My Aunt Dolores always makes this wonderful pasta salad for her barbecues and I’m adding it to my repertoire this summer as well. It doesn’t really have a name, so I’ll call it Mediterranean Pasta Salad, as it contains a lot of the yummy goodness from that region: Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, Balsamic vinegar… It’s slightly different each time, depending on what ingredients you happen to have around. The shape of the pasta can change too, though it’s best to use a variety that can “hold” the dressing otherwise it will dry out too quickly.

In this case, I happened to have some nice broccoli flourets on hand, some lovely ripe tomatoes, fresh tarragon, and a beautiful red onion. For the dressing, mix in a bit of aioli (mayonnaise can be used) to coat but not drench the noodles. This will give it a nice creaminess. Then add Balsamic vinegar, some sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and mix well. Adjust to your personal tastes: if you want it creamier, add more aioli; richer, add more Balsamic. Toss in a bit of extra virgin olive oil before serving for added flavor.

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Categories:	Italian • Mediterranean • Salads • Sauces	Leave a Comment
Tags:	Italian • Mediterranean • pasta salad • salad • side dishes

There’s something so comforting about a quiet Sunday dinner. The aromas of a pot roast simmering in the slow cooker, something scrumptious grilling on the barbie, perhaps a pie baking in the oven – it all seems to say, “It’s been a great weekend, I’m happy to be home.”

We added these Ancho Chili and Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes to last night’s Sunday dinner. In college, I made stuffed (or twice baked) potatoes all the time, and like my lasagna, they were never the same way twice. These had a bit of a Southwestern twist with the added roasted mild Ancho chilies. A bit of cream and white cheddar made them dreamy.

I’m not much of a recipe follower when it comes to stuffed potatoes, as I tend to just throw ingredients together and taste as I go, but I did my best to put it all together for you. Adjust the flavors to suit your own palate, more cheese is never a bad thing in my book!

Click here for the full recipe:

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Categories:	Cheese • Cooking tips • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	ancho chilies • Cheese • Chili Peppers • green onion • potatoes • scallions • side dish • side dishes • stuffed potatoes • twice baked potatoes • white cheddar

Photo: Marybeth on Foodista

This was exactly what I was going for: a simple, delicious red potato dish to accompany our Saint Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage dinner. Easy, right? I’ve done it before many times – blind folded and with one arm tied behind my back. I mean, I’m part Irish, for shamrock’s sake! Who can screw this dish up?

Me.

How you ask? Well, in defense of myself, here are my reasons:

1. The searing pain in my sinuses woke me at 2:30 am  – darn cold.
2. While waiting for the drugs to kick in I laid awake thinking of all the things I needed to do at work. Which kept me up until 7 am.
3. Due to lack of sleep (I’m an 8-9 hour a night girl) and stress, my sinus headache turned migraine.
4. My migraine medicine makes me a bit loopy

So, when my friend brought over his new girlfriend I set the potatoes in the steamer, placed them in the pot with a bit of water, and turned the stove on.

And forgot to set a timer.

We cracked open the fabulous bottle of Ridge, filled our glasses (much needed after the day I’d had!) and got to know one another. Around 30 minutes later – far too long for a pot to go on medium-high with an inch of water in it – I smelled smoked.

Craaaaaaaaaaap!!!

I ran to the kitchen, opened the lid and my hair flew back from the blast of smoke that burst forth. “My Le Creuset!” I cried. My friend opened the windows, my cat scurried to smoke-free safety upstairs, and Allison (the new girlfriend) grinned.

“You’re going to do an exposé on the Foodista writer, aren’t you?” I whimpered, tail between my legs.

So I’m outing myself. I’m not perfect. Now you know.

At least the corned beef was good.

Note: That was total fiction. Well, at least the part about Allison grinning at me. She was, in fact, completely sympathetic and the perfect guest. All the rest, unfortunately, remains shamefully true.

Marybeth shows us how it’s done here:

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Holiday • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	boiled potatoes • Irish • potatoes • red potatoes • Saint Patrick's Day • side dishes • St. Paddy's Day • St. Patrick's Day