The Charmed Kitchen

Dill Cucumber Salad

I was having a lamb dinner with a friend last night and wanted a nice, light side dish. A salad, for sure, but I wasn’t in the mood for a tossed salad. I had a couple of cucumbers so I decided to use them. I used a mix of vinegar, oil, salt, sugar and dill. By mixing the salad a few hours before dinner the cucumbers become a sort of fresh pickle. The nice thing about a salad like this is that it keeps fresh and tasty for days. I even like to drain the cucumbers and add them to a sandwich, like a pickle.

Dill Cucumber Salad 

2 English cucumbers, sliced thin

2/3 c. cider vinegar

1/3 c. oil

2 T. sugar

2 t. salt

1 t. dill weed- I used dried- use about 1 tablespoon if using fresh

1 t. parsley

Fresh ground pepper and hot sauce to taste

Place cucumbers in a bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in another bowl and mix well. Pour over the cucumbers and mix together. Chill salad several hours before serving. Serves 6.

Chocolate Mint Scones

I had gotten some strawberries at the market and wanted to use them in a dessert. Shortcakes seemed like a great idea. I was going to just make a simple biscuit, but looked around at what I had and came up with these minty chocolate scones. I used baking mix- like Bisquick- but I use a home made mix. I also had some sour cream so used that in the dough. The chocolate mint part came from a bag of Andes chocolate chips. These are just like the Andes candies, but in chip form. I have used them to make cookies before and had just enough left in the bag for the scones. The scones are very tender and flaky. Let them cool completely before trying to slice for shortcakes.

Chocolate Mint Scones

1 c. baking mix- like Jiffy Mix or Bisquick- I used homemade

1/2 c. sour cream

1 egg

1/2 c. Andes chocolate mint chips

sugar for sprinkling

In small bowl place the baking mix. In another bowl mix together the sour cream and egg. Mix into the baking mix, along with the chips and stir until mixture turns into a soft dough. On lightly floured surface press the dough into an 8-inch square. Cut in half- then cut across in half again- you’ll have 4 squares. Cut diagonally across each square to form 8 triangles. Place triangles of dough onto ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Don’t over bake. Cool on wire rack. Makes 8.

Cut dough into 8 wedges

place on baking sheet

Bake until golden brown

Fig Kolachy

I have fond memories of making these delicate cookies with my Mother. I still make them. I normally fill them with cherry pie filling but have also filled them with blueberry, apple and nut fillings. I wanted to try something different for class last night so I used fig jam for the filling. I made my own, but you could use store bought, if you prefer. You can also finish off the cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if you like.

Fig Kolachy

Dough

3 sticks butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 cups flour

Fig Jam– recipe follows

Powdered sugar, optional

Mix dough ingredients together and chill well before using.

Roll out chilled dough into squares or circles. Spoon a little fig filling into the center and pinch 2 ends or corners together. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden on edges. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Fig Jam

1 lb. dried figs
2 c. water
1-2 c. sugar- I used 1 cup, but use according to your taste
Zest of 2 lemons
2 t. cinnamon
Chop up figs and place in saucepan with the water and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Add sugar, zest and cinnamon and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Puree mixture and set aside to cool.

Blueberry Chef Salad

I have really been craving salads lately. Sometimes just having a tossed salad to start dinner is enough. Other times- I want dinner to be the salad. This is one of those salads that is a meal all on its own. Made with fresh or frozen blueberries it is one of my favorites. The dressing is a creamy honey French dressing which pairs beautifully with the berries. I topped mine off with cashews, but you could add croutons if you like.

Blueberry Chef Salad

Dressing:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1 t. paprika

1 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. olive oil

3 cups blueberries

Salad:

6 c. torn salad greens

12 oz. cooked chicken, turkey, ham etc, cut into strips

1 c. cubed cheese

1/2 c. cashews

In blender, combine first five ingredients and start running machine on high. Add oil in a slow stream until mixture becomes thickened. Pour into bowl and stir in berries and chill, several hours if you can. When ready to serve arrange greens on one large platter or on smaller salad plates. Arrange meat and cheese on platter or plates. Spoon over the dressing and cashews then serve. Serves 4-6.

Hummus with Greek Olives

My friend, Jared, was the one who first suggested I add olives to my hummus. Like me, he likes “regular” hummus, too. The addition of olives adds another layer of flavor. Salty, briny and that unique olive taste. Makes sense when you think about it. You are already adding olive oil to hummus, why not add olives, too?  I have a big jar of Kalamata olives (thanks, Costco), so I have been looking for ways to use them.

Hummus with Greek Olives

1 can garbanzo beans, drained- or about 2 c. cooked garbanzos

1 c. Greek olives, drained, pitted and chopped

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

2 T. tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 cloves garlic

salt and hot pepper sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings. Chill. Serve with pita bread, crackers or fresh vegetables. Also nice spread in a pita bread with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. Freezes well.

Cookie Pops

These are a fun and easy dessert to make with kids. Great when you don’t have the time to bake, either. I used white “chocolate” discs, but you can use real chocolate, too.

All you need are vanilla wafers, peanut butter or frosting to stick the cookies together, Popsicle sticks, some sort of chocolate you can melt and candies to decorate. After that it’s pretty easy.  Dip the end of a stick into the peanut butter. Press 2 cookies together on the end of the stick. Press firmly. Melt the chocolate- I used a glass bowl in the microwave,but be careful not to burn the chocolate. Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate until covered. Allow excess to drip off.  Place cookies on wax paper. Decorate your “pops” to look like flowers- I used M&M’s. Allow them to dry/cool then you can just peel them off the wax paper.

You can get M&M’s in so many colors, the “chocolate” discs, too, that color combinations are pretty limitless. You can make them for different holidays or in school colors. Nice to make in hot weather, too, since there is no baking. If there are nut allergies to consider use frosting to stick the cookies together.

Use peanut butter to hold the cookies together

Press together two cookies

Dip in melted chocolate. I used white “chocolate”.

Decorate with candies while chocolate is still soft.

Pear, Feta and Bacon Salad

I love pairing fruits with salty and smoky flavors. In this dish, some beautifully ripe pears were combined with feta cheese and a little bacon.  Adding toasted nuts and a simple dressing finished the salad off so well. This can make a nice lunch  or perhaps a first course at dinner time.

Pear, Feta and Bacon Salad

8- 10 cups mixed salad greens, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
3 ripe pears, cored and sliced thin
¾ c. crumbled feta cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. toasted walnuts, but other nuts can be used
5 T. cider vinegar
½ c. oil
Fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
In large bowl place greens. Add pears, feta bacon and nuts. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Toss over greens and divide into serving dishes. Serves 6-8.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

After a winter of soups and stews I find myself really wanting more salads these days. With the first full day of Spring here, it seemed a good time to share this recipe with you. I make broccoli salad pretty often, but sometimes like to switch it up a little by adding cauliflower. The result is  a salad that has a great mixed of flavors, colors  and textures. The addition of bacon also adds a wonderful smoky flavor. Certainly, feel free to omit the bacon for a vegetarian salad. With or without the bacon, this is a great salad for the warmer days ahead.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into bite- sized pieces

2 broccoli crowns, cut into bite- sized pieces

1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped

1 c. shredded cheese- I used a sharp cheddar

8- 10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup of mayo – or more according to your taste

salt and pepper to taste

Steam the cauliflower and broccoli until just tender/crisp. About 5 minutes in a microwave steamer, 6 minutes in a conventional steamer. Place in a bowl to cool down then combine with remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Serves 6-8.

Lovage- The “celery” herb

I love celery in so many foods. I don’t think you can make a decent stock without it. I especially like using  celery leaves. Problem is, often the celery I see in the store has few, if any, really nice leaves. The solution? I grow lovage. It is an easy to grow perennial that has leaves that taste just like celery. Lovage leaves can be used in any dish you would use celery leaves:  soups, stews, stocks and salads. The seeds can also be used as a substitute for celery seeds in recipes. Lovage grows to a height of a couple of feet, except when it is in bloom. When blooming, lovage sends up stems that can reach 6 feet! The stems of lovage are tough, almost woody. While they can’t be used chopped like celery, the stems are hollow and can be cut to size and used as straws in drinks like Bloody Marys or vegetable juices.  I’ve never seen lovage sold as a fresh herb. As far as I know, the only way you can enjoy this lovely plant is to grow it yourself. It thrives in sun, but will tolerate some shade. For a little effort you can have fresh “celery” leaves whenever you want. I also freeze plenty for use throughout the year.

Polish Mushroom Soup

This soup is a tradition in my family. When I was a kid my Busha would make it every Easter and my Mom made it for Christmas Eve. Now we have it the day before Thanksgiving. It is one of those dishes that brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. I love the rich, earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the slightly sweet/sour flavor of the broth. It is made with dried mushrooms. I can  remember watching my mom get out a big bowl and soaking the mushrooms to get them tender before starting the soup. I use dried shitake mushrooms, but often add fresh mushrooms as well. Sometimes I use other dried mushrooms. If made with vegetable stock it could be a great meatless meal, too.

Polish Mushroom Soup

4 qt. Chicken, beef or vegetable stock

5 c. dried mushrooms, about 4 0z. I use Shitake.*

Water for soaking

½ c. flour

1 pint sour cream

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

2 T. sugar

1 Lb. Kluski-style noodles, cooked and drained

Soak mushrooms in water for 1-2 hours.  Lift mushrooms carefully out to leave any sand in the bowl of water. Rinse and drain. Set aside.  Bring stock to a boil and add the mushrooms. Simmer, covered for about 1½ hours, or until mushrooms reach desired tenderness. Mushrooms will retain some “chewiness”.  In medium bowl whisk sour cream into flour gradually until smooth. Stir in vinegar and sugar until smooth.  Add a small amount of the hot soup to the sour cream mixture, whisking until smooth.  Continue adding hot soup to the sour cream mixture until sour cream mixture is warm. Add the warm mixture to the pot of soup and stir to combine. Return to simmer and simmer 1 minute, stirring continuously.   Place desired amount of kluski into bowls and ladle over the hot soup. Serves12.

Note:  You can add a variety of fresh mushrooms to the soup to make it even more special. You might use portabellas; crimini, button or whatever mushrooms are at the store that day. Add in addition to the dry mushrooms; don’t reduce the amount of shitakes.

You can use other cooked pasta. Mom said you might want to try spaetzels or even gnocchi. You might also need more than one pound of kluski, depending on how much pasta your family likes in their soup.

*The dried shitake mushrooms can be found at specialty grocery stores, some larger grocery stores and at Asian markets.