Ogórki Kiszone inspired by The Pickle Recipe and the Weekly Menu #FoodnFlix

These Polish Dills are fermented rather than pickled.  Pickling means putting food into an acidic brine.  Fermenting gives you that sour flavor without any added acid.  You simply place the food into a brine with some spices and let it work it's magic.

This is the method used to make the pickles in our FoodnFlix selection this month........

Hungarian Mushroom Soup #NationalMushroomMonth

This rich, creamy, mushroom soup flavored with paprika and dill makes for a delicious full dinner when served up with a loaf of crusty warm bread.  It is also nice as a starter but beware of the portion size as it is very filling.

It is National Mushroom Month..........

Dill Pickle Compound Butter #ImprovCookingChallenge

This combination of butter and dill relish is perfect for shmearing on a bagel with tuna salad, topping a grilled chicken breast or enfolded in ground beef for an amazing butter burger.

I am joining in the Improv Cooking Challenge to see who creates the best recipe containing Butter and Pickles......

Smoked Salmon Roll-ups #FishFridayFoodies #FoodnFlix

A delicious, elegant, yet simple appetizer just in time for the Holiday season.

These Salmon Roll-ups were inspired by the movie, Love Actually, and fit in perfectly with this month's theme for Fish Friday Foodies.........

Smoked Salmon Chowder #SoupSaturdaySwappers

Tender, flaky, smoked salmon in a lightly creamed broth flavored with onions, garlic and celery with just enough potato to make it the first course or light lunch.

Spring Greens with Roasted Asparagus and Lemon Vinaigrette #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

I was given the opportunity to choose the recipes for this month's Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project.  The KMCP is a group started by Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla where we are cooking through the cookbook by Mark Bittman and sharing our recipes each Tuesday.

I'm starting off this month with Salad Greens +12 Ways.  Mark has 4 subsets in this chapter; tender, crunchy, sturdy and bold.  I was making a salad to start our Easter Dinner.  I had some artisan salad greens containing fresh red leaf and butter leaf lettuce. 

I had some fresh asparagus left from that bought for our soup that I will be sharing with you at a later date.  I tossed it with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.  

I had some dill left that I had needed for my Scallop Crudo that was served as the first course.  I decided to dress this with Bittman's Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette.  It was the perfect, light salad course to start our Easter Feast and will be the perfect start to your Mother's Day celebration next month.

Make sure you stop by and see the other salads shared below my recipe.  You can join us as we explore 8 ideas for Pasta Primavera next Tuesday.  Learn how at Cam's information post. 

Spring Greens with Roasted Asparagus and Lemon Vinaigrette

inspired by Kitchen Matrix by Mark Bittman

1 small head red lettuce

1 small head butter leaf lettuce

12 stalks asparagus

1-2 t. olive oil, salt and pepper

2 T. chopped fresh dill

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small shallot, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a preheat 400* oven for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Rinse the lettuce well and spin dry.  Tear into bite sized pieces and place onto a platter.   Sprinkle with the dill and top with the roasted asparagus.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, salt and pepper.  Drizzle over the salad and pass remainder at the table with the salad for those who like more dressing.  Print Recipe

More Salad Greens + 12 Ways

An InLinkz Link-up

Beet Slaw #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project.  A few of us, under the direction of Cam from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, are cooking our way through Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix cookbook this year.

We kicked it off last week with appetizers, specifically Party Dips.  I shared my take on Bittman's Potted Shrimp that I shared during a Christmas Cocktail Party.

The dish I am sharing with you today, was also served at a Christmas party.  My last of the year, when we celebrated Little Christmas or Epiphany with our family that lives in Traverse City, about 5 hrs. north of us.

Our theme for today was Raw Beets.  Bittman shared a recipe for a Borscht Salad.  My niece, great niece, Frank and I are beet lovers so I knew it would be a welcome addition to the meal.  

This is more of a slaw type salad.  I loved the dill flavoring and the hard boiled egg but thought it needed a little more oomph.  So I added more sour cream and some chopped bacon to the leftovers and took it to Roz and Ron's when we went to celebrate Little Christmas at their house on Sunday.  The bacon added the oomph for which I was searching.

As Frank said when I asked him what he thought of the idea of adding bacon...."Everything is better with Bacon in it".  I am adding the crumbled bacon addition to the recipe below.  Feel free to add it, or not, as the mood strikes.  This entire cookbook is all about taking a basic recipe and making it your own.

You will find how the others used Raw Beets in the links below this recipe.  Enjoy. 

Beet Slaw

adapted from Kitchen Matrix

3 small beets, peeled 

2 c. shredded cabbage

1 egg, hard boiled

5 strips bacon, cooked crisp and cut into small dice

1/3 c. sour cream

2 T. fresh dill fronds, minced

Cut the beets into chunks and place into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely grated. (You can use any method you like for grating but this is the easiest I had found and it keeps your fingers from turning red.)

Place the beets in a large bowl with the cabbage. Chop the egg and add to the bowl along with the bacon bits.  Toss all ingredients together.  Add the sour cream and the dill weed. Fold into the ingredients until well coated.  Print Recipe

Here is what the others created with Raw Beets

An InLinkz Link-up