It may be impossible to understand and comprehend the impact of social media in today’s world. From politics to sports, culture to health, fashion to music, social media seems to have changed everything about the way we live, communicate, and learn.
Social media has changed how we cook, what we eat, how we organize our kitchens and refrigerators. Not too long ago, I enjoyed reading an article about a shortage of cucumbers somewhere in Europe. The shortage was attributed to the popularity of a viral video for cucumber salad. A shortage of cucumbers for an entire country that was caused by a desire to make cucumber salad that was popular on social media. Isn’t it just fascinating.
The power and impact of social media and the internet can be felt in my kitchen almost every day. I collect cookbooks and cooking magazines but find a quick internet search much easier to do when I am researching a new idea for dinner. Many times, I get inspiration from something I have spotted on Instagram. I do not do a lot of social media but occasionally will find myself lost, down a rabbit trail of cooking videos. I cannot stop watching them and I cannot stop thinking about how tasty some of these recipes appear. I have enjoyed great success with some, others not so much. I wanted to share a few of my Instagram favorites. As with everything in life, I guess you have to take the good and the bad and monitor everything in between. Hope you enjoy these recipes.
Viral Cucumber Salad
This is the salad that created a cucumber shortage. I have seen it made in a jar, made with spiral cut cucumbers, or made with regular or baby cucumbers.
The good news is that cucumbers are normally in abundance in our state. It appears the cucumbers used in most recipes would be what we call “English cucumbers.” These are long, thin ones with minimum seeds and thin skins so there is no need to peel.
1 pound English cucumbers
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon chili crisp
Sesame seed and green onions for serving.
Carefully slice cucumbers into very thin slices and toss with kosher salt. Allow cucumbers to sit for at least 30 minutes to draw out the extra moisture. Drain and rinse cucumbers and set in a separate bowl.
Combine remaining ingredients to make the dressing and toss with the cucumbers. Top with toasted sesame seeds and a few chopped green onions and serve immediately.
Peasant Bread
Homemade bread is one thing in particular that seems to dominate on social media. I have seen beautiful loaves with intricate details and I have watched a lot of posts about sourdough starter “care.”
The best, easiest and most versatile dough recipe I have found is this simple peasant bread recipe that I saw on Instagram. This simple bread recipe is a family favorite and one that I utilize in many different ways. This dough makes a great loaf of bread, but I have also converted it into focaccia and pizza dough with great success. It is just a great basic dough recipe.
Many times, I will make the dough the night before and leave it on my counter to rise overnight. I have also wrapped it tightly and stored in the refrigerator overnight. The flavor just gets better with time and the results have been consistently delicious.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons each: yeast, salt, and sugar
2 cups very warm water
Stir together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and allow to rise at least an hour.
Heavily butter (using about 4-6 tablespoons of butter) a 6-quart oven proof pot such as a Le Creuset. Deflate the dough, make a nice ball, and place seam side down in pot, turning to coat with butter. Top bread dough with herbs or seeds of your choice if desired, and allow to rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake in a 400° preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped. *I bake with the top on the pot for about 30 minutes and then remove the top for the remaining time.
Remove bread from the oven and pot. Allow to rest for about five to 10 minutes before slicing.
7-Up Biscuits
This is one of those Instagram recipes that I just could not believe would be good and I was wrong. The combination of flavors and the chemical reaction with the soda make this a delicious and easy biscuit recipe
1 stick butter
4 1/2 cups Bisquick or similar baking mix
1 cup 7-Up or other lemon lime soda (I used ginger ale because I was all I had and you cannot taste it)
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 425° and put butter in the bottom of a 9 x 13” dish. Put dish in the oven and allow butter to melt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine baking mix, 7-Up soda, and sour cream. Dough will be sticky, but carefully turn out onto a floured surface and pat into a one inch-thick circle or rectangle. Cut biscuits into circles with a biscuit cutter or simply cut biscuits into squares and place them in the dish with the butter. Flip biscuits in the butter and line up in dish.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest about three to five minutes. Enjoy.
Italian Sushi
I saw this recipe and knew it would be the easiest and most delicious appetizer. It has all of my favorite ingredients wrapped up. It may take a little practice to get it rolled correctly, but it is definitely worth the practice.
1 package of prosciutto, or about 6-8 very thin slices
1 bag baby fresh arugula
1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
1 ball fresh mozzarella, torn into about 6-8 pieces
Salt and pepper
Olive oil and balsamic syrup, for garnish
Carefully line up prosciutto slices across a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap to form a large rectangle, overlapping the edges by about 1/3 of the piece to form one large sheet of prosciutto.
Forming a line on the top third of the prosciutto, place about a cup to 1 1/2 cups of the arugula. Top arugula with several pieces of the sun-dried tomato, and the torn pieces of fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Carefully roll up the prosciutto like a log or a sushi roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator about 15 or 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, carefully unwrap the Italian sushi roll and slice the log into coin shaped pieces about one inch thick. I found it was easier to cut it using clean kitchen shears.
Serve, cut side up, drizzled with extra olive oil and balsamic syrup.
Wet, Wet Sauce
I tried to do some research to find out the origin of the name “Wet, Wet Sauce” but could not find anything. I have no idea where this name came from but as I watched the recipe being made, I knew it would be delicious. It is basically an Asian chili sauce and it is so good on dumplings, eggrolls, fried rice or just about anything that could use a little Asian kick.
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced (2-3)
1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced (about 1 inch piece)
3 tablespoons Korean chili flakes or other red chili flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
In a mixing bowl, place green onions, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and sesame seeds.
Carefully bring the half cup of oil to a simmer, and then very carefully pour oil over ingredients in the mixing bowl and wait for the sizzle. This helps to cook the garlic and ginger a little and infuse the oil with the chili flakes.
Stir carefully and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour sauce into a mason jar and shake well.
Store in the refrigerator and stir or shake when ready to serve.
Boursin Bake
I love Boursin cheese so I knew this would be a family favorite. Also, it is basically a one dish meal so clean up is a breeze.
2 containers grape tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 container Boursin cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 package orzo
1 pound baby fresh spinach
In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, place unwrapped cheese in the middle of the dish. Surround with chopped onion, garlic, and grape tomatoes. Drizzle entire dish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes in a 400° oven or until the tomatoes are blistered and garlic is soft.
While casserole dish is in the oven, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook orzo according to package directions. When pasta is done and cheese and vegetables are finished, drain orzo, and add to the casserole dish.
Mix well and then carefully begin folding in the baby spinach. Continue to stir until spinach is slightly wilted.
Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
Upside Down Puff Pastry Tacos
I have to admit that I had to try this when I saw the video. It seems like half of Instagram is cooking “upside down.” When you flip these tacos over, this reveals the fantastic dish. These tacos were delicious and they were fun to make and eat. Definitely a show stopper.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 envelope of your favorite taco seasoning
1 box of puff pastry (two sheets)
2 cups grated cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 package shredded lettuce
Salsa, avocado, jalapenos, and other taco toppings of your choice
Preheat oven to 400°. In a separate skillet, brown ground beef. Drain, rinse, and add taco seasoning according to package directions.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and divide ground beef into about eight equal piles on the baking sheets, allowing about two inches of space around taco meat. Top with several tablespoons of cheddar cheese.
Carefully roll out puff pastry sheets, and cut into squares. Top each pile of taco meat and cheese with a square of puff pastry and gently press down the edges, allowing plenty of room between the squares.
In a separate bowl beat the egg and brush puff pastry with the egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until puff pastry is puffed and brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest for a few minutes.
When ready to serve flip over the puffed pastry tacos and fold in half diagonally creating a “shell” to fill with toppings. Spoon on the topping of your choice.
Chicken Crust
Caesar Salad Pizza
I have made this several times and served it as a gluten-free alternative to regular pizza. I was totally surprised at how fun and easy it was to make and would definitely count this as a repeat recipe.
For the Caesar dressing, I opted for another Instagram favorite by making some homemade Caesar dressing. Feel free to use a bottle of dressing, but I thought this homemade was particularly good.
Johnny B’s Caesar Dressing
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend well.
This makes a lot of dressing so consider halving it unless you would like a lot of dressing left over. Store dressing in the refrigerator ready to use.
Chicken Crust Pizza
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, well ground (I do this in my food processor, but you can buy ground chicken.)
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bag, shredded romaine lettuce, or baby arugula
Combine all the ingredients except lettuce or arugula to make the chicken crust.
When everything is well mixed, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 14-inch circle on the middle. Flip over and carefully pat out crust mixture in about a 1/2 inch thick layer to form a circle.
Bake in a preheated 375° oven for about 15 minutes until chicken is completely cooked. Remove from oven and allow chicken crust to rest for a few minutes.
When ready to serve, spread the chicken crust with about 1/4 cup of the Caesar salad dressing and then top with baby arugula or Romain lettuce. Drizzle with more Caesar salad dressing and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Cut into pizza slices and serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese if needed.
The Kardashians Famous Italian Chopped Salad
I do not keep up with the Kardashians, but I kept seeing posts about this delicious and filling salad that this famous (or infamous) family eats. I researched a little and the recipe comes from a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California called La Scala.
I have enjoyed a lot of versions of this salad and have altered the ingredient list several times. Feel free to add various things such as marinated artichokes, pepperoncini peppers, black olives, and even grilled chicken. It is very filling and definitely something that we make often at our house.
1 head iceberg or Romaine lettuce rinsed and finely chopped
1 ⁄4 pound Italian salami, sliced julienned
1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
1 15 1/2 ounce can chick peas, rinsed and well-drained
Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Make dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Allow dressing flavors to develop for a few minutes, and then begin adding ingredients to the salad bowl and carefully toss all the ingredients together.
Season with extra salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese as desired.
Bunt Pan Roasted Chicken
Very reminiscent of beer can chicken, this is a super easy way to roast a chicken. The bunt pan allows the chicken to cook quickly, but captures all the juice in the bottom. Feel free to season the chicken anyway you prefer.
1 4–5-pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
Seasoning of your choice
After you have rinsed and carefully dried your chicken, drizzle with oil or melted butter. Seasoned bird on all sides and inside cavity.
Preheat oven to 375° and place chicken, sitting up, in the bunt pan. Place bunt pan on a rimmed baking sheet that is covered with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Roast chicken for one hour until outside is brown and internal temperature reaches 161°.
Allow to rest at least 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
