Italian Pasta Salad

Ron's Italian Pasta Salad

 Hey! A recipe posting!

I know it's been awhile since I posted one of my favorite recipes, way overdue.

This recipe for pasta salad is one of my absolute favorites. This is one of those recipes that my stomach says "More! More!"  I could literally eat the whole container. 

So without further ado here is my version of Italian Pasta salad:

Ingredients

• 1 box (12 oz) tricolor rotini pasta
• 1 cup chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded, about 1 cucumber
• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 12 to 1 cup Italian salad dressing

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Remember to salt your pasta water with 1-2 teaspoons of sale. When pasta is done, drain it and run cold water over it so the noodles can cool
2. Combine the cooked and cooled pasta, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion. Pour Italian dressing over it and stir together (start with 12 cup Italian dressing and go from there. I put about 34 cup dressing on the salad and then reserve the rest to add to the salad before serving to moisten it back up.
3. Can be eaten right away or refrigerated for a few hour before serving.

*I like it cold so I refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.

The original recipe calls for feta cheese (which I like) and black olives (which I also like) but I have omitted them because I prefer a minimalist pasta salad. 

In these times of COVID pandemic home confinement I find my recipes very comforting and often better than anything I could find in a restaurant. And look at the money I'm saving!

I have more recipes which I will share on this blog in the near future.

Have a great day!!!

Chicken Pot Pie

My Number 1 comfort food - chicken pot pie

Perhaps my favorite comfort food is chicken pot pie. 

I grew up eating Swanson frozen chicken pot pies. I loved those pasty concoctions. 

I liked them so much I talked my Mother into making her own homemade chicken pot pies.

My Mom the cook in her kitchen  - she made great biscuits and gravy (December 20, 1975)

My Mother was a pretty good cook but somewhat limited. She never did learn how to make a flaky pie crust. Her pie crust tasted like cardboard. Of course a prime ingredient of a chicken pot pie is a flaky, calorific pie crust.

She also wasn't too good on the filling. I like white meat.  She would fill her chicken pot pies with all the chicken meat; brown, white and even the chicken gizzards and liver. Lots of sorting out for me when I ate one of her chicken pot pies.

Occasionally I've had chicken pot pies at restaurants. Sometimes they  were pretty good.  

I've purchased chicken pot pies at the supermarket.  Although they were relatively expensive, they were bland and tasteless. Not worth the five bucks I paid for them. 

In the past I've tried making my own chicken pot pies from various recipes in my many cook books. They never turned out right.  I think the problem was that I always followed the recipes exactly. 

One thing I've learned in my old age is that it is all right to alter recipes to my taste. I thought this was against the law to alter printed recipes. Really, I did. 

Now I alter recipes to my taste. This doesn't always work out but most times it does. One of those successes was this week.  I made the best chicken pot pie I've ever had in my life.  And I am going to share it with you, my loyal readers!

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 bit refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shopped shallot
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/2 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 celery stalk cut to preference
1 carrot cut to preference
1 cup frozen peas
4 small new potatoes (with skin) cut to pref



Steps

• Heat oven to 425 degreesF. 
• Place one pie crust in large pie glass dish and bake in oven until brown. Remove from oven.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and half and half, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. 
• Place mixed vegetables in baked pie crust. 

Uncooked vegetables in backed pie crust

• Pour cooked white sauce mixture over chopped vegetables. 

White sauce poured over uncooked vegetables - will blend as it bakes

• Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 

Baked pie

• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

After the pie has cooled, cut slices and enjoy. The only problem is that you won't be able to stop at one slice. Yum!

Flaky pie crust, crunchy, fresh veggies, delicious white sauce - very tasty!

Ron's Spicy Hot Broccoli Cauliflower Chipotle Casserole

Broccoli Cauliflower Spicy Hot Chipotle Casserole

Hey folks, time for a change of subject (and just about time too huh?)  

It's been a long time since I posted a recipe but I just have to post this one.  It's one I put together last night to take care of the cauliflower and broccoli I had in the vegetable bin in my refrigerator.  I got the broccoli from a local market stand so I knew it was fresh.  The cauliflower I had leftover from a cream of cauliflower soup I made.  I love cauliflower and broccoli and.....STUFFING so I knew there had to be a recipe that combined all three ingredients.  I could find one.  So what's to do?  Make up my own!

I also like spice food and a touch of Mexican cheeses.  I LOVE casseroles and I have several boxes of Stove Top Stuffing that I got at BJ's.  The big boxes of stuffing, I don't waste my time with those little boxes of stuffing that you get at the local supermarket.  I say if you're going to make stuffing, MAKE STUFFING.

So here is my recipe which I have to say turned out fabulously!  Not all of my recipes turn out so well, but this one was PERFECTO!

Ron's 

Spicy Hot Broccoli Cauliflower Chipotle Casserole

Ingredients: 

1 8 oz. Stove Top Stuffing Mix For Chicken
2 cups water
5 tbsp butter
2 cups broccoli steamed
2 cups cauliflower steamed
1 cup Panko Spicy Hot Chipotle Bread Crumbs (4C brand)
1 26 oz (Family Size) Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese mixture (Krafts)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare stuffing mix according to directions on box
3. Steam broccoli and cauliflower until just "al dente" (you want it crunchy)
4. Mix soup with sour cream
5. Spread stuffing mix evenly on bottom of heavy glass casserole dish
6. Layer steamed broccoli and cauliflower on top of stuffing
7. Spoon soup mix evenly over vegetables
8. Sprinkle cheeses over top of soup mix
9. Sprinkle those hot and spice Chipotle bread crumbs over cheeses
10. Place casserole dish in oven and bake 20 minutes or until top browned
11. Remove from oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes

Enjoy!

YUM!

Warning, this is one of those casseroles that you'll keep digging into.  It's dangerous!

"After Ron" 

Cream of Zucchini Soup

If it's summertime, it's time for my fabulous cream of zucchini soup!  Sure, you can make this soup anytime of the year but the availability of fresh zucchini and dill in the summertime make this a Must Do for summer recipes.

I prepared another batch this afternoon and I am going to share this summer fresh veggie recipe with you all now!

CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium chopped onion
2 small cut unpeeled zucchini 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 cup milk

• In saucepan combine chicken broth, chopped onion, and zucchini.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until zucchini and onions are tender
• Put half the mixture in a blender; puree.  Put the remaining half in blender and puree all until smooth.
• In saucepan melt the butter.  Stire in flour, salt and pepper.
• Blend in half a cup pureed mixture until smooth and no lumps.
• Blend in flour into flour and pureed mixture until smooth and no lumps.
• Blend in milk slowly until all is blended.
• Blend in remaining pureed vegetable mixture until all is smooth.
• Sprinkle top of soup with minced dill.
• Cook over low heat about five minutes.
• Season to taste.
• Enjoy!

Potato Salad Recipe

The Beginning of a great potato salad recipe - red potatoes and hard boiled eggs

If it's summertime it's potato salad time!

I never used to like potato salad.  That's because the only potato salad I had growing up was my Mother's potato salad.  It was God awful.  Hey, I loved my Mother and she took good care of me and my two younger brothers but I didn't like most of her cooking.  My father and brothers liked it good enough.  They always cleaned up their plates and it showed.  Both my brothers hover around three hundred pounds today.  I weigh half that.

It wasn't until I joined the Army (at 18 years of age) and had meals away from home that I realized that food could taste good.  I realized there were culinary possibilities.  Then when I got out of the Army and met Bill and set up house, I began experimenting with cooking myself.

Over the years I have developed recipes that I love.  Now granted, I understand some others may not love them as much as I do (which I have also found out over the years witnessing many screwed up faces of guests when they ate some of my concoctions) but be that as it may.  I cook for myself and Bill.

Here is one of my several recipes for potato salad that gets me through the dog days of summer.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

OLD-FASHION POTATO SALAD

• 4 cups cubed red potatoes (with skins on)
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonaise 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender; drain. 
• Chop the potatoes and place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle white wine vinegar over the still warm potatoes.  Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.
• Add eggs, chives, dill and celery.  Mix.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat. 
• Place in a container and put in refrigerator overnight to chill.

Fresh chives from my garden

Chop those chives

Fresh dill from my garden

Cut the cooked red potatoes with skins on

Cut those potatoes while they're hot

Sprinkle still warm potatoes with white wine vinegar

Mix all together

Finely chop one stalk celery

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard with veggies

Put in container and place in refrigerator overnight to properly chill

The next day take out that potato salad and enjoy!  This is the best accompaniment for grilled chicken or hamburger.  Although it is not low calorie, I only eat a table spoon or two at a meal.  That is enough to satisfy my appetite for summer food.  Delicious!

Ooops!  I forgot a small detail.  While this potato salad is good making it does generate a LOT OF DIRTY utensils, pans and dishes.  It is well worth the trouble though.

Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake - last night

One of the enduring memories of my Mother is her strawberry shortcake recipe.

My Mother loved strawberries.  My dad would always set aside a part of his vegetable garden for Mom's strawberry patch.  Mom would lovingly plant her strawberry plants in the fall in her section of Pop's garden.

Pop and Mom up in his garden - 1958

Come spring Pop would place the black netting over the ripening strawberry plants to protect them from the marauding robins which liked to put one peck into the biggest, ripest and juiciest strawberries.  I can still remember Mom saying with great indignation "Why do they always pick the best strawberries?" Each year she was in a race to get those juicy strawberries before the birds got to them.

Mom would come home from her job at Pepperridge Farms (she worked in the frozen layer cake division) and go up to her strawberry patch and pick her pampered strawberries.

She would pick as many as a dozen pints before she ended for the day.  Then she would take them down to the house and pick over them again, saving the best to take to work and sell (at $1.25 a pint) to some of her co-workers at Pepperridge.

Me with Mom up in her strawberry patch - 2000

She would set aside some strawberries to make strawberry shortcake.  The rest of the strawberries she would wash, slice, sprinkle with sugar, place in containers and freeze.  She would keep those frozen strawberries and make strawberry shortcake for the rest of the year.

Mom watching her strawberries grow in her garden - 2001

Last year I found a strawberry field nearby in Lewes.  I took myself down there on a fresh spring day and picked me a batch of strawberries.  Just like my Mom did years ago, I sorted those strawberries when I got home.  I set aside some to use on my cereal.  The rest I froze.  I froze a lot of them.

Lewes Garden Center - Pancoast Lane - May 2011

"Pick Your Own Strawberries" at Lewes Garden Center - 2011

The recipe pictured above is Mom's strawberry shortcake recipe that I made last night after I returned home from work.  There is nothing fancy about this recipe but it is perhaps the best dessert I've ever had in my life.  It not only tastes good (and it does) but it also brings back my loving memories of my Mom.

May is only one month away.  You can bet I'll be back at that strawberry patch in Lewes to pick me another batch of strawberries and I'll be thinking of Mom.

Betty's Strawberry Shortcake

1 slice pound cake (preferably homemade)

vanilla ice cream 

strawberries (frozen or fresh, sprinkled with sugar)

Place cake in bottom of bowl. 

Place two scoops ice-cream on top of cake

Drizzle defrosted strawberries on top of cake and ice-cream

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Pie

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered a nearby farm that grew fresh strawberries for the picking.  I love fresh strawberries.  They have such a delicate, sweet flavor that those "Frankenstein" store strawberries don't have.  Alas, I had become so used to those cardboard, store bought strawberries that I had almost forgotten what real strawberries tasted like.

Well, I got myself down to the farm very early in the morning, before the oppressive heat and humidity of the day descended upon the land like a big, fat, warm sweaty,  hand.  I picked a total of 64 quarts of strawberries.  Most of the strawberries I froze.  I will enjoy those strawberries in the depth of winter when even the faux strawberries aren't even available in the local supermarket.

Strawberry Pie

I had picked so many strawberries that I decided that I could part with a few and make a fresh strawberry pie.  This recipe is from the wife of my former boss and good friend Bill P.  Her name is Marie P.  I'm embarrassed to say that even though Bill gave me this recipe lo these thirty of so years ago (where does the time fly?) I'm just now trying it.

The wait was worth it!  The verdict is in....delicious!  The only caveat, eat the pie within a day.  If you leave the pie longer than that the water starts to separate from the strawberries and you have a soggy mess on your hands.  The crispness of the pre-baked pie shell is but a memory.  The taste is the same, sweet and spring-timey but the presentation has deteriorated.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Pie                    

1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart fresh strawberries (and I mean FRESH - none of that store bought fake strawberries)

• Mix sugar and corn starch then cold water, butter and vanilla.  Boil until thick.
• COOL.  Have baked pie shell ready.  
• Fold 1 quart fresh strawberries into sauce.
• Pour into baked pie shell.
• Top with whipped cream if desired.
• Feed your face and delight in one of the purest pleasure in life - a good, fresh dessert.

Strawberries ready for freezing

More strawberries for freezing

Strawberry shortcake (I couldn't resist)

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

Time to take a break from the serious blog subjects.  


Time for sharing one of our favorite family recipes, Hawaiian wedding cake.


I discovered this recipe about twenty years ago, from where I don't remember.  This is the favorite cake recipe of this house.  I've made a few tweaks to this recipe over the years to suite our particular tastes.  


And now I am happy to share our favorite cake recipe with everyone.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

INGREDIENTS:

1 package yellow cake mix    

2 (20 ounce) cans crush pineapple, drained

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant French Vanilla pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) low fat Neuchatel cream cheese   

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

1/2 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions. Bake in a 10X15 inch pan, remove from oven and allow to cool. Spread drained pineapple on top of cooled cake.
2. Prepare pudding as instructed on package and set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Mix in the prepared pudding.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Spread evenly over the pineapple.
3. Sprinkle top with coconut, walnuts and top with maraschino cherries.
4. Store in refrigerator.

                

Egg Nog Rum Cake

Egg Nog Rum Cake

Okay folks, here we go on this snowy day in southern Delaware.  Yes, ANOTHER SNOW DAY.  Can you believe it?  I can't.  This is the third snow storm since Christmas.  WTF?  Oh well, I don't have to go anywhere today.  In fact, I don't have to go anywhere until next Wednesday, when I go back to work at the hotel.  I'm hoping this white stuff is ALL GONE then.  

Pretty? YES.  To travel in?  NO.

So you ask what is this pictured at the top of my blog?  That my friends is an Egg Nog Rum cake.  This recipe has been making the rounds the past couple of weeks through some of my blogger friends. I think the recipe started with Mark in Delaware ("Tales of the Sissy.")  

His recipe looks so good that it was next on my indulgent cooking list right after egg nog pie.  Another "in fact" was that I made THREE egg nog pies.  Yep, Significant Other and I fast tracked those pies right down out pie hole.  They are gone my friends.....GONE!  

So yesterday I used up the last of the famous, hard to get, Lewes Dairy Egg Nog and made this scrumptious Egg Nog Cake.  I took Mark's recipe and put a few "enhancements" to it.  The recipe is as follows (using a bundt cake pan): 

• 1 box white cake mix (I use Duncan Hines but you can also use Betty Crocker)
• use 3 whole eggs instead of three egg whites as called for in the box recipe
• substitute egg nog for the vegetable oil called for in the recipe
• 1 teaspoon rum extract

After removing the cake from the oven and cooling off, drizzle about a 1/4 cup of 100% rum over the top of the cake, letting a puddle of rum form on the bottom of the cake dish. The cake will absorb the excess rum like a sponge.

For the glaze icing, instead of confectioner's sugar and water I used confectioner's sugar and egg nog (use as much or little as the consistency that you want your icing.)

Drizzle the glaze icing over the rum soaked cake.  

Then try to keep your hands off of the cake.  

As you can see below, this is what happens to a cake when it is too good.  Yes, that big slice (actually multiple slices) was what I ate last night after I returned from the Friday Night Dine Out Group at Ruby Tuesday's in Rehoboth Beach.  

One would think I didn't get enough to eat at Ruby Tuesdays.  One would think.  

When Significant Other got up this morning he wanted to know what happened to the cake.

I told him a pig got in the house last night.