Summer Pasta Salad

During the hot months, pasta salad is at the top of my list for an light, yet satisfying lunch. I often make a large batch and have it carry over for a few days. Last Saturday it was hot and I was on my own for lunch so this hit the spot! The recipe I have listed makes enough for 2 or 3 people as an entire lunch or more for side dishes. It can easily be increased to meet your needs! There are a number of ways you can change up this salad and some of my personal choices I have included with ** throughout the post. The salad that is featured in the photos is a fairly basic version that doesn't have any of the extra additions.

Summer Pasta Salad

For The Salad:
225 g dried whole wheat penne
1/4 cucumber, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1/3 cup broccoli florets, cut in small pieces
1/3 cup carrots, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup sliced black olives
** Canned artichoke hearts are delicious cut into this salad as well, I just didn't have any in the pantry :( **If you want to add meat, you can add some flaked tuna or chicken - also good.
1/4 cup crumbled light feta cheese

For The Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp oregano
**This dressing is a very light coating on the salad, which is the way I prefer it. Let the flavor of those veggies shine! If you are looking for a heavier dressing, you may want to double this.

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, chop and prepare veggies.

2. Drain pasta and run cold water over to cool.

3. Whisk together evoo, vinegar, salt, pepper, minced onion and oregano for dressing.

4. Pour over pasta and toss to coat.

5. Add veggies and cheese. Toss to coat.

Chill for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 large, lunch sized servings or a number of side dish servings (also a great potluck or summer picnic option!)

Enjoy on the patio with a big glass of sweet tea.

Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese

In all of my years experimenting in the kitchen, I have never made homemade macaroni and cheese. It is one of those things that I remember not liking growing up, so I never gave it a try. However, the dude has mentioned wanting homemade mac and cheese on occasion and the other day, finally said, "Can you please make me some mac and cheese?" so I decided the time had come.

I asked Shaina if she had a good recipe and she directed me here, to Paula Deen's mac and cheese recipe.

Macaroni and Cheese - adapted from Paula Deen
2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
3 large eggs
3 c shredded cheese (I used a combo of cheddar and mozza)
1/2 cup non fat sour cream
1 c milk
4 tsp butter, cut into small pieces
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs *optional (the original recipe does not call for a bread crumb topping but I knew hubby would prefer it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8x12" baking dish. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain, transfer to a bowl.

Add two cups of the cheese and toss until melted.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sour cream.

Add the milk, butter, salt and pepper.

Stir the mixture into the macaroni.

Pour macaroni into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top.

Bake for 35 minutes, until bubbling and cheese is melted. Let the macaroni and cheese stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings (depending if you're serving as a main or side dish).

Spring Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

I was never really a fan of fruit in my salad until I was introduced to this salad by Aunt Linda. It is so fresh, so easy, and most importantly so delicious. I haven't specified amounts for the salad ingredients because that really depends on how much salad you are making. It can be adjusted for one serving or for a large bowl to serve to a group, just use your judgement.

Spring Salad
Spring mix greens
Bartlett pear
Strawberries
Pecan pieces *it is especially good with toasted, spiced or candied pecans.
Crumbled goat cheese

Place greens on a plate or in a salad serving bowl. Top with pear, strawberries, pecan pieces. Toss gently. Add crumbled goat cheese to the top. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette dressing (recipe below) and serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing - from Emeril
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a sealable jar and shake to combine. Use immediately or store in refrigerator for future use. Shake well before pouring. Makes one cup.

Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

The other night, I had a hankering for a good old fashioned meal. Since we had found a great sale on Smoked Ham, I decided to make ham, scalloped potatoes, peas, carrots and biscuits. Unfortunately, I had an, um, less than pleasant experience with the carrots, so we ended up carrotless. SnoWhite, remember your carrot mishap? The exact same thing happened to me! Anyway, we were just fine with ham, scalloped potatoes, peas and buttermilk biscuits. It was some good old fashioned home cooking, just what I needed!

Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes - from BHG
1 T butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 T minced onion (or one fresh onion, chopped)
2 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4-5 potatoes, very thinly sliced (you can peel them if you'd like but I didn't bother)

Slice potatoes as thinly as possible.

Melt butter in a small saucepan with garlic and onion, until garlic smell is strong.

Stir in flour, salt and pepper.

Pour in milk. Stir to combine.

Cook until thick and bubbly.

Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Grease 8x8 baking dish. Arrange half of the potatoes in the dish.

Cover with half the sauce.

Layer remaining potatoes on top of the sauce and cover with remaining sauce.

Bake, covered, in a 350 oven for about 1 hour. Remove cover and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese sauce is crispy.

Makes 4 servings.

Hashbrown Casserole

My hubby loves hashbrown casserole and requested it last week. Most recpies that I have come across in the past use sour cream and cream soups. I certainly do enjoy this type of casserole but I didn't have any sour cream and I was hoping to find a variation on this dish that would be lower fat. I did some searching and found this recipe and decided to give it a shot. I enjoyed it alright, although the FD wondered aloud (a number of times) why I didn't just stick with the normal recipe. Ah, men. It is definitely different than the traditional hash brown casserole, so don't make it expecting the same deal - but it served it's purpose as a tasty, lighter side dish.

Hashbrown Casserole - modified from a recipe found here
4 cups frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/4 cup beef stock
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a skillet. Saute onion until browned.

2. Mix all ingredients (reserve 1/2 cup cheese) well and pour into a pie plate or small casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam.

3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top.

4. Bake, uncovered, at 400* until lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Ranch Mashed Potatoes
6-8 potatoes, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 T butter
2 tsp ranch seasoning mix
Salt
Pepper

1. Wash and chop potatoes. Place in medium pot and cover with water. Boil 10-15 minutes, until soft. Drain potatoes.

2. Place them in the bowl of your mixer (you can do it by hand, of course, but why would you if you are just getting acquainted with your mixer) and whip on low speed. Add milk, butter, and seasonings. Mix on low for 30 seconds to a minute, until smooth and well combined.

The nice thing about making the mashed potatoes in the mixer is that you can leave the peels on and let the mixer do all the work for you. They end up looking like delicious, restaurant potatoes this way!

Makes 6 servings.

This recipe is being linked at the Ultimate Recipe Swap

Lobster and Cream Cheese Dumplings

One of my favourite restaurants has a delicious crab and cream cheese dumping appetizer. WA while back, I remember The First Year Wife, mentioning that her husband makes cream cheese dumplings. I asked her for the directions and she told me what he does. So, I went by her instructions and modified the filling a bit for a yummy Christmas eve appetizer.

Lobster and Cream Cheese Dumplings
1 can frozen lobster meat, thawed and drained (you can also use crab)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 green onions, or chives, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic
Salt
Pepper
1 package large egg roll wrappers
2 eggs, beaten

1. Mix all ingredients, except egg roll wrappers, in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Remove egg roll wrappers from the package. One at a time, dip egg roll wrappers into the beaten egg mixture to coat.

3. Lay flat on a cookie sheet. Scoop a heaping spoonful of filling on wrapper.

4. Fold up to close. Repeat until all filling is used.

5. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Then, turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes to crisp them up.** You can also deep fry these, if you'd like. If so, don't bother with the egg wash.

Serve with sweet and spicy thai sauce for dipping.

Makes 12 dumplings.

Black Bean Dip

Look for a quick, easy, and delicious appetizer to take to a New Year's Eve party? Here it is!

Black Bean Dip
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar salsa
1 can corn, drained
2 green onions, chopped
Chili powder, to taste
Tortilla chips

1. Mix together first 5 ingreidents. Taste, add more seasoning if necessary.

2. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Makes LOTS of servings!

Green Bean Casserole

Here is another one of those "let's de-healthify some good ol' veggies" recipes. I was first introduced to green bean casserole a number of years ago and since then, I believe that it has become a staple on the Thanksgiving and Christmas table of many many families. I am sure you all have your variation on this recipe and most are probably similar to mine but because I made it earlier this week to send with FD to his work potluck, along with yummy cheesy carrots, I thought I'd post my version of the oh-so-popular green bean casserole. I have listed the amount of some of the ingredients fairly flexibly because it can be adjusted to taste, depending on how many beans you are using.

Green Bean Casserole
4-6 cups fresh or frozen green beans (or 2 cans)
1-1 1/2 cans mushroom soup
1/2-3/4 can milk
1 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can French's fried onions.

1. Cook the beans if using fresh or frozen. No need to cook if using canned beans. Drain and place in 9x13 baking dish or large casserole dish.

2. In a medium bowl combine soup, milk, pepper and mozzarella cheese.

3. Pour over beans and stir to combine. Add 1/4-1/2 of the can of French's fried onions and mix in. I like to use less of the onions in the casserole and save more to go on top. I also *sometimes* snitch a few to eat just as is. I seriously love those things!

4. Cover and bake in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes, until heated and bubbling. Remove from oven, uncover, top with remaining onions and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until onions are browned.

Enjoy! Makes 8 servings.

This post is being shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Cheesy Carrots

There is nothing better than taking some delicious, hearty, good for you vegetables and covered them with butter and cheese, right? No? This is a recipe I gathered a number of years ago and is one we've come to love. It is definitely one of those 'once a year' type recipes. OR, you can also do like me and make it up for your husband's Christmas potluck and send it away so people can enjoy it but you don't have to be tempted to eat your weight in cheesy carrots. Believe it or not, I've actually reduced the original amount of butter, cheese and cream soup. So, while this may not be on my family's regular rotation of side dishes, it makes for a nice, rich treat for the holidays.

Cheesy Carrots
Carrots, coarsely chopped (how many you use is up to you - the sauce makes enough to cover a lot of carrots. I think I usually use about 15-20 carrots to fill a 3 L casserole dish.)
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cans mushroom soup
1/2 can milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs, optional

1. Peel, cut and cook your carrots. I just boil them. Drain and put into large casserole dish.

2. Peel and chop one onion.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft.

4. Add 2 C grated mozzarella cheese to the butter mixture.

5. Add soup and milk.

6. Stir and cook until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

7. Pour over carrots and stir to mix.

8. Top with bread crumbs, if desired.

9. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until bubbling.

Makes 8-10 servings.

This recipe is being linked at the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash: Christmas Recipes.