Mother's Sesame Seed Dressing v.2.0

This is my sister Jean's version of our mother's recipe from the 1950's.

In blender:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. hot paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp Sriracha (or other hot sauce)

3 drops sesame oil

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbl. toasted dry minced onion

1 cup olive oil

3/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbl. toasted sesame seeds

Buzz once or twice.

Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad

Serves 6.

Salad:
3 cups watermelon balls
2 cups halved small strawberries
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 oz. fresh water packed mozzarella balls, cherry sized
salt and pepper
basil leaves for garnish

Basil Vinaigrette:
1 small shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbl. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. black pepper
Mix all in blender or food processor until smooth

Chicken and Fruit Salad

Use the amounts that make sense to you.

Cubed cooked chicken

Chopped apple
Canned pineapple, chopped (reserve juice)
Seedless grapes, cut in half

Grated carrot
Chopped celery

Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
Golden raisins
Pumpkin seeds

Optional: Salt to taste, minced onion

Dressing: Mayonnaise thinned with the reserved pineapple juice and seasoned with curry powder.

Toss all together, cover and chill.

Marj's Salad Dressing

Our friend Marj drove down from the Netherlands to visit us when we stayed in Monts-sur-Guesnes (See Vacationing in French Country House, Was it all a Dream?). As you can see from the photo above, we had a wonderful kitchen and lovely food available from all the local outdoor markets. 

Marj made a salad dressing for us one night, the sort of thing a good cook just throws together, adding a bit of this, tasting a bit, and adding a bit of that. When I asked for the "recipe" she gave me the list of ingredients:

Equal parts of:

Olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

Add to taste and whisk all together:

Sautéed pine nuts

Chopped garlic

Mustard

Honey

Salt and pepper

The salad was delicious. We ate it on this veranda. What a wonderful evening!

Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Pear Salad

I had the best salad EVER at the Metro Deli in Chicago's Union Station while waiting for our train. It was very much like this one, which I found here and in several other places around the Internet. It seems like everyone has posted the same recipe, so I don't really know where it originated online. 

16 jumbo (U/15) shrimp

2 whole fresh pears of your choice, cut in 1/2 (core and stem removed)

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 oz dried cranberries

2 oz candied cashews

12 oz mixed baby greens 

5 oz balsamic vinaigrette

1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 oz croutons made with cinnamon and raisin bread

Directions

1. Mix 1 ounce balsamic vinegar with Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon oil and coat shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, grill 1 1/2 minutes per side until done, then keep warm.

2. Toss pears with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 450° F oven for 14 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Mix remaining balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl and toss in mixed greens and gently coat, add croutons, cranberries and cashews.

4. To serve: Divide greens onto 4 plates, arrange 4 grilled shrimp per plate and top with a sliced roasted pear half and serve.

My note: Add some gorgonzola, crumbled

Red Chile Caesar Dressing

Based on the Great Caesar Dressing in the book, The El Paso Chile Company's Burning Desires; Salsa, Smoke, and Sizzle, by W. Park Kerr.

Combine in a food processor or blender:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg at room temperature
4 to 6 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground red chile

Process until smooth.

With the motor still running, add through the feed tube in a quick, steady stream:
1 cup corn oil
1 cup olive oil

The dressing will thicken up nicely. Refrigerate in a covered storage container. Can be prepared up to three days before using.

Roadhouse Hippie Salad

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

On a warm August day, Beez and Auntie Bucksnort and I all went for a drive up around the Santa Fe area. We stopped for lunch at Harry's Roadhouse, a place that I had heard about again and again. We found a smallish-looking building with a a lovely view to the south and a huge, packed parking lot. However, there didn't seem to be much of a line, so we signed up and prepared for a wait.

To our surprise and delight, our names were called in under ten minutes. We were guided through the building, then into an added-on wing that had been invisible from the front of the place (and which explained where all the people were being seated), and then out to the most beautiful patio I've ever seen.

The patio was set into a hillside, so that it was actually a series of small terraces connected by the stone paths that wandered through natural-looking beds of colorful and fragrant flowers. There were several fountains, soft music in the background, and the whole was shaded by a number of very large trees.

If you have ever been in Santa Fe in the summer, you know how much you appreciate shade trees. You are at such an altitude (7000 ft.) that the air is probably thinner than what you are used to and the sun really beats down, so every scrap of shade is valuable. We were seated at a round table under one of the trees and the waitress immediately brought us huge glasses of ice water with lemon slices, and made sure to keep them coming.

Our meal was wonderful and the setting was fantastic. We vowed to go back and I bought the cookbook later as a gift for Bucksnort's birthday. Any time we are missing Santa Fe, we just page through and remember that fine afternoon.

Approaching Santa Fe

The Salad:

1 ear corn

2 medium beets

2 cups summer green beans

1 avocado

2 tomatoes

2 small heads or one large head Bibb lettuce

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

1 Vidalia (or sweet) onion made into Vidalia Onion Rings

Dried porcini mushroom powder*

Roast the corn (Remove outer husk. Turn back inner husks; remove silks. Replace inner husks. Place on grill. Turn often. Roast 12 to 15 minutes) and remove the kernels.

Boil the beets, then peel and cut into wedges.

Blanch green beans in boiling water and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cut tomatoes into wedges and dice avocados last.

Place the lettuce on a salad plate and top with corn, garbanzos, avocados, tomatoes, beets, and green beans. Drizzle with either Green Goddess or Sesame Dressing. Sprinkle with mushroom powder.

*Grind the mushrooms with a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder that has been reserved for spices.

For a nice review of breakfast at Harry's, be sure to go to Eating the Road.

Green Goddess Dressing

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

3 tbl. lemon juice

1/2 tbl. chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbl. fresh tarragon

2 tbl. fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1 tbl. fresh chopped mint

1 tbl. lemon balm

1/2 tbl. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and puree in a blender. Serve on the salad of your choice.

Sesame Dressing

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

8 ounces tahini

2 tbl. soy sauce

1 tsp. sambal sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup water

1 - 1/2 tbl. sesame oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. If it is too thick, add a little more water to get the proper consistency. Serve on the salad of your choice.

Broccoli Salad

I first had this at a family picnic in Massachusetts.

1 bunch raw broccoli* flowerets

1/2 lb. bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1/2 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 medium onion

Dressing:

1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbl. vinegar

Mix dressing into first 4 ingredients; stir well and chill.

*Can substitute cauliflower for broccoli or use a combination of the two

Brown Derby Potato Salad

The original Brown Derby Restaurant was opened in Los Angeles on Wilshire Blvd. in 1926. It was known for its distinctive brown hat shape, its good food, and because it was a place frequented by the Hollywood stars of the time. Three other L.A. branches were opened in 1929, 1931, and 1940--the latter, Los Feliz Brown Derby, is still in operation. The organization began a licensing program in 1987 with Disney and later with MGM. (Wikipedia).

My father's cousin was involved in the movie business and must have taken my parents to the original Brown Derby, as they always treasured memories of the place and enjoyed cooking from their copy of The Brown Derby Cookbook (Doubleday, 1949), which was passed down to me.

We kids loved this recipe, even though we might not have known its background. The bacon added just the right flavor and whenever my mother was making potato salad, this is the recipe we hoped she would use. She wrote little notes into the list of ingredients, and I have included those in brackets.

Serves 4.

3 large Idaho russet potatoes

2 tbs. chives [or green onions]

4 slices crisp bacon, chopped fine

1/2 cup hot chicken broth [one half cube bouillon, dissolved in 1/2 cup water]

1 tsp. celery salt

1/2 cup Brown Derby Mayonnaise [my note: See recipe below, or substitute Hellman's or Best Foods, depending on where you live]

1/3 cup Brown Derby Old-Fashioned French Dressing [use Girard's]

2 tbl. wine vinagar

1 tbl. parsley, chopped fine

Boil the potatoes until well done. While still slightly warm, slice into a medium-sized salad bowl. Add chives, bacon, chicken broth, celery salt, mayonnaise, French dressing, wine vinegar, and parsley. Mix well, allow to stand for an hour, and serve.

Brown Derby Mayonnaise

Makes one quart

6 egg yolks

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. English mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 tbl. mild vinegar

3 cups salad oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbl. boiling water

Beat egg yolks with electric beater or French whip. Add salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tbl. vinegar. Mix well.

Add oil in fine stream, whipping fast to absorb oil. Stop adding oil if it is not absorbed. As mixture becomes thick add remaining vinegar and lemon juice.

Continue whipping until all oil, vinegar, and lemon have been used. If mixed correctly all ingredients should be absorbed. Finally, whip in the boiling water.

Keep refrigerated. Do not freeze.

Becky's Pasta Salad

My friend Becky (who I've known since she was 4 years old, for those who are counting) and I have been cooking out every week lately. We both have summer Friday afternoons off and she works next to the green market in Rockefeller Plaza, so we get together with Marc and Jessi and a bunch of food and then we fire up the ol' grill! Each week, as Becky has rediscovered her passion for cooking, something wonderful has evolved. In her own words (beware the foul language, sensitive readers):

--1 lb Elbow Macaroni
--4-5 Hard Boiled Eggs, [chopped or sliced - bdvdb]
--2 Tomatoes, sliced
--1 large Cucumber, quartered and sliced
--1 large Red Onion, diced
--1 package Hillshire Farms Deli-sliced Honey Ham (You can of course use other ham, but that’s how I know how much to use)
--Mayonnaise (Enough to hold it together. I use Hellman’s light mayonnaise)
--Peter Luger Sauce** (5 capfuls, though I usually throw a dash more in on top of that)
--Cider Vinegar (1 capful)
--Salt and Pepper to taste.

Then just mix all that sh*t together and let cool. Or eat some while it’s still warm. It’s still pretty f*ckin’ tasty then too. -Becky

**Peter Luger's Steak Sauce pulls this whole salad together, so don't substitute it with anything else. It's also worth seeking out because it's possibly the most delicious condiment EVER. Once you taste it, Peter Luger will never be absent from your fridge again! Fortunately, the world is waking up to this sauce and it's becoming widely available in the meat department of many supermarkets. So go get it. Put it on everything.

Foul Madamas

Foul Madamas (or Ful Madamas -- Pronounced "fool" like the court jester) was another of my wonderful street food discoveries from King Shwarma. It's kind of a fava bean salad type of dish. According to many sources on the internet, it's an Egyptian breakfast side-dish to be served with a fried egg, but I always liked it spooned into a pita along with some lettuce and tomato and served as a sandwich. You can do whatever you want to do with it. It will remain delicious. I made up a hybrid recipe based on several recipes from the internet and my memory of King Schwarma's version.

--1 lb of dried Fava Beans
--4 cloves crushed Garlic
--Half a Red Onion, chopped
--Handful of Fresh Mint, chopped fine
--Handful of Fresh Parsley, chopped fine
--Juice of 2 or 3 Lemons
--1/4 cup Olive Oil
--1 tsp Ground Cumin

Soak beans overnight in water. Drain, and cover with fresh water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are tender. Drain and place in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. In my opinion, it should be GENTLY mixed together, leaving beans whole, though it is more commonly served mashed together. Refrigerate and serve cool.

Edamame Succotash

I usually enter Central Park though the southwest entrance so I can stop into Whole Foods first. I can tolerate the claustrophobic aisles, high prices and the pissy faux-rich people whenever I'm grabbing picnic food. It's a great store for quick take-out. For some reason, with hundreds of varieties of prepared food to choose from, I've always been drawn to the edamame succotash. It's really a visually stunning salad. And it's delicious too! Fortunately, the recipe was posted on the Whole Foods website. It contains some specialty ingredients, but it's totally worth tracking them down to make this salad.

--2 4-oz packages "Gourmet Mushroom Blend" (The Whole Foods blend has shiitake, crimini, baby bella and oyster mushrooms), coarsely chopped
--2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
--Sea Salt, to taste
--Ground Pepper, to taste
--1 16-oz package Edamame Soy Beans (not the kind in the shell!), thawed
--2 cups fresh or frozen Corn Kernels, thawed
--1 cup Dried Cranberries
--1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers, diced
--2 tbsp Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce
--1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
--2 tbsp Mirin
--1 1/2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

Over medium-high heat, sauté mushrooms in olive oil with salt and pepper until mushrooms give up their liquid (7-8 mins). Place edamame and corn in a large serving bowl. Add hot cooked mushrooms, cranberries and peppers. Make dressing by whisking together Thai sweet red chili sauce, Thai red curry paste, mirin, and toasted sesame oil. Gently toss in with the vegetables and adjust seasoning to taste. This salad is great when served chilled.

Waldorf Salad

My step-mother Marj had a recipe for a Waldorf salad that I wanted, but I can never get her to email recipes, so I began looking up several recipes. Most are very similar, but here's one called "It's a Wonderful Waldorf" from The Food Network's Alton Brown. It's a fascinating take on the recipe.

--2 Ginger Gold Apples (Fuji will substitute)
--1 Red Delicious Apple
--3 tbsp Cider Vinegar (Not in the recipe, but I would also add 2 tablespoons of Honey)
--1 cup Mayonnaise (I would recommend less, perhaps 2/3 cup. Marj would probably use Miracle Whip)
--1 pinch Kosher Salt
--Cracked Black Pepper
--3/4 cup Toasted Walnuts, crushed
--1 cup Golden Raisins
--2 tsp Curry Powder (many of the reviews cited the curry powder as being too much, so perhaps using half as much would suffice)
--2 stalks Celery, thin bias cut
--1/3 cup Fresh Mint, chiffonade
--1/2 Red Onion, julienned
--1 head Romaine Lettuce, heart only

Cut apples in half and remove the core with a melon baller. Chop apples into medium-sized pieces, leaving skin on. In a bowl, toss apples with the cider vinegar (and Honey if you're ME). Fold in mayonnaise thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in walnuts, raisins, curry powder, celery, mint, and red onion. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to incorporate. To serve, arrange 2 leaves of romaine lettuce per plate and spoon salad on top.

German Potato Salad

Here is the last of the potato salads that I'd like to post from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook, by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca. I haven't made it yet, but I have it slated for next weekend. I'm in the swing of BBQ season now, firing up the grill at least once a week now!

--4 lbs Red Potatoes, skins on
--1/2 lb good Bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
--2 medium Onions, finely minced
--1/2 cup White Wine Vinegar plus any more to taste
--1 1/2 tsp Sugar
--2 tsp Cornstarch, mixed with a few teaspoons of Water to make a smooth paste
--3/4 cup Water
--Salt and Pepper to taste
--1 Egg, beaten
--Fresh Chives, chopped

Fill a large pot 2/3 full with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until just past crunchy (7-8 minutes OR longer if you want softer spuds). Drain and set aside. In a heavy skillet, cook the onion and bacon until the onions are soft but not brown (about 6 minutes). Add the vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cornstarch paste and mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the water and return to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the mixture has a velvety texture. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Place them in a mixing bowl and salt and pepper them to taste. Pour the hot bacon and onion mixture over the top and add the beaten egg. Gently mix all the ingredients, taking care to not break the potato slices). Add more vinegar to taste, garnish with the chives and serve warm.

Warm Potato Salad With Swiss Cheese and Garlic Sausage

There are a couple other potato salads in The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook, by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca. I never made this, but I plan to.

--4 Potatoes (about 6-oz each), peeled
--1 cup Chicken Stock
--1/3 cup White Wine
--2 tsp Dijon Mustard
--1 tbsp White-Wine Vinegar
--1/3 cup Olive Oil
--Coarse Salt to Taste
--Fresh-Ground Black Pepper to taste
--1/4 lb Garlic Sausage (Cured sausage, not uncooked kind, preferably Saucisson a l'ail, a French garlic sausage)
--1 tbsp Fresh Tarragon Leaves
--2 tsp Fresh Chives, finely chopped
--2 tsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
--1/4 cup Swiss Cheese, chopped to the size of sesame seeds

Steam the potatoes in salted water until just tender (still slightly crunchy in the center - about 30 minutes). While the potatoes are cooking, boil the chicken stock and white wine in a heavy saucepan until reduced to a half cup. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking. Blend until smooth. Set aside. When the potatoes are cooked, reserve the water and set aside. Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices and place them in a roasting pan. Drizzle the reduced stock/wine over the potatoes. Season all with salt and pepper. Let the potatoes absorb the liquid for 5 minutes, then pour off the excess stock. Simmer the sausage in the reserved water until just warm, then slice it into thin rounds (or smaller pieces, if desired). Add to the potatoes along with the tarragon, chives, parsley and Swiss cheese. Toss. Whisk the mustard vinaigrette for a moment (to make sure it's mixed well), then toss with the potatoes to coat evenly. Serve over leaves of lettuce if you wanna be fancy.

Garlic-Roasted New Potato Salad

In those early days of college cooking, I used my kitchenette frequently. Most often, I used it as a place to stack cereal bowls and chill beer, but occasionally I'd throw a small dinner party. I was playing around with my fancy new cookbook, The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook, by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca, cooking from it often. Here's an example of an early dinner effort. Look at this recipe (in all it's garlicky glory). Can you taste how much I missed food with flavor? How much I needed to burn the cafeteria blandness from my mouth? How much I missed my mom's home cooking? Actually... If I recall correctly, I overdid it a little, counting out the "flavor cloves" a tad too liberally, and knocking my roommates on their asses. Since, I have modified this recipe a little:

--1 1/2 lbs Small New Potatoes, quartered
--2 tbsp Olive Oil
--1 tsp Dried Rosemary (Ben sez: Get Fresh Rosemary!)
--6 cloves Garlic, plus 2 cloves Garlic (separated), all minced fine
--1-2 tsp Kosher Salt
--1 tsp Fresh-Ground Black Pepper
--1/2 cup Mayonnaise
--3 tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced fine
--1 Lemon, halved

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large roasting pan, toss the potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, the 6 cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with the skin sides down. Roast for 45 minutes, shaking pan at minute-25 and minute-40 to make sure they aren't sticking. While the potatoes are baking, mix the mayonnaise with the remaining 2 minced cloves of garlic and parsley. Squeeze the lemon juice into the mix and stir until smooth. Let the dressing sit in the refrigerator while the potatoes finish (to let the flavors mellow). After potatoes are done roasting, let them cool for 15 minutes. Remove them from the roasting pan with a metal spatula, taking care to not break the pieces and place them in a large bowl. Mix with the mayonnaise dressing.

Auntie's Spinach Salad

My sister brought this salad to a barbecue and it was a big hit. Very delicious, and very good for you, too.

Combine for a dressing:

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

A couple of tbl. orange juice concentrate

Lemon juice and just a tiny bit of finely grated rind

Worcestershire

Dijon mustard

Sesame oil (just a drop)

Tobasco (just a drop)

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Sugar to taste (if too sour)

For the salad:

Spinach

Tomatoes

Shelled edamame (fresh soybeans--find them in the freezer section), cooked just slightly

Sugared walnuts (or maybe roasted salted sunflower or pumpkin seeds... hmmm.... sugared pumpkin seeds sound good)*

Dried cranberries

Optional: Crumbled gorgonzola or feta cheese

*Sugared walnuts: Just follow the directions for Sugared Almonds substituting walnuts

Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango Salad

I just saw this on Desert Candy and I want to eat it.

--1 Mango
--1/4 of medium-sized Red Onion, finely diced
--2 tbsp finely diced Red Bell Pepper (or Hot Chili Pepper)
--A few Cilantro leaves, finely chopped
--3 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
--1 Avocado, chopped
--1/2 lb Shrimp, peeled
--Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Peel and slice the mango, working over a bowl. Squeeze the juice from round the pit of mango into the bowl. Add the onion, pepper, cilantro, lime juice and toss to combine.

Boil a pot of water with a little salt, then turn heat down to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque and curled in 3/4 circles. Don't overcook! Immediately transfer shrimp to a colander and run cool water over them to stop cooking. Dice the shrimp. Add the shrimp and avocado to the mango mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.