Rachie's Pasta Salad

You gotta love when we hit the picnic weather :) Since I am not a fan of macaroni or potato salad, the only way to go is some yummy pasta salad!!!

When I was a little girl, I fell in love with pasta salad when a neighbor mom showed me how to make hers. Later, when I got married, her recipe spurred on my own version!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

>1 box of tri-colored rotini noodles (or bow tie)
>16 oz. bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
>1 head of broccoli
>1/2 head of cauliflower
>2/3 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (or 4 sweet, mini peppers)
>6-8 oz. block of mild cheddar cheese
>can of small pitted black olives
>1/2 lb. deli sandwich pepperoni (or stick of pepperoni)--see step 5 for more details
>1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning (or salad supreme seasoning)
>grated Parmesan cheese, sprinkled to taste
>optional: small cherry tomatoes

Rachie's Pasta Salad

 Recipe

Prep Time: 20-30 min.
Fridge Time: 2-4 hours

 1. Boil the noodles until al dente. Continue preparing the vegetables while you are cooking the noodles. (You want the noodles to be slightly firm. My box normally says 7 min.) Drain. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. The salad dressing will cause your noodles to soften as it sets up. Allow the water to drain really well before adding it to the bowl. Stir.

2. Break off little florets off of your broccoli head. I always start with one broccoli head and then add more from another if I think it needs it. Put the broccoli into a large plastic bowl with a lid.

3. Pour about half of the bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian dressing into the bowl. Stir. (I have found that I like the Kraft Zesty more than any other kind.) Keep stirring to cover all of your ingredients as you add them to the bowl.

4. Break off little florets off your cauliflower head. I normally use a small portion of the full head. Stir into bowl.

5. Strip your pepperoni of any plastic casing.  (I tend to get deli sandwich pepperoni directly from the deli. I have them slice it into 1/4" slices. If I can't find the sandwich kind, I will find a roll of pepperoni around the deli area and have the deli worker slice it for me. This saves my arm and knife from doing the hardest part.) At home, I take my kitchen shears and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to bowl and stir. The nice thing is that pepperoni lasts awhile, so leftover pieces go into my next batch.

6. Cut your cheese into small, bite-sized pieces. (I tend to use about 6 oz. I love using my Pampered Chef crinkle cutter for this job. For some reason the crinkles just make it way more appetizing.) Add to bowl and stir.

7. If you're adding cherry tomatoes, put them in whole. Stir.

8. Slice your olives in half. Add them to the bowl and stir.

9. Place your pepper into a food processor. I like mine to be very fine and hardly noticeable except through taste. Feel free to chop them if you like a more chunky pasta salad. Add to the bowl and stir. (Sometimes I will put my broccoli and cauliflower into the food processor for a quick spin when I am in a hurry. It makes for a less chunky pasta salad and even hides the evidence of veggies from those picky eaters!)

10. Now comes the seasoning. My MIL and Mom swear by the salad supreme seasoning that you find in the spice aisle. I'm not a big fan, so I use my favorite seasoning, CREOLE!!! (Creole is a southern favorite. It is a Cajun seasoning.  We love it on all types of meat when we are grilling and on our homemade sweet potato fries.) I just sprinkle a little on...maybe a 1/2 tsp. Make sure to mix it in well. A small amount will not make it spicy, but a big concentration will.

11. Stir the pasta salad really well. Add more salad dressing until about 1/8 of the bottle remains. Stir it really well again. Save the rest of the dressing until right before serving.

12. Chill the pasta salad for 2-4 hours. You can chill it overnight too.

13. Right before serving, stir it really well and take a taste test. If you think it needs more dressing, add some of the remaining dressing. I also add the Parmesan cheese to taste at this point. I normally do 2-3 sprinkles. Just note that the Parmesan cheese will dry up the dressing a tad.

ENJOY!

Stromboli or Calzone??

So what's the difference between a calzone and a stromboli? It seems that they are used interchangeably. Maybe the only difference is that calzones are folded in half where strombolis are rolled.

Well... according to Man vs. Food the difference is calzones are filled with cheese. I can't find any confirmation on what really makes them different. I always thought that calzones had sauce inside, but I am finding that some stromboli recipes do too.

Well...I've always called my recipe Stromboli...so here it is...meat, cheese and toppings rolled in pizza dough. Yum!

Take a look at the bottom of this post for freezing directions too! It's a great meal that you pop out of your freezer.

Here are the ingredients! Yummy!

Rachie's Stromboli
-pizza dough (2 crust recipe or  2-16 oz. refrigerated packages)
-1/4 lb. deli salami, thinly sliced
-1/4 lb. deli sandwich pepperoni, thinly sliced
-1/4 lb. deli Virginia ham, thinly sliced
-Parmesan cheese
-Mozzarella cheese, shredded (fresh has the best flavor)
-1 small onion, minced
-1 green pepper, minced
-1 package fresh mushrooms, diced or sliced
-pizza seasoning (my recipe below)

Roll out the dough onto a a floured surface or a plastic pie sheet. Cut into two equal rectangles.

Put an overlapping layer of salami down the middle. Follow up with an overlapping of the sandwich pepperoni.

(Sandwich pepperoni is so much easier to work with and so yummy. You can substitute little slices if that's all you have to work with.)

 Cover the pepperoni with a little layer of mozzarella. Be careful not to add too much or it will come spilling out while it's cooking!

Sprinkle some pizza seasoning on top.

This is where you put in your toppings. You can use really any pizza toppings you like. I love mushrooms, onions and green peppers with mine. You can even skip the toppings altogether if you aren't a veggie fan.

Next, top with some Parmesan cheese. Mmm!

Now comes the secret! Add the deli ham on top of everything. This will secure your cheeses and toppings inside your stromboli.

Now gather your long sides together. I kind of roll and pinch them together. Then, roll in the small ends. I normally find some extra dough at the end and I pull it up towards each other to cover any holes in the dough.

Right now you are looking at what is called the steam side. It is the part where your steam can escape. This side will be face down on your ungreased cookie sheet or stone. I prefer a stone for my pizzas and strombolis.

Top each stromboli with a spray of cooking spray or a light coat of melted butter for a great golden crust.

Here are two ready for the oven. Notice that I have not cut any holes in the dough. Some recipes I have read suggest cutting slits for the steam to escape. This has just left lots of oozing cheeses, so I don't bother.

I normally bake them at 425' for 20-25 min., but you can follow your pizza crust directions to make sure. You will know they are done when they are golden brown.

Serve the stromboli in thinly cut pieces and dip in your favorite sauce or dip. We love this Cheesy Pizza Fondue or dipping it in some melted butter with garlic butter.

Pizza Seasoning
2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T oregano*
1 T thyme*
1/2-1 T cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper

-Combine thoroughly. Store in airtight container.

*can substitute the oregano and thyme with 2 T Italian Seasoning


Each recipe makes about 4 strombolis depending on your pizza dough recipe, which would serve 4-6 people.

This recipe is a perfect freezer recipe. Follow the directions until they are all rolled up. Wrap in plastic wrap. Then, wrap in foil. Place in a freezer bag. Write cooking directions on the bag (temp, time and adding the butter or cooking spray). When you are ready to use them, pull what you need out and put right into the pre-heated oven. Add about 10 min. more cooking time than the original recipe.

Hope you enjoy this fast, easy and yummy recipe! It's a staple around here!!

July Means Yummy Strawberry Freezer Jam!

Well...it's that time of year when I start my canning projects. I love having my little Leona to help out! She's such a good helper. If you're planning on doing dishes or baking...she's always game!

I thought in the process of showing some of our family pictures, I'd also share how we make our freezer jam. As our friend Tony would say, "Nobody makes it like you do!" The secret? I've used the Sure Jell Pectin recipe from the box...hahaha! I have changed it up a little bit. It's not rocket science, but here it is...and of course with visuals :)

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 to 2 1/4 c. crushed strawberries (I use 2 1/4 c.)
     This is about 2 pints of whole strawberries.
3-4 c. sugar (I use 4c.)
1 pkg. (3 Tbs.) regular Pectin
3/4 c. water
3-4 pint canning jars with lids and rings
     OR 3-4 (16 oz.) Ball plastic freezer jars with lids
     OR 7-8 half pint jars with lids and rings
     OR 7-8 (8 oz.) Ball plastic freezer jars with lids

Tools
strawberry huller or knife
canning lid magnetic stick or tongs
small saucepan
large saucepan
large flat dish like a casserole dish
several spatulas
clean dish rag
large strainer
4 c. pourable glass measuring bowl
large mouth canning funnel
masher
other measuring cups/bowls

I started with 4 lbs. of strawberries for this regular sugar recipe. It was enough to make a little over 3 batches (10 pints altogether). If you are doing multiple recipes, unfortunately you can't just double everything. Make 1 recipe at a time.

Eventually I will probably start collecting some of the Ball plastic freezer jars. They are more expensive but you don't have to worry about buying new lids every year and they are so easy to put into the deep freeze :)

Step 1: Prepare your jars. I make sure my dishwasher is empty and clean (sometimes this means running 1 c. of bleach on a quick wash cycle first). I place the jars in there and do a quick wash cycle with just a tad bit of dishwasher detergent. Then, later when I am ready to fill them, the jars are still hot. Many canning directions will say to put them in a hot bath. This is not necessary for this recipe if you use your dishwasher. The goal is to make sure they are disinfected. The freezer will actually seal the jam. Place your lids in a small sauce pan with water. Put them on low-medium low. They will need to sit in a lightly bubbling bath until you are ready to use them.

Step 2: Rinse and soak your strawberries for a few minutes. Drain. Allow to dry.

Step 3: Remove the hull. I use a very simple metal strawberry huller. You can just use a knife too. The goal is to remove the leaf and the base of the stem without wasting the strawberry. (NOTE: You can use slightly over-ripe strawberries, just remove or discard moldy pieces!)

Step 4: Begin to mash the strawberries in a flat casserole type dish. Do one layer at a time. They will not be mashed all the way. Make sure to leave little chunks. Pour the mashed berries into a 4c. pourable glass measuring bowl.

Step 5: Once you have 2 to 2 1/4 c. strawberries, it's time to add in the sugar. I use 4 cups with my 2 1/4 c. mashed strawberries. Feel free to test taste to see how sweet you like it. Allow it to set for about 10 min. while you go on to the next step. (As you can see I used another bowl to mix the sugar and strawberries before pouring them into the glass measuring bowl. This was unnecessary and just made more dishes.)

Step 6: In a large saucepan, add 3/4 cup water to 1 pkg. of regular Pectin. If you can find a jar of pectin powder, this is the cheaper way to go! Mine called for 3 Tbs. to equal 1 box.

Step 7: Bring the pectin to a boil. STIR CONSTANTLY! Allow it to boil for about 1-2 min. The pectin will change to a more clear liquid. It will be a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

This is almost ready. It will look a more clear than this.

Step 8: Stir the strawberries contantly as you add the pectin to it to prevent any hardening. Stir for about 3 min. so that they are mixed well. (If the pectin leaves junks...go fishing for all of the hard pieces and try adding another batch of pectin.)

Step 9: Place the funnel on top of the jar. Pour the strawberry/pectin mixture into jars. Wipe the rims with a clean, wet dish rag to remove any spilled strawberries.

Step 10: Using the canning magnetic stick, grab a lid from it's warm bath. Apply to the top of the jar. Twist the ring on top of the lid.

Step 11: Place the jars in the freezer. Most recipes say that they only last 6 mos. in the freezer. I have had mine for about 3 years in my deep freezer and they are still fine. All that sugar will preserve the jam. When you want to use the jam, place it in the fridge to thaw. Use unthawed, refrigerated jam within several months. Also, if you can't wait to try it, leave some out in a little dish...no need to freeze if you plan to use it right away.

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NOTE: I also made a low sugar recipe this time. It is very hard to find a good recipe. It actually is a different process with the pectin and adding a sugar substitute. After I have tasted it, if I like it, I will post it here too. If you have a recipe that you use for low or no sugar added jam, please leave it in a comment! Thanks!

Wacky Cake for Leona

Turning 3

My Mother-in-love just found this recipe for my food allergy sweetie :) We found it here on Kids with Food Allergies. I can't wait to try more recipes on there.

My understanding is that the Wacky Cake originated during the Great Depression when eggs and milk were scarce. Now, if only restaurants and bakeries got on board and started carrying some so I didn't have to always have one with me when we go for a special treat like Flavor Freeze, Pavs or Durbin's ice cream stands.

Mmmm! "Tat's GOOD!"

 Wacky Chocolate Cake (see other variations below)
-1 1/2 c. flour (see Gluten-free variations below)
-3 Tbsp cocoa powder
-1 c. sugar
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 Tbsp vinegar
-5 Tbsp oil
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 c. water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350'F. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredient mix to dry mix. Mix until you get a smooth batter. Pour into a greased and floured 8-9" pan or 12 cupcakes. Bake 30-35 min. for cake or 20 min. for cupcakes.

Variations:
1. vanilla cake: omit cocoa; double amount of vanilla.
2. spice cake: omit cocoa; add 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
3. orange: omit cocoa and vinegar; substitute orange juice for the water.
4. lemon cake: omit cocoa; substitute lemon juice for vinegar; add some lemon extract

Gluten-Free Variations:
1. 1 3/4 c. GF flour mix or wheat flour. Add 1 tsp. xanthan gum.
2. 1 c. sorghum flour, 1/2 c. potato or cornstarch, 1/4 tapioca starch
3. 3/4 c. sorghum blour, 1/4 c. garbanzo bean flour, 1/2 c. potato or cornstarch, 1/4 c. tapioca starch

Milkless & Eggless Pumpkin Cake

My daughter is allergic to milk and eggs. It is very hard to find yummy non-dairy treats, let alone cakes. This is the first recipe I found that Leona could eat.

Milkless and Eggless Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
-3 c. flour
-2 c. sugar
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-2 tsp. baking powder
-2 tsp. baking soda
-2 c. canned pumpkin
-1 c. oil

Directions
1. Grease pan and lightly flour. Bundt pan, 2 loaf pans or 24 cupcakes.
2. Preheat oven to 350'.
3. Mix dry ingredients.
4. Add oil and pumpkin. Mix well.
5. Pour into pan(s).
6. For cupcakes, bake 20-25 min. For the loaf pans, bake 30 min. For the budnt pan, bake 1 hour.

Need a milkless, butterless icing?
Just use powdered sugar and water for a thin icing.
Add shortening to thicken it. I am still on the look out for a great tasting icing.
Currently I am using this recipe from Eggless Cooking.
It is a good stiff recipe for cake decorating, but I am trying to find something more yummy for the whole family.
I will update this when I find one :)