Park Deli Potato Salad

Park Deli was the place for the best sandwiches and salads growing up. Their potato salad was a favorite. It's a simple potato salad with just a few ingredients. It's tangy and creamy and so good with a sandwich.

5 or 6 medium red potatoes 1/2 sweet onion, grated 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 cup good mayonnaise Add potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and peel. Grate onion into a medium size bowl.  Add water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine.

Slice warm potatoes about 1/4" thick.  Place in a large bowl.

Pour onion, vinegar mixture over warm potatoes.

Let sit approximately 10 minutes so that the potatoes can absorb some of the liquid.

There will be a little liquid left.  This is what makes this salad so nice and creamy.

Add mayonnaise and stir gently so not to break up the potatoes.

Chill for at least two hours.

Sharing with Weekend Potluck

Nacho Cheese Chips

Freshly fried corn tortillas make simple chips and dip or salsa extra good.
1 pkgs. corn tortillas Nacho Spice* Romano Cheese Canola oil

Stack tortillas and cut into quarters. In a medium saucepan, heat about 1/4" of canola oil. Fry chips about 30 seconds on each side until golden brown.

Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.  While still hot, sprinkle on Nacho Seasoning.

For the second batch, I grated on some Romano Cheese. Voila!  Doritos!

These fresh chips are totally addicting. Make up your own spice mixture according to your taste, or just sprinkle with salt.
Serve with Pico de Gallo, salsa or queso dip.

Nacho Spice
2 Tbsp. chili powder 2 Tbsp. cumin 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. black pepper 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. onion powder 2 tsp. paprika
Combine all ingredients.  Use for chips, chili, tacos or any mexican dish.

"Everything" Muffins

These muffins have everything in them except the kitchen sink. AKA Morning Glory Muffins, this recipe is a throw back to the 60's, bringing together fruit and veg in an earthy muffin.

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup sweetened coconut 1/2 cup walnuts 2-1/4 cup flour (white or whole wheat) 3/4 cup sugar 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1/3 cup Wheat Germ (optional) Wet Ingredients:
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple 1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and grated 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 4 oz. jars of baby food carrots(or 1-1/2 cups grated carrots) 1 cup raisans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast coconut and walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant; let cool.  Process coconut and walnuts until finely ground.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Place pineapple and shredded apple in a strainer over a liquid measuring cup. Press fruit dry until you get 1 cup of liquid. Bring juice to a boil in the same skillet you toasted the coconut and walnuts.  Cook until reduce to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
In same liquid measuring cup, melt butter.  Add reduced liquid and raisans.  Let cool.  This will also plump up the raisans.
When cool, whisk in 3 eggs and vanilla and carrots.   Stir wet mixture into dry mixture until combined. Stir in pineapple-apple mixture.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 24-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in tin 10 minutes.

~Adapted from Cook's Country Sharing with: Food Friday Frenzy                        Weekend Potluck                        From the Farm                        Real Housemoms