pickles

How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

This homemade tartar sauce recipe with capers, mayonnaise, and a splashy tang of pickle juice is the perfect topper—and dipper—for fish fillets of every flavor.

A naked fish fillet is exactly that: naked. Whether it’s a healthy-ish fried fish sandwich, every kid-at-heart’s favorite fish stick, or a more adult-ish grilled salmon fillet, fish is meant to have a saucy topper, and there’s no more classic a dipping sauce for fish than a tangy tartar sauce.

I’ve shared plenty of times here on the blog that my husband and I met as servers at a seafood restaurant. You could say our fate was sealed while falling in love with each other and the best clam chowder, steamed clams, and tartar sauce we dished out daily to the hungry crowds.

This tartar sauce recipe is the same they still serve at our old stomping grounds of Market Street Grill, and it’s the one we find ourselves lavishing on fish dinners time and time again. continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

Bacon Double Cheddar Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions

These beefy burgers deliver bacon and cheese in every bite, with chunks of both mixed into the patty, then grilled and topped with melted American cheese slices for a double dose of cheesy goodness.

This post is in partnership with Cache Valley Cheese

As a kid, my dad wasn’t much of a griller. He was more of the nacho-making guy. Woman-ing the grill was more my mom’s expertise, and let me tell you, she had her burger game down.

Now, as an adult, with not just one, but two grills ready to be fired up at a moment’s notice, my husband and I share the man/woman-ing of the grill. When it’s his turn, you’re likely to see this ribeye steak action happen in all the best grilling ways. When it’s my turn, you’ll usually see me trying out new things like grilled cauliflower steaks, you know, for those times calling for a bit lighter flare.

But where we always meet in the middle is when it comes to grilling burgers, and when it comes to burgers we absolutely do not discriminate. Bison. Turkey. Chicken. You name it, if we can shape it into a patty, we’ll grill it.continue to the recipe… about Bacon Double Cheddar Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Nothing says summertime eating like a serving of the best, classic, old-fashioned, creamy macaroni salad with eggs and crisp vegetables dressed in a simple and creamy but still light mayonnaise dressing for any picnic, potluck, or barbecue.

Sometimes you just don’t mess around with the classics. While some might look at this macaroni salad recipe and think it’s too simple (where’s the twist? what makes it special? shouldn’t it be harder than this?) that’s exactly why it’s a time-proven favorite.

While I’ve always been a fan of potato salad (my mom’s potato salad recipe is THE BEST!) it’s taken me years to come around to macaroni salad. The reason being is that every time I tried one, it was never a good one. They were either too dry, too plain, or too heavily loaded with a goopy, flavorless mayo dressing that coated the macaroni like oil on a dipstick and likely came from a pre-packaged box from the deli counter—yes! That stuff usually comes from a box!

There’s nothing worse than that acrid taste of fake mayo macaroni salad. You know. You’ve been there.

But, this old-fashioned macaroni salad is everything those others were not. First off, it’s homemade—toss the box! It’s simple but well-seasoned. It’s dressed just right with a tangy but light mayo dressing. And the pasta is neither clumpy nor starchy, but smooth and satisfying with every bite.

I really do love this salad but I’m going to defer to my husband on this one, who as a self-proclaimed macaroni salad connoisseur did attest, “Honey, this is still the best macaroni salad I’ve had. Ever.”continue to the recipe… about How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers

These tangy and oh-so-simple-to-make sweet and sour Asian cucumbers take only about 5 minutes to make, and are one of our favorite pickle snacks. They’re also oh so good served as a cooling side or a crunchy, puckery salad all on their own.

I’ve never met a pickle I didn’t like. And when a pickle recipe does double duty as a tangy salad or a puckery snack, I look like that little emoji girl with my hand held high 🙋. Actually, my hand is more likely IN the pickle jar instead of being raised even though my mom ALWAYS told me, “USE A FORK!”

When will I ever learn to listen? Asking for my mom, because, you know, she’s still wondering.

This easy cucumber pickle is exactly one of those recipes I will disregard all of my mom’s Emily Post etiquette teachings for. It’s the perfect topping on a sandwich or burger (like my Korean BBQ Burgers), or served alongside my Grilled Chicken Satay, or for simply snagging from the fridge for a little afternoon cure-all snack. Fork, or no fork, it’s totally your choice but I bet you know how I’ll be digging for them.continue to the recipe… about Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers

Spiralized Refrigerator Quick Dill Pickles

These quick and easy dill pickles cured in the refrigerator deliver amazing pucker power and are ready to eat in just a few hours time.

My mom always called these dilly cucumbers. For as long as I can remember, they’ve signaled the height of summer. I can vividly remember standing in the kitchen as a kid. It was usually after coming inside from re-enacting Sound of Music with the neighbor kids (I NEVER got to be Gretel), riding my bike and hitting jumps like the boys did or practicing hitting tennis balls against the brick carport wall.

Pokemon Go? Musical.ly? Not even. We were outside doing and going. All. Day. Long.

We didn’t have air conditioning at our house. Instead the swamp cooler in the hallway at the end of the kitchen tried as hard as it might to chug out cold air in the dry, always oppressive, Utah summer heat.

Like we’ve always said, “It’s a different kind of heat. Not humid. Just damn hot.”

continue to the recipe… about Spiralized Refrigerator Quick Dill Pickles

Killer Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

A healthy dose of fresh, peeled garlic cloves, a homemade pickling spice recipe and hot peppers give these dill pickles a seriously delicious kick.

Let’s be clear about one thing. I am a lot of things, but a mathematician I am not.

Instead of adding up numbers or figuring out right quadrangles, I’ve always been more of a visual kind of gal.

I can tell with one sideways glance when a picture frame is slightly askew. Let’s just hop over and fix that. There. Much better. I notice when the grocery store clerk gets a haircut. “Looks great!” “Oh, why thank you.” And it’s second nature for me to pick out the subtle variations of Periwinkle from Azure. Periwinkle for the win.

Therein lies the reason I was an art major.

I suck at math.

So when figuring out exactly how many cucumbers are in a bushel to share for this crazy good dill pickle recipe…well guys…you’re just going to have to join me and go with the flow on this one. Even though I did indeed get out my pencil, my calculator and conferred deeply with Google, my calculations may not be exact science.

But, then, except for baking, when ever IS cooking a science?

continue to the recipe… about Killer Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

6 Easy Snacks in 5 Ingredients or Less

A crunchy Triscuit cracker holds up to every flavor combination in these six bite size snacks using just 5 ingredients or less.

This post is in partnership with Triscuit and Refinery 29.

I’m a snacker. I think I get it from my grandma Mary Jane. She was never a big eater, but was always snacking on “just a little something.”

My snacking habits started young. It was part of my daily routine, just as much as brushing my hair and mercilessly teasing my little sister.

Every day after school I would get out my homework, and then flip on the kitchen TV (ours was a black and white 13-inch number with rabbit ears and no remote) to watch re-run episodes of The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Leave It to Beaver, Eight is Enough, Bewitched and the occasional ABC After School Special.

Then it was time to start my snack fest.continue to the recipe… about 6 Easy Snacks in 5 Ingredients or Less

The Best Bloody Mary Recipe and a Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

Give me a loaded Bloody Mary or give me a chardonnay. Because when it comes to brunch, I want more, more, more.

You might say this cocktail looks like a salad in a glass. I definitely wouldn’t disagree.

A loaded Bloody Mary is my dream Best Ever Bloody Brunch Mary. Snacking on all of the extra trimmings while I wait for my actual meal to arrive is kind of a necessity. I mean, it’s almost lunch. I didn’t eat breakfast. And this girl is hungry.

Like everything else I eat, I love nothing more than a bite of this and a taste of that. Which is exactly why a do it yourself Bloody Mary bar is right up my alley.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Bloody Mary Recipe and a Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

Pickle Infused Vodka

I’m a self-confessed pickle head.

Kosher dill. Bread and butter. Garlic spiked. It really makes no difference to me, I love ‘em all.

Summer eats at my house are always accompanied by pickles. Sandwiches, burgers and macaroni salad all require the briny spear and are popular ways for just about everyone to partake. But pickled vodka? That might be a new one for you.

Today I bring you the recipe for Pickle Infused Vodka.

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing my recipe for The Best Bloody Mary EVER and how to create a bloody mary bar for summer funning with friends and family.

And you can bet bacon, and Pickled Vodka, will be included.

continue to the recipe… about Pickle Infused Vodka

Dilly Bean Recipe and 10 Pickled Recipes to Love

There’s this thing I inherited from my mother. Besides her blue eyes, our inability to remember names of acquaintances in the grocery store and our shared aptitude for back-seat driving.

I inherited her love of pickled green beans. Specifically my mom’s BFF’s Dilly Bean Recipe.

My mom’s best friend Mary is the queen of the dilly bean. Mary deserves a crown, or a pretty green bean tiara or a sash that has QUEEN DILLY BEAN bedazzled upon it. Every year she bequeaths a few bottles to my mom, of which I imploringly ask for for in exchange for my undying love.

My mom usually says yes. But certainly not always.

After I bought a bushel of green beans from the farmer’s market last weekend, Mary was my go-to source for my soon to be born Dilly Bean recipe.

continue to the recipe… about Dilly Bean Recipe and 10 Pickled Recipes to Love

Burr Trail Grill Pickled Beets

It’s about time I got on the pickling train, and there’s no better recipe to start than with these Pickled Beets from The Burr Trail Grill in Boulder, UT.

Two years ago we made a trip down south to Torrey, UT for a music festival some of my husband’s old band buddies were in. After the gigging was done, we went exploring and landed about an hour east of Torrey in Boulder, UT, the gateway to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (look at this landscape!), Capital Reef National Park and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area including Lake Powell.

While the stunning red rocks contrasting the bright blue sky and wooded canyon lend to amazing outdoor adventure that brings world wide travelers to the area, in my opinion the real deal here is the the local eateries including the renowned Hell’s Backbone Grill.

We tried to grab some lunch at Hell’s Backbone while we were there, but since they were open only for dinner that weekend, we skipped next store to the Burr Trail Grill for tasty burgers and the most amazing polenta with caramelized onions, grilled red peppers and goat cheese appetizer. Seriously, I still think about that thing.

But what really rocked my socks was the sides of pickled veggies and pickled beets they served with their sandwiches and burgers.

continue to the recipe… about Burr Trail Grill Pickled Beets

Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles Plus a Homemade Pickle Recipe Round-Up

Growing up, we were a house of dill.

Everything I ate had to have a dill pickle on it. My lunchtime tuna sandwich wasn’t complete without long slices of kosher dills (plus one or two on the side.) My after school snack of Triscuits, liverwurst, mustard and dill hamburger chips was my favorite treat as I watched Gilligan mess up the rescue attempts of Ginger and MaryAnn every. single. episode. And I will never, ever be able to eat a cheeseburger without some sort of cucumber stick topping (can I get extra pickles please?) thanks to the memories of stacking my mom’s homemade dills high on just-off-the-grill summer cheeseburgers.

I haven’t changed much. You’ve heard of Wisconsin Cheeseheads? I know you’ve heard of Deadheads. Well call me a Picklehead, perhaps in need of a hat or maybe some pickle earrings…

continue to the recipe… about Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles Plus a Homemade Pickle Recipe Round-Up