Cooking with Chef Jo: My Triple Potato Salad

As promised last week, this is my recipe for my triple potato salad. It's one of my most requested recipes at picnics and it uses no mayonnaise. A bright, colorful side dish that can go with any grilled meat. Packed with vitamins and does your body good.

Jo's Triple Potato Salad

Serves 4- 1/2 cup servings
What you'll need
3 small red potatoes
1 medium sweet potato
3 small blue or Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 small red onion, finely diced or thinly sliced
3/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
                                                         2 TBS apple cider vinegar
                                                         1 clove of garlic, finely minced
                                                         1/4 tsp sugar or sugar substitute
                                                         Salt and pepper to taste. For me it's a 1/4 tsp each
Putting it together

• Scour the potatoes to clean. Do not peel them.
• You can cook these several ways (boil in water, bake, or microwave them). Since this is part of my "It's Too Hot to Cook" series of recipes, I'll poke and microwave them. 5 minutes on high should do it.
• Set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Make your vinaigrette. Place the vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Set aside. It will stay emulsified for several minutes.
• Peel the sweet potato. Leave the skins on the other two.
• Dice all potatoes (I usually do a 2" dice) and place into a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Add the red onions, cilantro, and parsley. Toss to combine.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the potato mixture. Toss to combine.
  
• Cover and set in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours to allow the flavors to get happy.
• Toss again before service. All the vinaigrette should have absorbed into the potatoes.

I hope you enjoy my triple potato salad. It was one of my husband's favorite recipes too. It's definitely a change from regular potato salad.

For an added special touch, crumble some crispy bacon on top before service.

Y'all have  a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo                                                 

Cooking with Chef Jo: It's a Summertime BBQ

Nothing beats an old fashion barbecue on sweltering, hot summer days. Everything just tastes fabulous when cooked over hot coals. Yes, I'm continuing my recipe series, "It's too hot to cook." We still haten't financially managed to fill up our propane tank for the gas stove also.

For the 4th of July, I didn't go home for my family get together, I was still healing from my various injuries, surgeries, and illnesses. So Mel did under my direction this time. So I celebrated it with Mel instead, I made all my family's favorites. BBQ pork ribs and chicken all smothered in my copycat recipe for Sweet Baby Ray's recipe for barbecue sauce. Yes, I even canned some in half pint jars for later enjoyment. I peeled back the husks on some fresh corn spread a thick slab of butter, salt and pepper before wrapping it up in foil husk and all, and threw it on the grill too.

Side dishes like fresh salads. and my three potato salad, with plenty of mint flavored ice tea. For dessert, a frosted cherry and blueberry pizza (also cooked on the grill) was all we could eat. Mel made her lemon icebox pie was saved for later. Nothing could be simpler and oh, so delicious to make!

Now, I parcook my ribs and chicken thighs the night before (when it's cooler in the toaster oven) and place them in the refrigerator overnight. Just 10 minutes on both sides at 400 degrees. This way I know it will cook to well done on the grill.


I promised to share this recipe with our YouTube followers, but haven't yet. In my restaurant, I made this in 10 gallon batches weekly. I scaled the recipe way back to about 2 1/2 cups for y'all. I doubled this recipe to can the leftovers for my pantry stores.

 Jo's Copycat Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups or 20 servings


What you'll need
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup molasses, unsulfured
1/4 cup pineapple juice, about 1 of those single serve cans
1/4 cup water
2 TBS hickory liquid smoke
3 1/2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
                                          1/2 tsp allspice
                                           pinch nutmeg*
                                           pinch cayenne pepper, more if you want more heat
                                           1 tsp kosher or sea salt
                                           1 tsp black pepper

*Notes- *I make my own dark brown sugar. 1 lb of sugar mixed with 1/4 cup molasses. Mix well. Store in air tight container.
* I buy my nutmeg whole and grind it with my microplane grater. It holds its flavor better. One good swipe equals a pinch.

Putting it together 

• Mix everything in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until the desired thickness is reached. Stir to keep bottom from scorching. I use the thick coating on the back of a spoon as my guide.(about 20 minutes) It will continue to thickens more as it cools. 
• Taste for desired flavor.
• To can this BBQ sauce, pour into hot half pint jars, wipe jars, warm lid, and ring the jars. Water bath can for 15 minutes. 

I've used this sauce whenever I've needed BBQ sauce for 15 years now. Most folks can't believe I made it from scratch. Now you can too!

My Triple Potato Salad recipe is coming up next post.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Sushi from Your Pantry

We are continuing "It's too hot to cook" series.  Today offering is a fusion Japanese sushi recipe you can make from pantry items. It's my goto when I haven't got nori ( seaweed sheets), rice wine vinegar, or raw seafood available in my pantry but want sushi. This is my pantry version of a California stacked sushi and a traditional Gunkan Maki (cucumber roll) recipes.

CA Stacked Sushi

Gunkan Maki

It doesn't happen very often that I don't have these Japanese traditional goodies in my pantry, but it does happen. My bottle of rice wine vinegar slipped out of my hand and shattered when it hit the floor. I found out that rats really like nori. The greedy buggers ate THREE packages! All that was left was the shredded, rigid plastic wrap and the silicon pack. GRR! They even ate my dried shitaki mushrooms. Now, these things are kept in a metal box in the storeroom.

But that didn't help me at the time. I wanted sushi! So being the creative chef that I am, I came up with this recipe that was in my standard pantry (other than the cucumber and green onions).

Jo's Pantry Sushi
Serves 1-2 as a meal or 8-12 appetizers
What you'll need
1/2 to 1 cup rice, medium grain cooked
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS water
1 (3 oz can) tuna, in water is best- drained, or 3 oz of any canned seafood
1 and 1/2  English cucumber
2 green onions, fine diced white and green tops*
2 TBS toasted sesame seeds
1 TBS dehydrated sweet red bell pepper, rehydrated
1 TBS dehydrated sweet yellow bell pepper, rehydrated

* Notes- It seems I've always got onions or green onions growing in my window sill. 

Putting it together

• Slice one room temperature cucumber long, lengthwise with a vegetable peeler or with a knife to 1/16" slices. Take the half cucumber and fine diced it.
• In small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, water, and salt until dissolved. Sprinkle over warm rice and toss to combine well. Set aside rice mixture and allow to come to room temperature. If the rice is from last night's dinner and refrigerated, microwave until the rice is warm.Warm rice will absorb the flavors better than cold rice.
• Mix the red and yellow bell peppers together.
• On a bamboo sushi mat or plastic wrap lay our the cucumber slices.
• On each slice, place thin layers in the following order rice, bell pepper, cucumber, green onions, and tuna/seafood.
• Roll each cucumber slice and either secure with a toothpick or wrap in plastic wrap to hold it's shape. I'll usually roll all slices, and then use plastic wrap to tightly bind the sushi. If you are doing individual rolls held by toothpicks, cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Remove the toothpick or plastic wrap for service. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

 Serve with soy sauce or Japanese white (Yum yum) sauce, What?! You don't know how to make white sauce? Let me give you the recipe.

Japanese White (Yum yum) Sauce
What you'll need
1 1/4 c Hellman's mayonnaise*
1/4 c water
1 tsp tomato paste
1 TBS melted butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp paprika dash(es) cayenne pepper, depending on the amount of heat you want.

• *Notes- Break down and buy a small jar of this name brand mayonnaise. Other brands will alter the taste of the sauce greatly.
  
  
  Putting it together

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours. 
• It will take that long for the flavors to meld and taste yummy. Don't just take my word for it. Taste it just after you make it, and then again after 12 hours. It's worth the wait.

This sauce recipe will make 8 to 12- 2 TBS servings. BUT, if you are like my girls and their spouses who love it, it'll make 4. :o)

Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Asparaguus

White asparagus has a secret

Dee (a YouTube and blog subscriber) and I were chatting via email about some asparagus she was gifted from a neighbor's garden. I should be so lucky. The most standard way is cooked or steamed with garlic. This was after sending our Newsy Weekly Email and mentioning that I was saving the asparagus patch this week. (last Sunday's blog post) If you haven't signed up for it yet, scroll down the right side of the page to do that.

Anyhow that got me thinking if I was gifted this wondrous vegetable how would I prepare it. I've already discussed Mel's and my differences  in how we like it prepare it...waterlogged or crispy. (I like medium to crisp.) For decades I thought I hated this vegetable because I'd only eaten the canned, waterlogged variation of this vegetable along with several others. The first time I had it properly steamed to perfection, I understood why this is a sought after vegetable. I've even planted a patch of it in our limited garden space. This vegetable takes years to grow before you can harvest a single stock. With that kind of investment of time and space, it would be an impossibly in most small gardeners, but we decided to give it a go last year in our efforts towards self sustainability.

While a harvest date is still a couple years away for our crop, I thought I'd give you a twofer today. One recipe for those, like me, that enjoy firmer textured asparagus, and one for those who like the softer version of this vegetable.

Jo's Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Cheese

These are bundles. Calculate 1 bundle per serving

What you'll need
4-6 fresh asparagus spears, cleaned and prepared*
1-2 slice(s) of pork or turkey bacon, or other alternative
1 Tbs seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp Parmesan cheese
 1 clove garlic, minced and split (Makes 2 bundles worth)
1 Tbs butter, heated until melted
Black Pepper, to taste
1 lemon, sliced into 6 to 8 pieces

*Notes-
To prepare asparagus, snap spear above the woody base. Let soak in salted water for 15 minutes. This in case any creepy crawlies have made a home in the tips or stem. Now, if you don't mind the extra protein, just rinse to remove any dirt. Place on several layers of toweling to dry.

Putting all Together

• In melted butter, stir in garlic. Set aside.
• Mix Parmesan cheese with bread crumbs. Set aside. If you are gluten-free or on some carb restricting diet, omit the bread crumbs.
• Separate asparagus spears into bundles of 4 to 6 depending on the size (diameter) of your spears.
• Wrap 1-2 strips of bacon or bacon alternative around each bundle as shown in the picture above. If you need to, insert a toothpick to secure. Just remember to remove them after baking.
• Sprinkle with pepper.
• Roll the bacon wrap in breadcrumb mix. Press the bread crumbs firmly into the fat of the bacon.
• Drizzle about 1-1/2 tsp of garlic butter on top.
• Place spears on a broiler pan.
• Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turning each bundle over about halfway through.
• The bacon and bread crumbs will be crispy.

Serve warm with lemon wedge.

Serving Suggestions
This semi elegant presentation would be a fantastic side dish for a medium or rare grilled steak. But personally, I think this dish would suit any meal except a casserole or meatloaf. The effort would be wasted on dishes like that.

For a snack or appetizer, do single spears.

As part of my month long series of "It's Too Hot to Cook."

Asparagus Gazpacho
This is a cold soup. Perfect for summertime.
Serves 4

What you'll need

2 pints of canned asparagus, drained reserving liquid about 2 lbs worth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
2 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
2 1/2 cups add low-sodium vegetable broth and reserved asparagus liquid to equal this amount.
1/2 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnishes:
1 cup croutons
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
Fresh mint, finely chopped. I love the fresh taste it bring to the dish.
Pine nuts
Olive oil

Putting it all together

•  In a pan, melt butter. Add onion, garlic, 1/t tsp salt, and habanero pepper. Cook until tender
•  Add asparagus, vegetable broth/asparagus liquid into the other vegetables.
• Empty into a blender or use immersion blender. Blend until smooth.
• Stir in half and half. You can either stir the entire amount into the soup, or divide the amount in half. Stir 1/4 cup into the soup, and then create a swirling design in the soup with the remaining 1/4 cup. (about a Tbs per serving) I've done both.
• Chill soup for an hour.
• Pour soup into serving bowls and garnish with some or all listed above.

Serving Suggestions

Serve alone, with some crusty bread, a quiche, or a salad.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Tuna Macaroni Salad

Welcome to my second installment of "It's Too to Cook!"  On the menu today is  my mother's version of Tuna Macaroni Salad has been a staple during summer months for as long as I can remember and that's more than half a century. It's my favorite go-to menu item when it's too hot to be in the kitchen.

It can be a side dish with standard picnic fare, or add an extra can of tuna and eat it as a meal. I've tweaked the family recipe over the years and made it my own depending on what was growing in the garden. Her recipe called for drained can green peas. Y'all know how I feel about waterlogged vegetables. In a pinch, I'll rinse water over frozen, but otherwise, I use fresh.

At home I kept things simple and at the restaurant catered picnics I offered a deconstructed, high-end version of the same basic salad.

Tuna Macaroni Salad
 Serves 6 as a side dish and 4 as a meal
What you'll need
1 lb of macaroni or other formed pasta, cooked, drained and not rinsed*
6-7 oz tuna canned oil, drain and reserve the oil
1/2 cup carrots, scrubbed well and cut into match stick sized pieces
1/2 cup green peas*
1/2 cup red onion, 1/8" dice
2 stalks of celery, 1/8" dice
2 sweet or hot* banana peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered if large
1/2 cup fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary), chopped
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice*
Salt and pepper to taste, or favorite seasoning salt
Paprika to decorate

Notes*-

1. Do not rinse the pasta. Save your hot water.You want the starch on it to help the dressing to stick to the pasta. I cook my in the early morning or night before when it's cooler. Place in plastic bag and refrigerator until time to put it together.
2. Green peas- I use fresh peas. I'll add them to the pasta water after I've strained the pasta. No sense in heating up the kitchen just blanch the peas. The peas will brighten and partial cook while the water cools to room temperature. Strain the peas and place in refrigerator.
3. Sweet or hot banana peppers- the choice is yours.
4. Lemon juice should always be freshly squeezed for optimum taste and in cutting the fat of mayonnaise.

 How to put together

•  Whisk mayonnaise and lemon juice, add the herbs, salt, pepper, or seasoning salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, place chilled pasta, tuna, vegetables, and mayonnaise mixture.
• Toss well to coat all ingredients.
• If the salad appears dry at this point it's going be seriously at service because the pasta will absorb it. Drizzle in the reserved oil from the tuna.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours before serving.

Serving Suggestions
As a meal, serve onto a bed of baby red and green lettuces. Take 1/4 of a 3.5 oz can of tuna in water and break it apart attractively on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with paprika. Decorate the plate with sliced heirloom tomato, hard boiled egg slices, and cucumber slices. Drizzle these with a  extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Instead of canned tuna, add chunks of sashimi grade, seared tuna chunks. These will be rare for the ultimate buttery, sweet flavor without an overly fishy smell. Or, even substitute seared salmon replacing the tuna.

Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: My Infamous Chicken Salad Recipe

This begins a series of my recipes for, "It's Too Hot to Cook!" Summer friendly recipes. ' Cause here about, the daytime temperatures are in the 90s

When I was working as a cook at my local hospital, I gained the reputation of having the best chicken salad in town. Whether you liked your chicken salad smooth or chunky, they loved my recipe. I used to make 10 lbs of it twice a week.These same customers followed me to my own restaurant years later just to order my chicken salad! It was the ultimate compliment to me. They begged for decades for the recipe to no avail. I've pared the recipe down to 2 cups worth and offer store substitutions as usual.

Now I'm sharing it with you, but it is copyrighted.

Jo's Infamous Chicken Salad 
 1/2 pint charcoal cooked canned chicken*
1/2 pint chicken canned in own juice
Substitute 1 breast and 1 thigh of grilled and poached chicken (reserve liquid for each)
1 small onion, minced
3 ribs celery, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise, I make my own but Kraft will do
1/4 cup pickle relish *
2 eggs, hard boiled and minced
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp Jo's seasoning salt or Morton's Natural Seasoning Salt, to taste*

Notes-
*I season my grilled chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder before I grilled and canned it. It was grilled just enough to lightly color the outside before "raw" packing it into my jars and canning it.
*I use my zucchini bread and butter relish.
* Link to my seasoning salt recipe

Putting it all together

• Cube grilled chicken into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes removing any fat you see. Set aside
• Remove any fat you can see on the poached chicken, cut into chunks.
• Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill weed in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the dill weed rehydrate.
• In a food processor, add poached chicken, relish, celery, onion, and eggs, 
• Add mayonnaise mixture.
• Pulse until smooth and creamy. If mixture seems dry, add reserved liquid.
• Stir in diced grilled chicken.
• Refrigerator for an hour before service to allow flavors to meld and get happy.

Serving Suggestions
I'll scoop 4 ozs on top of a fresh green salad, serve it on large buttery

croissants, as part of a chicken salad melt, I've stirred it into pasta salads, or just plain bread. Choose your toppings lettuce, tomato slices, did someone say cheese? Oh yeah! Now, you are talking. Make mine Pepperjack, please.Or, your favorite dill pickles. Chips or crackers is optional.

Enjoy this yummy for your tummy.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo