Manly Meaty Pasta Salad

This pasta is perfect for a group of hungry guys. It is full of meat that you would find on a big Italian sub! And if you are a fan of peppers and onions, which I am not, I am sure they would be great in here as well.

1 pound of pasta
2 ¼ inch deli slices of ham
2 ¼ inch deli slices of pepperoni
2 ¼ inch deli slices of salami
8 ounce block of mozzarella cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 can sliced black olives
1 16 ounce bottle Zesty Italian Dressing

Cook pasta in salted water.

While pasta is cooking, cut up ham, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella and tomatoes.

Drain pasta and mix in all but 1/3 cup of dressing. When the pasta has cooled down some, mix in your ham, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes and olives. (You do not want to mix everything in with the pasta still hot because it will start to melt the cheese).

Set pasta mixture in the refrigerator overnight or for at least a few hours. Right before serving mix in the reserved 1/3 cup of dressing.

One year ago: Party Meatballs

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

I was really craving something Mexican and after searching the web I stumbled across this recipe. I had never made brisket like this before and I was little worried it may end up tough...but it turned out wonderful! Mine was served on chipotle corn tortillas and Chili Lime Rice.

From: Food Network

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo (2 chiles-not 2 cans)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons molasses
tortillas/buns
pickled jalapenos/cheese/sour cream/rice* optional for serving

DIRECTIONS

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and boil until it's almost gone, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours (I cooked mine for 10 hours).

To serve, leave the meat in the slow cooker and use 2 forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. Pile the meat on sandwich buns or tortillas and serve with jalapenos, cheese, sour cream and/or rice.

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

S'more Brownies

Summer and S'mores just go together to me. These brownies were a huge hit, and every single one was devoured. You have a crispy graham cracker layer, a rich fudge brownie layer and a gooey marshmallow topping with more chocolate and grahams crackers to enjoy. These are perfect to bring to your next summer celebration.

From Kraft

INGREDIENTS

10 HONEY MAID* Honey Grahams, broken in half (20 squares), divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 squares unsweetened Chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup flour
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil; grease foil. Place 15 grahams in pan, with sides overlapping slightly. Break remaining grahams into pieces.

Microwave butter and chocolate squares in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour. Pour over grahams in pan.

Bake 30 to 32 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Bake 3 to 5 min. or until marshmallows begin to puff. Press reserved graham pieces gently into marshmallows. Cool. Use foil to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

*Even thought I love to buy generic items I do suggest you get the name brand graham crackers so the fit properly in your pan.

One year ago: Pepperoni and Parmesan Pasta Salad

Baked Southwest Eggrolls

I love the deep fried version of these, but I avoid deep frying things at home. When I saw this recipe the requires you to bake them I knew I had to give them a try. This was my first time ever using egg roll wrappers. I was worried I would screw something up...but it was actually fun working with them! There are already ideas in my head for future uses with them.

Adapted from Annie's Eats, orginially from Ezra Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 package egg roll wrappers (I made 23 total)

salsa/guacamole/ranch dressing for serving

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers and dips for serving. Place 1/4 cup mixture in the center of one egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with water and roll up tightly to seal. Repeat with remaininf mixture and wrappers.

Place seam-side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray tops of egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes until lightly brown. Turn them halfway through baking.

Serve with salsa/guacamole/ranch dressing.

One year ago: Spinach Dip

Creamy and Zesty Black Beans with Corn

I made this to go over my Chili Lime Rice and it was fantastic. I pretty much just used some random ingredients that I had on hand. It can out wonderful and full of flavor. Usually I would top something like this cheese or sour cream...but it didn't even need it.

INGREDIENTS

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup salsa
3 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
a few dashes of hot sauce
a good squeeze of half a lime

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients (except lime) in a pan and cook on medium until everything it warmed through and the cream cheese is melted; stir occasionally. Squeeze some lime juice over it before serving.

Serve over rice.

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Chili Lime Rice

I have seen cilantro lime rice pop up all over, but I am not a big fan of cilantro. I wanted to do something with lime and rice, so chili lime rice was created! Now, when it comes to lemon and lime I like the flavor to really be there. So if you prefer just a hint, I would suggest to cut back a little on the lime.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white rice
2 cups of chicken broth/stock
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
zest of of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine rice, water and chili powder in a pan, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low. Cook about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

While rice is cooking whisk together the lime zest, juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add this mixture to cooked rice and coat well.

One year ago: Pepperoni and Parmesan Pasta Salad

White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I have had a can of cannellini beans sitting in the cabinet with no plans of what to do with them. Over the weekend I wanted a healthy dip and remembered seeing dips made from these beans. So this is what I came up with. It came out great...give it a try!

INGREDIENTS

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup roasted red peppers (if using jarred peppers, pat them dry)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
optional-hot sauce (I used a few dashes of garlic and chipotle hot sauce)
tortilla chips/pita chips for serving

DIRECTIONS

Combine everything (except chips/pita) in a food processor and mix until smooth.

One year ago: BLT Roll-ups

Overnight French Toast

I didn't measure, but I added some cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg mixture to give a little more flavor.

From Homemade By Holman, Originally from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

2 T butter, softened
12 - 3/4" thick slices of bread (I used French bread)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 - 1 1/2 cups maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Spread softened butter in a thick coating over a large rimmed (about 1" sides) heavy baking sheet. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar, add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt and whisk together. Add milk and continue whisking until well combined. Lay out bread slices on baking sheet. Pour milk mixture over the bread. Turn each slice, coating both sides. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake French toast for approximately 10 minutes and then flip each slice of bread. Bake another 5-10 minutes, flipping again if necessary until both sides are golden brown and crisped.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warmed maple syrup and other toppings as desired.

One year ago: Chessy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Rice

Chicken and Orzo

My variation of this Ina recipe tasted a lot like another dish that I love. The original recipe calls for roasted shrimp and I am sure that would be wonderful in this dish. But since chicken was on sale I opted for that and it was delicious! This is a must try for the warm summer season approaching us.

Adapted from: Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
zest of one lemon
2 pounds cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Add the chicken to the orzo and then add the dill, and parsley. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

One year ago: Tomato, Olive, Spinach and Feta Pasta

Chocolate Fluffernutter Bars

I wanted a simple dessert recipe that had "fluffernutter" qualities. For anyone who does not know what a fluffernutter is...it is amazing. Think of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now replace the jelly with marshmallow fluff and you have just entered another world of amazing. These bars were so incredible and hard to stop snacking on.

Adapted from: Marshmallow Fluff

INGREDIENTS

1 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
1 12 ounce package semisweet-chocolate pieces

DIRECTIONS

Line a 9 x 9- inch baking pan, spray will cooking spray and set aside.

Place Marshmallow Fluff and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high* 1 minute; stir and cook on high* 1 minute more. Stir in peanut butter; cook on high* 1 more minute. (Or, combine Fluff and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until Fluff boils. Stir in peanut butter and cook 1 minute.)

Combine Cheerios, peanuts and half of chocolate pieces in large bowl. Fold in peanut butter-Fluff mixture to coat . Turn into pan. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and press firmly into pan.

Melt remaining chocolate morsels. Spread on top of bars. Set aside to cool completely. I put mine in the refrigerator for awhile.

Lift out of pan, peel away foil and cut into bars. Makes 12 bars. (I cut mine smaller so I had more to go around)

* Based on a 600-watt oven.

One year ago: Pimento Grilled Cheese Sandwich