Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad

Light and refreshing, 

this creamy cucumber tomato salad is a hit with any meal!

It’s a classic salad that’s good on its own or served with grilled chicken, fish, pork or burgers or grilled steak. In other words, it’s a tasty side dish that goes for most any meat!

July 4th Best Potato Salad

Bill has probably not met a potato salad he didn’t like, I used to take it or leave it, as in too mushy, too wet, and swimming in mayo. 

Then I made it this way...

Potato salad has been around for many cook outs, a classic for the 4th of July!  The dish has been served since the early 20th century and things haven’t changed much with it.  

Harvest Apple Salad

I've always liked Waldorf salad, and then I came across this recipe.  Fresh chopped apples, dried cherries, cubes of cheddar cheese, and a sprinkling of nuts, all folded in a tangy sour cream sauce.  

This recipe is adapted from a Chicago Tribune recipe of long ago.  The tartness of Granny Smith apples mingling with the sweet crisp taste of Honeycrisp apples is a flavorful combination or, use your favorite apple.  Substitute dried cranberries or raisins for cherries, if you like. And add coarsely chopped pecans or walnut in place of the nut topping.  The possibilities go on and on...

After Almost 9 Years, it's So Long with a Corn Salad Recipe

It has been almost 9 years, since October 2009, that I started this blog.  That's a lot of posts and I've reached the point where it has become a chore for me, so it's time to say so long.

It has been a great journey, I've learned a lot from all of you over the years and thank you all very much for your support of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner!  I'm leaving you with a great summer recipe that I hope you'll try...

It’s looks like fiesta time when you serve this spicy corn salad for your crowd! 

Tortellini Salad with Asiago, Peas and Proscuitto

Tortellini was a new food to me when we moved here to the Chicago area years ago ~ it was absolutely love at first bite!

The legend of tortellini is a little amusing: 

Let Us Honor Memorial Day, and Kick Start Summer with a Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Get out your white shoes, and let's celebrate the start of summer by honoring our nation's veterans!

Let us pay tribute to all veteran's who have given their lives to our nation's wars...

Gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery decorated with American flags on Memorial Day

On Monday ~ Memorial Day ~ according to the "The National Moment of Remembrance Act," passed in December, 2000, we Americans are encouraged to pause wherever we are at 3:00 p.m. local time, for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.  

It's a way we can all help put memorial back into Memorial Day.

Now for the cucumber salad...

It's super quick, super easy and, you guessed it:  super good and tasty!

You won't find a fresher-tasting salad than this simple stunner.

It's a Cool, Refreshing, Summertime Salad!


Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large seedless cucumber, peeled
1 small white onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chopped dill

Method:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and sugar. 

Add oil in a slow stream, stirring constantly.

Halve cucumber lengthwise, cut halves crosswise into ⅛"-thick slices.

Toss cucumber with onion, dill and vinaigrette.

Serves 4 
Printable recipe

Enjoy!

Here’s wishing you all

a

Safe and Happy

Memorial Day Weekend!

Honeyed Winter Citrus Salad

Growing up, my parents and brother were crazy about fruit; there was never a shortage of it in the kitchen, with Mom dishing it out every chance she got.

I didn’t get it…  

Then Bill and I married…  Two sons, a grandson, and many years later, fruit lovers still rule in my family.

And I still don’t get it…

Am I alone in this?  Maybe I’m missing out on Mother Nature’s bounty, but I could never eat another piece of fruit for the rest of my life and be OK with it!

Colorful anyway!

With the exception of the very few fruits I do enjoy occasionally (rarely):  grapefruit, cherries and pineapple, blueberries and blackberries, plus apple pie and banana bread.  The first 2 are why I love this fruit salad!

If there's no pie, a simple fruit salad can be the perfect ending to your dinner, maybe more appropriate than an elaborate combination.  

Ruby red grapefruit tastes great with it’s tart and tangy flavor, it’s higher in some nutrients, such as Vitamins A and C, than white grapefruit, making it the better choice for us grapefruit lovers.

Navel oranges, the “winter” orange, have a lack of seeds, easy to peel skin, and juicy flesh.  The orange grows a second “twin” fruit opposite its stem.  The second fruit is underdeveloped, but from the outside, it looks like a human navel, hence the name.

Peeling and segmenting grapefruits and oranges is a breeze, here’s the method I’ve been using for years.  If you’ve never tried it, give it a try, it’s easy peasy!

And who doesn’t like maraschino cherries!  The cherries are preserved, sweetened cherries, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as Royal Ann or Rainier varieties.   

They’re the “cocktail cherry” in many cocktails, or used as a garnish on foods ranging from fruit salads to baked ham, to ice cream sundaes and pastries, with no pineapple upside-down cake being complete without maraschino cherries.

Toss it all together with a light dressing of honey and lime juice with a touch of strong, spicy, citrusy, aromatic cardamom for added flavor.  

Hope you like it!

Winter Citrus Salad w/Honey Dressing

Ingredients:

2 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and ends trimmed
4 navel oranges, peeled and end trimmed
6 maraschino cherries or more, sliced
¼ t ground cardamom
2 tablespoons honey 
1 tablespoon lime juice

Method:

Peel the grapefruit.
Place a sieve over a medium bowl.
Hold a grapefruit over the bowl, and using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment.
Free the segments and let them fall into the sieve.
Repeat with remaining grapefruit and oranges. 
Place the fruit segments in a salad bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together cardamom, vinegar, honey and lime juice, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Pour over fruit.
Add sliced cherries and toss lightly.
4-6 servings

Printable recipe


Enjoy!

Crispy Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing

You’re familiar with the old rule of thumb, you should drink eight glasses of water per day, some experts say more… 

That seems like quite a grind to me most days, but here’s the catch:  You don’t have to drink all that water...

Roughly 20% of our daily water intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food at 97%, and they truly do have a cooling effect on the body, so there is some truth to the phrase, “cool as a cucumber”.

While it’s still important to drink plenty of water, especially on hot days, eating cucumber is a great way to get some of that fluid into your body and quench your thirst at the same time.

But, the great refreshing cucumber taste is the best part, and this slightly adapted Country Living recipe provides the proof ~

It’s a fresh, crunchy, tasty salad of cucumber, celery, and onion; enhanced with a touch of dill and seasonings,  swimming in a creamy tangy dressing coating.    

It’ll perk up your taste buds, for sure!

Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing
Printable recipe      

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method:

Whisk together sour cream, oil, lemon juice, dill, and sugar in a bowl.
Season with salt and seasoned pepper.
Add vegetables and toss to combine.
8 servings


 Enjoy!

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

This is a flashback of our trip to 

Hawaii

where all the best juicy fragrant

 luscious pineapple grows!

 

Dole Plantation on Oahu Island, Hawaii

A great tour and delicious Dole Pineapple Whip!

  

Thanks to Bill's friend for this recipe that’s apparently all over the www, but this is the first I’ve laid eyes on it.
 
It’s pineapple, ham, red bell pepper, and green onion, all coated with a tasty pineapple dressing for a delicious pasta salad.

This is another potluck dish for the summer, that’s a little different in a great way.  It’s all about the fantastic sweet and tangy pineapple dressing that’s so easy to make.  

The creamy sauce has a whole lot of tang, thanks mainly to the added vinegar, Dijon mustard and sour cream.  Pineapple juice and a spoonful of honey take the edge off.  

It gives awesome flavor when combined well in the bowl filled with pasta, pineapple, ham, peppers and onion.  

It may not be the fanciest of dishes, but it’s one of the best of the season…

It will surely be a hit at your family cookout or at your next gathering!



Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Printable recipe 

Ingredients:

8 ounces bow tie pasta
1 (14-ounces) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups diced ham
2 green onions, sliced thin

Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper to taste

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss with the dressing.
Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Store refrigerated up to 5 days.


Enjoy it!

Perfect Potato Salad for the 4th of July!

Summer holidays and potato salad, always boiled down to the name “Aunt Frances," not only my Aunt Frances, but Bill’s Aunt Frances also.  

They were the “go to ladies” for potato salad back then, but unfortunately I never got either of their recipes and so am always on the hunt for the perfect potato salad recipe, and this one I’ve got for you today is close.

This recipe, slightly adapted here, was in the Chicago Tribune by Leah Eskin, in her “Home on the Range” food column.  

By the way, she has a great cookbook, Slices of Life, that’s not only filled with recipes, but a generous helping of her life stories that happened on her way cooking and baking when she was young, and later for her own family. 

Back to this recipe, it strays a little from traditional potato salad and makes the most of summer, with its surprising good taste.  

I would’ve never thought of including peas in potato salad ~ it’s a perfect match, accented by mayonnaise combined with sour cream, dill, lemon zest and Dijon mustard, with lots of chopped red onion thrown in and garnished on top with sliced olives for Bill, the potato salad conniseur!

It’s not a sweet dish, just savory and delicious, that’s good warm, but is just as delicious when chilled. 

This is my new go-to potluck dish 

for summer here in the 

Midwest ~

we do love a good potluck!

Potato Salad w/Peas
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

3 pounds red-skin potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped red onion
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon dried dill or ¼ cup snipped dill fronds
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Sliced green olives, for garnish, optional

Method:

Boil:  Settle potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with cold, salted water by 1 inch.  Bring to a rolling boil, turn down to a low boil and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a skewer, about 25 minutes.

Cut:  When potatoes are cool enough to handle (but still warm), cut into 1-inch cubes. Pile into a large bowl.  Sprinkle in peas (no need to defrost) and red onion.

Mix:  Whisk together mayo, sour cream, dill, mustard, zest, and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour this dressing over potatoes.  Mix gently with a soft spatula.  Arrange sliced olives over top, if desired. 

Serve:  I like this still warm, but it's good at any temperature; keep cold for picnics. 

 
8 Servings



Enjoy!

Celebrate

and have a safe

Happy 4^th!

Mustard Slaw

Mustard is my favorite condiment.  Bill and I had lunch at Red Robin yesterday, where he watched me smear my burger with mustard.  He told me that’s as bad as putting ketchup on a hot dog, which I would never do.  

Grandpa always spread his bread with mustard, so I learned about mustard at an early age.  But then, I always loved Miracle Whip spread on white bread for an after school snack too…

Speaking of Red Robin ~ have you been there lately and noticed a $1.99 charge on your bill for Entertainment Tax?  Seriously now!

Anyway, if you like mustard, here’s your slaw ~ that’s the secret ingredient with this fantastic slaw.
Mellow yellow mustard gives the slaw just enough bite; without overpowering the slaw, like a pungent spicy hot mustard.  

Adding the combination of mayo, a little sugar, half-and-half, celery seed, and a splash of vinegar makes the dressing creamy, sweet and tangy, having a very balanced flavor.

Purchase a bag of shredded cabbage mixture to eliminate your doing the doing the shredding and/or to save time.

This slaw is perfect with burgers, fish sandwiches or on pulled pork sandwiches.  

You will be hooked from the first bite, and hopefully your mustard naysayers will too!

This is pretty tasty slaw!


Mustard Slaw
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

5 cups white cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

Mix vegetables in a large bowl.
Blend everything else in the blender or whisk well.
Pour over cabbage and toss.
Makes 6 cups


ENJOY!

Pan-fried Spicy Tilapia w/Cucumber Salad

This weeknight dinner wasn’t fancy, nor fussy, just delicious with the pairing of pan-fried tilapia and cucumbers!

It had been a while since we last had tilapia so it was time to fry some up.  Lots of spicy seasonings were in order, with cornmeal for added crunchiness.  Adjust cayenne pepper to your heat preference.

I serve the cucumber salad with fish year round because it’s delicious and knows how to perk up a meal.

The salad is composed of crisp and cool cucumbers smothered in a sour cream sauce, with enough white wine vinegar for a little bite.  

Red bell peppers and green onions are incorporated for taste and eye appeal ~ and a smidgeon of sugar doesn’t hurt either ~ it keeps it on the delicate side.

This is a quick meal that isn’t short on flavor...

In other words, it’s pretty close to perfection and good enough for company!


Pan-fried Spicy Tilapia w/Cucumber Salad
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds fresh tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon each, butter and vegetable oil
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
½ teaspoon each, salt and seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over low heat.
Pat fish dry with a paper towel.
On a shallow plate, mix together cornmeal and seasonings.
While butter melts, dredge fish in cornmeal mixture.
Increase heat to medium high, heat for a minute until butter turns a golden brown.
Add fillets to pan and sauté about 3 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Transfer to serving plate and serve with Cucumber Salad.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
¼ light sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar, more or less

Method:

Combine all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving with tilapia.
Serve

ENJOY!