5 Ingredient Potato Salad

Shopping List:
Potatoes 3 1/2 lbs.
Mayonnaise to taste
Eggs 12/1 doz.
Pickle Relish 1 cup
Capers 1/4 cup
Directions:
Rinse potatoes and cut into quarters for quick cooking. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to water. Cook until tender. Skin may be removed after cooking while still warm.
Place 12 eggs in a pot that will hold them and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil without a top. When the eggs come to a boil, cover and remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. After time has elased, drain and rinse with cold water and peel. Chop potatoes and eggs and place in a bowl; add pickle relish, capers, mayo and mix. Now enjoy!

Red Snapper

Red Snapper? It was my focus...I got side-tracked. I ended up at an Island Bar-B-Q (buffet style).

I don't normally do buffets...not there is anything wrong with them...its just that there is too much opportunity for me, but I made an exception.
The set-up consisted of three eight foot tables broken down into a cold station which had salads, a hot station which had meats and lastly, a sweet station which had desserts.

The cold station had salad stables like romaine lettuce and everything imaginable to go on top of it, cole slaw, potato salad and pasta salad. Big bowls of peel and eat shrimp was on the table also. Mango Chicken, Baked Grouper, Beef Ribs, Fried Chicken, green beans and scallop potatoes covered the hot table. The dessert table had cheesecakes, chocolate cake and cookies.
Hot coffee and hot teas were included on the dessert table.
The food was O.K., the entertainment was better. The Marriott gets ***
out of *****.

Why, you say? In a nut shell, I don't like over cooked potatoes in my potato salad, over cooked chicken (the mango and the fried), over cooked ribs, seasonless food and most of all, I simply cannot take desserts out of a box. That's why.

Catch of the Day, Snapper

Talk about cheap, snapper is the catch of the day as fishermen are constantly pulling it in from the waters off the south-western coast. Needless to say, the texture of this sweet and moist reef fish holds up to a variety of cooking methods. Don't even bother removing the skin.

David Morales author of Succulent Snapper says, "on the island of Aruba there are at least a handful of restaurants that will prepare your fresh catch for you." Snapper is usually served with a local creole sauce and polenta or a delicious corn bread, which sounds like a Southern twist to me.

Mr. Morales has helped me to decide what I'm having for dinner this evening. The Bistro Taste of Belgium has Red Snapper Fillets ribbed with garlic, salted and peppered with a bit of lemon juice, then fried in butter on both sides. The fillets are served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with a side of fresh salad. I'm going to check it out and I will get back to you.

Aruba's Grilling Traditions

Aruba's proximity to South America definitely influences the island's grilling traditions. There are several international grill emporiums and steakhouses on the island to choose from that make their own dipping sauces and marinades to enhance the grilling process.

According to Susan Campbell, author of , "The Thrill of the Grill," what really separates grilling around the world is the choice of marinades, oils, rubs, sauces and spice blends. Campbell notes that even the type of wood used to fuel a fire can create a distinctive flavor and favorite meats can simply depend upon what's economical, popular and easily obtainable.

On the island of Aruba, that would be seafood and when grilled, it benefits from locally produced hot sauces that one can purchase or magically create.

Magically create a rub or spice blend that's unique to a place you have visited or want to visit and please share it.

Caribbean Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are really easy to make and can be enjoyed anywhere in the world. At the Pavilion Grill Restaurant in Aruba they simply make a cilantro-lime ranch style sauce to apply to the taco. The sauce is pretty good, but not great. The grouper is fresh and has been fried. Crisp cabbage and pico de gallo really brighten up the dish.

If your avoiding fried foods, I suggest grilling the grouper, cod or whatever fish you want to use after it has been marinated in an oil infused cilantro, lime zest and lime juice mixture. The fish would be more flavorful and you would achieve some flavor on the fish verses relying on a sauce to bring in all of the flavor.

When marinating fish, keep the process at thirty minutes or less or the flesh will get mushy. If food doesn't have flavor, what's the point!

Food and Atmosphere at Majid's

 The food at Majid's is Mediterranean, Iranian and even American. Its fairly easy to say whether food is good or bad and even if it was prepared properly at a particular restaurant; what can be interesting to gauge is whether the food's taste, color and texture are heightened when the staff are on their game. Atmosphere goes beyond candles and lighting, color on the wall, art, dishes, table clothes, flatware and floor design. Since people are art in and of themselves; they create atmosphere through their  personalities, stories and attitudes especially when your in a pricey, but affordable restaurant. I said all of that to say, Majid's atmosphere is sharp, colorful, genuine and worth the price. The restaurant is fortunate to have very good food and very good atmosphere and these two components will make patrons want to return over and over again. 

The seafood stew stands alone, but take your time eating it so you can enjoy all of its deliciousness; of course you will need a piece of bread to go with it.

  

The herb roasted duck is the best I've tasted in this town. You can tell its been roasted nice and slow because of the flavor content; the flavors have been layered appropriately.
The duck is served with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus and red pepper.




Last but not least, dessert...skip it. Not a fan of pretty, but not tasty. Go after some quality desserts that make your patrons think of only you when they have a sweet tooth. The dessert experience should be as memorable as the main course. It is after all, part of the sale. Chef Donna Rating ****

One Pot Meal or Casserole Notion

Turkey, Potato and Kale Meal

One pot meals are all the rave because of the simplicity and convenience of making them. When I was growing up, these one pot meals were called casseroles and they went into the oven versus being cooked on top of the stove. I guess it's called updating a process. Today, I have a wonderful recipe for dinner that you can call a one pot meal since it is prepared on top of the stove or you could put it in the oven.

Grocery List

Turkey sausage (1 package), potatoes (use any type you like, I used small red potatoes), kale greens (one bunch), onions (1 medium to large) and red pepper flakes.

Instructions

Start your pot off with 1 cup of water, package of Turkey sausage (cut up in portions) and potatoes cut into quarters on medium heat. Once it comes to a boil (8-10 minutes) add onions and kale greens, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook an additional 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are done to your likeness. Now you have a one pot meal ready in about 30 minutes that you are sure to love.

* green beans can be substituted for kale greens.