My Favorite Pasta Salad

I cannot believe I have never posted this recipe here. It is the easiest recipe in the world and there are never any leftovers when I make it.


Ingredients:

1 pkg Garden Rotini (or the plain rotini works also)
1 pkg Hormel Pepperoni minis (you can use regular or turkey pepperoni too)
1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese (diced)
1 bottle Bernsteins Cheese Fantastico OR Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian (both are delicious!)

Boil the noodles. Drain and set aside to cool.

Dice the pepperoni (or pour the bag of minis right into the bowl) and dice the cheese. When the noodles are cool, add the meat and cheese and mix well.


I use about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, pour the remaining dressing on and stir once more.

Good eats!

Variations:  I've added chopped olives, onions, bell peppers and pepperoncinis and my family hated it each time. So, feel free to tweak and add and make this recipe your own.

To die for Bruschetta

1 small baguette
1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp crushed garlic)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lb soft Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Tbs fresh chopped basil
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar (reduction if you like - me likey)
<--- not my photo.  My photo has  thicker cheese and clearly seen vinegar.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette about 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In small bowl or custard dish, mix the olive oil and garlic. Spread evenly on each slice of bread. Bake at 400 until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

While bread is baking, slice your mozzarella cheese about 1/4 inch thick. I use Precious soft mozzarella. Slice your grape tomatoes in half. Set aside. Chop your basil and set that aside.

Remove bread from oven and place a slice of cheese, a sprinkle of grape tomatoes and a toss of chopped basil on top.

Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar (or reduction) and serve while bread is warm.

Balsamic Reduction:

Place two cups balsamic vinegar in a small frying pan or wok if you have one (you could use a small sauce pan too but shallow pans work better for me). Heat on high to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until about 3/4 of the vinegar is gone. The reduction is complete when it reaches the consistency of a syrup. Drizzle reduction across tops of bread.

NOTE: reduction is much stronger in flavor than simple balsamic vinegar. It can be overpowering so use sparingly unless you really have a taste for it.

Corn/Bean Salad a/k/a Cowboy Caviar

I found this recipe at www.delish.com. The link is here. I call this corn/bean salad, they call it cowboy caviar. Regardless of what you call it, it is really good. I add a quarter cup of chopped celery and a quarter cup of chopped bell pepper also.

• 15 1/2 ounce(s) (can) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 11 ounce(s) (can) corn kernels, drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado , diced
• 1 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over greens as a salad, or with chips for dipping.

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
6 Tbsp mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise (or yogurt) and the lemon juice. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Some people add salt and pepper to taste.

Of course, this is the traditional Waldorf Salad recipe (made by my grandma). However, there are many variations of the salad going around. Use one Green Apple and one sweet Red apple of your choice. I often throw in some raisins or Craisins in place of the grapes. For a tropical version of the salad, add chunked fresh pineapple in place of the grapes, some mandrin oranges and throw in 1/4 cup of shredded coconut.

Summer Smoothies

Yield: 2 servings

Tropical:
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1 ripe banana
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
1/4 cup coconut
4–6 ice cubes

Strawberry/Banana:
1 ripe banana
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
4–6 ice cubes

Many Berry:
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blackberries
2 cups vanilla yogurt*
4–6 ice cubes


Blend all ingredients together in a blender until thick and smooth.

* You can substitute Vanilla flavored soy milk in place of yogurt.