Roasted Potato Salad

I adore a potato salad without the mayonnaise once in a while. Especially this time of year with all the fresh produce selections, mayo can be heavy. The fresh basil that I pick out of my herb garden is amazing right now. In this dish, the flavor popped. Believe me, divas like popping whether it's basil, champagne, or something else! This is perfect for nights dining al fresco among the mid-summer gardens.

Roasted Potato Salad

4-5 potatoes, cubed

1/2 onion, sliced (red looks pretty in the salad)

2 glugs olive oil for roasting potatoes

Salt & Pepper

3 handfuls corn

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil for dressing

3 glugs apple cider vinegar

fresh basil, chopped

Coat the potatoes and onions in oil and bake on a baking sheet at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile mix olive oil and vinegar for dressing.
Mix corn, celery, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl; add cooled potatoes and toss.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Serve at room temperature.

Make it a meal: Serve with Summertime Stuffed Zucchini for Two (see recipe)

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Faux Fried Pickles

I love fried pickles, but here in Northern New England, few restaurants offer them. I never made them at home, because I don’t like deep frying things—too messy and smelly. These come out delicious. One thing I do to make things easier is to divide the breadcrumb mixture into two baggies. The pickles get coated more evenly and my fingers don't get so sticky.

This recipe is healthy, even: fiber, whole wheat, vegetables. Pickles are vegetables, right? So then I serve them with full-fat ranch dressing. That’s okay. I'll diet until tomorrow.

Faux-Fried Pickles

1/4 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
3 tbsp. whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 dashes garlic powder
2 dashes of Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 dash black pepper
1 dash cayenne pepper
40 hamburger dill pickle chips, drained
1 egg beaten with a bit of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
Place cereal, breadcrumbs, and spices in a sealable plastic bag; remove air, and seal.
Using a meat mallet (or empty wine bottle), crush mixture through the bag to a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Place pickle chips in a bowl, and pat dry with paper towels.
Cover with egg mixture and toss to coat.
Transfer the egg-coated pickles to the bag of crumbs.
Seal and shake to evenly coat pickle chips with crumbs.
Place pickle chips on the baking sheet in an even layer.
Bake in the oven until coating is crispy, about 25 minutes.
Dip them in Ranch or garlic aioli.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of Spicy Beef (see recipe).

Wine: I'm afraid no wine goes well with pickles. Better to have an amber beer.

Two Ingredient Muffins

Once again, my friend Karyn has found a keeper. No eggs, no butter, no extra sugar. These come out moist and divine. I use dark chocolate devil cake mix. I'm told spice cake mix is nice, too.

Two Ingredient Muffins

Cake Mix

Pumpkin or Squash Puree

Mix.
Put in greased muffin tins
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

That's it!

Make it a meal: Enjoy after Chicken Sausage Pasta with Pesto and Spinach

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon