With all the summer entertaining going on, this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw is a great side dish to add to your cooking arsenal. Not only does it go well with a variety of grilled foods and other sides, it’s nice to see something other than pasta salad or canned baked beans at a potluck. Plus, we all need more veggies!

This slaw is slightly sweet and slightly tangy with a nice punch of heat from the mustards. I didn’t have spicy mustard so I substituted some whole grain creole mustard and a little extra Dijon. I also substituted green onions for the red onions because that’s what I had on hand…plus, it added more color to the dish. If you don’t have malt vinegar, I’m sure apple cider vinegar will do just fine. Enjoy!

Blackberry Farm’s Sweet and Spicy Foothills Coleslaw
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com
Adapted from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook, by Sam Beall (Clarkson Potter, 2009).

For maximum crunch, this zippy variation on classic coleslaw should be made no more than 2 hours before serving. The dish makes a fine companion to fried chicken or burgers. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tbs. malt vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed oil or very spicy mustard such as English or German
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup shredded red onion

In a large bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, malt vinegar, mustard seed oil, the 1 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the mayonnaise.

Add the red and green cabbages, the carrots and onion and toss until the vegetables are coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Strain the coleslaw. Taste and season it with more salt or pepper if desired.

Tags: Blackberry Farm, cabbage, carrots, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, onions, Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw, vinegar

If you like the flavors of wasabi and ginger (which I do!), you’re going to love this recipe! You get a little zip from the wasabi without it knocking your head off, plus a little zing from the ginger and lime. This is a great summer recipe, and tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant!

The salmon cooks quickly on the grill so don’t wander off or you might end up with blackened, over-cooked salmon (not tasty!). For the mayonnaise mixture, add the wasabi paste last, tasting as you add it until you get the flavor/zip factor that you like. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Wasabi-Ginger Mayonnaise
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

You can find wasabi paste and powder at Asian groceries, or try the Asian section of your supermarket. Serves four.

1-1/2 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 Tbs. wasabi paste; more to taste
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets
Vegetable oil for the grill

Prepare a medium-hot grill fire (be sure the grill grate has been scrubbed clean with a wire brush).

Cut the half lime into four wedges and set aside. Finely grate the zest from the whole lime. Cut the zested lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a small bowl (save the other half for another use). In a medium bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the lime juice with the lime zest, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, ginger, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Taste and add more wasabi paste if you’d like a zippier flavor.

Run your finger along each salmon fillet to feel for tiny bones; use tweezers or needlenose pliers to pull out any that you find. Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 Tbs. of the mayonnaise mixture onto the salmon fillets and refrigerate the rest. With your hands, spread the mayonnaise in a thin layer over all sides of the fillets.

When the grill is ready, oil the grill grate using tongs and a paper towel dipped in oil. Grill the salmon until crisp and slightly charred on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until the salmon is just cooked through, another 3 to 6 minutes. Serve the salmon topped with a dollop of the mayonnaise and a lime wedge on the side. Pass the remaining mayonnaise at the table.

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Tags: ginger, Grilling/BBQ, lime, mayonnaise, Quick Cooking, salmon, wasabi paste

I love deviled eggs and I love curry, so it pretty much was a given that I would love the two combined. This recipe is a fun twist on a classic!

Major Grey’s chutney is a type of chutney, not a brand. If you don’t have it (or can’t find it), the eggs will still be good. The chutney just provides another layer of flavor to the egg filling.

A decorating bag makes the stuffed eggs look fancy and labor-intensive when it’s actually super quick and easy to do.  Just spoon the filling into a decorating bag with a tip (I used tip #21), squeeze filling into each egg white in a swirly pattern, and Bob’s your uncle…pretty, swirly-filled eggs. If you don’t have a decorating bag then just spoon the filling into each egg white.

Curried Stuffed Eggs
-recipe from Gourmet Magazine 

Yield: Makes 12 stuffed eggs

6 hard-cooked large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon bottled Major Grey’s chutney, large pieces minced
1 scallion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Tabasco to taste

Garnish: thinly sliced scallion green

Cut a paper-thin slice off both ends of eggs and halve eggs crosswise. Force yolks through a sieve into a bowl (or mash with a fork) and stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large ribbon or other decorative tip and pipe into whites, mounding it. The stuffed eggs may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Just before serving, garnish eggs.

Tags: chutney, cumin, curry, deviled eggs, Easter, green onions, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, picnic, scallions, stuffed eggs, Summer, yogurt

This delicious sandwich is basically a fancy tuna melt. The addition of roasted red peppers, red onions and a little fresh lemon juice all piled inside a grilled Italian roll makes for an exciting variation on a lunch-time classic. The recipe calls for tuna packed in olive oil, a more flavorful variety than water-packed tuna.  

Since I didn’t have hot cherry peppers, I substituted a chopped pepperoncini pepper to the tuna mixture. Husband wolfed his sandwich down in no-time and heartily voiced his approval of the recipe. I will definitely be making these sandwiches again soon!!!

Grilled Swiss Cheese, Tuna and Red Pepper Sandwiches
-recipe from epicurious.com

Yield: Serves 2

1/4 cup minced drained bottled roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
a pinch of ground cumin
a 6 1/2-ounce can tuna packed in oil, drained well
1 hard boiled large egg, minced
1 hot cherry pepper, seeded and minced
two 5-inch-long soft Italian rolls
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
4 slices of Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a bowl whisk together the roasted peppers, the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, and the cumin, add the tuna, flaked, the egg, the cherry pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste, combine the mixture well. Split the rolls, divide the mixture between the bottoms, and top each portion with half the onion, 2 slices of the Swiss cheese, and the tops of the rolls. In a large skillet heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it cook the sandwiches, pressing them with a spatula and turning them, for 8 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Tags: hard-boiled egg, lemon juice, mayonnaise, red onion, roasted red peppers, soft Italian rolls, swiss cheese, tuna

Here’s a hearty sandwich that will make a meat-lover happy! However, my favorite part was the Chimichurri Mayo, a delicious combination of chopped parsley, red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar and mayonnaise. Yumm!

I pretty much followed the recipe except for substituting red onions for the shallot in the chimi mayo. To slice the cooked steak, I used my Cuisinart Electric Knife to carve thin slices…much faster and easier than using my regular carving knife. For the sandwich, I took the Test Kitchen’s advice and layered some roasted red peppers between the mayo and steak (a delicious addition). I served the sandwich open-faced with a knife and fork, which was still a little messy but, hey, that’s what napkins are for.

Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri Mayo
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

The tangy, herbal mayonnaise complements the full, beefy flavor of the flank steak. Serves 4.

1 small flank stead (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 slices thick-cut crusty bread
Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skilled over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise, parsley, shallot, garlic, and vinegar in bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture over each slice of bread. Slice steak thin against grain. Arrange steak on bread to make sandwiches. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Add a slice of tomato or roasted red pepper for a more colorful and flavorful sandwich.

Tags: chimichurri, mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, sandwich, steak

Little Guy had a birthday this week and requested chocolate cake as his special treat. Recently I’d run across a recipe for chocolate mayonnaise cake so I decided to give it a go. For me, my favorite part of the whole condiment-in-cake experience was when I was making it. The kids were watching me mixing the ingredients and started laughing when they saw me dumping mayonnaise into the mixing bowl. I’m not talking a giggle here and there but full-on, doubled-over laughter. I found out later that what made it so funny for my oldest child was that he thought his little brother was going to end up with a gross birthday cake. In his brain, mayonnaise goes on sandwiches not in cake. Fortunately, the cake turned out moist and quite tasty…there weren’t any complaints.

The cake recipe didn’t include a frosting recipe so I just made my own using cocoa, softened unsalted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. If you don’t like winging it and need a recipe to follow, go to the Hershey’s website (hersheys.com) and try their “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting. I garnished the cake with white sprinkles and grated bittersweet chocolate. It was a happy day indeed!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
-recipe from bestfoods.com

Serves: 12

 2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1-1/3 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans*; set aside.
 
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.
 
3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.
 
4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. On wire racks, cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely. Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
 
*Or, prepare cake mix as above in 13 x 9-inch baking pan and bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tags: cake, chocolate, mayonnaise