Tuna Orzo Salad

I finally tried Elise's tuna salad, which has been highly recommended on my food forum for ages. I even used tuna in oil, which is something I haven't purchased in years, and I do believe it made all the difference. I may not buy water-packed tuna again!

Because I was making a cool summer menu for the office staff at church, I decided to make a different version as a pasta salad, so I added cooked orzo, about a cup, chopped hard-boiled egg, and diced cucumber instead of celery. Served fresh, it is simple and tangy and delicious--the lemon juice sets it all off so nicely. After it had sat in my refrigerator, it did dry out a bit, so I would recommend serving it soon after composing it.

Elise's Tuna Salad
adapted from Simply Recipes
1 (6 ounce) can tuna (if packed in water, drain it, and add a teaspoon of good quality olive oil)
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons mayonaise
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1 cucumber, chopped finely (I used Satsuki Madori, from my garden!)
1 hard-boiled egg, cooled and chopped
1 Tablespoon capers
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup cooked orzo

Mix together lightly and serve.

I have already bought more tuna in oil to make it without the orzo!

Honey Oat Rolls - My New Favorite!

I recently became a fan of the blog Salad in a Jar and have been tempted by many of the recipes I've found there. One in particular caught my eye, Honey Oatmeal Dinner Rolls, and I decided they would be perfect for a church dinner for sixty this past Sunday. I upped the ingredients to accommodate the larger quantity, and I only made one substitution, (based on my fondness for these Soft Yogurt Rolls from the blog of What A Dish!) and that was yogurt for the liquid.

The aroma of these rolls is intoxicating, the crust has just a light crunch, the interior is pillow soft and perfect for a pat of butter, and the flavor is slightly sweet with the satisfying taste of oats. I think they are my new favorite! Please look at Paula's beautiful photos of the rolls, as she sprinkled oatmeal on the tops of hers, which makes for a gorgeous presentation, and she fashioned them into much more attractive shapes!

I love that Paula is not afraid to use shortening in her recipes. There are many bloggers out there that have Fear of Shortening, and although I understand their health concerns, I feel that shortening has received quite the bad rap! I prefer shortening in my pie crusts; I have tried substituting butter, and when I do my crust lacks flakiness and lightness. Although I love the rich aroma and deep flavor that butter imparts, I occasionally combine it with shortening in cake recipes for the fluffiness (how's that for a technical term?) and moistness that shortening brings to the final product. And I recently used margarine combined with shortening (I can hear your collective gasps of horror) for a cake, because it was an old recipe from my childhood, and I wanted that old-fashioned taste. I received more compliments on that cake than any I've made in months!

(Climbing down from my soapbox) feel free to substitute butter for the one tablespoon of shortening in the following recipe.

Honey Oat Rolls
Adapted from Salad in a Jar
Makes 16

1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup yogurt, room temperature
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon shortening
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats

Melt together butter and shortening, set aside to cool slightly. Place warm water and honey in bowl of stand mixer; add yeast and let sit for a few minutes. Add room temperature yogurt and melted butter/shortening mixture. While mixing on low speed, add egg. Whisk together salt, flour, and oats; add to mixture in bowl and mix until well blended. Using dough hook, knead mixture for about 3-5 minutes, only adding flour if mixture looks too wet. Place in greased bowl and let rise until doubled.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide evenly into preferred roll shapes. (I had to generously flour my hands, because the dough was slightly wet. Let rise until nearly double.) Preheat oven to 350 (I baked at 375) and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until golden.