Pasta Salad

 Pasta Salad 

I made this Pasta Salad to accompany a picnic lunch at my in-laws while we were on vacation. We had a family gathering and it was great seeing the family and finally meeting one of Allen's cousins and his wife. We sure missed my sister-in-law and wish she was with us, but she is in Africa. This Pasta Salad is very easy to make and has a rich flavor from the dressing and fresh parsley mixed in prior to chilling. It is a hearty dish that goes great with burgers, ribs, hot dogs, and chicken. The flavors develop if you chill for at least 3-4 hours.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. box Cellentani Pasta (or desired shape)

1 each Red, Yellow, Orange Bell Peppers, diced

1 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half

1 8.75 oz. can Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 2.25 oz. can Black Olives, sliced

1 Shallot, diced

1 cup + 1 tablespoon Italian Dressing or Light Italian Dressing

1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Coarse Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Directions

Add water to a large pot, 1 tablespoon of salt and turn to medium-high heat. 

Once the water is boiling, cook pasta to al dente according to box directions, and drain. 

Set aside to cool or place pasta in an ice water bath for a few minutes then drain.

Rinse and dry the peppers, shallots, and parsley. 

Thinly slice and dice the shallot and peppers; set aside.

Chop the parsley; set aside.

Drain the corn and sliced black olives and pat dry; set aside.

Rinse, pat dry and slice the cherry tomatoes in half; set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet on medium heat, add the peppers and shallot and sauté for 3-5 minutes; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl toss the cooled pasta, peppers, shallots, corn, and olives together. 

Add 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Season to taste. 

Add 1 cup of dressing and combine. If desired add more in small increments. 

Add parsley and combine.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill in fridge for 3-4 hours before serving. 

-Sophia/Two Frys

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad

I came across this Southwestern Pasta Salad in Taste of Home. This is a vibrant, colorful and hearty pasta salad. I bumped up the flavor, added cracked black pepper, and increased some of the ingredients for a bold and kicked up taste. The original recipe has sliced avocado on top but mine was not ripe, so if you have avocado, slice it and add it just before serving. This dish is perfect for a backyard BBQ and as an accompaniment to chicken or burgers, and for sharing with your family. See the adapted recipe below.

Close-up,  Southwestern Pasta Salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 cup Salsa, Medium

1 cup Lime Juice, Freshly Squeezed

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

1 package (16 ounces) Uncooked Cavatappi (or Spiral) Pasta

So yummy!

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours

1 1/2 cups Fresh or frozen whole kernel Corn, thawed

1 can (15 ounce) Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, whole or sliced in half

1 can Black Olives, sliced and drained

1 Green Pepper, chopped

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Delish!

Pasta salad perfection

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the salsa, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic cloves, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt;  set aside.

In a large pot, boil water, add salt and cook pasta according to package directions. 

Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix with a spatula or wooden spoon the pasta, tomatoes, corn, beans, olives, peppers, onion and 1/2 cup cilantro. 

Pour salsa dressing over salad and combine. 

Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to set. 

Before serving sprinkle the rest of the the cilantro.

For the Southwestern Pasta Salad recipe, visit Taste of Home:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/southwestern-pasta-salad/

Enjoy!

Sophia/Two Frys

Potato Salad

Potato Salad

I am a big fan of creamy potato salad and this weekend I made some. Potato salad goes great with chicken wings, chicken thighs, pork chops, ribs, steak, burgers, hot dogs, etc... It is the perfect accompaniment to round out your BBQ and enjoy this last weekend before cooler weather starts to kick in.

Potato salad

Creamy potato salad

Yummy potato salad

Allen made two kinds of chicken wings to go with this potato salad. To really let the flavors develop, you need to chill this potato salad overnight or for at least 5-6 hours. This potato salad is very creamy, eggy, tangy, and perfect to share with your family and guests. This year, I added celery seed and sprinkled fresh dill over the potato salad, and this is by far the best potato salad I ever made. See recipe and directions below.

Eggs

Shallot cut in 4 and ready to dice

Diced shallot

Ingredients
1 5-pound bag of Russet Potatoes

2 cups Mayonnaise (adjust according to your preference)

6 Eggs

1 medium Shallot, finely diced

1/2 cup Relish

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Coarse Salt + 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon Celery Seed

A small bunch of Fresh dill, taken off stem

Ingredients

Diced potatoes

Ready to mix in shallot and eggs

Mixed in

Directions
Wash the potatoes in warm water.

Place potatoes in a large pot with water on medium heat and season with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt.

Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but not too soft; about 20-30 minutes.

After 20 minutes, test some of the potatoes with a fork and adjust extra time as needed.

Place eggs in a saucepan filled with water. Boil eggs for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit in the water for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and place in a bowl with cold water for 5 minutes.

Peel the eggs and slice each one into 4 quarters and with a fork or potato masher break them up; set aside.

When the potatoes have cooked drain them into a colander, and cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes.

1 of the 2 cups of Mayo and 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Mayo and Dijon mixed in

Adding in relish and then the vinegar, celery seed, and fresh dill (see pic above)

Peel each potato and dice into pieces and place in a large bowl.

Add shallot and eggs to bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add the mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard and mix together.

Add the relish, apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt and combine.

Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Sprinkle fresh dill over the potato salad.

Cover and chill in fridge for several hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Potato Salad

Potato Salad

I love potato salad and with July 4th coming up it is the perfect accompaniment for your BBQ. When I make potato salad Allen and I have leftovers for several days since I buy a large bag of russet potatoes. This is a good thing since we usually have leftover spicy chicken wings for days. You need to chill the potato salad for several hours or overnight to let the flavors develop. This potato salad is rich, eggy, tangy, and creamy, and the ingredients combined make this a potato salad your family and guests will love. Recipe and directions below.

Ingredients
1 5 pound bag of Russet Potatoes

2 cups Mayonnaise (adjust according to your preference)

5 Eggs

1/2 1 medium Shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup Relish

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tablespoons Coarse Salt, divided

Ingredients for this yummy potato salad

Directions
Wash the potatoes in warm water.

Place potatoes in a large pot with water on medium heat and season with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt.

Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but not too soft; about 20-30 minutes.

After 20 minutes, test some of the potatoes with a fork and adjust extra time as needed.

Place eggs in a saucepan filled with water. Boil eggs for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit in the water for 10 minutes.

Eggs

Remove from heat and place in a bowl with cold water for 5 minutes.

Peel the eggs and slice each one into 4 quarters and with a fork or potato masher break them up; set aside.

When the potatoes have cooked drain them into a colander, and cool to room temp for about 15 minutes.

Peel each potato and dice into pieces and place in a large bowl.

Using a sptaula or wooden spoon fold in the eggs, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, chopped shallot, relish, and the apple cider vinegar.

Add the remaining salt and combine all the ingredients together until incorporated.

Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for several hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Crunchy Creamy Coleslaw

Crunchy Creamy Coleslaw

This is the quickest and easiest Crunchy Creamy Coleslaw with just 2 ingredients that tastes great. The longest part is waiting for the coleslaw to set in the fridge and develop its flavors. After trying several dressings over the years, I finally found my favorite coleslaw dressing and it tastes just like you made it from scratch. Seriously, your family/guests will never know the dressing is store bought.

Just 2 ingredients

I purchased a bag of Classic Coleslaw (green cabbage and shredded carrots), placed it in a large bowl and added 1/2 of a jar of Marzetti Original Slaw Dressing.

Adding the dressing

I combined the ingredients together with a spatula, covered the coleslaw with plastic wrap, and let it set and chill in the fridge for about 3 hours. If you have more time even better. So good!

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys