I am a HUGE fan of potato salad, especially this time of year!  Its so perfect for the summer and for all those get-togethers we plan during these warmer months.  It makes the perfect carry along and picnic dish.  I confess . . .  I have even been known to eat it for breakfast!


I am also always looking for something different to do as far as salads go.  I have a motto, and it is this . . .  "There is no such thing as a boring salad!" 


 This salad is so far from boring that it is sure to become a family favourite, with two types of potatoes . . .  white and sweet . . .  and the surprise ingredient . . .  a tiny bit of butternut squash!


Add to that a punchy cider vinegar dressing with onion and zesty dry mustard along with the flavour and crunch of celery seed.  (I love celery seeds!)



With plenty of chopped parsley, this is a fabulous salad that will have everyone scrambling for seconds. Perfect with your grilled chicken and pork dishes, as well as salmon, this is sure to become everyone's favourite.  I guarantee you will be asked to bring it along to your next cookout!


a handful of chopped toasted walnuts (about 1/4 cup)


Cook the butternut squash cubes in a pot of boiling water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain well and allow to cool.


Gently mix both potatoes and the butternut squash in a large bowl wth the parsley. Fold in the dried cranberries, onion and chopped walnuts. Cover and chill.  Serve at room temperature.


I am koo koo for dried cranberries and nuts in anything, but I have to tell you they are quite simply beautiful in this delicious potato salad.  Somewhat reminiscent of a harvest type of salad that you might want to eat closer to the holidays, but don't wait til then.  Make and eat this now!   Heck, make and eat this all year round!  Bon Appetit!

 Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers and friends!

Oh dear, chicken two days in a row.  Forgive me!  I had some chicken breasts that I wanted to use up and I did not want to freeze them, so here you go, chicken two days in a row.   Two very different prepartions however!  But, this is also somewhat light and healthy and perfect for a light summer supper!


I don't know how it works, but slicing chicken breasts in half horizontally always seems to tenderize them, and of course it quickens the cook time, so this is also a supper that is very quick to put on the table!


The only faffy part is the pané-ing of the chicken.  ( A fancy French word for breading.) But even that isn't too difficult.


I use a vegetable peeler to cut my carrots into ribbons.   They give a nice look.   I also de-seed the tomatoes for this type of salad, when you don't want the tomato seed/juices diluting the dressing.


There's plenty of Parmesan cheese in the breading and then again in the dressing . . . giving it a lovely creaminess that goes very well with the tartness of the lemon.  Lemon and Parmesan . . .  a brautiful combination.




2 TBS butter



 Cut the chicken breasts horizontally into two pieces each.  Pound lightly between some cling film.  Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the flour for the chicken into a shallow bowl. Whisk the egg in another shallow bowl.  Combine the bread crumbs and cheese in another shallow bowl.  Dip each chicken first into the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to coat well on each side.




This was beautiful enjoyed out on the patio beneath the umbrella with a nice breeze ruffling the hair. Todd is not such a salad freak, but I added a baked potato for him and he was happy.  Bon Appetit!

 
 It uses mini chicken fillets (chicken tenders) which have been marinated in some harissa paste. Well, actually  . . .  the original recipe doesn't really marinate them, but I wanted the flavour to stick, so I let them stand for half an hour after I mixed them with the paste so that the flavours really got into the meat.


You could also use boneless chicken breast cut into strips . . .  or even boneless chicken thighs. Both would work very well.

 There is a tiny sinew that runs along the underside of mini chicken fillets that I like to remove with a sharp knife. It only takes a few minutes to get rid of it and it helps to keep them nice and tender.  Just sip the tip of a sharp knife under it and then work the knife down the length to loosen it and cut it out.  I use both of my hands for this.  I grab the tendon and hold it with some kitchen toweling so I can get a good grip and run the knife with the other hand.  Its quite simple really.



 You spread the hummus on the toasted bottom bun . . .  if you don't like beetroot, you can use pain hummus, or I am thinking the lemon/pepper or red pepper hummus would also be VERY tasty!

 
Toast the cut sides of the burger buns. Spread the bottoms with the hummous, top with a portion of the spinach and cucumber ribbons and a fourth of the chicken.  Top with the tops of the buns and serve immediately.


Now that's what I call one heck of a delicious burger!  Todd ate his with a knife and fork.  Me . . .  I'm common, I just piled on the top bun, picked it up and dug in.  Yum! YUM!  Bon Appetit!

Courgettes (zucchini), asparagus, chicken stock and brown rice.  Oh, and a bit of Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley.  Not a lot really!



I prepped all of my ingredients . . .  cleaning and chopping the vegetables, grating the cheese, and it went together very quickly.  I am sure I had it ready and on the table in less than 15 minutes!


 I used a gel pot stock, the kind you get from Knorr, and I used the vegetable one which meant that the dish was completely vegetarian.  Well, except for the cheese.  I know a lot of veggies don't use cheese because it is a milk product and they don't even use anything produced by an animal.




I love courgettes and I love asparagus, but if you didn't like those I am sure you could create another combination that would be equally as tasty . . .  like green beans and peas . . .  or, well, just use your imagination. I think almost any vegetable combination would work . . . 



Some people don't mind eating pink food.  I am quite fond of beetroot myself!  I hope you will give it a go!  It would make a lovely quick and tasty mid-week supper!



Note - if you want to add cooked chicken or fish, add it with the rice. Make sure it is completely heated through.

One of the things I love most about this time of year is Strawberry Shortcake.  Of course my mom made the best strawberry shortcake.  She used biscuits and filled with them crushed berries and whipped cream, or ice cream, depending on what she had ready to hand. You can find that recipe here.  Its not low fat or low sugar, but it is high on deliciousness!



We grow our own strawberries and they are coming fast and furious at the moment.  It is a race to see who will get to them first, us, or the birds  . . .  or the slugs.  Meh!  Everyone's got to eat I guess!


When I saw this recipe for a lightened up version for Strawberry Shortcake, I really wanted to try it out. It didn't use the biscuits my mother always used, but it did include a delicious low fat and sugar sponge.  It sounded quite promising!


I had some sour milk in the refrigerator left from when we were on our holiday and so I used that instead of regular milk, adapting the recipe to do so.  The cake worked out beautifully and is light and moist . . .  not very sweet, but you can't have it all.


If I could choose to do anything differently it would be to crush the berries lightly instead of just slicing them.  I think crushed berries would be even nicer.


No, it did not compare to my mothers . . .  not in the least, but it was still very good.  And I won't complain about that!


So, if you are looking for a cake that you can have and eat too, then this might be the one.  The cake on its own would be lovely split and filled with whipped cream and lemon curd . . .  just saying.  It's a great basic cake.


I am sitting here imagining it split and filled with all sorts . . .  crushed raspberries, peaches . . . rhubarb compote!  Mmmm . . .



Cool completely before serving.  To serve cut into squares and split.  Place the bottom halves on serving plates. Top each with some of the prepared berries and 1 TBS of light topping.  Place the top of the cake squares on top.  Garnish with another TBS of lilght topping and some more sliced berries.  Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.