Salsa Pasta Salad

Salsa Pasta Salad

What to bring to pot luck???  That is always the question I am faced with. What tastes good now and an hour from now....  Well I had to bring a pasta salad dish for the Judges to eat at my daughter's gymnastics meet.  The pasta salad was to be served with chili.  Yes this is an odd combination.  Allrecipes.com did not fail me.  This pasta salad turned out wonderfully.  The parents and the judges loved it.  The only sad thing was there wasn't any leftover to bring home.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry rainbow radiatore pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
3 tomatoes, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
 

Directions:1.     In a large pot with boiling salted water cook radiatore pasta until al dente. Drain.
2.     Meanwhile, combine chopped onion, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and green chilies in a large bowl.
3.     In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, cilantro, garlic salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, sugar and chili powder.
4.     Mix cooked pasta with vegetables. Toss with cilantro dressing and serve.

Peanut butter bars

Peanut and Chocolate are my two favorite things.  If I could bottle a Reese Peanut butter cup and drink it all day I would.  But then I would probably passout of sugar shock.  Anyway.  This snack/dessert is super easy and a little goes a long way.  I would not be able to eat more than two without a glass a milk in one sitting.  Ok - maybe I ate three.  But I'm sure it was a special occasion.    I forget where I got this recipe, but whereever I got it - Thanks!  Enjoy.

Peanut butter bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually into creamed mixture and mix well.

2.  Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

3.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

4.  Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over the top. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Yield: 3-4 dozen.

Beef Lo Mein

I'm still working on my dishes for Chinese New Year.  One must have noodles in the feast.  It represents longevity.  I made this dinner during "snowmegaddon".  My husband came home after sitting in the car for 5+ hours in Mario Kart like traffic.  He sat down to eat this dish and thought it was fabulous.  I'm pretty sure the dish is good but I think he might have been hungry as well. My 11 year old loved the dish of course because it is made mostly of noodles.



Adapted from Epicurious
Lo Mein with Beef
1/2 lb. fresh Chinese lo mein noodles
3 large dried black mushrooms
3/4 lb. flank steak
1 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots
1/2 cup any kind of chopped cabbage
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup chives, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

1. Drop noodles into a large quantity of boiling water, at least 2 quarts, and cook 3 1/2 to 5 minutes until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

2. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes or longer, then drain and squeeze the mushrooms to extract most of their moisture. Cut off and discard the tough stems and thinly slice the cap.

3. Place the meat on a flat surface and cut it across the grain into the thinnest possible slices. Place the slices in a bowl and add the oyster sauce, cooking wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix to coat meat with the oyster sauce mixture.

4. In a wok or skillet, heat the 1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil, and when it is warm, not hot, add the beef and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Drain the beef in a sieve-lined bowl and keep the drippings; remove oil from wok and reserve.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of this reserved oil in the wok to almost smoking. Then add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, over high heat about 15 seconds. Add the cabbage, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute, remove vegetables from wok.

6. Add the beef drippings and an additional 3 tablespoons of reserved oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high, and when hot add the noodles. Cook, stirring, about 20 seconds. Add the bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and light soy sauce. Cook about 15 seconds, stirring, and add the chicken broth and dark soy sauce. Cook, stirring, about 8 minutes, then add the chives, bean sprouts, and beef. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

7. Add the remaining sesame oil, toss to blend, and serve hot.

Skinny Italian Spinach Meatballs

 My daughter loves the spaghetti and meatballs. Then again I am pretty sure 99% of children love spaghetti and meatballs.  One of the challenges with the noodles dish is that it is difficult to make sure they eat vegetables with it.  Unless you have salad on hand, other vegetables are hard to coax into those mouths.  These meatballs are surprisingly delicious and you really don't notice the spinach.  I probably could have passed them off as regular meatballs!  I got this recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes.  You can make this dish and freeze half to have another day!

 

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of all liquid
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (or your favorite Parmesan Cheese)
salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves smashed garlic
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion (don't chop)
salt and pepper

1.  Wet bread with water then mash up with your hands. Add to large bowl and combine with chopped beef, chopped spinach, egg, garlic, parsley, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients well until thoroughly combined. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, measure meat, then divide in two so that each meatball is 1/8th of a cup. Roll into little meatballs.

2.  In a large pot, add olive oil and heat on medium. When hot add smashed garlic. When garlic is golden brown, add tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper and cover, reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil on low heat. When oil is hot add as many meatballs that will fit, cook on low, turning often so that all side get browned. Cook until the centers are cooked through. When finished, place on a dish lined with paper towels to blot any excess oil.  
3.  Drop meatballs into sauce and continue cooking the remaining meatballs, repeating the process. When all meatballs are in the sauce, simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Discard onion and serve.  The longer you cook the more flavor of the meat goes into the sauce.  (I simmered for 40 mins)