MACARONI SALAD

While I am getting soaked in Tampa, Florida this week, I am sending you this yummy recipe for Macaroni Salad--sooo good!

Our family doesn't usually go for macaroni salad.  But on a hot day this sounded just right to serve with grilled sliders.   I adapted this recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks and everyone loved it. Not too mayonnaisey (which is my usual complaint about macaroni salads) and the sweetness from the pickles is magic.  I use Bubbies Bread and Butter Chips (found at Sprouts in the refrigerated deli section) which is our favorite sweet pickle.

Ingredients

• 4 cups Elbow Macaroni
• 3 whole Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped
• ½ cups Black Olives, Chopped
• 6 whole Sweet/spicy Pickle Slices, Diced (about 1/2 Cup Diced)
• 1 cup diced Celery
• 4 whole Green Onions, Sliced (white and dark green parts)
• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• Plenty Of Black Pepper
• ¼ cups Milk (more if needed)
• Splash Of Pickle Juice (spicy Sweet Pickles)

Preparation Instructions

Cook the macaroni in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.

Mix together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Splash in enough milk to make it pourable. Splash in pickle juice for extra flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Place cooled macaroni in a large bowl and pour 3/4 of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing if you’d like. (Dressing will seem a little thin, but it will thicken up as salad chills.)

Stir in olives, roasted red peppers, pickles, celery, and green onions.  At the end, splash in a little more pickle juice and stir.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with sliced green onion to serve.

QUINOA AND KALE SALAD

This yummy recipe comes from my friend, Shiree, who just raved about it.  It is delightful and the flavors are unexpected and refreshing.

And, did you know that you can buy already chopped and bagged Kale just as you can Romaine lettuce? Well, you can at Trader Joe's.  Love that place.

Play around with the ingredient ratio to suit you--I don't think you can go wrong.

QUINOA AND KALE SALAD

Ingredients:
2 cups cabbage, diced
1 cup chopped kale (leafy part)
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/3 cup mint, chopped
1 cup cooked Quinoa
Goat cheese, crumbled on top
Avocado, diced

Dressing:

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Tahini
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Squeeze of fresh lemon
A bit of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Note: I did not use all the dressing.  Dress the salad to taste and you'll be fine.

                       Quinoa and Kale salad with Trader Joe's Chicken Lime Burgers (excellent).

CHICKPEA SALAD - Pure Style Home

Just found this recipe on Pure Style Home and immediately put it together.  Love it!

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 diced tomato

1/4 cup diced red onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh pasley

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 squeeze of quartered lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper to taste 

garlic salt to taste

2 tablespoons capers

sprinkling of parmesan cheese

Make a few hours in advance to let all those yummy flavors meld.  Pure Style Home recommends it with warm pita bread and feta cheese.  I ate it directly out of the bowl without anything else (not even bread, can you imagine?) 

HALLOWEEN SUPPER - Chili, Cornbread, Apple Salad

Halloween is a super fun night in our neighborhood.  Lots of sweet (and not so sweet) Trick or Treaters, of course.  We relaxed and caught up with the friends that live next door or around the corner.  Twenty of our pals joined us for a Halloween supper that was just right to counteract all that sugar (thank you Jennifer, Jody, Sheli, and Christine). Although, I still had a sugar hangover the next morning.....

Menu:
Spicy Beef Chili and Cornbread; Wild Rice and Chicken Soup (see previous post); Mini Shredded Pork Sandwiches; and Apple Salad.

Texas Chili

Serves 6 to 8.   Published November 28, 2006.  

Chuck-eye roasts are notoriously fatty, so don’t be surprised if you trim off 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of fat. Avoid precut beef labeled “beef for stew”it could be beef round or boneless shoulder roast, which will turn out dry and tough. For a milder chili, use the lower amount of chipotle; for a spicy chili, use the upper amount of chipotle. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, minced onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, and sour cream.

Ingredients

2	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium onions , minced
8	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 8 teaspoons)
1/4	cup chili powder
1/4	cup tomato paste
2	tablespoons ground cumin
	Salt
	1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
5	pound chuck-eye roast , trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2	(15.5 ounces each) cans pinto beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4	cup Minute Tapioca
2-4	tablespoons minced chipotle chile in adobo
3	tablespoons soy sauce
2	tablespoons dark brown sugar , plus more to taste
1	tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Heat the oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits.
2. 2. Transfer the onion and tomato mixture to the slow cooker insert, and stir in the beef, beans, broth, tapioca, chipotles, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and oregano until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, 9 to 11 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 5 to 7 hours.)
3. 3. Gently tilt the slow cooker insert and degrease as much fat as possible off the surface of the chili using a large, flat spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and brown sugar to taste, and serve.

Jennifer’s Favorite Corn Bread

(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook ©1996)

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter, melted

1 large egg

¼ c. unsweetened applesauce*

¼ c. light sour cream*

1 ¼ cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal (I use yellow)

1 c. all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar**

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda*

½ t. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9” round or 8” square pan.

In large bowl, beat egg until frothy. Mix in milk and butter, and then fold in applesauce and sour cream. In another bowl, add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix with wire whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until four is moistened (batter will still be lumpy). Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. (I spread a little softened butter over the top immediately after removing from oven to keep it moist but still crunchy.)

NOTE: Items with a single asterisk are my adds; **I reduce the sugar by half from the original recipe. Also, when I double this for a 9x13 pan, I use three eggs (vs. two) and 2 ¼ cups cornmeal (vs. 2 ½).

Jody's Western Waldorf (adapted from Sunset Magazine recipe)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  unfiltered apple juice
• 1  teaspoon  roasted walnut or almond oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  Pink Lady apples (or another sweet-tart variety such as Jonathan or Piñata)
• 1/2  cup  toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2  large tangerines, peeled and sections cut in half
• 1  cup  seedless red or green grapes, halved

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk apple juice, oil, salt, cinnamon, and pepper until blended.

2. Core apples, cut into thin wedges, and cut wedges in half crosswise. In a salad bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over fruit and nuts and mix gently to coat.

Houston's Cole Slaw Recipe?

My favorite Cole slaw ever is the sweet and crunchy slaw at Houston's Restaurant.  There are several websites which swear this recipe replicates the slaw perfectly.  I beg to differ.  It was good, but not Houston's Restaurant good.  So, if you have any ideas how to make this good Cole slaw into great please leave a comment!

Yield: 8 -10 servings.

5 C. Chopped Cabbage about 1/4″x1/4″ (not shredded)
1 C. Chopped Parsley Tops (medium – small pieces should not be larger than the cabbage pieces)
1/4 C. Chopped Green Onion Tops ( use just the tops )
1/4 tsp. Salt

Blend and stir first three ingredients add salt and stir well, set aside.

Cole Slaw Dressing (I only used half)

1/4 C. Mayonnaise
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1 Tbs. Honey Mustard
1 1/2 tsp. White Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Sugar

Mix all ingredients very well and pour over cabbage mixture. Fold in dressing (I only used half) so all is coated. May be served immediately or will keep in refrigerator the next day.

POTATO SALAD

I haven't made potato salad in years. This is the first recipe in Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life and sounded flavorful and basic. I don't really like fancy potato salad, if there is such a thing. The addition of the Ranch dressing seemed odd but it works. Next time I will add chopped celery--I like the crunch. But this was a hit at our July 4th luncheon which included the peach-lacquered chicken, beans, and a frozen limeade pie that was a hit.

Salad:

1 3/4 pounds red waxy potatoes, scrubbed

4 large eggs

8 scallions (white and pale green parts) thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons bottled Ranch dressing (preferably Hidden Valley)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)

Put the potatoes in a dutch oven or large saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add a generous dash of salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a small, thin knife, about 15 minutes. Drain them into a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool. When the potatoes are cool, cut them into rough 1-inch chunks. For the smaller potatoes, halve them; for the bigger ones cut into quarters or eights. Put them in a large bowl.

Cook the eggs placing them in a small saucepan, and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit for exactly 12 minutes. Immediately pour off the hot water and run plenty of cold water over the eggs. When the eggs are cool, peel them, chop them coarsely, and add them to the bowl of potatoes. Add the scallions, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to mix.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, dill, and caraway seeds (if using). Pour the dressing over the potato mixture, and stir to evenly coat. Taste, and adjust the salt as needed. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

SPINACH SALAD

Our family loves spinach salad. The following are the variations we make depending on what we have available in the fridge.

Spinach (preferably baby organic)

Onions - either sliced red onion or green onions

Other veggies - either jicama, radishes, or grated beets

Fruit - strawberries, raspberries, granny smith apples, or mandarin oranges

Nuts - sliced almonds heated in a pan with sugar, praline pecans, toasted walnuts, or toasted pine nuts

Cheese - crumbled feta or goat cheese

Dressing - Raspberry dressing (see above) or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Thai Cucumber Salad

Last weekend in my produce basket I found two hot house cucumbers. I normally don't buy cucumbers--I think they are just ok. Except that I do love the cold little cucumber salad that is served with chicken satay at Thai restaurants.

I combined two recipes that I found on the Internet and tweaked it a bit to make this salad. My sister, Tammy, really liked it as did friends Sean and Jana who are connoisseurs of Thai cuisine given that Sean served his church mission in Thailand and Jana served hers in the Philippines (which I know has nothing to do with Thai food but she does shop at Lee Lee Asian Market in Chandler).

Thai Cucumber Salad

T rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6-7 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 cucumber seeded and sliced

1 shallot, sliced

1 red spur chili (I used a red jalapeno)

Mix vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. After sugar has disolved, pour over cucumbers, shallots, and chili. Serve cold.