BBQ Deviled Eggs

Posted on August 2, 2023 by admin

These deviled eggs are summer in a bite with BBQ sauce, corn off the cob, and crunchy onions. Normally I’d think of them in the app category but we ate them beside the pool one hot night as a dinner side dish which had me wondering why we haven’t done that sooner!

BBQ Deviled Eggs
Ingredients: (for 6-8 people, 12 egg halves)
6 eggs
3 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon relish
1/2 – 1 teaspoon BBQ rub (or mix of chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 tablespoons bbq sauce
1 tablespoon corn
fried onions

Directions:
Hard boil eggs for 12 minutes then add to a bowl of ice water for at least 1 hour.
Peel eggs, slice them in half, and pop the yolks into a food processor (or into a bowl for a hand mixer/immersion blender).
Add mayo, mustard, relish, rub, liquid smoke, and salt & pepper to the food processor with the yolks and blend well.

Spoon the filling mixture into a zip-top bag inverted into a glass to hold it open. Seal and refrigerate until serving.

To serve, snip the corner of the bag and pipe into each egg half.
Top with corn, a drizzle of BBQ sauce, and fried onions.

Enjoy!

Before a meal, with a meal, it doesn’t matter. Anytime you serve them, they’ll be delicious. The idea came from our hard boiled-egg-loving guy when we talked about ways to use the 2nd BBQ sauce we opened by mistake which had an expiration date coming up. This doesn’t use much, but the flavors were fun.

BBQ sauce in the filling would taste good but might turn it a funny color. They travel well unassembled and take just a few minutes to put together.

Need some other ideas? Bacon Ranch Deviled eggs are always a hit! Caesar Deviled eggs would go well with a summery meal too.

Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

Posted on July 11, 2023 by admin

This pasta salad is packed with serious flavor and is anything but forgettable. There’s nothing worse than pasta salad that has some dressing but doesn’t actually taste like anything. This has lots of lemon and mustard. There are a bunch of herbs and pancetta too.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

These are some starting points but customize as you like!

Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of pasta
1 cup raw pancetta
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of ~1/2 lemon
lemon zest
1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
herbs – chives, basil, and mint.

Directions:
Boil the pasta and let cool. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil as it is cooling so it doesn’t stick together.
Pan fry the pancetta and drain.
Mix up the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper to taste. Taste it and see substitutions below if it is too strong.

When the pasta is fully cool (don’t rush it, let it truly cool) mix in the dressing and the pancetta.

Refrigerate until serving and then top with herbs.
Enjoy!

This was a really great lunch and it packs well. Swapping dijon with honey mustard would mellow it out a bit or adding something sweet – like a teaspoon of honey or sweet relish or maple syrup would make it a bit more mild and less lemon.

Greek Bean Salad

Posted on May 11, 2023 by admin

We love a lettuce-less salad. Beans are a hit at our house and while chickpeas are the expected, these white beans are the unexpected. It was handy to make it quickly or it could be prepped ahead of time too.

We had this with grilled chicken and some orzo. Make it with falafal or it can be a light meal solo!

Greek Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1 can white beans
1 cucumber
1 cup grape tomatoes
6-10 mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons pickled onions (or red onions)
1/4 cup feta
1/8 cup Italian dressing

Directions:
Drain and rinse the beans.

Chop the cucumber, slice the tomatoes, chiffonade the mint.
Stir everything together with the dressing and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until serving.
Enjoy!

This would be a welcome side at a potluck or BBQ. It is a great one to make in advance- though I’d add the mint just before serving so it doesn’t wilt too much.

Does this leave you with leftover feta? Make some tacos and mix up some Street Corn to serve on the side using the feta for a totally different feel.

Turmeric Couscous Salad

Posted on July 6, 2022 by admin

This couscous has chewy cranberries, fresh mint, and a citrus dressing. Side dishes are tricky to have energy for or coordination for, but this has just a few ingredients and is great made ahead of time – who doesn’t need a dinner head start?!

The Three Bite Rule - Turmeric Couscous Salad

Turmeric Couscous Salad
Ingredients (for 4):
1 cup Israeli couscous
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice (mine was orange tangerine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon turmeric
fresh mint

Directions:
Cook the couscous and allow it to cool.

Mix in the juice, olive oil, cranberries, turmeric, and fresh mint. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.
Chill until serving.

Add another splash of juice before serving, if needed.

We have so so much mint so I could have added even more. The orange juice dressing and the fresh mint are really the dominant flavors here.

This was nice for variety since the kids will eat any form of pasta anytime but the turmeric added a pop of color we don’t see all the time. One kid ate tons, one ate some without strong feelings either way but overall I’d say it’s a winner and something I’d make again. The sweetness goes well with sausages or grilled chicken or falafel, or would definitely be of interest at your next BBQ!

Black Bean & Avocado Salad

Posted on May 18, 2022 by admin

This salad is perfectly served alongside tacos! It is flavorful, cool, and so so easy. I’m including a bunch of alternatives. We often have black beans or avocado on the side and this time was just a touch more special as a salad with dressing.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean & Avocado Salad

I loved it. I ended up scooping the remnants up with tortilla chips.

Black Bean & Avocado Salad
Ingredients: (side for ~4)
1 can black beans
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup cheese (cotija or feta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cilantro (chopped or from a tube or frozen cube)
1 teaspoon honey
lime juice from half a lime
salt & pepper

Directions:
Drain the black beans and add to a bowl with chopped avocado, chopped tomato, and cheese.

Then mix up the dressing – add olive oil, cilantro, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper and shake in a jar or whisk together in a bowl.

Add the dressing to the beans/avo/tomato and stir gently (too much stirring will mash up the avocado!).
Enjoy!

I loved this. Chopping everything smaller would make a good dip – or my littlest one put it inside her tortilla and ate it like a taco. Our bigger kid ate the avocado and tomatoes out of it but was more into the tacos.

Substitute the tomatoes for corn, or red onion, or bell peppers, or whatever you like! Skip the cheese if you need it dairy-free. The avocado means it can’t quite be made in advance but everything else could be ready and add the avocado before serving.