Picnic-Perfect

When our good friend, Janet, said she wanted to throw a big picnic for her birthday party this year, Tinny got together to find the perfect dishes to take. 7-Layer dip? Pasta salad? Maybe. Sliders? Korean sushi? Oooo lala~ But… no. We decided to do our own take on two classic dishes: Potato Salad and appetizer Meatballs.

Knowing that we will be spending the whole day outdoors at a park in 90 degree weather, we came up with a mayo-less potato salad recipe that didn’t lack in flavor. We were initially worried about the texture of the potato salad but it came out just the way we wanted it to. Creamy, from the starch of the potatoes and the dijon mustard, but had a nice crunch from the onions and apples. It is also hearty because of the shredded chicken pieces that are folded in.
So here it is.

Recipe yields: 4
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs assortment of russet, red, and yukon gold potatoes
• boiling water (salted liberally)
  
• 1/2 red onion
• 3 green onions- finely diced
  
• 3 Tbsp minced and pan-fried garlic
• 1/2 diced apple (we used Gala)
• 1 shredded chicken breast (oven-roasted)
  

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Clean and cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces, approximately equal in size.
2. In a deep pot, place the potatoes in cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, cook over medium-high heat until fork tender.
3. Meanwhile, pan-fry the garlic, and cut the onions and apple.
4. Whisk the dijon, honey, vinegar, and olive oil together to make the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
5. Drain potatoes and allow them to cool in the pot so that most of the moisture evaporates.
6. Add the onions, apples, shredded chicken breast, and green onions to the potatoes (set aside a small handful of green onions for garnish), and fold in the dressing.
7. Top the potato salad with the rest of the green onions to garnish.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend together.

And it’s done! It’s ready to serve. A must-try for those looking for some tangy, zesty goodness!

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As a result of its simple recipe, the meatballs have a few strong flavors rather than the schnazier recipes that give the hmmm-factor. Beef, tomato, garlic, and Parmesan. So juicy, so rich, and so easy to make! This is a great go-to recipe when entertaining a crowd. A fantastic appetizer that is a real crowd-pleaser!

 

Recipe yields: 4
Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. ground beef
  
• 1 medium-sized onion
  
• 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 c bread crumbs
  

Sauce:

• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper