Homestyle Butternut Squash Soup

HOMESTYLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

(courtesy of cooks.com)

5 tablespoons chopped white onions 1/2 clove garlic, ground 2 1/4 cup cubed butternut squash 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup vegetable stock 3/4 cup chicken broth 3 cups water 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme or basil 1 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper a pinch of ginger 1/3 cup light cream 2 potatoes, cubed Sauté onions and garlic with butter. Add squash, potatoes, vegetable stock, chicken broth, and water, and bay leaf. Stir in peppers and thyme or basil. Add a pinch of ginger, and bring to a boil for about 18-20 minutes. In blender, puree the soup with light cream and any additional ingredients you would like to add.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

Sonoma Chicken Salad

(courtesy of Whole Foods)

Ingredients

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

(I like to add a couple apples, chopped, as well)

Method

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cook, cool and dice chicken. Mix with salad ingredients. Toss and coat with dressing. Serve plain or with lettuce on bread (kaiser roll, croissant, raisin bread, etc) as a sandwich.

Pizza Margherita

Actually, there's no alcohol content in this pizza! But the flavor will intoxicate you. And the crust, WOW! It tastes and feels like restaurant quality. The key is that you try to use the best ingredients you can find (and afford) since this recipe calls for only a few things to really bring out the flavor. Recipe by Williams Sonoma.

(Taken from my friend, Jennie's awesome recipe blog here)

Crust

5 tsp active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups warm water (1-5-115F)

2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup oil

5 cups bread flour

1 tbsp sea salt

Topping

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil, finely shredded
6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4" inch thick (the wetmozzarella that's sold as a chunk)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Making the dough.

Dissolve yeast and warm water in large mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, until slightly foamy. Add sugar, oil, salt and 4 cups of flour. Knead on low speed until soft smooth and elastic, adding the remaining cup of flour slowly as needed for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Prepare a large bowl, lightly greased with oil. Transfer dough into greased bowl and forming into a ball and rotating in the oil so the dough ball is round and smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm area until double in size, about 1 hour.

For a more flavorful dough (and it's worth it), let rise as stated above, then punch down dough with palm of hand, recover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator in the morning so it's ready to work on a 4PM for dinner prep.

OR you can skip the refrigeration and just punch down dough(after the first rise, of course) with palm of hand and cut/divide dough in half. Lightly oil your counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Gently shape into loose balls and cover with plastic wrap for a short second rise of 10 min.

In your oven, move the rack to the lower third in your oven (in mine, it's the second to the bottom slot) place your baking stone on rack. Preheat oven with stone in, to 475 F degrees for 30 minutes.

Back to the dough. Lightly dust the dough with flour. Roll it out using a rolling pin and starting from the center, working out to the edges, until you have made a 12-14 inch round. If you have a baker's peel (a large spatula designed for lifting and transferring pizza dough) then you can skip the following step.

Lightly flour the top of an inverted half-sheet pan (turn your cookie sheet upside down basically). Transfer your spread out dough round to the floured sheet.

Add the toppings equally for each of the two pizzas in the following order: parmesan cheese, basil, tomatoes (make sure they're seeded & not too wet!). Add mozzarella slices, nestled around the tomatoes. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Remove hot pizza stone from oven and transfer the dough with a baker's peel or the cookie sheet method onto the stone. You may need a second set of hands for that part.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is crisp and golden brown. Slice and Serve. Repeat process with second pizza. Enjoy!

Blueberry Breakfast Casserole

This is a favorite that my mother often makes for Easter, Christmas, or other special occasions. Now that I'm surrounded by Maine blueberries I am taking the opportunity to make it myself!

Overnight Blueberry Breakfast Casserole (courtesy of Desktop Cookbook) Ingredients - 1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes - 10 oz cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes - 1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries - 12 eggs, beaten - 2 cups milk - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1/3 cup syrup - 1 cup white sugar - 2 tablespoons cornstarch - 1 cup water - 1 cup frozen blueberries - 1 tablespoon butter Instructions Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic cling wrap, and press down so all bread is coating/soaking in egg mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1/2 cup blueberries over top. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.

Cucumber Dill Salad

Cucumber-Dill Salad (courtesy of Pat Gold)

Serves 4

• 1 seedless European cucumber, or 2 American cucumbers
• 3 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red onion, sliced and broken into rings
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Wash the cucumber(s) and partially remove the peel in lengthwise strips using a vegetable peeler or fork and leaving a little skin between each strip. Thinly slice the cucumber widthwise. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cucumber, onion, and dill, and toss well. The salad can be served at once, but it will improve in flavor if you let the ingredients marinate for 5 minutes.

The World's Most Dangerous Cake***

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

(Courtesy of http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/)

(**most dangerous because I am just 5 minutes away from this delicious cake at any one time! SO not conducive to self-control! Yikes!)

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly before pouring in the milk and oil in. Keep mixing. Add the optional chocolate chips next (who makes that an option!) and vanilla extract, and mix again…

Mmm, cake batter!

Put your mug in the micro wave and cook for three minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow it to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

This is too easy!!

EAT ! (this can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

OSM!! (Optional Sharing Method!)

Fabulous French Bread

Fabulous French Bread (courtesy of Jamie)

Yield: 3 loaves

• 1 TBSP shortening
• 1 TBSP coarse salt {or 1/2 TBSP regular salt}
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 TBSP yeast
• 5 - 6 cups white all purpose flour {I used bread flour}
• 2 rounded TBSP dough enhancer {my addition}
• 1 egg

Step 1: Place the 1 cup hot water in the microwave for 3 minutes to get it boiling.

Step 2: Dissolve the yeast into the warm water. Stir it around until it is all mixed.

Step 3: Combine the salt, shortening, and sugar in the bottom of your mixer with a fork. The dough hook doesn't work very well. You need to smash up the mixture until it resembles the picture above. {I used my whisk attachment on high. It took about a minute and was perfect.}

Step 4: Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture. Mix slightly to combine.

Step 5: Pour the cold water in next.

Step 6: Then pour the warm water and yeast into the mixer.

Step 7: Begin to add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of your mixer. Add the dough enhancer at this time, along with the flour. The dough should be balmy but not sticky.

Step 8: Let the dough mix on high for 8 minutes.

Step 9: Let the dough rise in the mixer for about 20 minutes. {This step can actually be skipped if you are in a hurry, but I recommend it as it allows the dough the chance to rest and improves the flavor and texture.}

Step 10: Separate the dough into three parts and place on a large jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit will make it MUCH easier to shape.

Step 11: Spread the dough out with your hands. Stretch it slightly until you have an oval about 1" in thickness. Roll the dough up into a log shape. Take the ends of the log and fold them into the middle, with the ends touching. Turn the loaf seam-side down onto a greased pan. I used my french bread pans, but you could also use a jelly roll pan. Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 12: Using a sharp knife, quickly cut 3 diagonal slits into the top of each loaf.

Step 13: Whisk egg until frothy. Cover loaves with egg wash, making sure to get in each slit.

Step 14: Place the loaves in a warm 170 degree oven and let rise for about 15 minutes.

Step 15: Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and re-set your timer for 15 minutes. {Leave the loaves in while the oven increases in temperature.}

Step 16: Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and turn the pan around in the oven. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until the loaves are a nice golden brown.

Enjoy!

Also- Don't be intimidated by all the steps! I simply wanted to break the recipe down and make it easier to follow. Like I said, read it over a couple times, print it out and have it right by you in the kitchen. It really is easy!

Raspberry Danish Dessert Cake

Raspberry Danish Dessert Cake

(courtesy of Erica)

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1 pkg raspberry Danish Dessert (NOT Raspberry jello mix)
2 pkgs frozen raspberries (I usually use one if using a 9X13 pan or 2 when using a cookie sheet).
8 oz. cream cheese - softened
16 oz. cool whip
1-2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Make cake mix as directed on box. (I usually use a cookie sheet when making this cake. It serves more and allows for more room for the layers). Bake until golden brown on top (about 12-15 min. for the cookie sheet, 18-21 min. for 9X13). Allow cake to cool.

Beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar (I make this mix on the sweeter side to balance out the tart raspberry layer). Once sugar is incorporated with cream cheese add the cool whip in 3 parts.

Spread a thick layer of cream cheese mix on cooled cake.

Make Danish dessert using the pie filling recipe on box. Add raspberries. I usually add the frozen berries while mixture is still hot and break up some of the raspberries. Let raspberry mixture cool slightly then pour mixture on top of cream cheese layer. Spread evenly over entire cake.

Chill at least 3 hours and serve.Enjoy!

***Post edit: Danish Dessert can be found near the Jello. Below is a picture of the box. I've found that sometimes it's hard to find and other times there are a ton of boxes. You can also order them online {here}. I prefer the raspberry but you can do this cake with strawberry as well. Email with questions***

Potato Salad

Nana Flora's Awesome Potato Salad

(Courtesy of Money Saving Maine-iac)

*

Ingredients:

8 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced

1/2 lb. of fresh green beans, stemmed and sliced

1/4 cup sliced scallions OR 1/4 cup cup garlic scapes

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon chopped (or 3 tsp. dried)

3 Tbsp. Fresh Dill chopped (3 tsp. dried)

3 Tbsp. Fresh Chives chopped

3 Tbsp. White Vinegar

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tbsp. chicken broth

2 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard

Boil potatoes 6-8 minutes.

Add the green beans and cook another 3 minutes. If you're using scapes add these to the boiling water at the same time as the green beans to soften them up a bit.
While the vegetables are cooking mix vinegar, EVOO, Chicken Broth, Spicy Brown Mustard, Salt & Pepper together to make the dressing. Set aside.

Drain potatoes, rinse in cold water and drain again. Add your chopped herbs.

Pour on the dressing and stir gently.

My pictures do not do this salad justice. The flavors of the dressing and fresh garden herbs are out of this world. I particularly like that there is no mayo in this potato salad. It's wonderful at summer dinners, barbecues and picnics and the flavor just gets better as it sits over night.

Enjoy!

Black Bean, Corn, Avocado Salad

(courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.

Craisin, Goat Cheese & Pecan Salad

Dressing:

¼ c balsamic vinegar

¼ c olive oil

2 T orange juice

2 t soy sauce

3 -4 cloves garlic mashed with ½ t coarse salt

Fresh pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended.

Serve with salad:

1 large bag/container of spring greens

Craisins

Crumbled goat cheese

Sugared pecans

(Courtesy of Mandy Quimby - Thanks Mandy!)

White Chicken Tortilla Soup
(courtesy of Erica)

Ingredients:
4 ounce can of diced green chili's (you can make your own if you prefer)
4 cups chicken stock
1 rotisserie chicken - I get mine from Costco. Remove meat and cut chicken in to bite size pieces( you can also use 2 lbs cooked boneless, skinless chicken).
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 cans Great Northern Beans (white beans)
1 cup sweet white corn (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to tasteDirections:
In a large pot saute onions and garlic in the EVOO over medium high heat for 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, green chili's, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken, sweet white corn and beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

To thicken soup and add body: Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a cup-sized container, mix as little cold water as possible to form a thin paste. Bring the soup back up to a boil; stir with 1 hand and pour the paste in slowly with the other. Continue to cook on high heat for a minute, then reduce to low. The soup will look cloudy at first but will clear up and thicken slightly. Remove from heat.

Add Cilantro and lime juice.

Garnish/toppings: sour cream, Mexican style shredded cheese, corn chips (you you can make your own - see below), lime wedges, chopped cilantro, chopped chives.

{As you can see I didn't add all the garnishings for the picture}

This soup is delicious and very easy to make (especially if you get the chicken like I do and use corn chips). It yields about 8-12 servings.

Homemade Samoa Cookies

(This recipe is courtesy of Baking Bites)

Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)

Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough!

Chicken Caliente Casserole

Chicken Caliente Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Linda Coleman from Food Network

This is a great way to use up left over rice or vegetables you need to use - most veggies work great!

Ingredients:

Butter or non-stick cooking spray, for greasing casserole dish

2 1/2 cups large-diced cooked chicken (I usually substitute 1-2 cans of black beans for the chicken, or sometimes half chicken, half beans)

3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked rice makes about 3 cups cooked rice)

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced green bell pepper

1 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons fine salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

3 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 1/2 cup corn chips, crushed

(I usually add 1 c shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese for the last 5 minutes of baking)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish (13” by 9” works great).

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chips and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the buttered dish, top with the chips, and bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mochi Ice Cream Balls

While touring different countries in Asia years ago, I fell in love with mochi! Tonight I was craving mochi-covered ice cream balls (delicious!) but I made several calls and didn't have any luck finding any so I decided to make some for myself. Super simple and oh so good! They totally hit the spot!

4 T sweet rice flour

7 T water

8 T white sugar

~5 scoops (~2T each) ice cream, any flavor

cornstarch as needed

Put flour in glass mixing bowl.

Gradually add water while mixing continuously.

When combined, mix in sugar.

Microwave 2 minutes (covered with plastic wrap).

Stir with spoon (dipped in water).

Microwave 30-60 seconds more.

It is done when shiny, smooth and forming a ball (pulling away from sides of dish)

CAREFUL - it's HOT!

Remove from bowl with spoon (dipped in water to prevent sticking).

Place on cutting board/surface WELL covered with cornstarch (lots of it!)

Let cool slightly (you want to work with it while it's warm but not too hot!)

Flip over so cornstarch covers both sides well.

Pat/stretch with spoon or rolling pin until about 2-3 millimeters thick.

Cut into circles of desired size (I use a cup about 3-4 inches in diameter)

Place on cornstarch-dusted plastic wrap.

Freeze (or at least cool completely so it doesn't melt the ice cream!)

Drop ~2T ice cream in middle and wrap mochi around.

Freeze.

Enjoy!!!!

Just found another recipe I haven't tried yet - similar but the ratios are slightly different and it adds vanilla. I'll try this one next time and determine which I like better! :)

1 c rice flour

3/4 c water

1/4 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Follow directions above.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

(courtesy of Erica)

Homemade Hot Chocolate

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 cups hot water *start with 5 and then add according to taste desired*
Mini Marshmallows (optional)

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well. Over medium heat, slowly stir in water; heat through, stirring occasionally. DO NOT BOIL. Top with marshmallows, if desired. *you can keep it in crock pot all day - great for Christmas*
Tip: Chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well and reheat before serving.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Muffins

Whole Wheat Applesauce Muffins (courtesy of Tanya Keeping)



Applesauce Muffins
(Here is my slightly altered version)

Topping:
2/3 cup oats
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp melted butter

Muffin batter:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup carrot or sweet potato puree NOTE: small jars of baby food = 1/2 cup of puree
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup veg oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease muffin tin; I got 16 muffins out of my batch.

Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

Combine ingredients top to bottom and stir just until mixed.

Poor into muffin tins and top with streusel; I pushed the streusel down with back of spoon before baking. Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Whole Wheat Banana Bread (courtesy of Tanya Keeping)



SECRET INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of apple sauce
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 ripe bananas

HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan.
In a bowl, mash bananas; add sugar, apple sauce, oil, baking soda, baking powder and egg until well blended.
Stir in flour. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
I immediately remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack

Create-Your-Own (perfect) Pasta Salad in 5 steps

Five Steps to Perfect Pasta Salad

By: Pam Anderson

Pam's formula:

Step 1. Pasta

Step 2. Key ingredients

Step 3. Intense flavors

Step 4. Onions & herbs

Step 5. Dressing

I teach cooking classes across the country, and as often as a possible, I demonstrate pasta salad. Why? Because people make it all the time. (When's the last time you attended a potluck that didn't have a pasta salad?) But rarely do these sturdy, colorful, economical salads taste as good as they look. They can be dry, bland, oily, sharp or uninteresting.

For a stunning, irresistible pasta salad, follow the five steps I've outlined here. If you're nervous about making your own salad, simply pretend you're at a salad bar. Be creative with ingredients you like to eat, but use a little common sense. When making an Asian-style salad, for example, use typical stir-fry ingredients such as celery and bell peppers.

Using this formula as a guide, you'll create beautiful pasta salads that will have people asking for your recipe. The proportions given make enough to serve as a side dish to 12 to 16 people.

Step 1:
Cook 1 pound of pasta. Select a 16-ounce box or bag of bite-size pasta. I recommend farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews), penne, ziti, rotelle (wagon wheels), macaroni or small shells. Cook the pasta in a gallon of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of salt (that's right, 2 tablespoons!) until just tender. Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Instead, dump it onto a large-lipped cookie sheet to cool and dry. Don't worry if the pasta sticks together. The dressing will break it up.

Step 2:
Prepare 2 pounds of key ingredients. These are the salad's major add-ins: cooked and raw vegetables, poultry, seafood, canned beans and mild cheeses, for example. Some need little or no preparation before going into the salad. Others can be cooked in the pot of water along with the pasta. Still others are best sauteed or grilled. Choose at least 3 major flavorings. It's good to let one ingredient lead (for example, 1 pound of asparagus with 8 ounces each of sliced mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, for a total of 2 pounds).

Options for cooked vegetables
These can cook right along with the pasta in the pot of boiling water. Add them to the cooking pasta during the last minute of boiling. Drain and cool them with the pasta for that just-right, tender-crisp texture.

• Broccoli or cauliflower, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick coins
• Asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-size lengths
• Carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch coins
• Green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size lengths
• Snow peas or sugar snap peas, strings removed
• Zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Options for no-fuss vegetables

• Canned artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered
• Bean sprouts
• Celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, cut into bite-size pieces and lightly salted
• Fennel, trimmed, halved, cored and thinly sliced
• Avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces (add at last minute to prevent darkening)
• Zucchini, halved lengthwise if small, quartered lengthwise if large, then thinly sliced
• Cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
• Bell peppers, cored and cut into bite-size strips
• Tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice and lightly salted
• Frozen green peas, thawed

Options for grilled or broiled vegetables

All of these vegetables should be brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper before grilling or broiling.

• Eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; cut into bite-size pieces after grilling
• Fennel, trimmed, halved, core left intact, and cut into wedges; cut away tough core after grilling
• Large whole mushrooms; slice or quarter after grilling
• Bell peppers, cored, seeded and quartered; cut into bite-size pieces after grilling
• Zucchini, cut on the diagonal into slices 1/2-inch thick

Options for sauteed vegetables

Asian-style salads taste best with lightly sauteed vegetables, particularly celery and peppers.

• Celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into bite-size strips

Options for other major add-ins

• Canned beans, drained and rinsed
• Chicken breasts, grilled, sauteed or steamed and cut crosswise into thin bite-size strips
• Italian sausage, steam-sauteed and sliced thin on a slight bias
• Cooked lobster
• Cooked and peeled shrimp
• Canned tuna, drained
• Mild cheeses (e.g., mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Crabmeat (pasteurized lump), picked over for shell
• Ham, sliced 1/4-inch thick and cut into bite-size strips

Step 3:
Choose intense flavors. Stronger- tasting than the major add-ins, these ingredients should be used more sparingly. Pick at least one representative from this category, but feel free to use two or three--roasted peppers, pine nuts and feta cheese, for example, will give the salad a Mediterranean feel. If making an Asian-style salad, stick to nuts and seeds.

Options
In most cases, add about 1/2 cup, unless otherwise noted.

• Feta, crumbled
• Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• Goat cheese, crumbled
• Capers, drained (1/4 cup)
• Olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• Peperoncini, drained and thinly sliced
• Roasted peppers, cut into strips
• Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into small dice
• Bacon, fried and crumbled (8 ounces)
• Prosciutto (8 ounces), thinly sliced, cut into small dice
• Smoked salmon (8 ounces), thinly sliced, then cut into thin strips (other smoked fish and shellfish are possibilities as well)
• Pine nuts, toasted
  Roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
  
• Roasted or honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• Toasted sesame seeds (1/4 cup)
• Sunflower seeds

Step 4:
Add onions and herbs. No matter what else is in your pasta salad, always add three large green onions, sliced, or half of a small red onion, diced. The types of onions are completely interchangeable, although I tend to use green onions for Asian-style salads.

Then mince 3 tablespoons fresh herbs and/or grate 2 teaspoons orange or lemon zest (the peel minus the bitter white pith).

For Asian-style pasta salads, consider cilantro, basil and/or the citrus zests. Dill and mint are usually compatible with creamy-style salads. Because rosemary and tarragon are such strong flavors, use just 1 tablespoon of either herb combined with 2 tablespoons of minced parsley.

And if you're ever in doubt about which herbs to use, you'll never go wrong with good ol' chopped fresh parsley.

Step 5:
Make a dressing. Whether you prepare one of the following dressings or choose another, you'll need 1 cup to coat the salad. The key is to make sure the dressing is thick and emulsified; otherwise, the pasta absorbs the vinegar while the oil clings in droplets to the pasta's surface. Stick with milder rice wine vinegar or lemon juice. Balsamic vinegar, while flavorful, turns the pasta an unattractive brown, and stronger vinegars make bright green vegetables drab.

Each of these recipes makes about 1 cup. You can prepare the ingredients in advance, but toss the salad and dressing only 15 minutes before serving.