Mom’s Macaroni Salad

Since this will be a big picnic and cookout weekend for a lot of folks, I wanted to share this recipe again. I am just in a nostalgic mood, I guess. Along with the breaded chicken recipe I posted yesterday, this is one of those dishes that will always remind me of my Mom, summer cookouts, friends, family and wonderful times.

For summer cookouts we always had this salad. Back in the days when it was called macaroni, not pasta. I loved it then and I love it now. I won’t say I don’t make other pasta salads. I do. I make all sorts of combinations, but this is the salad that brings me home. Mom used mostly mayo, with a little salad dressing like Spin Blend. She felt it gave the salad just a little more zing. She added quite a few hard cooked eggs and I think they add a richness to the salad. My dad would cut up the celery and green onions for her. Mom liked the veggies cut into a fairly small dice in this dish and Dad had wicked knife skills.  I love the image of them cooking together. So here it is- a family recipe wrapped up nicely with some memories, too.

Mom’s Macaroni Salad

1 lb. uncooked pasta, shells are preferred
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise, about 1 cup
Salad dressing, like Spin Blend or Miracle Whip, about ½ cup
3-4 ribs celery, sliced thin
4-5 green onions, trimmed and sliced thin
8-12 hard-cooked eggs, cooled and peeled

Cook pasta according to package directions, but do not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Place drained pasta in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add dressings and vegetables and stir until well mixed. You may want to add more dressing to suit your taste. Chop eggs and stir into salad. Adjust seasonings if needed and chill before serving. Serves 8-10.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that everybody seems to like. I have a dear friend who loves it. I mean really loves it. So much so, that I make it for her birthday every year. Her name is Sue and the running joke is that she calls it Tira-for Sue. Since it was her birthday yesterday, I made it.

Tiramisu is a layered dessert made from ladyfingers, drizzled with coffee, egg custard (zabaglione) and cocoa. There are a lot of variations out there. This happens to be my favorite, and Sue’s. Enjoy!!!

Classic Tiramisu

5 egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. Marsala wine (not cooking wine)
1 c. whipping cream
2 T. sugar
1 lb. mascarpone cheese
2 c. strong coffee, room temp.
2 T. sugar
1/2 c. brandy
1 T. vanilla
48 ladyfingers
3 T. cocoa

Make zabaglione (egg custard). In double boiler, over simmering water, beat together egg yolks and sugar until lemon colored. Stir in Marsala and continue cooking, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and will mound on a spoon. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool down. You can place in bowl in fridge 30 minutes or so. Beat together whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat in mascarpone and chilled zabaglione. Chill 1 hour. Stir together coffee with remaining sugar, brandy and vanilla and set aside. Assemble tiramisu by placing 16 of the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Drizzle about 1/3 of the coffee mixture over the ladyfingers, about 1 tablespoon each. Top with 1/3 of the cream mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cocoa. Repeat this process 2 more times until all ingredients are used. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 12.

Easy Apple Fritters

Fritters are  similar to doughnuts and are really easy to make. Rather than being made from a dough that is rolled and cut, like doughnuts, fritters are made from a batter that is spooned into oil for frying. Good fritters are light and airy inside, with a crisp outside.  These are very good fritters. These fritters have diced apples and cinnamon and cook up tender and light. You could play around by adding other fruits, like pears, peaches or even berries. They are good plain, but can be rolled in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze.

Apple Fritters

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. melted butter

1 c. diced apples

oil for frying- I used coconut oil

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the apples. Heat oil to 375. If using gluten free flour heat oil to 350. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about  4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. While warm roll in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. Makes about 32.

Tomatillo Soup

I was given some beautiful tomatillos. I was also getting together with friends for dinner. I knew I wanted to use the tomatillos in something, but I did not want to make salsa verde. I thought about a glaze or sauce, but ended up making a soup.

Tomatillos have a wonderful citrus tang to them. They look like little green tomatoes, with a papery covering. Remove and discard the covering. You can use them like green, or even ripe, tomatoes. Most often I have seen them used them to make salsa, but think outside the box and don’t be afraid to be creative.  You might just be pleasantly surprised. I was.

I used a mix of tomatillos and other veggies and pureed it. as I was tasting it- I decided it needed some creamy element. I looked in my fridge and found a block of cream cheese. I melted it into the soup and pureed it. It was a big hit at dinner that night and I am certainly going to make it again.

Tomatillo Soup

3 T. Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. chopped tomatillos
2 c. peeled and sliced carrots
1 rib celery, sliced
1 c. chopped tomato
About 5 c. chicken or veggie stock
2 t. paprika
2 t. hot sauce- or more to taste
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 c. potato flakes*
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in soup pot and saute onions until golden brown. Add garlic and cook another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the veggies and stock and cook, covered until veggies are tender. Simmering gently, this should take less than an hour. Add seasonings and cream cheese and puree the soup until smooth. I use an immersion blender- so I can puree right in the pot. You can also puree in a blender, but be careful when blending hot ingredients. Add the potato flakes and puree a little longer. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little more stock, or even water. Adjust seasonings. Soup can be served hot or cold.
* My plan was to use fresh potatoes in the soup- but I got distracted and didn’t get them in. I would say 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed up, added with the rest of the veggies, would provide the same thickening as the flakes.

Tomatillos- thanks, Deanna

Peanut Butter and Jelly “Pies”

These are a great way to take peanut butter and jelly on the road. These little “pies” are just cut out circles of pie crust, filled with peanut butter and jelly, sealed, then baked.  Very easy and a fun cooking project for kids as well as adults. I prefer home made pie crust, but use store bought , if you like. A nice treat in a lunchbox, for picnics and road trips. You can also fill them with just jelly, if you like.

Peanut Butter & Jelly “Pies”

1 (15 oz.) package pie crusts or homemade crust for 2 pies*

1 egg

1 T. water

½ c. peanut butter

½ c. preserves, any flavor

Powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. On lightly floured surface roll out one of the crusts into a 12-inch circle. Using a 2½-inch round cookie cutter cut out about 12-14 circles, re-rolling scraps and set aside. Roll out second piece of dough so you will have about 24-28 circles altogether. Beat together water and egg and set aside. Place a circle on work surface and place 1 teaspoon each of peanut butter and preserves in the center. Brush edges of the circle with egg wash. Place second circle on top and press edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining circles. Place “pies” on lightly greased baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

*Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. shortening, chilled – I used chilled coconut oil-  you can also use butter or lard
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.

Whoopie Pies

I always get a smile when I offer someone a Whoopie Pie. Although baked liked cookies, Whoopie Pies are really more like small cakes, held together with a soft and creamy filling. I added an unexpected ingredient to these, but it worked out pretty well. I make a chocolate beet cake, and since I had half a cup of cooked, shredded beets leftover from another recipe, I decided to add them to my Whoopie Pies. Worked out well. They are really moist. Here is the recipe for my beet version, and the original recipe, too. Just in case you don’t have cooked shredded beets laying around.

Chocolate Beet Whoopie Pies

Cookies:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
½ c. cocoa
2/3 c. half and half or milk
½ c. cooked shredded beets
Cream filling
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
2 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Line baking sheets with foil and coat with non-stick spray. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in vanilla and eggs then beat in cocoa. Beat in beets. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk. Drop 2 tablespoons of dough on prepared sheets for each cookie, spacing 3 inches apart. Shape into 2 1/4-inch rounds, trying to keep them even as they will be sandwich cookies later. Bake 12-14 minutes, cookies should spring back when touched lightly. Let sit on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to rack to cool. Prepare filling: Combine flour and milk in saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Place wax paper directly on surface of the mixture and let sit until cool to the touch about 45 minutes. Beat in remaining butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. Sandwich cookies together in pairs with about 2 tablespoons of the filling. Store between wax paper in airtight container. Makes 15.

Whoopie Pies

Cookies:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 c. cocoa
3/4 c. milk
Cream filling
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
2 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. powdered sugar
Heat oven to 375-degrees. Line baking sheets with foil and coat with non-stick spray. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in vanilla and eggs then beat in cocoa. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk. Drop 2 tablespoons of dough on prepared sheets for each cookie, spacing 3 inches apart. Shape into 2 1/4-inch rounds, trying to keep them even as they will be sandwich cookies later. Bake 12-14 minutes, cookies should spring back when touched lightly. Let sit on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to rack to cool. Prepare filling: Combine flour and milk in saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Place wax paper directly on surface of the mixture and let sit until cool to the touch about 45 minutes. Beat in remaining butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. Sandwich cookies together in pairs with about 2 tablespoons of the filling. Store between wax paper in airtight container. Makes 15.

Pizza Zucchini

I started making this dish out of necessity. I was fresh out of college and never seemed to have much money. I did have a big garden, though. It was August and the garden was full of zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. The name is a little misleading. It isn’t really a pizza at all. Rather, it is a saute of several veggies, seasoned with pizza seasoning. I top it off with cheese, and often serve it over pasta or rice or stuffed in a pita bread. Last night, I served it on a whole wheat tortilla, so it did sort of have a pizza feel to it. Not much work, this dish packs a lot of flavor. Plus, you can use all sorts of other veggies, depending on what you have around. So if you have a few extra zucchini laying around, this is a fun and tasty way to enjoy them.

Pizza Zucchini

1 T. oil
½ c. chopped onion
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. sliced mushrooms, optional
3-4 c. sliced zucchini or other summer squash, trimmed and sliced
3 c. diced fresh tomatoes, or used canned or 1 c. tomato sauce
1-2 t. pizza seasoning, or to taste*
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese

Sauté onion in oil until tender add pepper and mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes more. Add squash and cook until tender. Add tomatoes or sauce, seasonings and salt, if desired. Heat through, turn down heat and add cheese. Cover and allow to cook on low until cheese melts. Serve as is, over rice or pasta or in pita bread. Serves 3-4.

*Pizza Seasoning

3 T. dried basil
2 T. dried oregano
1-T. red pepper flakes
1 T. dried minced onion
1-T. fennel seeds
1 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
To use: Add 1-2 teaspoons per cup of tomato sauce to make pizza sauce. Also good sprinkled on bagels with sauce and cheese or added to any tomato or pepper dish.

Peach and Plum Sauce with Pork Chops

I had a few peaches and plums that were very ripe. I needed to use them soon. I also had a couple of pork chops, so a sauce for the pork seemed like a good idea. It really was. For the sauce, I added honey, vinegar and assorted spices in addition to onions, garlic and fruit. I let everything simmer down together until thickened. For the pork chops, I seasoned them with salt and pepper. Then, I pan seared them on high heat, just a few minutes per side. I added some of the peach and plum sauce to the pork chops and let them cook a few more minutes, until the chops were cooked and the sauce had caramelized a little.

Peach and Plum Sauce

2 T. oil
1 medium onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. peeled and pitted plums and peaches, diced fine- about 3 pieces of fruit
½ c. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. honey
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. hot sauce- or more to taste
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. grated ginger
1 t. smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Cook onion, in oil, until tender. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add rest of the ingredients and cook, over medium heat, until sauce is thickened. This will take about 20 minutes, depending on how juicy the fruit is. Makes about 1 ½ cups. Use as a sauce on pork, poultry or lamb.

Beet and Tomato Soup

I had a bunch of fresh beets in my fridge and since it’s a little cool today I thought I’d make soup with them. I took inspiration from what I had on hand including onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Adding the tomatoes was a last minute decision that worked out really well. The tomatoes added just the right amount of tart/sweet flavor.  The color was really pretty, too.

I must say this about working with beets. I love them. I love how they taste.  I love the color, and how everything I cook with beets turns out the most gorgeous color. I don’t, however, like the way my kitchen looks whenever I cook with beets. It’s like something out of a crime scene. Not blaming the beets. Just wondering how it is I can clean up everything, then walk in the kitchen the next day and find flecks of red all over? 🙂

Here is the recipe. It was a small bunch of beets, so I just made a small batch of soup, but it could easily be doubled.

Beet and Tomato Soup

1 bunch beets, about 1 lb.

oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 c. stock- I used chicken

1 potato, cubed

2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled and cubed

1 t. dill

salt and pepper to taste

Wash beets and trim leaving about 1 inch of the stem attached. Reserve greens.  Place beets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove beets and cool in cold water until you can handle them. While beets are cooling, cook onion in oil until tender. Peel and cube the beets. Add to the onions along with the stock, potatoes and tomatoes and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and chop up about 1 cup of the beet greens and add them to the soup along with the dill. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.