Buffalo Chicken Salad

May 29, 2015

“It’s yummy!” This is what I got from my husband when I asked him what to write about Buffalo Chicken Salad. And quite plainly put, it is just that, yummy. It’s also very low in carbs and pretty darn healthy. So, when I am looking for a quick lunch that I can pull together in under 15 minutes, I take a little help from my pantry and my freezer!

This is a simple and quick lunch that is filling and super easy!. I keep my freezer stocked with organic individually wrapped chicken breasts. These are great because all I have to do is toss the sealed packages in a bowl of warm tap water and they are defrosted in under 10 minutes. Then I am not having to work with an entire package of chicken every time I want to whip something up!

Two other pretty important pantry staples in this recipe are my buffalo wings sauce. Now, anybody can make buffalo sauce. All it is is hot sauce and melted butter. That being said, I buy the bottle because sometimes I just feel like skipping that step. Also, blue cheese dressing. This recipe is a bit more complicated and honestly, when you’re trying to put a meal on the table in under 15 minutes, a well made dressing is the way to go. Plus, you can skip having to buy blue cheese and constantly wondering if its supposed to be blue or if new blue has developed!

OK… so those are my tricks for this recipe, let me take you through it:

Slice up your chicken breasts… I use one breast for my husband and I to both eat a good hearty salad. If you like two, then use two.

I brown both sides of the sliced chicken getting some good caramelization on both sides. This takes about 4-5 minutes per side.

While the chicken is browning, I like to wash and run my mixed greens through a salad spinner.

Dice up one stalk of celery.

Wash and dry some grape tomatoes.

Toss the celery, tomatoes and mixed greens together. (All of it should be dry at this point)

This is the buffalo sauce I like to use.

Once the chicken is completely cooked through and nicely browned on both sides. Add in sauce. I do this right in the pan. You can transfer to a bowl if you are worried about scratching your pan. (I like less dishes)

Once the chicken is dredged in the sauce, take two forks and shred the chicken right in that sauce. This will allow all the cooked chicken to get coated in sauce.

And with that, the star of this meal is ready! This is what you will be left with after shredding.

Here is my favorite blue cheese dressing… I like the chunky kind so that I don’t need to deal with blue cheese as I mentioned.

Now build your salad. Your greens are already mixed with your celery and tomatoes (If you like, you can add in carrots here too) drizzle with dressing, and then top with chicken. (if you are not trying to keep it low carb, some croutons would be nice here as well)

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Salad:

(serves 2)

1 large chicken breast, sliced

2 Tbl. olive oil

1/2 c. Buffalo Wing Sauce

4 cups mixed greens, washed and spun dry

2 stalks of celery, chopped

10 grape tomatoes, washed and dried

1/2 c. blue cheese dressing

kosher salt

Directions:A quick 15 minute, low-carb, gluten-free meal!

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Place sliced chicken in skillet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Brown on both sides, about 4- 5 mins. cooking through.

Turn off heat. Add in buffalo sauce. Shred chicken.

Mix greens together with celery and tomatoes. Assemble salad with dressing and top with chicken.

Enjoy!

Portuguese Lemon Chicken Soup (Canja)

May 27, 2015November 4, 2015

There is something about chicken soup that seems to make it a comfort food no matter what your nationality. The Thai add coconut to their chicken soup, the Italians add beans and Orzo, the Moroccans add couscous and butternut squash. I personally love a good American Chicken Noodle soup and that recipe will come, but there is nothing quite like what your grandmother made you as a little girl (or boy), to bring comfort to your meal.

So, if you are looking for a Portuguese comfort food, you have come to the right place! Canja is the quintessential comfort food. Portuguese Canja is made with simple ingredients, used in a way that you may never have thought to combine them before. Canja has chicken, lemon and is thickened with egg yolks all combined to form a lovely delicate creamy soup that I am sure you have never quite experienced in any other dish. My Vavó would make this soup any time she had some extra chicken or one of us was sick or just because.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe my good friend Lisa gave me to help remind me of just how my Vavó would make her soup. Throughout the recipe I will note the differences and you can really make it your own.

Dice up onions.

Chop up a couple of carrots. Some people also like to add in celery at this stage, I nor Lisa, nor was my Vavó a fan of celery in this particular soup, so I will be leaving it out, if you are partial to celery, by all means, add it in.

Chop up some garlic or put through a press. (Lisa runs hers through a press)

Saute onions and carrots until tender. Then add in garlic and a pinch of salt and saute another minute or so.

Add in about 10 cups of chicken stock. If you don't have homemade chicken stock, you can use boxed or canned... Or add in water and 2-3 bullion cubes.

Add in about 10 cups of chicken stock. If you don’t have homemade chicken stock, you can use boxed or canned… Or like Lisa, add in water and 2-3 bullion cubes.

While the soup is coming to a boil, separate 3 eggs and reserve the yolks.

Beat a few times with a fork until smooth.

Now, cut a lemon in half and place in a press. If you don't have a press, just use a reem or a fork to juice the lemon.

Now, cut a lemon in half and place in a press. If you don’t have a press, just use a ream or a fork to juice the lemon.

Add lemon juice to egg yolks and beat until combined.

Before adding the egg yolk to the soup, you will want to temper with some hot liquid from the soup. This process allows for the egg yolks to come a bit closer to the temperature of the soup so they won’t scramble upon adding them in. The point of the yolks is to thicken the soup, not to have breakfast with your dinner 🙂

Add in yolk mixture slowly and stir rapidly.

This is what you should have when all stirred in. It will become an opaque creamy looking soup. At this point taste for salt, add in a pinch if needed.

Cooked chicken breast… If you don’t have cooked, you can do the same with raw. I happen to have cooked from making my chicken stock. I use all white meat in my soup as it is my preference, but if you like dark meat in your soup, have at it 😉

Chop the chicken (and even shred it a bit) and add to the soup.

Next add in your pasta or rice. My Vavó always used stars, I am using Pastini which are a teeny tiny version of that. A lot of people use par boiled rice (like an Uncle Ben's). It's a matter of preference.

Next add in your pasta or rice. My Vavó always used stars, I am using Pastini which are a teeny tiny version of that. Lisa uses par boiled rice (like an Uncle Ben’s). It’s a matter of preference.

Lastly, chop up some flat leaf parsley and add in to soup.

Finally, allow to come to a boil long enough to cook your pasta or rice, 20 mins tops and turn off your burner. Taste for salt. And this is what you have left.

Serve… Enjoy!

Portuguese Lemon Chicken Soup (Canja)

(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

8-10 cups chicken stock

1 chicken breast, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, diced small

2 cloves of garlic, diced (or run through a press)

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbs. flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup Pastini pasta, stars or par boiled rice

kosher salt to taste

Directions:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add in a pinch of salt. Add in garlic, saute another minute. Add in chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and the juice of one lemon together. Add in about a quarter cup of hot stock from the soup pot to temper the yolks… Add hot liquid in slowly, but beat quickly to incorporate.

Add egg yolk mixture into the hot soup slowly while stirring rapidly. Once incorporated, taste for salt. Add in a pinch of salt if needed. Add in chicken and pasta (or rice). Cook for 10-20 minutes until pasta or rice is cooked fully. Add in parsley.

Enjoy!

Vavó’s Cake

May 25, 2015May 26, 2015

My Vavó (grandmother) was not a big baker, at all. But, she baked one dessert on a regular basis, this cake. I think this cake is the only reason she even owned an electric mixer, as I never saw her use it for anything else. On any given day, I could walk into her dining room and in a similar cake plate as you see here, there would be her cake. Any time I make this cake, it brings me right back there with my Vavó, enjoying a cup of tea and this deliciously simple dessert.

Memorial Day in my family was always about remembering those who have passed. We have always been thankful for those service members who have given their lives to bring us the freedoms this country has afforded us all. And in addition to that, we would always go to the cemetery to place flowers to remember family members and friends no longer with us. This was a yearly tradition for my grandmother. I show my love and remembrance in other ways… So, this post is in dedication to her – para alma da minha Vavó.

If you are looking for a moist decadent cake, this is not the one. This simple sponge cake is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. It is a very basic, no frills cake with the exception of that crusty top that crunches in your mouth. It is meant to be dry and dense and have a slightly sweet taste.

Start by separating your eggs.

Keep your yolks seperate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Keep your yolks separate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a seperate bowl.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a separate bowl.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

This is what your yolks and sugar should look like… uniform and creamy.

Next, measure out your flour.

Then measure your baking powder.

Add in your baking powder to your flour.

Wisk together to sift.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer… Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

You will quickly come to a consistency like this.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake… I don’t know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

Spray your pan with baking spray, the kind with flour in it… although my grandmother would always use butter. Spray is just easier and gets the job done.

Pour

Drop the pan once or twice to release any big air bubbles from the pouring.

Place in the oven for around 35 – 45 mins at 350°F or until a butter knife comes out clean (or a toothpick, but my Vavó always used a butter knife)

And there you have it.

Para alma da minha Vavó

Ingredients for Vavó’s Cake:

(serves 8 -10)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

8 eggs, separated

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Fold whites into yolks. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients into wet. Mix to combine, scraping the sides. Place in a greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake 35 – 45 minutes at 350°F until a butter knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Ruffles and Bows Romper Set

May 23, 2015May 24, 2015

I was probably the furthest thing from girly when I was growing up. On any given summer day, you could find me building forts and making mud pies out in the yard. My friends and I would ride bikes all day and play cops and robbers. You might even call me a good old-fashioned Tom-boy! I didn’t start to come into my “girliness” until I was an adolescent. Even so, from the moment I learned I would be having a baby girl, I couldn’t help but think about all the precious little girl clothes and toys and frilly things.

My daughter has always loved all her little dolls and stuffed animals. She is now starting to mimic Mommy and Daddy in showing her dollies affection and really starting to love them. So when she received an American Girl Doll for her birthday, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Yes, I said “I couldn’t have been”! My daughter is just a year old, she doesn’t know to be excited for all the cute little matching clothes and the cafe and hair salon, so I have decided to be excited for her! Those little matching clothes can get rather pricey though!

I found this incredible fabric the last time I was at the craft store and fell in love with it! I mean any fabric that you don’t have to hem is definitely something worthy of my attention! I, like just about any parent of a toddler, absolutely adore one piece rompers! My son wore one piece rompers for two years (they stop making them after 24 mos. 🙁 ) With the idea of a one piece romper and this super “Ruffled Stretch Knit” fabric, a design was born.

Here are a couple more photos of the outfits and then we will start the super easy tutorial:

You will want to start by measuring your girl and your doll. measure from shoulder to midway down her thigh and around her waist and then the inseam.

Start with a Stretch Ruffled Knit fabric in whatever shade you like. Measure your child’s waste and add two inches to allow for both the seam allowance and comfort.

Do this at the top.

And the bottom.

Now pin all the way down… but, before you do, be sure all of your ruffles are facing the same way

You will also want to ensure that all of your rows match up pretty exactly. As it is stretchy material, this can be a bit tricky.

Now do the same to the dolly size fabric and cut both out after pinning.

Sew a zig zag allowing for a 3/8″ seam. I do this because I like to double up the seam and the zig zag is to allow for the stretch of the fabric.

zig zag (I am using a contrasting color thread so you can see what I am doing better, you will wan to match your color)

Now, fold the sewn fabric in half stopping at the seam to find the middle. This is where you cut just an 2-3 inches depending on the measurements you took of your child and of the doll.

This is what you should have. I like to baste here.

This is basted and I have started to reinforce the top where the cut ends… This reinforcement will stop any tearing that may occur.

Next cut ribbons to tie up at the shoulder. Be sure to add an inch or two to the back ribbons to accommodate for her back (as it should hang a bit lower than the front)

Attach the front ribbons about an inch further in than you have done for the back. This will help to prevent the frock from falling off her shoulders.

Be sure to do this under a ruffle and reinforce it really really well. I like a two spot reinforcement.

You will want to use a bit of Frey Check at the ends of all ribbons you use in this project. If you don’t have Frey Check, you could use a bit of fabric glue.

All you need to do is run the edge of your ribbon through the liquid. I only use enough to coat the very edge of the ribbon.

Now onto the super bow I attached right to the front. Just wrap a bit of ribbon (5/8″) around your 4 fingers and tie off with another ribbon and spread.

At this point you can attach the bow really well in the center and then it’s a good idea to tac the ribbon down around the edges.

And there ya have it.

Here is what the back looks like.

Materials:

Ruffled Stretch Knit fabric

Matching thread

5/8″ ribbon (I used two different coordinating prints)

sewing machine

scissors

measuring tape

Frey Check

Grilled Montreal Steak

May 22, 2015May 22, 2015

Grilled Montreal Steak has to be one of my husband’s favorite meals. I am always sure to make enough for that night’s dinner and then some left over for the next day. Not being a big fan of just re-heating steak, we use it to pop into Quesadillas, top a nice salad, or make some yummy Beef Stroganoff.

I used to use a pre-made Montreal seasoning mix, until one day, I ran out. But, we still wanted Montreal Steak, therefore, I came up with my own blend… and I have to say, we like it even better! You can make up a batch as you need it, or multiply the recipe and fill up a mason jar to keep it at the ready.

This steak would be perfect paired with Stacy’s Best Potato Salad and Low-carb Grilled Veggies!

Let’s start with mixing up the seasoning rub:

Start with making your own Montreal spice rub… You’ll need some kosher salt, dried crushed pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic powder, ginger and smoked paprika.

Add altogether and mix.

This is what you will end up with.

Now onto preparing the steak:

This is our favorite cut of meat. My butcher calls it “Beef Loin Flap” It’s got lots of connective tissue making it flavorful and juicy.

Although this is called a rub. we aren’t going to actually rub the meat just yet. Sprinkle on the steak on all sides pretty liberally.

After a few minutes, the spices start seeping in. You want to do this at least a few hours before cooking if possible. The salt really changes the meat.

Cover and place in the fridge up to 24 hrs before cook time… But, be sure to take the meat out about an hour before you are ready to cook it to allow it to come to room temperature.

This steak is delicious grilled outside on your gas or charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan. Just a warning though, if you are doing this inside, be sure you have good ventilation, you will need your burner on high for a properly seared steak.

Set your grill to high to get a good sear. Grill for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. If you wish to have less pink in the middle, now is the time to turn the burner down to medium and continue cooking — 6 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for well done. The meat is safe to eat once the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a meat thermometer.

Serve with some potato salad and enjoy!

Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe for Grilled Montreal Steak:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. steak (here we use beef loin)

8-10 Tbs. Montreal Steak Seasoning

For Seasoning Mix:

6 Tbs. kosher salt

3 Tbs. dry crushed red pepper

3 Tbs. fresh cracked black pepper

3 Tbs. garlic powder

2 Tbs. smoked paprika

1 Tbs. ginger

Directions:

Mix together all seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle seasoning onto meat, place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, store in fridge for 3-24 hrs until 1 hr before cook time.

Let meat sit at room temperature for one hour. Grill on high to preferred level of doneness. Meat should have an internal temperature of 145°F. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

*note: this is a gluten-free recipe.

Planting Peas – Part 2

May 21, 2015May 21, 2015

Had some fun a few weeks ago planting these pea plants out in the garden and am just getting around to posting about it. This is the follow up post to Planting Peas – Part 1 that I posted early on this spring!

Teaching kids where food comes from is important in my family. Growing up my parents and grandparents always had gardens and grapevines. My parents raised chickens and we got eggs. They raised goats and we got cheese. They raised a cow each year and each year we filled our freezer with meat. With my kids we will start with peas, soon we will be planting my little patch of garden with tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. And my pear tree is looking promising too!

Lucas loved digging in the dirt. He especially loved his Mickey Mouse gardening gloves and gardening tools!

I love that he is learning where food comes from!

Alaina had lots of fun too!

We will keep you posted!

Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce (Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato)

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015

One of the best parts of living in New England is the vast variety of cold water sea food we have available. Interestingly enough, it actually mirrors that which is available in St. Michael, Azores. How lucky am I?

Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce is a quintessential Portuguese starter. 9 times out of 10 when we sit down to dinner at a Portuguese restaurant with friends, this is the first thing we order. It’s a two-part experience really. First you get to eat the clams that are cooked in a garlic wine broth and then again drenched in garlic, white wine and olive oil. But then, some may argue the best part of the dish is next… it’s the part when you get to sop up that delectable garlic wine sauce with a crusty piece of Portuguese bread… OMG, so good!

This dish is best served hot and brought right to the table. A couple of things you will want to have ready before you start is a good loaf of Portuguese bread, some hot sauce and a bowl to throw the emptied shells into (as you need to not crowd your plate with that so that you can get to the sauce with that bread!)

There are sooo many varieties of clams available in the world. These are called Little Necks, they are actually the second to smallest size clam that is legally harvestable in the U.S. Some people call these Northern Quohogs and some call them round clams or chowder clams. What makes these clams special is that, as it’s name indicates, they have an itty bitty neck, unlike it’s cousin the Steamer clam with it’s long neck that sticks out of it’s shell. Also, unlike the Steamer clam, Little Necks don’t have much to speak of in their bellies. It’s really mostly flesh, yum!

The first step, as with ANY clam you use, is to wash it inside and out. This may sound odd, but clams are generally sold with some sand and salt residue still remaining on the outside and there is nothing worst than biting into a clam and crunching on sand. Although, a sandy inside is not usually a huge issue with Little Necks, I still like to err on the side of caution. So, clams are zipped up pretty tightly… how do you get the inside clean you ask? Well, its simple, you need to provide them with an environment in which they might feel comfortable opening up their shells to take in some water. I do this with cold cold cold tap water and salt. And it works every time. Sometimes I throw some black pepper in there to make them sneeze, mostly I just do that with Steamer clams though.

Here are the main ingredients you will need.

While the washing is taking place, it’s a good time to prep your ingredients. Chop an onion into thin quartered slices.

Saute in olive oil over medium heat. Add in a pinch of kosher salt.

Next, you will need quite a bit of garlic for this recipe. Chop up about 6-8 cloves of garlic.

Add in to the onions once the onions have softened a bit.

Now add in the juice of half a lemon, the lemon half itself, some chopped flat leaf parsley and about 1 cup of dry white wine.

Simmer the ingredients together bringing to a boil over high heat.

Drain your cleaning water from the clams and add the clams to your pot.

Cover. Keep your burner on high and do not remove your lid. The cooking process is a steam.

This is the pot 8 minutes into cooking. Do not remove lid!

This is the pot 10 minutes into cooking… If you look at the clams, some are starting to open, but not all. Do not remove the lid! But, start watching the pot, you don’t want to over cook shellfish, it will get tough. Little Necks are tough to start off with, they don’t need any more help getting there.

Ah, 12 minutes in and finally! All the clams have opened up. Now, turn off your burner. Still, do not remove the lid! Give it about two minutes in the steam. Then they are ready!

Add in some lemon slices and more chopped parsley, and don’t forget the broth!

Recipe for Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce (Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato):

(serves 10 – 12)

4 lbs. Little Neck Clams

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 c. dry white wine

1 lemon, 1/2 reserved and sliced for garnish

6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced

6 Tbs. parsley, chopped, 1/2 reserved for garnish

Kosher salt

Directions:

Wash clams with cold water and a good amount of kosher salt (1-2 Tbs.). Let sit in salted water for about 15 mins.

Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat, add in a pinch of salt. Add in garlic, continue to saute. When softened add in the juice of half a lemon plus the lemon shell itself, parsley and about a cup of dry white wine. Bring to a boil.

Drain clams from their cleaning salt water. Add clams to boiling liquid. Cover immediately. Check on them every few minutes until they are all open. This is best done with a clear lid. If you don’t have a clear lid, don’t bother checking until 10 minutes into the cooking time. After about 12 minutes all the clams should be opened. Keep lid on the pot and turn off the burner.

Serve and enjoy!

*note: this is a gluten-free dish.

It is nice to have either a separate pot at a party with sauce… But, I like to build my own… Here is what I do.

I like to put some olive oil in my plate.

Then I add in some of the cooked onions, garlic and parsley.

I personally like to add in some hot sauce. If you are doing this in a bowl for people to add themselves, I would leave the hot sauce on the side. Mix this together a bit.

Add some lemon, some more parsley and a nice piece of bread.

Add some broth, lemon, some more parsley and a nice piece of bread.

Patriotic Caterpillar Hair Bows

May 19, 2015May 21, 2015

It’s so much fun having a little girl! I can’t wait to put these in my little Lainey-Bug’s hair this Memorial Day! These little guys are easy peasy! All you need are a couple of clips, 4 ribbons, two rhinestones, a pair of scissors and some hot glue!

Here, I’ll show ya:

Here are the clips I use… they are just simple clips. You can find them at your local craft supply.

Cover your clips with the red grosgrain ribbon.

Then, cut your three ribbons, red, blue and white, all the same size. This is important because you want to ensure you are making even sized circles. These are about 1 1/2″ long.

Make each of your little ribbon strips into circles. Secure with some hot glue.

Now, start securing each of the circles to the ribbon covered clip. Start with the blue, tuck it in against where the clip starts to move up.

Now add in the white.

Now cut about a two inch piece of metallic silver ribbon, fold and secure against the white ribbon.

Now, add in the red circle. Be sure to glue it all the way to the edge.

Next, pick up two little rhinestones.

Secure with some hot glue, be careful not to over glue here, you don’t want gloppy eyes!

Look, they’re racing!

Materials:

Red grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

Navy blue grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

White grosgrain ribbon, 3/8″

Metallic silver ribbon, 1/4″

rhinestones

hot glue

scissors

“Giggles and curls, ribbons and bows-
She’s so adorable from her head to her toes!”

Author: Unknown

The PA Mom Interview on “Britaini Armitage, the Blog”

May 18, 2015May 21, 2015

So excited to let everyone know that I was interviewed by fellow blogger and friend, Britaini Armitage for her website, “Britaini Armitage, the Blog”. Britaini is a talented new writer who has just published a novel (that we are reading this month in my book club) called Darkest Light (The Light of the Magi, Book 1). She has also recently started this blog… Each week Britaini features a new up and coming writer/blogger. This week she is featuring me! Take a look!

The Portuguese American Mom Interview by Britaini Armitage

Stacy’s Best Potato Salad

May 18, 2015May 19, 2015

My Dad LOVES potato salad. I don’t ever remember a time when there would be a family gathering or a cook out without it. So, years and years ago, I set out to make the very best potato salad there could ever be. I must preface this by first stating that I was never a huge fan of potato salad to start off with. This made my task a bit daunting, but I was up for the challenge!

Most potato salad you encounter consists of some bland boiled potatoes tossed with some cold mayo and if you’re lucky there will be some salt and pepper thrown in. Well, get that image out of your mind… this is not that.

Once my quest to develop the “best” potato salad was complete, it was a regular request from friends, family and co-workers! Everywhere I went, requests for this potato salad would follow. (So, be careful… because once you make it, it may be all people ask you to bring too! But, it’s so easy, that might be just fine with you.) I often get the comment, “I don’t even like Potato Salad, but I love Stacy’s Potato Salad, it’s the only one I will eat.” And quite honestly, it’s the only one I will eat too, as I mentioned, I am not a big fan of Potato Salad in general.

I think what makes it different is a combination of both ingredients and method. If you follow along, you will get perfect results every time. In the end, you will find this is a hybrid of potato salad and egg salad (the egg adds not only flavor, but an extra special creaminess.) The sauce itself lends some tartness from the mustard and crunch from the relish and an ever so slight backdrop of heat from the hot sauce and black pepper.

Let’s get started.

I start with red bliss potatoes. For this recipe I am using about 3 lbs. of potatoes, which is enough for a regular night. If you are looking to bring this to a party or a cookout, you are going to want to double or even triple the recipe. This recipe doubles and triples very well.

Fill a pot with COLD water. Don’t turn the burner on until after you have placed your potatoes in.

Dice to about the size of a quarter or slightly larger. Place in COLD salted water. This is necessary. If you place the potatoes in boiling water, you will change the consistency of the potato. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until fork tender.

Once you get the potatoes going. Get your eggs started. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with COLD water. Bring the water to a boil and shut off the burner. Immediately cover the pot and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain water and cover with cold water to chill. Perfect hard-boiled egg every time!

A perfect hard-boiled egg. (Sometimes I make an extra one and reserve for a sliced garnish, not today though)

Chop and set aside.

Start the sauce off with mayo. Your favorite jarred will be fine. But, be sure it is REAL mayonnaise, not dressing.

To the real mayonnaise add mustard (just plain yellow), relish (i use dill) a pinch of salt, a couple swigs of your favorite hot sauce and lots and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. My Dad loves black pepper, so I put in close to a full teaspoon of it. You can adjust this to your taste.

Now, add in the chopped egg.

Stir together to combine.

When the potatoes are done cooking and you find that they are fork tender, drain the water, but do not run cold water over to cool. You want the potatoes to be warm, even hot for this next step. Pour the mixture over the potatoes in the pot you cooked them in (this way you aren’t messing up another bowl.)

This is what you end up with. Sprinkle with paprika and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Once chilled, you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Best Potato Salad:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. red bliss potatoes, diced.

6 qts. cold salted water

3/4 cup real mayonnaise

2 Tbs. yellow mustard

2 Tbs. dill relish

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

pinch of kosher salt to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

dash of paprika

Directions:
Prepare potatoes by placing diced potatoes in cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and watch for potatoes to become fork tender.

In the meantime, prepare sauce for salad. Mix together the real mayonnaise, mustard, relish, hot sauce, black pepper and salt. Add in the chopped eggs. Mix to combine.

Drain the potatoes and keep drained potatoes in the cooking pot. Add in the mayo mixture. Stir to combine. The potatoes and egg yolks will meld together. Top with a sprinkle of paprika. Let come to room temperature and chill for 2 hours.

Enjoy!

note: this recipe is gluten-free.

note: if you don’t like the taste of one of the ingredients, add a little less, but try not to eliminate it. For example, my sister is not a big fan of mustard at all, so I add a little less when she is coming over, but I don’t eliminate it as each ingredient has a chemical reason for being in the recipe. (and she loves it)

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

Month: May 2015

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Portuguese Lemon Chicken Soup (Canja)

Portuguese Lemon Chicken Soup (Canja)

Vavó’s Cake

Ruffles and Bows Romper Set

Grilled Montreal Steak

Planting Peas – Part 2

Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce (Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato)

Patriotic Caterpillar Hair Bows

“Giggles and curls, ribbons and bows-
She’s so adorable from her head to her toes!”

The PA Mom Interview on “Britaini Armitage, the Blog”

Stacy’s Best Potato Salad

Portuguese Lemon Chicken Soup (Canja)

“Giggles and curls, ribbons and bows- She’s so adorable from her head to her toes!”

“Giggles and curls, ribbons and bows-
She’s so adorable from her head to her toes!”