No Mayonnaise Here!!! Potato Salad

I wanted to make a warm potato salad to go with some homemade coleslaw and grilled brats. This is what I came up with... next time I may use fresh parsley, and some chopped fine red onion. This was also very good chilled!!!

Warm Potato Salad

-serves 4-6 side dish-

Approx. 15 small Potatoes, (I used baby Yukon's and Purple ones from the Farmer's Market)

3/4 tsp. Dry Mustard

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp. Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil your potatoes until fork tender- mine took about 12-15 minutes. The skin on these potatoes rubbed off while still warm... You could also peel with a veggie peeler. Then slice the potatoes thin.

Whisk remaining ingredients together in a bowl, and pour over warm potatoes, letting sit so the flavors can mingle and seep into the potatoes. Serve warm, room temp, or cold.

Lemon Feta Green Beans

This recipe is inspired by a dish my mother-in-law made for us while we were visiting them this summer. I used a pretty assortment of green beans I picked from my mother's garden yesterday. The fresh lemon juice and feta cheese compliment the green beans beautifully. Very simple to make as well. This is our favorite way to eat green beans at the moment!!

Lemon Feta Green Beans

Roughly 3/4-1 Lb of Green Beans

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Shallot, minced

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Approximately 1 oz Feta Cheese, or to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Saute the garlic and shallot in olive oil, whisk together with the lemon juice, then set aside.

2. Steam the beans until just tender, then pour the garlic/shallot, lemon juice, olive oil mixture over them. Sprinkle Feta Cheese on top while still warm. Season with salt and pepper.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This recipe was inspired by a scrumptious salad I had at one of my favorite restaurants here in Grand Rapids called Marie Catrib's. I ate the salad, and vowed to come up with a recipe that tasted similar. This came really close! I made a light "vinagrette" to mix into this salad... and when I was done I couldn't help but pick at it all day!

I love Quinoa, it is a perfect grain to add protein and fiber... this dish is not only delicious, but extremely healthy as well. This salad can be a main course or a side dish.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

-serves 4-6-

(can be used as side or main dish!)

1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed
2 Cups Water
1 Cup chopped Cherry Tomatoes
1 Cup chopped Cucumber
1/2 Cup Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup Red Onion, chopped
1/2 Can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed
1/2 Can Adzuki Beans, rinsed
20 Kalamata Olives, chopped
2 Tbsp minced Fresh Cilantro
1 Tbsp minced Fresh Mint
1-2 Tbsp minced Fresh Parsley
1/2 Cup crumbled Feta (more or less to taste)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a saucepan, bring the rinsed Quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Chop cucumber, carrot, tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, mint, parsley, and cilantro, place in a bowl, and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, orange juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Gently mix the Quinoa in with your veggies. Drizzle your vinagrette and gently mix together. Mix the Feta in, or sprinkle on top.

4. Serve room temperature or slightly chilled. This is great on a bed of greens with pita chips on the side. Or mix in leftover chicken or steak. This can be made vegan by omitting the Feta.

"Chinese Take-Out"

This is a recipe I make very often. I have adapted it from meals matter. The sauce reminds me of the beef and broccoli sauce you would get from chinese takeout. I never have any complaints when I make this meal for my boys. The flank steak is great as a "stir-fry" meat. I have also included our favorite way to make basic rice, the stock adds a little more flavor.




Beef with Vegetables in Oyster Sauce

1 Lb. Flank Steak
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dry Red Wine
2 Tbsp Chicken Broth
6 Tbsp Oyster Sauce (I use Kikkoman Brand)
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tsp Cornstarch
4 Garlic cloves, minced or "microplained"
1 Inch Piece of Ginger Root, minced or "microplained"
2 Carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 small head of Broccoli, cut into florets
Handful of Green Beans, halved


1. Trim the Flank Steak of any excess fat. Cut into 1 inch strips with the grain, then slice across the grain into 1/8 inch thick slices. Put the Steak in a bowl, add the soy sauce, and let marinate in the fridge for about an hour.

2. Whisk the chicken broth, oyster sauce, red wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch together in a bowl. Combine the garlic and ginger in a separate bowl.

3. Heat some oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the steak in batches, until browned on each side and around the edges. Set the steak aside.

4. I usually steam my vegetables (especially carrots and green beans) a bit over the rice (while it is simmering) to give them a head start on getting tender, then I transfer them to the wok with a little oil, and saute until tender crisp.

5. In the empty wok, add a tablespoon of oil, and your ginger and garlic, saute over medium- low heat for about 3 minutes, add your vegetables, and saute over medium heat until tender but crisp, add the steak, add your sauce, and mix well, sauteing until the sauce has thickened. Serve over Rice.


Basic Rice

2 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup white rice (long grain)
2 Tbsp Butter

Add all ingredients in a sauce pan, Bring to a boil, boiling until little tunnels form, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing and serving.

A Quick Easy (Yummy) Meal!!!

I have always loved polenta, and it has been awhile since I made any. This recipe uses the pre-made polenta, which you can find in tubes in the refrigerated section, or in the pasta/italian food isle. The shrimp turned out to be my take on "scampi", and the Green Beans my husband prepared went quite nicely.


Fried Polenta Rounds with Shrimp
- serves 3-4 -

1 tube of Polenta, I used a garlic-basil flavored
1/4 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
Raw Shrimp, thawed 4-6 per person(depending on size)
2 Tbsp Butter
Dash of Lemon Pepper
2 Squirts of Lime Juice
Dash of Seasoned Salt
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Dried Oregano
Parmesan Cheese for Sprinkling

1. Slice the polenta tube into 1/4 inch thick slices (about 12 slices).

2. Peel and de-vein the shrimp, (I removed the tails as well for easier eating).

3. Add the spaghetti sauce to a small sauce pan to heat on low.

4. In a large saute pan, heat the butter mixed with some olive oil over medium heat (6). Add the polenta slices and fry, until one side begins to brown and crust, then flip and fry the other side until golden brown and crisp. This takes about 7 minutes per side.

5. Remove the polenta rounds to a paper towel lined plate to drain some of the oil. Turn down the heat to medium-low (4-5).

6. In the same pan, with the same butter/olive oil, add the shrimp, you may need to add a little extra oil and/or butter. Season the shrimp with the seasoned salt, lemon pepper, lime juice, garlic powder, and oregano. Cook until no longer pink, then flip and cook the other side until no longer pink. This takes only a couple minutes on each side!

7. To Serve, Place 3 polenta rounds (or more) on each plate, top with spaghetti sauce, and then top with shrimp. Sprinkle parmesan if desired.


Asian Green Beans
- serves 2-4 depending on your portion size -
(we try to make your veggie portion larger than our meat portion)

1/2 Lb Green Beans, washed but not cut
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Cumin
Dash of Ground Ginger
Splash of Lime Juice

In a wok, heat the Olive Oil and Soy Sauce. Add the garlic powder, cumin, ginger, and lime juice to taste. Saute the Green Beans until slighty tender, but still crisp.

Baked Fingerling Potato Chips

I had been craving a burger for about a week now.... so for dinner tonight I made burgers with grassfed beef (thanks mom!) on the foreman grill.... which I think does a pretty good job with burgers. I made these awesome fingerling potato chips to go with them... along with some green beans...

Baked Fingerling Potato Chips



2-3 fingerling potatoes for each person (you can also use Russet)
Olive Oil or Melted Butter
Salt, Pepper, or other Seasoning (try salt and vinegar!) or some pickle juice!

1. Start by slicing the potatoes very thin... about 1/8 inch or smaller (a mandolin would have been great for this...)
2. Preheat your oven to 450.
3. Soak the potatoes in cold water to get rid of some of the excess starch. Rinse the potatoes.
4. Dry the potatoes thoroughly on paper towels- DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
5. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer, lined with parchment paper, or silicone mat.
6. Brush with olive oil or melted butter, then season with salt or other seasoning.
7. Bake until golden around the edges, I find the fingerling get little bubbles in them. Start by baking about 10-15 minutes. Check them often, mine tend to crisp at different rates... depending on the thickness. Flip when one side is dried and crispy. Mine take about 30 minutes total... but it depends on your oven and the thickness of your potato.

Serve warm, and leftovers are great snack the next day crisped up in the toaster oven.

For some reason my purple chips went first!