Ten-Minute Potato Salad

There is a catch...and that is, this takes ten minutes (or less) to make, if you start with potatoes that have been boiled already.  From start to finish, including the boiling, this shouldn't take more than half an hour.

This is ridiculously popular (I think it's the celery). It gets raves every time. And it's so easy to make, it's amazing. And the best part? It's completely clean - no dairy or eggs at all. Just see if anyone can guess.

Easiest Potato Salad

9 medium russet potatoes

Scrub & trim if needed; don't peel.  Put potatoes in pot, with water to cover by one inch or so. Bring to a boil, continue boiling until potatoes are easily pierced with a metal spoon. Once tender, drain potatoes, and cover with cool water.

Cut into bite-sized pieces (no need to be uniform) & put in a mixing bowl. Add 2 stalks of celery, diced - mix together with hands.  In another bowl, stir together Vegenaise, about 1 1/2 TBSP., and 1 1/2 TBSP. horseradish mustard mixed with 1 TBSP. white wine vinegar.  Add in celery seed & black pepper, to taste, and salt, if needed.  Toss potatoes & celery with the above, until it's all well-mixed & blended.  Serve immediately, while the potatoes are still a bit warm. 

Mixing the potatoes and celery with hands ensures the right texture for the salad, because it helps bring out some of the starch from the potatoes, especially if they are still warm.  There should be some larger chunks and some smaller pieces of potato, which is part of the beauty of this; there is no need for uniformity when it comes to potato salad.

Sesame Soba-Style Noodles

Everything came together - finally, all the ingredients were available - and I was able to make this recipe!

All the ingredients but the soba noodles. Whole-wheat Linguini made an excellent substitute. Any kind of noodle could be used; it's really the sauce that has the attention here.

Scallions add just a touch of flavor without being too overpowering, as onions might be, and cucumbers add crunch.  The sauce is tangy and bright, silky thanks to the tahini, and coats the noodle perfectly.

Cilantro adds the most amazing and unexpected flavor - it's essential to this dish. The vinegar in the sauce, I think, helps quell any soapy notes that cilantro can sometimes have. 

Right now, nothing could be better for lunch; filling, tasty, and refreshing, satisfying and somehow quenching, this wakes you up without weighing you down.

With green tea for sipping and steamed broccoli for serving, this makes for one memorable meal.

SESAME SOBA-STYLE NOODLES

1 16.-oz. package WHOLE WHEAT LINGUINI NOODLES* 

1/4 CUP ORGANIC SOY SAUCE

1/4 CUP + 1 TBSP. NATIVE VINEGAR (SUGARCANE VINEGAR)

1 TBSP. TAHINI

1 TSP. TOASTED SESAME OIL

2 TBSP. BROWN SUGAR

1/2 PACKET GINGER TEA POWDER

4 SCALLIONS, 1/8-INCH SLICES

1/3 CUP FINELY CHOPPED CILANTRO

1 WHOLE PERSIAN CUCUMBER, DICED

Cook noodles until done, drain well. Let cool.

For sauce, combine soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, 1 TBSP. water, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger tea. Stir well.

Toss noodles first with scallions, then the sauce and cilantro, and finally, the cucumber.

Serves 4-6.  Excellent with steamed broccoli and green tea. 

* Other types of noodles can be used.

Garlic, lime juice, celery, mushrooms, and bok choy would all be excellent add-ins. This is perfectly good on its own, however. 





Lemon-Sesame Asparagus w/ Agave

Spring is definitely here. Warmth in the sun, abundant wildflowers, birds pairing off.

What better way to celebrate than by eating asparagus? Practically synonimous with the season, it tastes perfect right now.

This started out as a recipe for honey-lemon sesame asparagus, and that is good, too (just use honey in place of the agave nectar), but, out of necessity, I substituted agave nectar for the honey, with good results.

Somehow the agave and the sesame oil combined take away any of the funk that can be characteristic of asparagus at times... delicious!

LEMON-SESAME ASPARAGUS

w/ AGAVE

1 1/2 BUNCH ASPARAGUS, TRIMMED

2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

1 TABLESPOON TOASTED SESAME OIL

Saute in pan several minutes on Medium-Low, turning often. Once asparagus is cooked to liking, add the

JUICE OF HALF A LEMON and

2 TABLESPOONS AGAVE NECTAR,

stir over Warm heat 30 seconds, until sauce bubbles.

Sprinkle liberally with

SESAME SEEDS (about 1 TBSP).

Toss to coat asparagus evenly with seeds, remove from heat, &

top with more seeds, for garnish. 

Serve warm.

Be sure to get every last drop of the

tangy sauce at the bottom of the pan!

Brown Butter-Tahini Cookies

 

This recipe was in the paper on Saturday, and it looked so good that I had made it by Monday. That's record-fast for me.  Now, I read recently that tahini can be substituted for butter, which gave me ideas.

The tahini in these is perfect; it adds a slight nuttiness which accents the already nutty, caramelly browned butter and makes for the most incredible mouthfeel.  Very rich, utterly delicious; crisp edges and chewy interiors make these ludicrously addicting.
Consider yourself warned.      

 

Making the dough right in the pan ensures that no caramelized bit goes to waste (not to mention cuts down on dishes).

Brown Butter-Tahini Cookies/

adapted from the LA Times "Saturday" section, 4-06-13 

1 STICK BUTTER*

1/8 CUP TAHINI

1 3/4 CUPS BROWN SUGAR

1/4 TSP. SALT

2 EGGS

2 TSP. VANILLA

2 CUPS + 2 TBSP. FLOUR

1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA

1/4 TSP. BAKING POWDER

Heat oven to 350F.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat and cook several minutes, stirring or swirling the pan often. Remove from heat when butter foams up (at this point, there will be browned bits below the foam and a caramel-like smell). Add the tahini and swirl to combine. Let cool a few minutes; should not be foamy once cooled.  Stir in the salt and vanilla, then the sugar and eggs, using a rubber spatula. Combine the flour, baking soda & baking powder, then add to the butter mixture in the pan. Stir just until combined and no dry flour mix remains.  Scoop level tablespoonfuls of dough on to a parchment-lined baking sheet and space 2 inches apart.   Bake for up to 15 minutes.  Bake in batches or use multiple baking sheets; makes about 3 dozen.   

*Note: Tahini can be substituted for all of the butter; a clean, cakey cookie with a haunting, nutty flavor reminiscent of peanut butter is the result.

Lemon-Poppyseed Bread

Delicious doesn't even begin to describe it.

Poppyseeds have always held a certain allure to me, their flavor so unique and unattainable.  I love the way the hard, tiny specks turn moist and toothsome after a turn in the oven.

The egg I used in this was from a local farmstand. There was only a dozen-container of them left, so the guy manning the cash register left his post to check the henhouse for more eggs. He returned with four and said, in spotty English, "No more." It was a delightful moment, to be so close to the source.

This one egg turned the entire loaf a vibrant yellow.

This is so filling. Maybe it's the variety it adds - I mean, how often do you see poppyseed anything? They used to pop up in everything, (even dressing) or so it would seem, according to older cookbooks.

A must-try with of sunflower butter - perfect for a quick breakfast, and truly one of the best things I have ever eaten.

Deliciously dense crumb and clean, pure taste. Not oily like some quickbreads can be.


Lemon Poppyseed Bread

2 CUPS FLOUR
1 CUP SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 EGG
1 CUP COCONUT MILK
1/4 CUP SUNFLOWER OIL
ZEST OF ONE LARGE LEMON
JUICE FROM 1/2 A LARGE LEMON (GENEROUS 2 TBSP.)
1 TABLESPOON POPPYSEEDS (GENEROUS)

Heat oven to 350F.
Grease bottom & 1/2 way up the sides of a 8x4-inch loaf pan. 
Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt. Make a well in the center; set aside.
Beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk, oil, zest, juice, & poppyseeds. Add all at once to the dry ingredients.
Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Pour into prepared pan, smooth top to even.
Bake 50-55 minutes, until just golden & a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan 10-15 minutes and turn out to a rack to cool completely.
Now, the tortuous part: wrap & store overnight before slicing.