Tahini Potato Salad

I love alternatives to mayo.  Sometimes you want something different then the normal potato salad with mayo, this is the ticket.  Its very flavorful and scrumptious.  Experiment with the amounts of lemon juice and dill etc to get it to the flavor you like.

Great for taking on a picnic.  Which, this summer, we have been doing a lot of.  Happiness!  Its been so hot though, the only places we usually go is where there is somewhere to get wet.  Much better that way!

Tahini Potato Salad

5 large potatoes
1/4 cup dill, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic smashed, then minced
salt and pepper
3 green onions, sliced

Peel and cut potatoes into bite sized portions.  Cook until tender.

In a large bowl combine tahini and lemon juice, stir until it is thoroughly combined.  Add in dill and minced garlic.  Stir in potatoes when still warm.  This will help the fats melt a little and move easily throughout.  Mix in green onions.  Serve warm or chilled.  If you serve it from the refrigerator, give it some time to come to room temperature.  It will taste much better that way.  

BBQ BAKED BEANS

Summers coming.  It has been so cold and not wanting to warm up here for Spring, like, at all.  This week 70's are in the forecast!  Yeah!  I will take it.

These beans can be easily translated to a crock pot too. Lay it all in there with the bacon on top and turn it on low and slow.  Come home to baked beans.  Don't think the slow cooker is just for the winter months.  The slow cooker is your ally in summer too.  Just set it outside.  If you have it in the sun it will really turn up the heat on whatever you are cooking so be mindful of that.

BBQ BAKED BEANS

1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 cans of pinto bean, liquid dumped until it reaches the bean line
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup Barbeque Sauce (recipe below)
6-8 slices of bacon


In a Dutch oven saute onions in butter until golden.  If you do not have a Dutch oven then do this in a soup pot.  Add in the remainder of the ingredients. Transfer over to a casserole pan when ready to put in the oven.   Lay bacon slices over top of beans.  Cook in a 350F oven, uncovered for 60 minutes.



Barbeque Sauce

2 tablespoons pork fat or bacon grease
1 cup brown sugar
3 medium onions (about 3 cups)
3 cups ketchup (I used 2 1/2 homemade Eureka ketchup and regular ketchup)
1/2 cup salsa
8 cloves garlic, minced (I used my canned pickled garlic)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (to taste)

Saute onions in fat until golden, deeply golden.  You want them caramelized.  Once they are caramelized add in ketchup, salsa and the remainder of the ingredients. and cook for 30 minutes at a simmer.  Remove from heat and cool a little.  Blend.  Set aside.

M and M Cookies

Since I am not eating gluten these cookies were unavailable to me- that was a good thing.   Yes, I had a bite to taste and yes, they are good.  The kids loved them.  I would much rather they have these than any store bought cookies.

I know this may sound silly but I like to bake when the weather is still a little cool- just before summer and stash away the cookies in the freezer for summer.  I also stash away some quick breads.  When it is time to go on a picnic its all done and no baking in hot weather.

M and M Cookies

2½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup salted butter, softened just to room temp
1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups M&M candies

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar on medium high, until light and fluffy. This should take about five minutes.  Add package of pudding mix, and beat until incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla, blending well. Sop mixer and add in the flour mixture. Turn on low so that your flour doesnt go flying all over.

Add in chocolate chips and M&M’s, mixing into the dough. At this point you can chill it or bake right away.  If you chill it your cookies will have more height.  If you dont they wont be flat but they wont be tall either.  Mine were baked without chilling.

Form 1 inch balls of dough and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake about 8 minutes or just until edges look golden brown. Cookies may seem slightly underdone, but they will firm up upon cooling. Don’t over bake. Let site a minute on cookie sheet.  Move to wire rack to finish cooling.