melted butter, cheese and chiles.

3. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until slightly puffy and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe slightly adapted from a 1970s Vegetarian Epicure cookbook. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Lazy Laura’s Cucumber Raita

The “Lazy Laura” would be me. Usually by the time I remember to make raita for an Indian meal the last thing I want to do is a bunch of chopping. So I don’t. I whirl everything together in the food processor.

If you have a better memory than me, raita should sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours. However, I usually just throw it together in a panic and serve it right way.

Lazy Laura’s Cucumber Raita
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1 large cucumber or English cucumber
2 (6 ounce) containers plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh mint or cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Peel the cucumber with a carrot peeler. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon making a tunnel; discard seeds. Chop into big chunks and toss in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process to combine.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.

Olive Cheese Bread and a Dilapidated Rural West Community Center

The ghost of a great community hall stands watch over the nearly deserted town of Leland, Idaho. I felt it towering over me as I explored what’s left of little Leland and found myself driving up the steep path for a peek before I could stop myself.

The building must have been the life of the town once and still makes beautiful pictures. A theater room sits open to the elements at the south end with faded fabric seats. At the front door perched over a sharp cliff there's a strange kiosk filled with old plastic cups with cheap Japanese sliverware and an empty birds nest. Owls frequent the place now, explaining the now empty nest and scattering of large owl pellets. The one in the photograph has feet sticking out.

I’ll let you enjoy these images of a forgotten time in the rural west. Perhaps Leland died the way the rest of our struggling towns did. The real kiss of death was when the railroad missed your town. Survival was bleak, but at least Leland has a small piece left. Inside the hall sits an upright piano and a few dusty old trophies. I wasn’t comfortable breaking into the building but took a couple shots through the old glass door. A ghost-like effect mirrored the feeling of the place.

The only life left; the owls, the bees and me with my favorite little point and shoot camera out exploring in the sun.

Olive Cheese Bread Printer Version
This recipe doesn’t belong to me, but to the great Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond. I found it in her book, but she also has it on her blog. The only thing I’d do differently is cut the topping in half, but I’ll leave that up to you.

1 loaf French bread
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
½ cup mayonnaise, not low fat
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, chopped
1 (6 ounce) jar pimiento stuffed green olives, chopped (I used chopped mixed olives I had on hand.)
2 to 3 green onions, chopped
A dash of salt & pepper


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and mayonnaise. Stir in the Monterey Jack, olives, green onions and salt and pepper.

3. Slice the bread into two long pieces. Top with cheese mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.

Recipe by Ree Drummond. Visit her blog The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

Things I like about this recipe: It’s fast, healthy, nutty, cheap, tastes awesome, and makes a great lunch.

Things I don’t like about this recipe: It’s gone. All gone.

Now, I am sad.

Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad
From Lauren Ulm’s book Vegan Yum Yum. This recipe makes enough for only one person as a main dish, but it’s a cinch to double or triple. As a side it serves about three.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed well
5 to 7 artichoke hearts, drained and sliced lengthwise (canned or frozen both work fine. I like to rinse the canned ones.)
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used more to taste)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (I used 1 teaspoon dried)

1. Heat oil in a seasoned wok or cast-iron skillet. Add the chickpeas and cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning, until the chickpeas are golden brown all over. When done, put them in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Add more oil to the pan and cook the sliced artichoke hearts until browned. Add them to the bowl of chickpeas.

3. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet (if desired) and then grind them in a food processor. Add the almonds to the artichokes and chickpeas. Season the salad with lemon juice and salt and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, adjust the seasoning if needed.

Visit Lauren Ulm’s beautiful blog Vegan Yum Yum. Recipe from Lauren's book Vegan Yum Yum. Picture by Laura Flowers.

My Favorite Mustard Potato Salad

It was a beautiful Idaho day and we headed outside this evening to grill thick hand pressed bison burgers and then scooped this marvelous potato salad on top. We also had potato salad on the side, snuck bites of it out of the bowl, and should have stopped eating long before we did.

I realize you probably already have a favorite potato salad recipe, as most families do, but this one I put all my favorite potato salad ingredients in. It’s perfectly spiced and so creamy with olive oil, mayonnaise and pickle juice. I thought I’d offer it to you just in case you had room for another one on your table.



Creamy Mustard Potato Salad
6 medium-large Russet potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 Kosher Deli-style dill pickle, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry dill leaf
¼ heaping teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon celery seed, rubbed between palms
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup extra light olive oil (Not extra virgin)
1 ½ tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice from the jar

Peel, dice, and boil potatoes in unsalted water until tender, but not so soft they fall apart. When done, place in a cold water bath, until cool, then strain well. Mix all dry spices and liquid ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add potatoes, onion, egg, and pickles to a large bowl, and gently stir in the seasoning mixture until well mixed. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

Creamiest Macaroni & Cheese Ever

I stood in my kitchen growling over yet another bad recipe. I don’t know why, but I have terrible macaroni & cheese karma. I’ve tried everything. I even went as far as making all of Alton Brown’s recipes from Good Eats. Well ok, I didn’t fry mine into blocks. That’s going a bit too far.

Anyway, I got lucky. Dishboy Scott was over helping me cook that Monday evening and he started babbling about how he always makes a medium white sauce first, and it’s fantastic, and blah blah blah blah blah. I stared at him incredulously. “What did you just say?”, I demanded. “Back up a bit. You mean to tell me you have a fabulous, easy macaroni and cheese recipe you make all the time, and you’ve let me suffer for years through all my bad attempts?!”

I tossed the recipe in my hand into the garbage and Scott quickly instructed me how to make the most simple, most wonderfully creamy, and by far the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had. This recipe is a keeper!

I love my foodie friends. Thanks Scott you are awesome!

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
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Use flavorful, good quality cheese in this pasta. It makes all the difference.

1 pound good quality sharp cheddar or vintage white cheddar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 & 6 tablespoons unbleached flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
Lots of freshly cracked pepper
1 pound macaroni, cappelletti, or other pasta of choice
Salted pasta water

1. Begin boiling the water and cooking the pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and toss with 3 tablespoons flour. Set aside.

2. In a large pot melt the butter over medium to medium high heat. Stir in 6 tablespoons flour (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to make it easy), and salt. Cook until golden stirring frequently. Very slowly pour in the milk stirring completely into the flour as you go so lumps don’t form. Add lots of freshly cracked pepper and stir the mixture constantly until thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until melted.

3. When the pasta is done cooking, set aside about a cup of the salted pasta water. You'll need it for the sauce. Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese mixture. Stir gently to combine. Add pasta water as needed to make creamy.

Recipe by Dishboy Scott. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Easy Cheesy Garlic Red Lobster Style Biscuits from Scratch

Jesse loves Red Lobster’s biscuits. He’ll repeatedly ask the servers to refill the bread basket about oh, a minute after it arrives at the table. I thought it would be nice if he could enjoy these garlicky cheese biscuits at home without having to beg for refills from annoyed looking staff.

Red Lobster style biscuits can be copied using Bisquick, but I don’t like to purchase baking mixes for just one recipe. Instead I combined Todd Wilbur’s copycat version from Top Secret Recipes with "Oil Drop Biscuits" from Joy of Cooking. They turned out pretty close to the real ones without much extra effort. No Bisquick needed.

Homemade Red Lobster Style Drop Biscuits
Printer Version
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 475 degrees. Line parchment paper on an Airbake cookie sheet. Double up two cookie sheets together if you don’t have an Airbake.

Mix together in a small bowl and set aside for brushing:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (Use 1/4 teaspoon if you like your biscuits less garlicky)
Pinch of salt

Whisk with a fork in a large bowl:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Add to the flour mixture all at once:
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable or extra light olive oil

Stir with a fork just until the dough readily leaves the sides of the bowl. Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop and drop two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (watch carefully near the end) or until lightly golden brown on top. Immediately, liberally brush all the melted butter mixture over tops of biscuits. Serve hot.

Makes 9 biscuits with a size 16 (1/4 cup volume) scoop.

Recipe created from two sources, Drop Biscuits with Oil from "Joy of Cooking" and Red Lobster Biscuits from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2", by Todd Wilbur. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Tomatillo Salsa, Tomatillo Grenades, and Dodging Kamikaze Yellow Jackets

My friend Julie and her family are coming to pizza night this evening and I was looking through the freezer for pizza ideas. I spotted her frozen container of exploding tomatillo salsa and suddenly burst out into a peal of giggles. I had almost forgotten the crazy day we made that stuff.

About a month ago Julie had the brilliant idea of making her delicious salsa with me. Our daughters were back in school and we were ready to play in the kitchen together. Expecting a fun quiet day of play and talk, we had no idea we’d be racing around town in our aprons. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

After washing the sticky film off a million tomatillos we head out to her grill to begin cooking. Well evidently, two intelligent females are not capable of getting a BBQ started. Aprons on, we walk next door to her parents house and attempt to use their grill.

Trying to be courteous, I gently move the grill away from the house to prevent the fire truck from visiting. Next time I won’t worry about a fire, because out dropped a yellow jacket nest with very angry inhabitants instead! So inside we go. Julie runs out bravely with some bug spray and shoots towards the nest. With yellow jackets dying everywhere the ones previously flying around turn and face the glass door. Yellow Jackets evidently turn into kamikaze pilots when their brothers die in the heat of battle, by furiously throwing their bodies against the glass in an angry protest to our mass killing.

With 35 minutes to spare before I needed to bike back and pick up my daughter from school, we run full speed with our aprons on and Julie’s 4-year-old-who-needs-a-nap in tow. Jumping in her car with a bowl of uncooked tomatillos we race across town to my house. Ahh finally! Grill on, tomatillos on, we can do this. Yeah right! I open the lid and the tomatillos begin to explode! These things are dangerous little grenades that spew hot liquid all over their victims. Of course this is when Julie’s 4-year-old-who-needs-a-nap wants to hang out right by the grill. We pull him out of the battle zone and I proceed to take the rest of the grenades off and somehow save my flesh at the same time.

Aprons still on, we rush back to her house and I jump on my bike and race to the school. Grabbing my 7-year-old-who-needs-a-nap we ride back to Julie’s house and finish the salsa. This time everything went well, and I have tomatillo salsa to laugh at and use in fall soup.

I would recommend that you roast or boil them according to this recipe from Simply Recipes if you don’t want little grenades, but then again that wouldn’t be nearly as exciting or dangerous.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 Serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Instructions

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, and sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Makes 3 cups.

Recipe from Simply Recipes. Picture by Laura Flowers.