Food for My Family » Appetizers http://foodformyfamily.com ...one plate at a time. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:55:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Cilantro-Lime Fish Cakes with Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise: Leftovers Redone http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 16:42:05 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11274 Leftover fish and rice find themselves transformed into a cilantro-lime fish cake topped off with a spicy sriracha lime mayonnaise.


Do you ever feel like you’re walking around with a sign on your back that says, “Not cool enough?”

I suppose it may just say, “kick me,” and the “not cool enough” factor is inferred. It is on my back. I can’t see it all that well.

I like to imagine the sign changes with each person who sees it. While one person may look and see that my sign says “standoffish,” someone who has known me longer may see that it says “reserved,” which is closer to the truth. Does it really matter what one person reads in comparison to the other? Should it bother me that some, but not all, associate kindness with extroversion or that sarcasm is often misread? People are entitled to their own opinions, and it remains within yourself whether or not you seek to change their mind.

If I told I was going to serve leftovers you may instantly turn away, bored at the thought of a meal of reheated tubs of food. However, if I presented it as a crisp, lightly fried rice cake with flaky fish topped with a bit of sriracha spice, you may stay a while and see what I’m serving. It’s all in the packaging and the wording, but if they decide to leave when they see the “leftovers” sign it’s their loss.


It’s probably not cool to continuously tell you about my leftovers. The chicken salad in a jar: leftovers. Fish cakes: leftovers. Who said leftovers had to be boring and reheated in the microwave?

We try to keep a regular amount of fish in our diet, but one of the things that always bothers me is leftover fish. I do not want to waste good fish. It’s not a resource I can just throw away, but reheated fish just isn’t all that exciting. That is, unless it’s turned into crispy fish cakes and served with a spicy mayonnaise. Suddenly leftovers are no longer leftovers, and instead, they’re a perfectly presentable meal.

A Few Notes

  • Feel free to approximate the rice and fish as long as you end up with around 3 1/2 cups of substance. You can mix and match a bit if your leftovers aren’t exact.
  • I used Hinode’s Medium Grain Rice. (They didn’t pay me to say that. I work with them, but I happen to also like their rice. That’s why it’s a good relationship.) The medium grain is a bit stickier than your average long grain. If you have long grain, add a bit of extra mayonnaise a tablespoon at a time to help it stick together if you have problems forming your cakes.
  • You can make these with a variety of leftover fish. They are equally delicious with salmon or whitefish, tuna, snapper, or tilapia. I used a snapper that had been prepared with lemon and grilled in a parchment bag. If you have a salty piece of fish, you may want to decrease the salt level a bit.
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 1/2 cups leftover fish
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup diced green onions
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2-4 tablespoons butter
greens of choice
Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise for garnish (recipe below)

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, fish, bread crumbs, green onions, and cilantro. In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, egg, lime juice, salt, and pepper together until smooth. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the rice and fish. Stir to combine.

Using a 3-tablespoon scoop, press together the mixture. Flatted the scoop into a patty and carefully roll in the breadcrumbs to cover. Repeat until all the mixture is gone.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the fish cakes to fill the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining butter and fish cakes.

Serve warm on a bed of greens with sriracha mayonnaise.


Makes 15-18 fish cakes.


Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Add the egg yolk, vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, and salt to the tall vessel of an immersion blender or a tall cup. Add the oil last slowly so that it sits on top of the other ingredients. Place the immersion blender blade at the bottom of the cup and turn it on. With the blender running, slowly start moving the blade towards the top, working in all the oil until it has been incorporated. Pulse the blender up and down a few times to mix thoroughly. Stir in cilantro.


Copyright © Food for My Family.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone/feed 39 Tarragon Deviled Eggs with Capers and Crispy Ham http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/tarragon-deviled-eggs-with-capers-and-crispy-ham http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/tarragon-deviled-eggs-with-capers-and-crispy-ham#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:43:57 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11109 Hard boiled eggs get deviled with capers, fresh tarragon, spicy Dijon, and a bit of crisped ham to finish it all off. An easy way to twist your deviled egg recipe for Easter.


The windows are open, and outside in the dark of night a soft rain is falling. It’s that steady pitter-patter that hums in the distance, barely whispering as it blankets the ground with its tears.

It reminds me of crying.

Not those sad, heavy sobs, but the heartbreaking tears that just pour unwillingly from your eyes as your heart slowly cracks in two, the fissure growing ever so slowly and then widening in the center before it dissipates off the other side.

Still, the tears tonight that the sky cries are not heartbreaking, but cleansing. They are washing away winter, calling the green from the ground, whispering to the life that lies just beneath the surface, sustaining it with their presence.

As I grasp my cup of tea, the tears for me mourn the loss of things I never knew I had, but the tears of the rain will renew. Spring, you see, has the ability to teach us that all of life must run in cycles, and the ups and downs will all work together as part of the whole.

Easter will come, the dirt will be washed away, and life will turn green once more.

Eggs seem appropriate for Easter, where their shells are often dyed and decorated into a rainbow of bright spring colors, each trying to outdo the other with their hue. When the shells are peeled away, however, all the eggs look the same: firm white yolk surrounding a soft yellow center.

The clean, blank canvas of the egg transforms and blooms. Today it made way for a bit of fresh tarragon, briny capers, a caramelized shallot, and a few crumbles of crisped ham. A fresh side for the spring season.

Notes:
How to Hard Boil Your Eggs | Family Kitchen
*I like Julia’s method, but I go for a 12-minute soak in the water before transferring to ice.
**You thought I was kidding about that “year of the egg” business? I apologize. Eggs.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 thin slice ham, finely diced
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon plus small leaves for garnish
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon brine from the capers
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

In a small frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the minced shallots and cook until caramelized, stirring frequently. Strain the shallots and set aside, leaving the remaining oil in the pan. Add the ham and cook until crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cleanly slice the hard-boiled eggs in half. Pull the egg yolks out from the center and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Mash the yolks with the tines of a fork until smooth. To the egg yolks add the cooled caramelized shallots, mayonnaise, Dijon, tarragon, capers, caper brine, and white pepper. Mix until smooth. Pipe or spoon the yolk filling into the hollowed out egg whites. Garnish the eggs with the crisp ham and fresh tarragon leaves.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Makes 12 deviled eggs.
Copyright © Food for My Family.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/tarragon-deviled-eggs-with-capers-and-crispy-ham/feed 26 Last-Minute Buffalo Chicken Dip Bites http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/last-minute-buffalo-chicken-dip-bites http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/last-minute-buffalo-chicken-dip-bites#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:58:45 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10816 These tiny buffalo chicken dip bites have just the right amount cream cheese, blue cheese, chicken and hot sauce all in a little phyllo pocket and ready to pop in your mouth, fuss free, on Super Bowl Sunday.

My mind has felt a bit cluttered lately. I suppose it is because there are plenty of things I should be doing and many more that I have yet to do. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but my mind seems to be focused on the other things that I rather *want* to do instead.

Confession: I have walked away from this post no less than 12 times this morning.

The point is, tomorrow is the Super Bowl. THE Super Bowl. We don’t have any plans. Our friends that used to host a kid-friendly event have long since moved to Oklahoma, leaving us to fend for ourselves with four kids on Super Bowl Sunday, and that means we generally entertain ourselves with the game on in the background, the kids squealing in the foreground and plenty of food right in the middle of all of it.

Food like this will be served. Perhaps a few football chips and guacamole-based dips that look like the football field itself will make an appearance for the kids, and then we’ll tuck sweet little angel heads into bed on time while their mom and dad settle down for one last weekend beer and the end of the game. It’s not such a bad thing.

If you haven’t tried buffalo chicken dip, this is your chance. It’s all the goodness the wings have to offer without all the finger-licking mess. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the finger-licking, too, just not on my couch, thankyouverymuch.) This is taking it one step further into bite-sized dip pieces. Happy Super Bowl Sunday to all of you!

Note: I used phyllo dough sheets for this, but using the pre-made phyllo cups (as pictured in the lemon-dill cheesecake bites with lox) would make this appetizer even easier to execute.

1 roll phyllo dough sheets (plus olive oil for brushing) or 1 box phyllo cups
8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces cream-style blue cheese
1 generous cup cooked chicken, cut into chunks or shredded
1/4 cup buffalo-style hot sauce
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1-2 chopped green onions, optional garnish

If using phyllo dough sheets: Carefully lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a dry work surface. Brush lightly with olive oil, covering the sheet. Repeat with 3 more sheets until a layer of 4 sheets is brushed, keeping unused sheets covered with plastic wrap and a wet towel. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut into 2″ squares. Transfer squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet to fill. (Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets after filled and baking, one set of 4 sheets at a time.)

If using phyllo cups: Line the cups on a baking sheet, spaced an inch or so apart to fill.

In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and cream-style blue cheese until combined. Add 1-2 generous teaspoons in the bottom of the phyllo cups or the center of the phyllo squares. Top with 1 teaspoon of chicken. Add enough hot sauce to cover the chicken and top with blue cheese. For the squares, pinch up the corners of the phyllo to the center to create a small box.

Bake at 350º F for 15-18 minutes, just until phyllo starts to brown and cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Garnish with green onions. Best served warm.

**These can be made ahead, stores and then warmed in the oven for a few minutes just before eating.


Makes 30-40 buffalo chicken dip bites.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/last-minute-buffalo-chicken-dip-bites/feed 21 Orange Cranberry Walnut and Lemon Chanterelle Parsley Compound Butter http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/orange-cranberry-walnut-and-lemon-chanterelle-parsley-compound-butter http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/orange-cranberry-walnut-and-lemon-chanterelle-parsley-compound-butter#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:30:20 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10309 Spice up your bread offering this holiday season with orange cranberry walnut butter and a little lemon chanterelle parsley butter to spread.

Nearly every holiday consists of the Olmanson family driving around the state of Minnesota to attend not one, not two but three family functions, each different in their food offerings, and each with their own set of requirements on you, as a guest.

There are different food likes and dislikes, and there is a different level of appreciation for the food served. However, regardless of which holiday celebration we’re attending, one thing holds true: someone is deemed in charge of bringing bread.

Occasionally, the bread-getter is also a bread-buyer, one who picks up rolls at the bakery or–gasp!–the supermarket. However, more often than not, someone will take the time to mix dough, bake it and bring a glorious homemade bread option created with their own hands. Good bread deserves a good butter to spread on it.

Kerrygold recently started offering a new line of butters, Naturally Soft Irish Butter, that rely on the fat content of the cow’s milk at different times of the year to make them softer or reduced fat. No chemicals or strange additives, just cream and butter. It’s no wonder I dedicated my entire macaroni and cheese post to Kerrygold.

With a commitment to providing the best possible products for their customers and their cows at the same time, I immediately said yes when they asked me to try their butters and create something from them, something worth of your holiday table, perhaps.

This holiday season you may even want to volunteer to be the bread-getter, just so you can bring butter. Not just any butter, cranberry orange walnut and lemon chanterelle parsley butter, of course.

1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons Kerrygold Naturally Soft Butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped chanterelle mushrooms
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

In a small frying pan, melt 2 teaspoons butter over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, lemon juice and salt and cook until mushrooms are cooked through and most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Mix in cooled mushrooms with the remaining butter and the chopped parsley. Chill until ready to serve.


Makes approximately 1/2 cup compound butter.
Copyright © Food for My Family.


1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon Kerrygold Naturally Softer Butter
2 tablespoons fresh cranberries, finely chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons maple syrup
grated zest from 1 orange

In a small frying pan, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat. Add in cranberries, walnuts and maple syrup. Cook until cranberries break down and the sauce turns red. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Mix together cooled cranberry sauce with the butter and the orange zest. Chill until ready to serve.


Makes 1/2 cup compound butter.
Copyright © Food for My Family.


Note: Kerrygold sent me some free butter to try, but they really didn’t need to, as I’ve been buying it from Costco on my own already. Opinions, as always, are my own.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/orange-cranberry-walnut-and-lemon-chanterelle-parsley-compound-butter/feed 7 Sweet and Sticky Barbecue Chicken Wings http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/sweet-and-sticky-barbecue-chicken-wings http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/sweet-and-sticky-barbecue-chicken-wings#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:05:22 +0000 Ole http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10214 These barbecue chicken wings are the perfect burger or brat accompaniment served with a side of Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans for your tailgate, kissed with homemade barbecue sauce and caramelized on the grill.

Tailgating is a true American pastime. Whether it’s before a baseball game in the summertime, football in the fall or even hockey in the wintertime, spectators love to gather in parking lots and have something to eat before the game. Now, just because you’re away from the kitchen there’s no need to compromise food quality or taste. With a little planning, you can easily prepare five-star food in a one-star environment.

When the subject of tailgating comes up, most folks think about big time professional sports or serious college athletics events, but around our house the family favorite tailgating opportunity is a St. Paul Saints baseball game at Midway stadium. We’ve spent the better part of a decade perfecting our tailgating techniques in the parking lot of this very minor league stadium.

These barbecue chicken wings top our list of favorites. Not the rubbery, dripping, crock-pot-born wings that pop up at graduations and uninspired potlucks. I’m talking about crispy, sweet and savory chicken wings worthy of any highbrow sports bar. These wings can be yours with minimal effort in the preceding days or hours leading up to the event.

The secret is in the oil. All real chicken wing joints use fryers to cook the wings to crispy perfection before tossing them in sauce and serving them. Out in tailgate country, fryers (while becoming more popular with the turkey crowd) are still hard to come by, but we can improvise.

Before you leave you need to do two things.  First, throw all your wings in a zipper bag with salt, pepper and olive oil. Whether they are thawed or frozen doesn’t really matter, just make sure you work them around so that they’re all coated well.

Next you’ll want to make up a quick barbecue sauce. Yes, you could buy some, but there is no need. You can make it yourself and feel better about the ingredients, as well as rake in the praise when people find out it’s your own “secret” recipe. Mix (homemade) ketchup, molasses, vinegar and spices in a sauce pan and simmer for ten minutes, and you’re done. Grab a foil pan and a quality pair of tongs and head to the game.

On a hot grill spread out your wings and turn every 4-5 minutes until they are golden brown. The seasoned oil will make the skin all salty and crispy, just like a fryer. At this point, some in the group might want to eat them plain, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but to boost the flavor, put the foil pan on the grill, transfer the wings to it and add a light coating of your BBQ sauce. Stir and turn the wings every minute or so for 5 minutes until they are all well coated and the sauce begins to caramelize.

Pull the pan off the grill and cover it with foil until it’s time to eat. These wings go great alongside burgers, brats or beans and chips. They’re a great fit for the tangy bite that Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans deliver. Just make sure you bring enough, as they’ve been known to fly off pretty quickly when you’re not looking.

These pair nicely with a side of classic baked beans from Bush’s and plenty of paper towels from your tailgating kit. Have you entered to win the Bush’s Beans Tailgate package yet? Hurry up and get over there!

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh black pepper
3 pounds chicken wings

Barbecue Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine oil, salt and pepper in a 1-gallon zipper bag and squeeze the bag to mix. Add the chicken wings and seal and agitate until they are thoroughly coated.

Combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook wings on a hot grill for approximately 15 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer them to a foil pan on the grill and lightly coat with sauce. Stir and flip the wings frequently until the sauce has caramelized. Cover the pan with foil, remove from the heat and serve.


Makes 5-6 servings.

Copyright © Food for My Family.



This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans. They’re pretty fantastic. The recipe and opinions all belong to yours truly, however.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/sweet-and-sticky-barbecue-chicken-wings/feed 19 Creamy Grilled Artichoke Dip and Green Valley Organics http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/creamy-grilled-artichoke-dip-and-green-valley-organics http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/creamy-grilled-artichoke-dip-and-green-valley-organics#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:24:17 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=9112 This dip features grilled artichokes, spring onions and creamy sour cream and cream cheese for a side dish to pair with all your favorite summer meals. This creamy grilled artichoke dip will soon be a summer favorite. We made ours with Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free Sour Cream, and we’re giving some away along with their kefir and yogurt for you to try, too!

It definitely feels like summer, but my kids are still in school. Well, until tomorrow afternoon at least. Why is it that the last week of school, where homework ceases and books remain closed always feels like the busiest time of the year for the parents? Between the final PTA meetings, the kindergarten graduations, the field days and the concerts, the activity level is high, the temperatures start soaring, and this mom is patiently waiting for the summer lull to come and carry me off into lazy weeknight walks and bike rides around the lake.

I’m in full summer swing, even though our schedule has yet to catch up – or slow down, as it were – and we started by inviting my siblings over to enjoy a grilled dinner and night by the (kiddie) pool on the most recent 102-degree day a few nights ago. I look forward to the next one.

We served a summer-worthy starter with our meal in the form of a creamy artichoke dip. Start by grilling your artichokes. While not necessary, it makes them a bit nuttier, and if you’re already eating outside or out there grilling, it’s a natural addition for you to grill the entire kitchen. Right?

While your artichokes are heating up, mix together your cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until smooth.

Chop the artichokes into larger chunks and mix in all the other ingredients: artichokes, spring onions, tarragon, salt and pepper.

Serve the dip on toasted bread, toast rounds or with vegetables. My personal favorite are these little bruschetta toasts.

I can’t tell you how excited I was when my Green Valley Organics showed up. When I opened the container with the yogurt, all of my kids were clamoring to try them, and we were not disappointed at all. They were creamy and thick, and they were full of probiotics, lactose-free and made from organic, Certified Humane cow’s milk. Really, I was blown away.

All the products are so smooth and creamy, with not a bit of grit to be found. The kids loved them, and we’ve been enjoying them ever since in pancakes, smoothies, yogurt parfaits and topping off tacos.

THE PRIZES
(2) Green Valley Organics Prize Packs (as in 2 winners) that each include:

  • Green Valley Organics Yogurt
  • Green Valley Organics Sour Cream (not yet in stores!)
  • Green Valley Organics Kefir

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN

1. Leave a comment. What is your favorite way to eat dairy?

2. Follow @GVOlactosefree and @FoodforMyFamily on Twitter and tweet the following, and come back and let me know you did:

Win a @GVOlactosefree prize pack from @FoodforMyFamily http://su.pr/2DkmPZ

3. Join the Food for My Family community on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

4. Join the Green Valley Organics community on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

THE RULES:

This giveaway will run until Monday, June 13th at 11:59 p.m. EDT and is open to all U.S. residents. Two winners will be chosen at random using Random.org from all eligible entries. Each reader has 4 chances to win by completing the above tasks and leaving a separate comment for each entry method completed. Chosen winner must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!

1 10-ounce jar marinated artichokes
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 spring onions, diced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat grill to 500° F. Slide artichokes onto bamboo skewers and place on hot grill for 2 minutes or so per side, until they start to brown lightly.

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until smooth. Add in spring onions, tarragon, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove artichokes from the grill, chop lightly and stir into the dip. Serve with toasted bread, crackers or vegetable sticks.


Makes 6-8 servings.
Copyright © Food for My Family.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/creamy-grilled-artichoke-dip-and-green-valley-organics/feed 65 Homemade Potato Chips and Avocado Ranch Dip for an Earth Day Virtual Picnic for the Planet http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/homemade-potato-chips-and-avocado-ranch-dip-for-an-earth-day-virtual-picnic http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/homemade-potato-chips-and-avocado-ranch-dip-for-an-earth-day-virtual-picnic#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:22:29 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=8643 It’s Earth Day! Come celebrate with a Virtual Picnic in honor of the Picnic for the Planet the Nature Conservancy are hosting around the globe today. We’re bringing crisp baked potato chips and avocado ranch dip with us. Won’t you join us?

Warming weather to this family means plenty of outdoor eating, sitting in the grass and running through wide open spaces. We love a good picnic, especially if it involves all the lovely picnic foods like potato salad and hamburgers. However, one thing our picnics lack is potato chips. We don’t buy them, and my dear husband hasn’t had one pass his lips in over 15 years. While he’ll tell you that he doesn’t miss the salty crunch potato chips bring to the party, I was bound and determined to find a potato chip recipe that he would deem acceptable for consumption. Turns out baking potatoes, even in chip form, does not a potato chip make. According to him.

According to me, I made homemade potato chips. Baked. Then I topped it of by making a creamy avocado ranch dip to scoop up in my homemade potato goodness. We’re ready to picnic and potato chips are invited to the party.

We’re inviting you to a Picnic for the Planet today in honor of Earth Day. Get involved and check out these five things you can do to support the planet:

Eat Smart. Know where your food comes from and what’s in it.

Eat Local. Shop at farmers’ markets, join a CSA, locate a co-op or buy direct from a farm.

Eat Sustainably. Choose sustainable options when purchasing seafood.

Eat Green. Look for organic options and add more produce to your diet, and be sure to check out the Eat Well, Spend Less series to do it on a budget.

Eat Out. Join the Picnic for the Planet and eat outside today, celebrating what we have all around us.


Start by thinly slicing potatoes. I used Sara‘s mandoline for nice, even slices, but you could also do this with a vegetable peeler or in your food processor, too.

Lay out the potatoes and brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. These get put into a fairly hot oven and then baked into golden glory goodness. Drain them on a baking rack, paper bag or kitchen towel.

For the dip, we’re going to start with creamy and ripe avocados. Mine were a gift from California Avocados Direct and were some of the best avocados I’ve had. They were fresh and creamy and completely void of those annoying strings you so often see in store-bought avocados. The creamy green was perfect for eating on its own or turning into dips and spreads or, in this case, avocado ranch dip.

Mix in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, a cocktail of spices and herbs and mash in the avocados for a dip that is made for those hearty potato chips.

Packed tightly inside a lemon-rubbed canning jar and then covered with a piece of parchment, this avocado dip won’t brown nearly as easily as guacamole. Squeeze out as many air bubbles as you can while packing, cover with a piece of parchment right on top and then seal with the lid. You’ll be good for 24 hours.

Lightly oiled potato chips hold up to this creamy ranch dip and will have the kids squealing and may even reform those on self-imposed potato chip bans. Plus, they’re perfect picnic eats.

Happy Earth Day! Thank you so much to Amber and Aimee for coordinating the whole thing! Come join our virtual picnic by visiting the rest of our group:

Simple Bites | Pressed Sandwiches
My Baking Addiction | Mixed Berry Cheesecakes in a Jar
Bluebonnets & Brownies | Nanny’s Potato Salad
Gourmande in the Kitchen | Honey Ginger Lemonade
Dine & Dish | Sangria
Add A Pinch | Herbed Tortellini Salad
Bakers Royale | Fruit Recipe Roundup
Three Many Cooks | Black and White Caviar
Food for My Family | Homemade Potato Chips and Avocado Ranch Dip
Sugarcrafter |Apple Hand Pies
Tickled Red | Tangy Potato Salad
What’s Cooking with Kids | Kale Chips
Confessions of a Cookbook Queen | Mini Lemonade Cakes
TidyMom | Picnic Pies in a Jar


Today’s recipe was inspired by and adapted from the cheeky wonder, Brooke McLay. I’ve been dreaming of potato chips ever since I saw hers, and I knew I needed to bring them into my own kitchen and out on a picnic with me.

2 pounds potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt

Preheat oven to 400° F. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, shave potatoes into very thin slices. Lay slices onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush lightly with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes or until potatoes start to turn golden on one side. Flip the slices and continue baking for another 7-10 minutes. Flip again and bake until potatoes are golden brown and crisp, another 5-10 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight container.


Makes 6 cups potato chips.
Copyright © Food for My Family.


2 avocados
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
chips and vegetables for dipping

Peel and mash avocados. Mix avocados with Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Stir in chives, parsley, dill, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Serve with homemade potato chips, pita chips or fresh vegetables for dipping.


Makes 3 cups.
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