Sweet-n-Spicy Pasta Salad

Sweet-n-Spicy Pasta Salad

 

Hi everybody :)

Before we get to this recipe, I like to tell you how I came up with it. This salad was inspired by a Chicken Fajita dish at my local Winn Dixie. It contained grilled chicken strips, sweet bell peppers, red onions, zucchini slices, and this sweet and spicy red sauce that blends it all together. It cost about $5.30 per pound. I would buy this mixture, not to make fajitas but to add to pasta to make a delicious salad because I love the combinations so much. Now, I put my taste buds to work to reproduce that great favor and can make it at home for less :) This is one of my favorites pasta dishes, mildly sweet with a little heat :)  Here's what I did...  
 
 Sweet-n-Spicy Pasta Salad
1 (16 oz.) box Penne Pasta, cooked as directed & cooled
1 (24 oz.) bag John Soules Food Chicken Fajitas Strips , thawed
1 cup sweet bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used mini sweet peppers)
1 (16 oz.) bottle Wish Bone Light Sweet & Spicy French (I used 3/4 of the bottle)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot or Sriracha Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, optional 
2 tablespoon onion, finely chopped  
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 small zucchini, sliced, blanched, &  dried
Salt & Pepper, to taste; if desired

In a large bowl mix pasta, chicken strips, and peppers together. 

In medium bowl mix together dressing,  garlic, oil, sauce, seasoning, vinegar, and onion. Pour over pasta mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Best if refrigerated overnight.) 
Remove from refrigerator, add tomatoes and zucchini slices.  

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, served. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

ENJOY! Come again...
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Roasted Chicken w/ Caramelized Onions Soup

Roasted Chicken w/ Caramelized Onions Soup

Hi everybody :)
I was hoping with the arrival of March the weather would be a little bit warmer, but to no avail, it seem to be colder then ever. What's for dinner when it too cold outside and you want something quick and easy to warm your inside? Soup! This brings me to today post, Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions Soup, made with Swanson® Chicken Broth (so it would seem as if you work hard preparing it all day; sshhh your secret is safe with me) and roasted chicken that can be purchased at your local deli or homemade :) Let's get it started...

Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions Soup
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
8 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup) (omitted, used 1/4 tsp. celery seeds)
3/4 cup uncooked Campanella pasta (I used penne pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups roasted chicken cut into strips (I used deli chicken breast)

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally.  

Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the onions are tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat.    
Heat the broth, black pepper, carrots and celery in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. 

Stir the pasta and chicken in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Stir in the onions and serve immediately.

Source: Campbell's Kitchen
What I Did and/or Think:  
The changes I made are in  Bold, Italic, & Purple.
The Taste: I love, love, love this soup! Don't skip on caramelizing the onions, it adds lots of flavor.  Definitely an A.G.R. (Another Great REPEAT). 

ENJOY! Come again...
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Italian Sausage & Angel Hair Pasta: Dinner In Minutes

Italian Sausage & Angel Hair Pasta: Dinner In Minutes

Hi everybody :)
This meal is soooo easy to prepare it doesn't really need a recipe. All it take is a few basic ingredients and dinner is ready in minutes. When I'm home alone and I want something quick, easy, and delicious for a serving of one; this is one of my g0-to dinner solutions.  Let's get it started...

For the sausage:
1-2 Johnsonville Four Cheese Italian Sausage links
1 tablespoon oil
water, enough to cover

In a skillet add sausage  and oil to water bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Uncover and cook until golden brown, turning once. Cut sausages in a bias-slice. Set aside and keep warm.

For the pasta:
Hot Angel Hair Pasta, cooked according to the box 
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
fresh mozzarella cheese, diced 
1 medium tomato, diced
Lawry's Garlic salt, to taste if desired
Pepper, to taste if desired

In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Remove from heat and add to pasta along with cheese and tomato. 

Stir in sausage and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper if desired; serve.

Source: adapted partly here  

I really love Italian cuisine and this dish hit the spot, it  brushetta-like taste blends well with the pasta.

ENJOY! Come again...

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Angel Hair Pasta with Avocado and Tomatoes: Pink Ribbon Recipe

Angel Hair Pasta with Avocado and Tomatoes: Pink Ribbon Recipe

Hi everybody :)

My LOVE for avocados and tomatoes  led me to this recipe. This is another great dish that just take minutes to make.  
 
This recipe may be a good choice for cancer patients because it is great for  nausea and mouth sores, two of the side effects of cancer treatments.

Angel Hair Pasta with Avocado and Tomatoes adapted Betty Crocker Living with Cancer Cookbook

 















Prep Time: 20 Minutes      Start to Finish: 20 Minutes    

8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta (I used wheat pasta)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil  (coconut oil may be used also)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves ( I used 2 tablespoons freeze-dried basil)
1/2 to 3/4 large avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small cubes
4 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Rosemary, Basil and Citrus Salt )
1/4 teaspoon pepper (omitted)

1 Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

 














2 Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring  occasionally, until garlic is tender but not brown. Remove from heat.

 














3 Stir basil, avocado and tomatoes into garlic in saucepan. 

  













Toss vegetable mixture and pasta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 6 serving (1 1/2 cups each)

 










High in Vitamin A and folic acid; good source of fiber

1 Serving; Calories 260 (Calories from Cat 70); Tran Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 350mg Potassium 350mg; Total Carbohydrate 38g Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 7g %Daily Valves: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 10%: Calcium 2%; Iron 10%; Folic Acid 25%. Magnesium 10%; Exchanges: 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2

What I Did and/or Think:
The only changes I made to the recipe are using wheat angel hair pasta and Rosemary, Basil and Citrus Salt instead of salt & pepper. 


The Taste: The flavor combination of tomato, avocado, garlic, and basil with pasta is the BEST! I LOVE this! It will definitely be REPEAT!

For a main dish I tossed 12 ounces precooked shrimps in. SUPER!

ENJOY! Come again...

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Macaroni Coleslaw: Great Idea!

Macaroni Coleslaw: Great Idea!

Hi everybody :)

While browsing the net I came across this recipe. It took two great salads and combined them together, into one. Great Idea! I love macaroni salads and  I love coleslaw. Why didn't I think of that? Oh well...

I shared this idea with my daughter over the phone...

"That don't always work, mom."  my doubtful daughter said as she reminded me of the time when she was about 5 years old and make a Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bologna Sandwich.

Because she love Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich and Bologna Sandwich, she decided to put them both  together and made a Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bologna Sandwich. Well, to say she hated it; was an understatement.

I told her, "I don't think I will have that problem."

So here we go....

Macaroni Coleslaw adapted Taste of Home

Ingredients

For the noodles:

1 package (7 ounces) ring macaroni (I used elbow macaroni)
1 package (14 ounces) coleslaw mix
2 medium onions, finely chopped (I used about 1/4 cup)
2 celery ribs, finely chopped 
1 medium cucumber, finely chopped (I used 1/2 English Cucumber)
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 can (8 ounces) whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped ( I omitted this)

For the Dressing:
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip Light
1/3 cup sugar
1/4  cup cider vinegar
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
I added 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning
I added 1/2 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl; add the coleslaw mix, onions, celery, cucumber, green pepper and water chestnuts.

The Noodle Mixture

In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. 

The Dressing Mixture

Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yield: 16 servings.

Adding the Dressing

 TIP: If you want the cucumbers in your salad to be cool and crunchy, just chill them overnight in ice water.

What I Did and/or Think:
Like all pasta salads and coleslaw, they are best if made the night before or had a chance to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, so plan ahead. I made a few changes to the original recipe by adding Mrs Dash Seasoning and Salad Supreme to the dressing mixture and omitting the water chestnuts, (I just don't like them) and only using 1/4 cup onion for the noodle mixture. 

Now for the taste, this was THE BEST!!! I love the flavors. A very tasty combination, the best way to describe it is, if macaroni salad married coleslaw and had a baby this would be the result. This will now be my new go-to salad. You all know what that mean.... IT'S A REPEAT!

If you want to change it up:  I think for a Seafood Macaroni Slaw,  about 1/2 cup cooked chopped shrimps would be a nice addition. 

And for all you bacon lovers (ME.. ME.. ME...) about 1/2 cup bacon bacon bits can be added to create a Bacon Macaroni Slaw.  Real bacon, not the fake stuff :) 

So this was a great idea after all... I'm going to tell Miss Doubtful that the next time she calls. 

*******UPDATE Picture******* Seafood Macaroni Slaw

ENJOY ! Come again.... 

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Easy Cheesy Mac & Cheese

Easy Cheesy Mac & Cheese

 

Hi everybody :)

I would like to share the Eeesssssssasy Mac and Cheese Dish ever! The sauce is what make this so easy. I use Southwestern Mills Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix, if you can not find it in your area go here. I LOVE this sauce. I talked about it once before here.

This make THE CREAMIEST AND CHEESIEST MAC & CHEESE. The next time you make mac & cheese try this one, you won't regret it, I promise.

What You Need:
1 pound (16 ounces) Macaroni Noodles
1 package Southwestern Mills Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cheese-Flavored French Fried Onion

Cook noodles according to package. Drain all but 1/2 cup of water. Measure 1cup cold water to mix with sauce mix, mix well and add to noodles along with sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons butter. Mix well, pour into a greased casserole dish or foil-lined pan. Top with extra cheese and fried onions.

Bake at 375 until golden brown on top and cheese is heated through about 25 minutes.

Before Baking

BTW,  I'm not being paid by Southwestern Mills producers to say this about their product, this is my own opinion.

ENJOY! Come again...

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Beefy Macaroni-Stuffed Tomatoes

Beefy Macaroni-Stuffed Tomatoes  

Hi everybody :)

I love the idea of edible containers. Today's recipe is about good ol' comfort food: beefy macaroni stuffed in tomatoes, sounds delicious... MMMmmmmm, doesn't it? :) It's a new twist on the old Classic Mac & Cheese. This recipe comes from one of my cookbooks; I'm still working on that mission of cooking at least one recipe from each book :)

Beefy Macaroni-Stuffed Tomatoes From: CREATIVE COOKS' KITCHEN COOKBOOK

You Will Need
FOR THE TOMATOES
6  Large tomatoes (I only did two)

FOR THE FILLING
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1 pound  lean ground beef
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese (I omitted this)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I omitted this)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
I added 1 can diced tomatoes

FOR THE SAUCE
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

FOR THE TOPPING
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

SERVES 6

PREPARING TOMATOES
To hollow out tomatoes, slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon scoop out the seed and core.

Preheat oven to 375'F. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, but do not add salt. Drain in a colander. While pasta is cooking, prepare beef. In a large non-stick skillet, cook beef over medium heat, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain beef in a colander. In a large bowl, combine pasta, beef, mozzarella, ricotta and parsley. Mix well.

MAKING THE SAUCE
In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, oregano, basil, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Add tomato sauce to pasta mixture. Mix well.

FILLING AND BAKING TOMATOES
Spoon pasta mixture evenly into each tomato. Top with Parmesan cheese. Place tomatoes into a casserole dish. Cover with foil. Bake until heated through, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately.

A great kitchen tip is to use a grapefruit spoon or dinner teaspoon to scoop out the seed and core the tomato while keeping the skin intact. For a lighter version, to all you dieters out there :), ground turkey can be used in the place of  the ground beef. If your tomatoes are not standing level, slice a thin layer off of the bottoms before stuffing and baking. You can also fancy this up by cutting a saw-tooth edge around the edge of each tomato opening.
Do Ahead
The macaroni filling can be prepared in advance and stored for up to 1 day in the refrigerator. When you're ready to make them, spoon the filling into the hollowed tomatoes, top with Parmesan and bake as directed.

To complete your meal, serve this dish with hot and crusty garlic herb or Italian-flavored bread sticks.

Variations:
Stuffed Peppers: Instead of tomatoes use bell peppers, just prepare as directed and sub out tomatoes for peppers.
Home-Style Favorite:  Spoon the macaroni filling into a casserole dish and bake as directed.

What I Think:
This turned out to be quite delicious, despite the fact that the tomatoes didn't hold up their shape when the time to lift them. Maybe I overly-stuffed them a little... hey what can I say, I love mac & cheese :)  I only did 2 large tomatoes and put the rest of the filling in a pan to finish it.

On a sad note :( ... my daughter is going back to law school tomorrow...

Alas... I'm eating this sundae to cheer myself up.

Brownie - recipe  here
Ice Cream - vanilla (store-brought)
Cool Whip
Strawberry
Butterscotch topping













From: CREATIVE COOKS' KITCHEN COOKBOOK

ENJOY! Come again....

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