Pasta Salad

Here is my absolute favorite pasta salad recipe. It’s my go-to recipe for any gathering, pot luck dinners, BBQs and today’s event, a bridal shower. It’s always a hit and I never have leftovers. I look at the ingredients and think they seem a little odd together, but believe me it works. And it’s so much better the next day so I always make it the night before. Give it a try, you’ll love it!

Pasta Salad

1 3/4 cups farfalle pasta

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

2 cups diced ham

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.

Drain.In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, black pepper, dill weed and salt.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, grapes, ham, onions and cheese. Toss with the dressing. Cover and chill overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

Congo Bars

 

I know Congo Bars isn't a new recipe to any of us, but I made some changes to the original recipe over the weekend and they turned out de-lish-ous, so I thought I would share. I added peanut butter and did peanut butter chips AND milk chocolate chips. The recipe said to cook them for 15-20 minutes. I took them out right at 15 minutes. Most people would probably say they were under cooked but I love them gooey so I think they were perfect. I think it's my newest favorite treat, and they're so quick and easy.

Congo Bars

2/3 cup oil

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

Cream oil and brown sugar. Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips (the dough was so thick that I actually had to pull it out of the bowl and knead it by hand to get it mixed well). Press into cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Orange Chicken

This recipe is also from My Kitchen Cafe, but the awesome plating picture is from Jay.   

I would say this is my most favorite dinner I have cooked....EVER!  It was so yummy!  It took about 30-40 minutes to fix, but most of that was making the sauce while the chicken was in the oven.  All of the kids loved it and Jay thought it was also one of the best things I had ever cooked. 

If you like Panda Express's Orange Chicken, then you have to give this one a try.

I have also be insturcted by Bridger and Jay that next time I make this I need to make more...they didn't get seconds, and the 5-6 peices of chicken they got weren't quite enough.  So next time I think I will make 1 1/2 times as much chicken...but I think I could still get away with the same amount of sauce...we will see.

 

Orange Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil or butter

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons green onion

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Pour oil (or melt butter and pour) in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars

Recipe Source:  http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/
This recipe sounds heavenly if you substitute the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.  We are not fans of dark chocolate, and I don't care how many antioxidants dark chocolate has because I don't eat chocolate for my health. I will be making them this weekend!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars


1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

1 ¾ cups packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I will be using milk chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of a 10 by 15-inch baking sheet (jelly roll size pan) with cooking spray or lightly coat with butter. Line the pan with wax paper and then butter and lightly flour the paper and sides of the pan.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating just until well blended. The batter will be fairly stiff.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean but not dry; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate and stir gently to combine until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Let the ganache stand at room temp for 20-30 minutes to set. It should be spreadable but not runny.

Invert the brown sugar cake again onto a large cutting board. Cut the cake crosswise in half with a long serrated knife (just like you would cut a sandwich in half to share with someone - NOT like you would cut a cake into two layers, the bars are too thin for that). Spread the ganache evenly on one half of the cake to within 1/8 inch of the edges. Carefully set the other cake half on the top, matching the cut edges. Cover and refrigerate until the ganache is set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

To serve, trim the uncut edges of the cake. Cut the cake lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip into 8 rectangles. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Chicken Tortellini Bake

recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

16 ounce package of cheese tortellini (my advice is to use the fresh, not frozen, variety - the kind you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store b/c they taste better and it cuts down on boiling time since the noodles aren't completely dry)

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups (about 2 chicken breasts) chicken cut up into bite size pieces

3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts

2 tablespoons flour

8 ounces (1 cup) chicken broth

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat with good results)

8 oz (2 cups) shredded Monterey jack cheese (to be honest, any combination of cheeses, like cheddar, mozzarella or monterey jack would be good)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini for 2-3 minutes (this is if you use the "fresh" tortellini from the refrigerated section - and to be completely honest, next time I'm going to try not boiling it at all and letting it cook while it bakes in the oven). Drain and set aside.  (I skipped this step and it was fine)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom of 9X13 pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Bake covered with tin foil at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

We had this for dinner tonight and it was really good.  I would add some salt next time to season it a bit more, but it was really good.  I actually messed up at the grocery store and bought raviolli on accident, but it was still really good.  We just toasted some garlic bread to go with it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

½ cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt


Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.  If making the extra sauce, then I would also add some cornstarch to thicken it. 
 
We made this last night and we didn't have any left overs.  So I would say that everyone liked it!  The chicken tasted  a lot like Canton's, and it was really yummy.  We made extra sauce on the stove top and it didn't thicken (after boiling for over 15 minutes), so that I why I suggested you add some corn starch.   Other than the runny sauce (which was still) good, this dinner turned out great.

Baked Manicotti

Baked Manicotti

*Serves 6 to 8

recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Tomato Sauce

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dried basil



Cheese Filling and Pasta

3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

2 large eggs , lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

16 no-boil lasagna noodles ("My kitchen Cafe" suggests you use the Barilla brand - apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta) I couldn't find those and just got what the store I was at had.  It turned out just fine

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.  I couldn't find the brand of noodles the recipe suggested, so I followed the instructions on the package for the brand of noodles that I had.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.


We made this on Saturday, and it was really good, but took really long to make.  With both Jay and I getting it ready (and making rolls at the same time) it took about 1 hour before we could even put it in the oven to start cooking.  So next time I make this I will make two and put the other in the freezer.  We had our neighbors over for dinner and they thought it was really good, so it made the work worth while to cook for 4 adults instead of just us two.  The kids all thought it was pretty good to.