Sue's Famous Loaded Baked Potato Salad

My sister, Sue, is an excellent cook.  You know, one of those people that just pick up ingredients, throw them together, and make it up as they go along...and voila! 

A MASTERPIECE!!!

Don't you just hate when that happens???

Well, Sue's got it like that...I mean she can whip up just about anything...give her an idea, or a concept and she runs with it and creates a dish that delicious and memorable.

Such is true with her famous Loaded Baked Potato Salad.

She got the idea from a dish she ate in Kentucky and decided to create one of her own and came up with this masterpiece....trust me it is....a masterpiece!  It's a potato salad...no a loaded baked potato...no a loaded baked potato turned into a potato salad...yeah that's it!

I didn't want to put this dish down..it's the bomb...really...I was dreaming about it all night....still am!

So to pay tribute to my sister and to add another great dish to serve on Father's Day we are sharing this recipe with you.  Here's my sister Sue, my niece (Denise) and my Mom (Imy) chilling before our feast!

Now check out this AWESOME, creamy, tasty dish...make it today, you'll love it!

Oh my, look at this....I'm excited!

Here's the recipe....make it, make it, make it!!!!

Sue’s Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3lbs. red potatoes
1 ½ cartons of sour cream (low fat)
6 strips of turkey bacon (or regular)
5-6 green onions chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese
¼ cup low fat mayo
1 tsp olive oil
Sea salt & pepper

Directions:

For a crisper skin on the potatoes, brush with olive oil and then bake until slightly soft (but able to slice) when you fork.  Or you can just boil them but the skin is harder to keep on the potatoes.  Let potatoes cool then cut them into small bite sized pieces.  In a large bowl gently fold in all the ingredients, saving one bacon strip and ¼ cup of the cheese to garnish on top.  Refrigerate with a lid or saran wrap till chilled.  Enjoy!

Glow Worm Fabulous!!

Linked to:  Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Linked to:  Your Recipe My Kitchen

Azeka Style Ribs

Let's continue with our wonderful Father's Day Grilling recipes!

One of the most popular items to grill has to be ribs!!! 

So when my family decided to have a Memorial Day BBQ my sister Sue, decided to make ribs...but not just any ribs, she wants Azeka Style Ribs.

What are Azeka Style Ribs you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  They are a famous, famous rib from Kiehi, Maui Hawaii, made famous by Azeka's Rib & Snack Shop.

They are an Asian style beef rib that is just fabulous!

So being that my sister and her husband used to live on Maui, they were missing Azeka's ribs and set out to make a version of them...they have many wonderful memories of these special ribs.  Unfortunately, the recipe is actually a secret so there are several versions of what is an Azeka style rib.

So here's one version.  The ribs are fabulous, and I hope you try them!

Here they are along side some awesome Teriyaki Chicken.  See how delicious they look??

Azeka Style Ribs

32 Korean Cut Beef Short Ribs (Flanken Cut) (about 5 lbs.)
3 Cups Soy Sauce
2 Cups Water
4 Cups Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Red Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
6 oz Fresh Ginger Root
8 Cloves Fresh Garlic


Place all ingredients, with the exception of the ribs, into your food processor and process until the garlic and ginger are both minced to small pieces

Place ribs in a large bag and pour the marinade over them covering completely.  Marinate for three days.

Discard marinade and grill on a medium hot grill for about four to five minutes per side.

Grilled Romaine Salad

Here's my second post for great Father's Day dishes!

Don't you just love Father's Day?  How come it seems that for Mother's Day we have the breakfast/brunch or go out to a restaurant for a nice lunch or dinner...but for Father's Day it usually revolves around GRILLING!?

Big manly grilling...

What better way to celebrate the solid, strong, steady as a rock, men in our lives than by firing up the GRILL!

This is a great side dish.  Not some wimpy little side dish, but a grilled, bold salad!

We're making Grilled Romaine Salad.

Yes, I said grilled...grilled salad...grilled romaine salad!

Have you ever grilled lettuce?  No?

Well, now you just have to try this recipe...it's the bomb! 

The grilled lettuce has a slightly smokey, slightly charred flavor that lends another layer to the salad.  It's just plain excellent, and DAD will LOVE IT!

This is really simple to prepare.  Romaine is an especially good lettuce to grill with because it will stand up to the heat well.  So, prepare your lettuce. Take off the outer leaves of the romaine head and discarding them.  Then separate the remaining leaves.  Drizzle with olive oil.

On a heated grill over medium heat place the leaves oil side down on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Lettuce should char a little and will wilt some.  Not to worry, this is what you want!

Meanwhile cut your cherry tomatoes in half, and cube your avocado.  Place in a bowl.

Now once the lettuce is done you can do as I did and tear them up, place them in the bowl with the tomatoes and avocado and toss with a light vinaigrette.
OR
You can leave the leaves whole and distribute them on individual plates, topping with the tomatoes and avocado.  Sprinkle some vinaigrette over the salad.

You want to use a light vinaigrette so it doesn't overpower the lettuce flavors.  Allow the lettuce and the flavors of salad really shine through in this salad but dressing it lightly...no heavy, creamy dressing here!!!

Enjoy this wonderful salad, and let me know what you think!

Grilled Romaine Salad

Serves 6 - 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  

1 head of romaine lettuce 

Olive oil for drizzling 

1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 avocado, cubed

Light Balsamic Vinaigrette  or Oil and Vinegar

Directions:

Prepare grill to a medium heat fire. Brush and oil the grill grate.
Remove outer layers of lettuce.  Separate remaining lettuce leaves from the base.  Drizzle one side of each half with a little olive oil.

Place the romaine halves, oil side down, on the grill directly over the fire.  Cook until the leaves develop a little char and have begun to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the lettuce over and cook for about 2 minutes more. You want the lettuce to be a little wilted but still hold its shape.

At this point we cut up the leave and placed in a bowl.  You can leave them intact if you wish and place them on individual plates.  Add tomatoes and avocado.  Add some vinaigrette and toss.  Serve immediately.