Friday, August 31, 2012

DILLY GREEN BEAN POTATO SALAD, JALAPENO MAYONNAISE, EASY PEASY PEACHY BARBEQUE SAUCE


It’s Labor Day weekend, the last long weekend of summer; and for many the last big barbeque of the summer!
I’ve put together some short cut sauces to take your barbeque from ordinary, to extraordinary.

 


Easy Peasy Peachy Barbeque Sauce is great on grilled pork, poultry, shrimp, meaty fishes (salmon, swordfish, mahi-mahi), and even grilled tofu!  You can just as easily substitute nectarine, apricot, or mango for the peach.  Whatever floats your boat.

 












  I didn't have a food processor available to puree the peaches, so I just minced the fruit with a knife, then mashed it with a fork.





Jalapeno Mayonnaise is delicious on burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches.  It’s not super spicy; like a love tap, not like "Kapow!"





 I removed the seeds.  Leave the seeds if you do want "Kapow!"




 




Dilly Green Bean, Potato Salad came about when I looked in my mom’s refrigerator and saw the world’s largest jar of pickled green beans.   




She was lured in to that trap so many of us fall into at Costco; we go in for T.P. and come out with the world’s largest jar of pickle green beans, and a giant jar of mayo ( don’t ya just hate scraping the bottom of the jar and being up to your elbows in mayonnaise?)   Mama says they are to put into Caesar cocktails.  Caesars are a Canadian thing, like a Bloody Mary but made with Clamato juice, lime, and celery salt instead of tomato juice, lemon, and salt.  Well that’s an awful lot of Caesars. 
I think potato salad is an ingenious way to use those beans up, if I do say so myself.
This potato salad hints at being mustardy, with out the mustard being thrown in your face.  A little honey balances out the sour of the pickled beans.  The dressing is not too gloopy, also not to dry, it’s juuust right.
 



Use a waxy potato so that there isn't any peeling.  These potatoes I cut into quarters 









Mix the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl.  Why do more dishes than necessary?











Add the potatoes, the pickled green beans, celery, red onion, and scallions to the bowl.




 



Toss gently to coat all the potatoes and vegetables. 









Happy Labor Day! 
 



DILLY GREEN BEAN POTATO SALAD


Serves 12-15

5          lbs        Waxy potatoes with thin skin, such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes.  Cut into large, 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces, no need to peel the potatoes.
1 ¼      cups     Mayonnaise
2          Tbsp    Grainy, or dijon mustard
2          tsp        Honey
2 ½      Tbsp    Pickle juice
1                      Medium red onion, small dice
1          cup       Celery, about 4 stalks, small dice
1          cup       Scallions, 4 or 5 scallions, chopped
1 ½      cups     Pickled green beans, cut to about 1 inch pieces *or dill pickles
                        Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Start the potatoes in a large pot of cold water, put on the stove over high heat.  Once the potatoes begin to boil, add about a tablespoon of salt to the water, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook the potatoes until they are cooked but still firm; about 10 minutes.  Drain well
  2. Mean while in the bottom of a large bowl mix the Mayonnaise, mustard, honey, pickle juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  3. Add to that large bowl the cooked potatoes, onion, celery, scallions, and pickled green beans; stir gently.  Coat all the potatoes and veggies without breaking up the potatoes. 
  4. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper if needed.
  5. Refrigerate, serve cold.



EASY PEASY PEACHY BARBEQUE SAUCE

Makes 1 ½ cups

1          cup       Fresh peaches, pureed.  About 3 peaches; mangoes also work well
½         cup       Barbeque sauce, your favorite
2          tsp        Dijon mustard
4          tsp        Honey

  1. Put all the ingredients into a small bowl and mix.
  2. Just kidding...there are no more steps, except to enjoy.
  • If you don’t have a food processor to puree the peaches; mince the fruit as fine as you can with a knife, and then mash it with a fork.  Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. 
This is great served on grilled poultry, pork, meaty fishes, shrimp, or tofu.




                                                  JALAPENO MAYONNAISE

1       cup        Mayonnaise
1/2    cup        Pickled jalapenos,  remove the seeds from the jalapeno, and dice fine.  If you like it quite       spicy, then leave the seeds in. 

1.  Mix the mayonnnaise and jalapenos together in a small bowl.

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