Celadon's Carolina Deviled Eggs

 

Last month my roommate, Celadon, loves deviled eggs and after tasting the ones she made, I can understand why they are so addictive. I have been meaning to write this post however I haven't had a chance to ask her about the secrets to making these eggs. Celadon has been making deviled eggs since she was a kid growing up in Georgia, making them into little sailboats with a tooth pick and torn piece of lettuce as the sail. While she doesn't follow a specific recipe she was able to estimate her measurements so you can make these too! She used a zip lock bag to pipe the filling into the eggs so each egg looks perfectly even and elegant. These delicious deviled eggs were completely finished before we even started dinner!

Celadon's Carolina Deviled Eggs
(Makes 24 deviled eggs)

Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
4 ounces mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
Cayenne powder

Directions:

1. Carefully peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in half. Gently scoop all the yolk into a bowl. Mix well with the mayonnaise, Dijon, and salt and pepper. Put mixture into a ziplock back, cut a small hole, and squeeze mixture into the egg shells. Sprinkle them with cayenne powder. Enjoy!

Tangy Potato Salad

A new take on your standard potato salad makes for a slightly tangy, and a little crunchier version. Simple, quick easy and satisfying the leftovers even taste great! Combined with a meal of deviled eggs, flaky cheddar biscuits and tomato soup, this was the perfect fresh dish. I used equal parts mayonnaise and  grainy Dijon mustard which added to the tangy punch. I don't think I have ever used tarragon in a recipe but after doing some potato salad research, I learned that it's a pretty standard herb to use.

Tangy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 lb mini Russet potatoes

3/4 lb mini Yukon potatoes

1 cup heirloom tomatoes, chopped

3 large celery stalks, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 handful fresh parsley

 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grainy Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Ground pepper

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add potatoes, cover and reduce the heat to bring the water to a simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain and run with cold water to prevent potatoes from cooking more.

2. While potatoes are simmering, chop and mix the tomatoes, celery, green onions and parsley. In a separate smaller bowl make the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, tarragon and pepper.

3. When potatoes have cooled, chop and mix in with the tomato mixture. Add dressing and lightly toss just until it is evenly incorporated.

Cheddar Biscuits

I love biscuits. They are versatile, good for any meal, and the perfect comfort food. This batch came out particularly flaky which was nice. I found this recipe on the blog, Laura's Recipe Collection and made some changes to create a slightly healthier version. I cut the butter and used olive oil instead. This makes the biscuit keep it's moistness and it's much better for you. Each layer was like moist biscuit goodness. My good friend, Soma, was visiting and we decided to prepare a Southern comfort feast which included cheddar biscuits, potato salad, deviled eggs, tomato soup and a chocolate mess cake for dessert. In the way that grilled cheese is a lovely accompaniment to tomato soup, these biscuits work the same magic. Any leftovers can be frozen and reheated to provide for the same warm, flaky, fresh taste. I'm sure these would be good with fresh cracked pepper, chili flakes or fresh dill. Happy Biscuiting!

Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cold buttermilk, plus a little more

1/4 cup fake eggs

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the butter, olive oil, buttermilk, and fake eggs. Whisk well, until everything is incorporated. Fold in cheddar cheese, adding more if you think necessary just until combined
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that is 2/3" thick.
4. Using a sharp knife that is dusted with flour, cut the dough into triangular wedges. Lightly brush the top of the biscuits with buttermilk. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 or until they are slightly golden brown on top.

Chicken Salad

My first time having chicken salad, other than Chinese chicken salad in California, was at my boyfriend's grandmother, Bess's, home. She prepared a delicious lunch for us of chicken salad, biscuits and vegetable beef soup. On most Sunday afternoons, we still crave this meal. This was very much the inspiration for our Valentine's dinner but we changed it up a bit and swaped the vegetable beef soup for mushroom barley soup. This chicken salad is very easy to prepare and has a lovely contrast of sweet and salty with the grapes and pickles. Combined with the dill biscuits, we had fantastic chicken salad sandwiches with grainy mustard and crisp lettuce.

                          

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

7 chicken breast tenderloins

1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved

3 celery stalks, chopped

6 crunchy kosher pickles, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 heaping tablespoon tarragon

Olive oil

Thyme

Ground pepper

Garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the chicken breast tenderloins on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, ground pepper and garlic powder. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

3. When chicken has cooled, shred the meat from the bones into thick chunks. Place chicken in a bowl with grapes, celery, and pickles. Add mayonnaise and mix with forks to incorporate. Add tarragon and mix until it is evenly distributed.

Assembling Chicken Salad Biscuit Sandwiches:

1. Slice biscuit in half and remove some of the flaky parts in the center. This part is delicious to eat on its own.

                      

2. Add grainy mustard on each half of the biscuit.

                       

3. Pile with chicken salad, lettuce and any other accompaniments.

                       

Flaky Dill Biscuits

For a Valentine's dinner, my boyfriend and I decided to make a comfort food meal of flaky biscuits, chicken salad and mushroom barley soup. Left over cupcakes for dessert. I love biscuits and feel like I am always trying to improve them, trying to get them a tad flakier or a little more puffy and airy. In my biscuit baking experience thus far, these were the best I've made. We decided to incorporate a lot of dill and it tasted fantastic! These are easy to make and very delicious. We ended up making sandwiches with the chicken salad and some mustard and lettuce. I came across this recipe for biscuits on the food blog, Feast Your Eyes and changed it up to make the biscuits whole wheat and dill. Just because it was Valentine's Day I used the heart shape cookie cutter, but we also made some guitar shaped biscuits which came out looking more like wine bottles, but it's the thought that counts!

Flaky Dill Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter until your mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add the buttermilk and dill and use your hands or a spatula to move it around the bowl in a circular motion to mix it in with the flour.
3. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it until it is about 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick. Using cookie or biscuit cutters or a jar, make the biscuits.

4. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle the ground pepper on top. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Stewed Tomatoes

While visiting my boyfriend's home I had the pleasure of trying one of his favorite dishes - stewed tomatoes. It's easy to understand why he likes this dish so much, it was delicious and definitely inspired me to bring this back to my tiny kitchen to replicate it for a comfort food dinner. Stewed tomatoes are essentially baked tomatoes and toasted bread, the amount and type of bread is completely up to personal preference so don't take this recipe as a strict one to follow. Feel free to use up whatever bread you have in the cupboard and as much or as little as you want! Since I don't have a toaster I made a mistake of thinking I could broil the bread for as long as I would toast it and it wasn't until my boyfriend exclaimed "Is something burning!?" that  I had a Cher in Clueless moment and took out a pan of charred black bread from the oven. So if you are planning to broil your bread then broil it on low for about 45 seconds per a side. I definitely attribute the deliciousness of this to his mother's home canned tomatoes from her garden. Below is a picture of one of the two jars we got to take back to NY.

                              

Here is a picture of her stewed tomatoes! The first I ever tried. Made with love and no strict recipe, stewed tomatoes are a dish you can definitely be flexible with.

                            

Stewed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 quart of canned tomatoes
8 thick slices of whole wheat Italian rustic bread
2 teaspoons sugar
butter

Directions:
1. Toast the bread until golden brown on both sides. Spread both sides of the toast with butter.
2. Pour the canned tomatoes into a glass baking dish. Break apart the toasted bread and mix it into the bowl of tomatoes using a fork to evenly incorporate the bread. Sprinkle the sugar on top.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; bake the dish until it is heated through and slightly bubbly on top, about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Tomato Pie

My good friend has been talking about his mother's tomato pie for ages. I finally got to try some of this deliciousness on a recent visit and it was indeed delicious! I got her original recipe and have wanted to make it. This was the last weekend of large, plump, luscious tomatoes at our local farmer's market so I seized the opportunity to make my own adapted version of this famed Southern dish. Tomato pie originated on the coast of South Carolina and everyone has their own version but the basic ingredients of pie crust, tomatoes and cheese have stayed constant. I would love to try this again and use sweet onions or green onions. It's perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Tomato Pie

(Makes one 9 inch pie tin)

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts

4 large ripe tomatoes

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups chopped basil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Thaw the pie crusts and roll them together to form one large ball. Adding some flour, roll it out on a floured surface into one large sheet. Place over a deep dish 9 inch pie pan crimping the edges to make a nice pie crust. You will most likely not need all the pie dough. Heat the pie crust in the oven for about 7 minutes or just until the bottom starts to bubble.

3. Slice the tomatoes and place on a paper towel to let drain for 10 minutes.

4. Put 1/2 cup grated mozzarella on the bottom of the pie crust. Layer the tomato slices over lapping just until slightly below the top of the pie tin. Layer on the grated cheddar and the other 1/2 cup grated mozzarella.

5. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan and basil. Layer this mixture on top of the cheese covering the entire pie top.

6. Bake in the over for about 35 minutes, just until the top is slightly golden and bubbly.