Saturday, September 18, 2010

Recipes that have been sitting around

Well, here are a few recipes that have been sitting around waiting to be posted.  So instead of individual posts, I'm going to post them all together.  Enjoy.

Asian Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup snow peas, halved
2 green onions with tops, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet red pepper


DRESSING:1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add carrots, peas, onions and red pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until smooth.  Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2
hours.

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BLT Macaroni Salad

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
5 green onions, finely chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1-1/4 cups diced celery
1-1/4 cups mayonnaise
5 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, green onions, tomato and celery.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni mixture and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add bacon.

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Corn Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 cups cooked tricolor spiral pasta
1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 cup diced pimientos
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup picante sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the picante sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

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Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes

Ingredients
8 plum tomatoes, divided
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

Directions
Cut four tomatoes into quarters and place in a food processor. Add the vinegar, basil, oil, garlic and salt; cover and process until blended.

Pour 1/2 cup dressing into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving. Pour remaining dressing into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Drain and discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, dip a paper towel in cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

Cut remaining tomatoes in half; grill or broil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until tender. Serve with chicken and reserved dressing.

Just when you thought I was gone....

.....I'm back with another post.  I know it has been a while since I posted anything here but it has been a busy couple of months.  I work at a university and work has been keeping me busy.  With the start of the school year, the birth of my granddaughter and the death of my grandmother, it has been a hectic couple of months.  Now that things are getting back to normal (if you can call my life normal), I will start posting here as much as I can.

For anyone that knows me, you know that I have a real weakness for peanut butter fudge and since I am diabetic, this is necessarily a good thing.  While bouncing around on the web I found this relatively easy recipe for fudge from Alton Brown on the Food Network.  I haven't tried this recipe yet but plan on testing it in the next few weeks and I will let you know how it turns out.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Directions

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.