German Potato Salad

My parents hosted their annual Oktoberfest party last weekend (more photos coming soon) and it seemed fitting to make a giant vat of potato salad to go with the brats and sauerkraut. Check out the recipe below, it's best when served at room temperature. 

German Potato Salad
(serves 10-14)
Recipe adapted from Five Heart Home

Ingredients

5 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and cut into 2 inch cubes (approximately)

1 tablespoon kosher salt (for boiling potatoes)

1 package bacon, diced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/4 cup, finely sliced red onion

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Gently add potato chunks to the boiling water and reduce heat and simmer potatoes for 10 minutes or until they are tender when stabbed with a fork. Drain water and run potatoes under cold water to cool slightly. 

Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add bacon. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Reduce heat to medium and use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel while leaving bacon grease in the pan.

Add vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to the bacon grease in the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the pan from heat and gently toss the potatoes and dressing together in a large mixing bowl. Carefully fold in the cooked bacon pieces and chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature and refrigerate any leftovers. 

Summer Appetizers: No Cooking Required

With MDW (that's memorial day weekend) just three weeks away, I started thinking about the loads of summer parties and picnics we would be attending in the next few months. I love experimenting with new appetizers, but sometimes in the heat of the summer, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven and make bacon wrapped water chestnuts or even boil water for an easy pasta salad. Here are six appetizers that require zero cooking and are super easy to make.

Do you have any other delicious, no-heat appetizers that you make during the summer? Tell me about them in the comments!

Sautéed peas with bacon and onion

Whenever I'm planning my meals for the week, I tend to think primarily about the main protein and how to mix that up, rather than side dishes to accompany it. I usually end up in a rut of just making a quick salad and a sweet potato to go along with it, but sometimes you just want something different! Peas sautéed in a little olive oil with crispy bacon and sweet onions, and then finished with a fresh squeeze of lemon is quick and easy, but a totally flavorful option -- and it works well with almost any protein! 

The Last Supper...Before Sandy

We weren't really sure what to expect from Hurricane Sandy, turns out, we were graciously spared from her wrath in our neighborhood of Philadelphia. However, in preparation for the storm I thought I would cook up a big dinner and hopefully have some leftovers that we could dig into if we lost power. 

Whenever I'm in need of a real rustic home-cooked meal, I turn to a great recipe for braised short ribs (courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine) made in the slow-cooker. Also, I whipped up a cauliflower mash and brussels sprouts with bacon and onion. AND since we had picked up a bag of apples from the orchard - purchased during our quest for cider doughnuts, I thought I might as well make some apple crisp to wash it all down. 

Braised short ribs - see full recipe

Apple crisp a la mode

See more photos of this dinner after the jump! 

A Favorite Activity With the Hubs (Yes, It’s G-Rated)

You might know that I like to cook based on my previous posts, but did you know that BryGuy is a serious grill master? I really love when we get home from work on a summer day and deciding that it’s a grilling night;: burgers, steak, chicken, you name it, we grill it. That means he starts preparing the charcoal and the meat and I come up with some veggies to accompany it. This works wonderfully for us because we each have our own domains (I’m not so good about people hovering around the kitchen while I’m cooking). 

BryGuy’s been itching to grill some steaks that he bought but the weather wasn’t cooperating so he decided to do a cast-iron skillet grill session instead. While he “grilled” away at the stove, I whipped up a sweet potato puree and simple garden salad with homemade dressing. While I’m sad that the summer and “official” grilling season is over, I’m looking forward to more evenings where we share the kitchen and prepare a nice meal together. 

Get recipes for the salad dressing and sweet potato purée after the jump.