Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad

Besides strawberries,which I’ve already written about a couple weeks ago with two new recipes, the other summer bounty I love so much is summer corn and tomatoes. This recipe for Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad is my favorite go to during summer and fall to really showcase both these ingredients and letting them shine.
Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad recipe, an easy summer recipe that takes advantage of the fresh taste of summer corn while its sweet and heirloom tomatoes at their juiciest and is perfect for a picnic, potluck, and can be served cold or room temperature
Fresh corn during the summer has a wonderful sweetness that you just can’t beat if you are able to get your ears quickly after they are picked. Cook them how you’d like – Grilled is my favorite but I also provide an optional cheat to add a little sear and smokiness if for convenience you steam or boil them instead, or you want to use niblets to save yourself cutting them from the cob.

As for tomatoes, the ones you get from the Farmers Market are the best – you can get all sorts of different heirloom varieties you may never see at your regular grocery store. This recipe leaves the tomatoes raw and asks for grape tomatoes but you can easily substitute larger tomatoes – I just like grape tomatoes more so they can burst in your mouth as fun texture.

Even better, this batches up really well making it perfect for picnics and potlucks with a larger group, and can be served cold or room temperatures.
Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad recipe, an easy summer recipe that takes advantage of the fresh taste of summer corn while its sweet and heirloom tomatoes at their juiciest and is perfect for a picnic, potluck, and can be served cold or room temperature
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Berry Brie Bites Recipe

This Berry Brie Bites Recipe is a great easy recipe to put together for a party, and with the pretty red berry topping is especially appropriate for February. You can make your own pie dough using your favorite pie recipe (I used this one by Ina Garten) but no shame in also purchasing pre-made pie dough either – you will need 2 discs, and ones made with butter are better then those with margarine. If you use pre-made dough, this recipe only uses 4 recipes! It’s really that easy – and so perfect for a party or potluck.
Berry Brie Bites, an easy recipe using only 4 ingredients, pie dough, brie, berry jam, and berry of your choice. Perfect for a party or potluck. Berry Brie Bites, an easy recipe using only 4 ingredients, pie dough, brie, berry jam, and berry of your choice. Perfect for a party or potluck.
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Shrimp and Savory Oatmeal Recipe

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? I am a huge Shrimp and Grits fan, but in a pinch making this Shrimp and Savory Oatmeal recipe still feeds that fix without all the time needed to cook grits. I also find that substituting a savory oatmeal for grits is more stick to your ribs filling, while also being slightly faster to cook, slightly lower in calories and carbs, and richer in fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein. I openly admit adding the butter and cheese and bacon and shrimp does not make it any healthier, just more delicious!
Shrimp and Savory Oatmeal Recipe, all the flavor of Shrimp and Grits but faster to prepare and healthier but still all the comforting flavors

When I made these for New Year’s Day, I had plain oatmeal in one pot which I cooked alongside another pot of the savory oatmeal. My version of savory oatmeal includes toasting it, cooking it in a mix of water and bit of cream, then stirring in parmesan and green onions.
Shrimp and Savory Oatmeal Recipe, all the flavor of Shrimp and Grits but faster to prepare and healthier but still all the comforting flavors
Then I set up my kitchen counter to have multiple toppings for an Oatmeal Buffet, from various flavored salts and hot sauces to smoked honey, crumbled bacon, and shrimp. Various fruits and a container of brown sugar can offer some sweetness. After a cold morning hike or shoveling snow or ice, this would be a perfect breakfast for a group that’s so easy to put together. But it’s also a great anytime meal! On an everyday basis, I tend to just toast the oatmeal, cook it in a milk water mix, and then add parmesan.

Savory Oatmeal Recipe, toast the oatmeal, cook with a milk water mixture, and add parmesan Savory Oatmeal Recipe, toast the oatmeal, cook with a milk water mixture, and add parmesan

You’ll notice for this savory Oatmeal I added an extra layer of flavor by toasting the Oatmeal with butter before cooking it in the milk and water mixture. This can work even if you don’t want to add the cheese as a special trick when making Oatmeal. This works both with steel cut or old-fashioned oats.

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Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

Really, this recipe for a Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche I made for a White Elephant Party Potluck is an accumulation of three recipes and a lot of cheating. I was inspired to make a sheet pan quiche in the first place from Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom and Spinach Sheet Pan Quiche, but then mashed up the idea from Saveur of Salmon and Dill Quiche, and added in the dill sauce from a recipe on Food 52 for Salmon with Dill Slather.

It’s a simple quiche made for a lot of people, but the use of smoked salmon and dill and a side sauce still makes it fancy, at least I think! Sheet pan quiche is so practical for a group while being pretty low effort in the kitchen and can be served warm or room temperature.
Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

I found recipes that included making the dough from scratch – but I just didn’t feel like putting that much work into it. I also wanted something lighter then pie dough, and so I chose instead to use frozen puff pastry sheets so if people at the party wanted to hold it to eat, they could. They could choose to eat it plain, or add in the dill sauce for a little richness.

Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

Ingredients:

  • For the Sheet Pan Quiche
    • 12 eggs
    • 4 cups half and half
    • A few pinches freshly grated nutmeg
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into small pieces – add more salmon if you want more fish per bite but I didn’t want it too fishy for the party
    • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
    • 1 tablespoon melted butter
    • Olive Oil or other cooking spray
    • 1 Package Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets, defrosted
  • For the Dill Sauce
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
    • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

  1. First, let me emphasize this – puff pastry sheets dry out very quickly. You will want to already have made the quiche filling and have it ready before you start rolling out the sheets. However, you do need the sheets to be softened, so defrost it from the freezer in preparation the night before.
  2. Combine the 1 cup of sour cream and 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add in the 1/4 cup of chopped dill, along with a good pinch of sea salt and some cracked black pepper. Mix well and then chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  3. Beat the 12 eggs, 4 cups half and half, pinches freshly grated nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper until well blended in a mixing bowl.
  4. Spray an 18″ x 26″ sheet pan with the olive oil. Unwrap the puff pastry sheet and lay out on the pan, spraying between layers. You will have to layer the sheets slightly on top of each other to get them fully across the length of the pan, and need a few on each half to make it thick enough. I left a little bit of an edge along the four sides that was maybe 1/2 inch, and I brushed these with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
  5. Pour in the egg and half and half mixture. Sprinkle in the small pieces of smoked salmon and liberally scatter all over with the 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill.
  6. Bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes or until you see the quiche set.
  7. Let cool before you but it into the size squares you want to serve at the party. Serve with a dollop of optional dill sauce.

Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche Recipe for Sheet Pan Smoked Salmon and Dill Quiche

The dill sauce is also pretty much good for everything – people were dipping in veggies into it too! The recipe for the dill sauce comes from something I saw that could be served with a salmon dish – so you could also just make it for dinner with your fish. As in all quiches, this tastes great room temperature or warmed up.

What’s your favorite dish to bring to a potluck party?

 

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Amazing Crackers + A Modern Way To Cook Cookbook Review

Today, I’m going to give you my thoughts as part of A Modern Way To Cook cookbook review, as well as share my favorite recipe I’ve made from the book so far, simple but super tasty Amazing Crackers. I’ve been cooking from Anna Jones’ a Modern Way To Cook for a while because it has so many recipes. The cover promises 150+ recipes which I think underestimates all the idea potential here. Several recipes list variations to substitute a certain seasonal ingredient for another, such as switching out tomatoes with beets. And there are definitely lots of flavor combinations to make tasty dishes.
Anna Jones cookbook A Modern Way to Cook Amazing Crackers recipe by Anna Jones for her cookbook A Modern Way to Cook recipe by Anna Jones for her cookbook A Modern Way to Cook

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