May 31: French Salade Superb

2 ½ pounds new red-skinned potatoes, quartered

   Coarse salt

8 slices thick center-cut bacon

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

4 cups coarsely chopped kale

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup beef stock

¾ pounds fresh haricots verts or trimmed green beans, halved

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

   Coarse black pepper

1 large heat of frisee lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, add the salt, and boil the potatoes until just fork tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool, chop, and reserve.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the red onion and sauté until just tender, 5 minutes.

Add the kale in small bunches until all is wilted down. Add the vinegar and stock and turn off the heat.

Heat a pot of water to boiling. Salt the water and add the green beans. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes; drain.

Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot. Fold in the onion and kale mixture. Add the bacon, parsley, salt, and pepper, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, and fold in the cooked green beans and frisee. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon to drain some of the liquid in the salad.

4 SERVINGS

This salad, the variation on the German Potato Salad with Kielbasa, was not too bad. It was at least better than I thought it would be. The only thing I thought it could do without is the lettuce. My grocery store had never heard of frisee lettuce, so I used green leaf. I'm not sure if that would have made any difference because I don't know if frisee lettuce is much different. Tomorrow I will eat leftovers without the lettuce. I liked the flavor of the potatoes with the bacon and vinegar. We'll see if it's good cold. I changed the recipe by adding to drain the liquid from the salad. It was just too liquidy.

May 30: Greek-Style Garlic Shrimp and Orzo

   Coarse salt
2/3 pound orzo
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle
1 small red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, tails removed
2 teaspoons lemon zest plus the juice of 1/4 lemon
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup white vermouth or 1/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Heat a pot of water for the pasta. When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta al dente.

Heat the 1/4 cup of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet, then add the onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes, then season the shrimp with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a little salt. Add the shrimp and cook for a minute more. Add the cherry tomatoes, parsley, olives, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are pink and firm. Add the white vermouth, then turn off the heat.

Drain the cooked orzo and drizzle with a touch of EVOO to keep it from sticking.

Serve the orzo topped with the feta crumbles and the shrimp mixture.

4 SERVINGS

I made this meal for lunch today instead of dinner last night. I was so tired after coming home from our trip that I didn't have the energy to cook. I slept about 10 hours, so I felt much better today. This meal was really good! I love orzo and the feta cheese was an added bonus. I skipped the shrimp, because I didn't buy enough. It was still really good, especially for lunch. If I made this for dinner again, I would put shrimp in it. The only thing I changed about this meal was that she didn't mention seasoning the shrimp or adding the wine, so I just added it back in. This is "another variation on the master recipe," Italian-Style Garlic Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Thin Spaghetti. I think I like this one just a little better.

May 29: German Potato Salad with Kielbasa

2 ½ pounds new red-skinned potatoes, quartered

   Coarse salt

8 slices thick center-cut bacon

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

4 cups coarsely chopped kale

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup beef stock

¾ pound kielbasa, cut into half-moons

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

   Coarse black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, add the salt, and boil the potatoes until just fork tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool, chop, and reserve.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the red onion and sauté until just tender, 5 minutes. Add the kale in small bunches until all is wilted down. Add the vinegar and stock and turn off the heat.

Preheat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the sliced kielbasa with a bit of EVOO and arrange on the preheated hot grill or in the preheated skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until hot through and crisp at the edges.

Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot. Fold in the onion and kale mixture. Add the bacon, parsley, salt, and pepper, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, and fold in the cooked kielbasa.

4 SERVINGS

I don't think this meal is much like authentic German potato salad, what with the sausage and kale and all. RR deems this her "Super Salad Supper." Maybe that's what makes it super. Anyway, I have made this before, and didn't particularly like it all that much. It wasn't horrible, but I'd rather have something authentic. Instead of making this, we were enjoying ourselves at IKEA and having authentic, very delicious Swedish food.

I'll be back to cooking for tomorrow's meal!

May 28: Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp and Rice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 small white onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, tails removed
2 teaspoons lemon zest plus the juice of 1/4 lemon
   Salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
   Coarse black pepper

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the rice and lightly toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cover the rice with a lid to bring the stock to a rapid boil. When the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 17 minutes, or until tender.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a little salt. Add the 1/4 cup of EVOO to the hot pan and then add the shrimp. Cook for a minute, then add the garlic, tomatoes, scallions, and parsley and toss, cooking for another minute or two until the shrimp are firm and pink. Add the sherry, stir in the olives, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and black pepper.

Serve the shrimp over the rice.

4 SERVINGS

This is the first variation of the Italian-Style Garlic Shrimp. We did not make this because we were at the Mall of America eating at the Rainforest Cafe.

I have made this recipe before and it was ok. I think going out to eat was 10 times better, though!

May 27: Super Mashers with Shrimp and Chorizo Hash

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho
   Coarse salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 pound diced chorizo
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
   Coarse black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Anaheim or poblano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
   Several drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
   Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup sour cream or reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or reduced-fat milk, depending on how soft you like your mashers

Cut the taters into small chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, add salt to season, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

In a small pot over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic.

Saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the scallions and remove the pan from the heat. Reserve.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then add the chorizo to the hot pan and brown for one minute.

Add the shrimp and scoot the meat off to one side of the pan.

Add the remaining tablepoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the peppers, chilies, and onions, season with salt and pepper, then toss them around, searing the edges, for another minute or two before combining all the meat and veggies together.

Add the thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry. Turn off the heat and drizzle some hot sauce and the lime juice over the shrimp and veggies. Adjust the seasonings.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the water content. Add the reserved garlic and scallion mixture to the potatoes along with the sour cream and start smashing away with a masher.

Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup milk to get the potatoes to the desired consistency. Season the super mashers with salt and pepper.

Serve the mashers with the shrimp and chorizo mixture on top.

4 SERVINGS

This meal was a little better than I thought it would be. I was getting tired of potatoes and peppers, but I really liked the flavor that the chorizo gave to the potatoes. The lime was really good too, making the whole thing fresh and tasty.

I omitted the peeling the potatoes step, because I was in a hurry today. I used red potatoes, so it was good that way (and my husband didn't have to eat them; he hates the skins). I changed the heat for the garlic from medium-low to medium, so the garlic could get completely cooked and not have that raw flavor. I omitted the oil from the meat step, since the chorizo is already loaded with fat. I did halve the recipe today because we are leaving for the weekend this afternoon. We still had too many leftovers!

May 26: Italian-Style Garlic Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Thin Spaghetti

   Coarse salt
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, tails removed
2 teaspoons lemon zest plus the juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 cup white vermouth or 1/3 cup dry white wine
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
   Coarse black pepper

Heat a large pot of water for the pasta. When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta al dente.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a little salt. Add the EVOO to the hot pan and then add the shrimp. Cook for a minute, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and scallions and toss, cooking for another minute or two until the shrimp are firm and pink. Add the white vermouth and the herbs. Turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta well and add to the sauce. Toss and combine the sauce with pasta and season with salt and black pepper.

4 SERVINGS

This is a nice light supper that was perfect for a spring night. I only made half the recipe because we're going on vacation tomorrow evening, so I will be making tomorrow's recipe for lunch. I will probably skip about 2 recipes... I'll still blog them, but I won't cook them. Anyway, I liked the garlic herbs with the tomatoes and shrimp... I wonder how you might make this recipe a little creamier, sort of like shrimp scampi. It has the flavor, but not the thickness. I think I'd like it either way. We're going to Minneapolis to visit the Mall of America for the weekend. I'm so excited to get away with my family!

May 25: Super Mashers with Chicken and Green Chili Hash

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho

   Coarse salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound chicken breast cutlets, cut into thin strips

   Coarse black pepper

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 Anaheim or poblano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

   Juice of 1 lime

1 cup prepared green chili salsa, mild or medium heat level

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ to ½ cup milk or reduced-fat milk, depending on how soft you like your mashers

1 sack shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, add salt to season, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the sliced chicken with the salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the meat and start searing it up.

Brown the strips on all sides, then push it off to one side of the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the peppers, chilies, and onions, season with salt and pepper, then toss them around, searing the edges, for another minute or two before combining all the meat and veggies together.

Add the thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry.

Turn off the heat and drizzle the lime juice over the chicken and veggies, then stir in the salsa.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the water content. Add the sour cream and butter and start smashing away with a masher.

Add ¼ to ½ cup milk to get the potatoes to the desired consistency. Season the super mashers with salt and pepper.

Pile up one fourth of the potatoes on each plate. Top with a generous handful of Cheddar cheese. Pile up the hot chicken, peppers, and chili salsa on top of the super mashers and serve. The heat of the meat and veggies will melt the cheese. YUMMO!

4 SERVINGS

This meal was much better than the steak meal from 2 nights ago, of which it is one of 2 variations. I left the garlic/scallion mixture out of the potatoes and the chicken cooked up much less watery and much more tender than the steak. I used mild salsa (although I couldn't find green salsa; I used red), and poblanos instead of anaheims, so it was not as spicy and my girls actually ate it. Overall, a winner!

May 24: Spanish Fish and Chorizo Stoup

1/2 pound chorizo, diced
1 large starchy potato, such as Idaho, peeled and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 celery ribs and the leafy greens, chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch slices, then separated and washed to release dirt, and drained
   Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/3 cup white vermouth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups seafood stock, or 1 cup each chicken stock and clam juice
1 envelope saffron powder, about 1 1/2 grams, or a pinch of saffron threads (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 to 3 pounds cod or scrod, cut into large bite-size chunks
   Juice of 1 lemon
1 to 1 1/4 pounds small Manila clams (optional)
   Crusty bread, for dipping

Heat a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo, cook for a minute or two to darken and render the sausage a bit, then add the potatoes and garlic and coat in fat.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the celery and leeks and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes, then add the wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stock, saffron, thyme, and half of the parsley.

Put the lid on the pan and bring the stoup to a boil. Season the fish chunks with lemon juice and salt. Arrange the fish in a single layer on top of the stoup and replace the lid.

Cook for 3 minutes, or until the fish is opaque at all edges but still a bit undercooked in the middle and not yet firm. Add the clams in a single layer, replace the lid, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the clams all open. Discard any clams that refuse to open. Uncover the pan, dip into the stoup, and carefully spoon the sauce over the cooked seafood.

Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Ladle stoup into shallow bowls, garnish with the remaining parsley, and serve with lots of crusty bread.

4 VERY GENEROUS SERVINGS, OR UP TO 6 SINGLE-BOWL SERVINGS

I had to change some things about this soup, not by choice, mostly, but by necessity. I think I only used 1 pound of fish, which was plenty for us. I omitted the Olive oil that you cook the chorizo in. I don't understand why you need fat to cook fat in. I also made the saffron and the clams optional. It is very hard to find real live clams in any market around here, or in Mobile where we used to live. And I couldn't bring myself to pay over $16 for saffron threads. I made this soup with saffron before, and honestly, I couldn't tell the difference. Perhaps my tastebuds aren't as refined as they should be.

The soup was still pretty good. My husband seemed to like it. The flavor was good, but I didn't care for the soggy texture of the leeks or the blandness of the fish... maybe the chunks were too big for me. I think if my ingredients were as fresh and high quality as RR's, I would have had a pretty darn good soup.

Rachael Ray says: "Food Network is located at Chelsea Market, in Manhattan. The Lobster Place is a great seafood shop within this huge market. I made up this meal one night during a run of taping for 30-Minute Meals. I stopped into the market and took home pure white scrod, some tiny Manila clams, and a little pack of saffron powder as my inspiration. It was so delish that John and I ate it three nights in ten, sharing it with family and friends two of those evening as the simplest, tastiest way we could think to entertain a crowd. Whether you're feeding one or some, make a whole pot of this stoup (thicker than soup, thinner than stew), as the leftovers get even better!"

May 23: Super Mashers with Steak and Pepper Hash

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho
   Coarse salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 1/3 pounds 1-inch-thick beef sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced
   Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 Anaheim or poblano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
   Several drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
   Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup sour cream or reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or reduced-fat milk, depending on how soft you like your mashers
1 sack (10 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Peel the taters and cut them into small chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.



Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, add salt to season, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

In a small pot over medium-low heat, add about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil - just eyeball it. Add the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic. Saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the scallions and remove the pan from the heat. Reserve.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the sliced steak with salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. The oil will smoke - don't freak out, just add the meat and start searing it up.

Brown the strips on all sides, hit it with some Worcestershire sauce, then push it off to one side of the pan and add the remaining tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the peppers, chilies, and onions, season with salt and pepper, then toss them around, searing the edges, for another minute or two before combining all the meat and veggies together.

Add the thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry. Turn off the heat and drizzle some hot sauce and the lime juice over the steak and veggies. Adjust the seasonings.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the water content. Add the reserved garlic and scallion mixture to the potatoes along with the sour cream and start smashing away with a masher. Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup milk to get the potatoes to the desired consistency. Season the super mashers with salt and pepper.

Pile up one fourth of the potatoes on each plate. Top with a generous handful of Cheddar cheese. Pile up meat and veggies on top of the super mashers and serve. The heat of the meat and veggies will melt the cheese. YUMMO!

4 SERVINGS

This meal is ok, but I would definitely change some things next time around. First of all, I would skip the garlic/scallion mixture in the potatoes... my husband didn't like the scallions and I didn't like the (almost) raw garlic. Second, I would not add any hot sauce, since the chilies add enough heat to the dish. My daughters had trouble eating it. Then, I might leave out the sour cream, because with the lime juice, the whole dish is already fairly sour, and there's not much to balance out the sourness. Finally, the steak was flavorful, but very tough. I might either slice it even thinner, or tenderize it beforehand. This is the master recipe, so I'll get 2 more shots at it... first with chicken, then with shrimp. We'll see if I can get it right.