The Best Potato Salad

For my Memorial Day weekend side dish I found a recipe for The Best Potato Salad. And true to its moniker, it really is the best. The dish is quick to assemble. A keeper.

The Best Potato Salad

Ingredients 
6 medium white potatoes or Yukon golds
About 2½ to 3 pounds, quartered
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 large celery stalks, diced
6 green onions, diced
5 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1½ cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1½ teaspoons celery seed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
paprika for garnish

Instructions 
Bring potatoes to a boil in large pot of cold water that's been liberally salted. Reduce the heat to medium high or a lightly rolling boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a pairing knife. Drain and let cool until just able to handle. Peel the skins from the potatoes and cut into large diced pieces. Transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the white vinegar and stir. Allow the potatoes to cool, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and green onions. Chop 4 of the hard boiled eggs and add to the potato mixture. In a medium bowl, mix the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, yellow mustard, celery seed and salt and pepper. Mix well into the potato mixture and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Slice the last egg into thin slices and place the slices on top of the salad. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.

Pierogi Casserole

I love pierogi and I have made them from scratch. Well minus making my own dough. And despite the outcome being amazing, the process is tedious. So when I found a recipe for a pierogi lasagna
I knew I had to try it. The result is as delicious and less labor involving. You can add bacon and ham to it. Or whatever combination you like.

Pierogi Casserole 

Ingredients

5 red skinned potatoes, peeled(optional) and cubed
1/2 cup milk, cream or half and half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste 1
(8 ounce) container sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, drain, then combine with the milk and 6 tablespoons of butter, mash and set aside. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions and cool under running water. Place 1/2 of the mashed potatoes into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top this with 1/3 of the cheese, followed by a layer of lasagna noodles. Repeat this with the remaining potatoes, another 1/3 of the cheese and a layer of noodles. Then arrange onion and garlic over the noodles, then another layer of noodles, and finally top all with the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh chives.
 

This is another recipe from Stacy Snacks Online. I adore her recipes. Some are simple. Others a bit more work. But all are spectacular. This pairs grilled salmon with a lovely avocado salad. Fantastic, healthy and light. 

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa 

Adapted From Adapted from Stacey Snacks Online

4 salmon filets, about 1/2 lb. per person, skin removed (ask the fish monger to do this for you)

1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp onion powder (I did not use this, cause I don't have it!)
1 tsp black pepper

Place the salmon filets in a glass dish and add the salt, spices and oil. You can let this sit in the fridge, covered all day until ready to sear.

Make the avocado salad:
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
a couple of cherry tomatoes, quartered (for some color)
1/4 small red onion, sliced
2 mild hot peppers, seeded and deveined, diced or sliced (optional)
juice from 2 limes (or lemons)
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
kosher salt

Lightly mix the avocado slices in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and season with kosher salt. Refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

In a heavy grill pan, sear the fish for 3 minutes on each side until it is done to your liking. I used wild Coho salmon, so it was done very quickly because it is denser and drier than Atlantic salmon. Plate the salmon and spoon the avocado mixture underneath and over the fish. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

This recipe could totally be a main dish on it's own because it is rich. What's not to enjoy about potato, cheese and chorizo. Plus it is very easy to put together. Just pair it with a salad to balance it out a bit. 

Chorizo and Roasted Garlic Stuffed Potatoes

Adapted from Goddess of Scrumptiousness

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed

2 links of chorizo sausage, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

8 cloves of roasted garlic

1/3 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup sour cream (for topping)

Procedure:

1. Slice the chorizo links then chop finely. Heat a skillet and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Fry the chopped chorizo until slightly crisp. Transfer into a bowl or plate lined with paper napkins to soak up excess fat. Set Aside.

2. Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water 15-20 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly then slice in horizontal halves. Scoop the flesh from the potatoes into a bowl leaving a 1/4 inch of a shell. Set aside.

3. Into the bowl of potato flesh, add the sour cream, 3/4 portion (1/4 set aside for topping) of the crisped chorizo bits, roasted garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Mash and mix all ingredients together with a fork to make filling.

4. Spoon the filling into the potato shells. Place stuffed potatoes in a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in a 375’F oven for 15 minutes or until the tops get slightly browned.

To serve, spoon sour cream over the baked stuffed potatoes and top with reserved chorizo bits. Serve along with a simple salad.