Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on August 16, 2012

I’ve hit the point of summer where I don’t really want a huge meal for dinner each night. While I was perusing the August issue of Cooking Light, I came across this recipe that sounded really interesting- Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream. We ended up getting a ton of corn in our CSA last weekend so the timing worked out well to make it this week.

I loved the combination of flavors- the savory corn pancakes melded perfectly with the smoked salmon and the light sour cream topping was the perfect touch to top it off with. Baby T also enjoyed the corn pancakes (although I did not give him any of the smoked salmon- I did a little research online and the results were a bit iffy if it’s ok for toddlers.) I actually made this recipe in the early afternoon and stored each individual pancake in layers of wax paper and the smoked salmon and cream in separate containers. Then, at dinner, I reheated the pancakes in the microwave in 30 second intervals and then topped it with the slices of salmon and a dollop of sour cream. While we had these for dinner, it would also work out great for a light lunch or a party appetizer.

Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream

Author: m

Recipe type: Appetizer or Entree

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

¼ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
½ teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
1¼ cups fresh corn kernels, divided (about 3 ears)
⅔ cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
12 thin slices cold-smoked salmon (4 ounces)

Instructions

Combine first sour cream, chopped chives, and grated lemon rind in a small bowl and refrigerate.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and ground red pepper in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and egg in a blender; process until pureed. Add pureed corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in remaining ¼ cup corn.
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into pan. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. For an appetizer serving: arrange 2 pancakes on each of 6 plates; top each pancake with 1 slice salmon and 1 teaspoon lemon-chive cream. Double or triple serving size for an entree size.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light, August 2012

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on July 19, 2012

One of my favorite summer salads is the strawberry and mixed greens salad with poppy seed dressing. Whether the greens are spinach, romaine lettuce or mixed greens, I love it just the same. For my family reunion lunch we threw, we served mixed green and strawberries salad with poppy seed dressing and the option of adding sliced grilled chicken and crumbled blue cheese to the salad.

A few days before the party, we made a double batch of the poppy seed dressing in mason jars and stored them in the refrigerator. We also marinated boneless, skinless chicken breast two days before the party and let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight. On the day before the party my mom grilled the marinated chicken and sliced and arranged it on a platter , covered it with plastic wrap ,and stored it in the fridge for the next day.

On the morning of the party, we cleaned and sliced the strawberries and prepared the mixed greens. Right before we ate, we put all the ingredients of the salad together with the dressing and candied almonds. We put out the grilled chicken and drizzled it with some poppy seed dressing to keep the chicken moist on the platter. We also put a bowl of blue cheese crumbles out for people to add to their salads. Everyone could plate their own salad and top with the grilled chicken and blue cheese crumbles. The salad was a big hit and the perfect addition to lunch after a very competitive game of wiffle ball.

Mixed Greens, Strawberries, Grilled Chicken and Poppy Seed Dressing

Author: K

Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients

For Poppy Seed Dressing:
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup & 1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
For Salad:
Mixed Greens, cleaned
Strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
Sliced candied almonds
Blue Cheese Crumbles
For Grilled Chicken:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Olive oil
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

For Dressing: Place all ingredients in a mason jar, close with lid and shake.
For Grilled Chicken: Marinate chicken in a large storage bag with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper overnight. Grill chicken to inside temperature reads to at least 160 degrees. Slice chicken for salad.
For Salad: Mix together mixed greens, sliced strawberries, sliced candied almonds, grilled chicken, and blue cheese crumbles in a large bowl. Add poppy seed dressing to you liking.

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on June 28, 2012

We’ve been trying so many great sumer recipes lately and I wanted to pull together some Fourth of July menu ideas in case you are still looking for something for the upcoming holiday. Since the 4th falls on a Wednesday this year, why not kick off your patriotic festivities this weekend and continue it for the next week? Cook up some hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill and add some of these additional summer menu items:

15 Fourth Of July Menu Ideas

Breakfast:

Appetizers & Cocktails:

Sides:

Desserts:

Also, if you need more Fourth of July Menu inspiration, be sure to check out our Memorial Day Menu Ideas post as well! Check back in to 2S2C soon…K has some more Fourth of July ideas up her sleeve!

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on June 22, 2012

Growing up in Syracuse, salt potatoes use to be one of my favorite summer side dishes at a barbecue. Salt potatoes are an iconic Syracuse dish originating from the late 1800s. At that time, the Irish immigrants working in the salt springs around Onondaga Lake would bring in small bags of unpeeled potatoes and boil them in the salt brine for their lunches. The dish later progressed to cooking young potatoes or small potatoes in a pot of highly salted water and serving with melted butter.

Salt potatoes have a delicious salted skin with a creamy potato inside that is perfectly matched with the melted butter it is served with. The potatoes get their creaminess from the high temperature of the salt water that cooks the starches in the potatoes more than regular water. When I young I didn’t know that salt potatoes were a regional dish. I thought everyone ate salt potatoes at picnics like macaroni salad or coleslaw. It makes me sad to think about what you were all missing! So, please do make these to take this burden off of me!

Salt Potatoes

Author: K

Recipe type: Side

Ingredients

4 pounds new white potatoes or small creamer potatoes (cleaned)
12-16 oz Kosher salt (about 1½ to 2 cups)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

In a large pot add potatoes, salt, and 8 cups of water.
Cover pot and bring to boil.
Cook for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes in colander and let dry until salt is crystallized on skins
Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup.
Serve potatoes with melted butter poured on top.

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on June 21, 2012

Greek Pasta Salad from 2 Sisters 2 Cities

It’s now officially summer! And it has come in with a bang in the Boston area- 98 degrees yesterday and it may hit 100 later today. With such heat, we usually opt to grill outside as much as possible. For Father’s Day on Sunday, I pulled together this simple Greek Pasta Salad with some ingredients I already had on hand. I loved how it came together and it was the perfect accompaniment to our grilled steak tips, sausages, and zucchini.

I recommend making this Greek Pasta Salad early in the day while it’s cooler out and the flavors get a chance to meld together. I also don’t add the tomatoes until I’m ready to serve the pasta salad as tomatoes lose a lot of their flavor if they are refrigerated. If you don’t feel like dicing up olives or roasting a red pepper, be sure to check your supermarket antipasto bar- an olive tapenade or pre-made roasted red peppers will work in a pinch!

Greek Pasta Salad

Author: m

Recipe type: Side dish

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 12

The perfect pasta salad for a hot day

Ingredients

16 oz box fusilli pasta
1 red pepper, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
½ cup olive oil (or more to taste)
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup kalamata olives, diced
½ small red onion, diced
1 cup feta cheese
2 plum tomatoes, chopped

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place red pepper halves on a baking sheet covered with foil. Bake for about 15 minutes until peel starts to blacken. Take baking sheet out of the oven and wrap pepper tightly with the aluminum foil it was baking on. Once it has cooled, remove peel and dice red pepper into small pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl toss together the cooked pasta, red pepper, olives, red onion, feta, and dressing. Cover and chill in refrigerator for as least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, add diced tomatoes; toss. Makes 12 to 16 side-dish servings.

What is your favorite dish to prepare when the temperatures are soaring?