Triple Dilled Potato Salad...and Changes

Change is inevitable. Back at the beginning of the year, change was on my mind...only natural as the calendar flips to a new year, a new time, hopes for a new beginning. All change should be so kind, not all changes are.

In a post at the start of the year, I shared my husband's struggle with heart surgery, our wait for a heart transplant and our hopes and dreams for a beautiful 2014. Together with our daughters and grandchildren, we rode the highs and lows of that entire life-changing experience, finally with a successful(!) heart transplant on Mother's Day. 

A beautiful new heart in a beautiful man who wanted nothing more than to enjoy again the simple pleasures of home and independence. And he achieved just that. 

Mark grew stronger, was able to drive not just his car, but his treasured tractor (he DID have t-shirt that said, "The Lawn Ranger!). We grilled and smoked and even bought a new charcoal grill for the neighborhood get-together we were planning to thank our wonderful neighbors for all their help over 7 long months.

We got out and about and socialized with friends and family all around Pittsburgh and looked forward to ditching that 2-hour travel restriction and really getting back on the road again...Michigan to see the kids and grandkids, Maryland and the ocean, the bay and our beloved Baltimore and further still to South Carolina and long-missed family.

Then changes came 'round again. Suddenly. Quickly Mark was back in the hospital. Immunosuppressant drugs are both a miracle and a curse, the latter when infection strikes and no way to battle against it. A man who fought so bravely over so many months with such determination and an amazingly positive outlook, was felled in just a few hours.

And here I am again talking about change. And heartbreak and hope. Change, good or bad is inevitable. Change is just another part of life and life goes on, differently, but on. With sweet memories.

Triple Dilled Potato Salad

I made this variation on my standard potato salad for Mark just a couple of weeks ago. He loved it so much he asked for it again when our potato-salad-loving grandson came to visit from Michigan. Matt really likde it, too! 

• 2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, cooked in their jackets, peeled, cut into medium dice
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut into small dice - save one for garnish 
• 1 large celery stalk, cut into small dice
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 1 C Vlasic Zesty Dill Spears, cut into small dice (or use your favorite dills with a nice zip to them)
• 1 T Jane's Crazy Salt
• 1/2 t dill seed
• 1/2 t celery seed
• 2 T brown mustard
• 3/4 C mayo (Hellman's, of course)
• 1 t sugar
• 1/4 C dill pickle juice from the jar - or more to taste
• 1/4 C fresh dill fronds, minced - plus extra for garnish

In a large bowl, gently mix potatoes, eggs, Jane's Crazy Salt (Yes, you can use another seasoned salt, but why? Jane's is the best!), veggies and seeds.

Mix well the mustard, mayo, sugar & juice and pour over the potato mixture. Sprinkle the fresh dill over the top and gently fold the dressing into the potato salad. 

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with a sliced egg and dill fronds. Cover & refrigerate until serving time.

Moinks & Beans...Even Better Than Pork & Beans!

Pork n beans. Moinks n beans. What?! Moinks? Never heard of them? Neither had I until about a year ago when we started getting more and more into this whole smoking thing. 

Moinks are pork meatballs, wrapped in bacon and smoked.  The name? I think it comes from the 'M' in Meatball and the 'OINK' in the pig. Moink.

Sunday's smoking consisted of ribs with pineapple jalapeno glaze, a simple on-sale salmon steak (only 1 because Mark won't eat anything that swims) and Moinks. While we ate the ribs that evening, the salmon was planned for a couple salads for work. The Moinks became an appetizer (mainly because we couldn't wait to try them!), treats for neighbors and the rest became dinner for another night. When we smoke, we make the most of it...you don't waste the smoke.

The beans? Lots of pineapple was left from the marinade and rib baste - jalapenos too - so both became part of the baked beans I'd planned as a side to the ribs. Because I bake my doctored up beans for at least an hour - sometimes longer, I even used the core of the pineapple in the beans instead of tossing it out. I learned that thrifty trick from Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet, long, looooonnng ago. The pineapple core becomes tender when it cooks! A good tip for Asian stir fries, too.

The fresh pineapple added LOTS of sweetness (and a nice bit of tartness, too), so I didn't add the brown sugar or molasses I usually do, but I DID add just a little kick of bourbon and a little bottled barbecue sauce along with the jalapeno. The result? One that will be repeated! Often. 

In fact, my son-in-law wants me to bring a dish of them when I visit them in Michigan next weekend. Maybe we'll even throw a few Moinks on his smoker.  Why not?! They couldn't be easier.

Moinks

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound sausage meat, hot sausage if you wish...I wish!
• 7 slices bacon, thin sliced bacon

Mix the pork and sausage well - it helps to let the meat come almost to room temp first. Shape golfball sized meatballs and set aside until all are done.
 
Cut the bacon strips in half and wrap a half slice of bacon around the circumference of each meatball. Secure with a toothpick or slide several moinks onto metal skewers. (If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak those right along with the hickory chips for at least an hour so they don't burn.) Chill the moinks in the fridge until the smoker is ready to go.

 
Prepare the smoker as you normally would for whatever type of smoker YOU use. I like hockory chips for these, so soak them at least an hour ahead. When the smoker is to temp, scatter some soaked hickory chips on the coals.
 
Place the skewers of moinks on the grate, cover and smoke until cooked through and bacon is golden.
 
NOTE: You can do these on the grill, too. Be sure to keep the flame low and use indirect heat so the bacon drippings don't ignite. 

Pineapple, Jalapeno, Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans

Serves 8

• 1 cup pineapple, fresh, diced small, core and all
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, very finely diced - red or green
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 15 ounces black beans, drained
• 28 ounces baked beans, do NOT drain
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, hickory, bottled
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 7 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Combine everything but the bacon and mix well. Pour into a large casserole dish and cover the top evenly with bacon.
 
Bake 1 - 1/2 hours or until the bacon is cooked, crisp and browned.