Macaroni Salad

14.5 oz box of macaroni
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 C baby carrots, sliced
1 T minced onion
4 oz. frozen peas
1 C mayo (we used mayo made with olive oil)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 T cider vinegar
paprika
parsley
sea salt
black pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; be sure not to over cook the pasta so that the noodles become overly soft.

Add the frozen peas in the last minute of cooking. Then, drain. While the pasta is cooking, chop up the veggiesAllow the pasta and peas to cool down and then place in a large bowl.  As the pasta cools down, stir every few minutes to prevent the noodles from clumping together as they dry.Add the chopped up veggies. Stir to combine.Add the minced onion, and stir these veggies in too. Alternatively, you can use fresh onion here.Stir together the mayo, sugar, dry mustard, and cider vinegar until smooth and creamy. Pour the mayo mixture over the pasta.  Do this in small batches.  Add a little, stir it in well and repeat.  This way, the creamy sauce gets all over the pasta and you can stir it in well. Stir in the mayo mixture until the pasta and veggies are coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  If desired, you can also add tuna fish or chicken (either canned or grilled chicken breast).

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger
Italian seasoning

Cook your turkey/hamburger with the Italian seasoning and set aside.

1 4-oz. can mushrooms
1 15-oz. container ricotta (I would only use half of this next time)
1 pkg part-skim shredded mozarrella cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 c. water
Some lasagna noodles.

Spray the cooker with Pam. Mix 1/3 c. water with jar of spaghetti sauce.
Layer four noodles, half the turkey/hamburger, mushrooms, half the spaghetti sauce, the ricotta, and half the mozzarrella. Repeat with the other half of half the turkey/hamburger, mushrooms, half the spaghetti sauce and half the mozzarrella.
Turn on HIGH for one hour.
Turn down to LOW for five hours.
Go do something constructive.
Turn off after hour six and enjoy.
It came out easily. I used a spatula to cut it into pieces like a pie.

Laurie’s Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe  belongs to my friend Laurie..and its so good my family loves, and so does everyone i know that has  tried it...  It freezes great as well for OAMC . Please everyone check Laurie's blog as well for more recipes and fun .

2 TB cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
2 TB butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1- 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2-3 cups cooked and drained elbow noodles
Bread crumbs, enough to cover

1. In medium saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients, stir in milk. Add butter. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in both cheeses, a bit at a time to incorporate and melt cheeses. Add elbows. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake uncovered in 375* oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

(This also freezes very well. I put it in the throwaway pans...pull it out, bake at 375* for an hour or so, uncovered)

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

2 ½ cups dry whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 can; 13oz evaporated milk
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beat with fork before adding
4 cups cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the elbow macaroni for until just barely done. I normally cook whole wheat elbows for 11 to 12 minutes and for this recipe I cooked them 8 minutes. Drain and put noodles into crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on low for 3 hours

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

8 oz.  whole wheat fettuccine or your favorite pasta

2 T. olive oil

1 small eggplant, diced in large pieces

1 small onion, diced in large pieces

2 tomatoes, diced in large pieces

1 small zucchini, diced in large pieces

1 red bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (or more if you are like me and love it)

1/4 cup butter, room temp or melted

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/2 cup chopped basil

Dice vegetables into one inch pieces and place on a large cookie roll pan (Note: if you use a pan with deeper sides it will steam the produce while it's roasting; which is fine if you like it that way. Otherwise, a shallow pan keeps veggies more firm and crisp.) Toss with olive oil and roast or broil for at least 15 minutes or until skins are evenly blistered and charred, turning as needed. Remove from broiler and set aside.

While vegetables are roasting, boil water for pasta and cook al dente and drain. In the meantime, in another bowl, combine garlic, butter, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, and pepper. 

When vegetables and pasta are done, add to the large bowl with the garlic, butter, and parmesan sauce and toss well. Serve with additional parmesan and basil on top.

Bon appetit!

Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. brown sugar

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

1 package ramen noodles

1 cup water

½ t. chicken bouillon

3 cups torn green leaf lettuce

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal

2 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

½ cup cooked, shredded chicken

3 baby carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 T. roasted sunflower seeds

Combine dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, whisking frequently. Cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate.

Bring cup of water to boiling in saucepot. Add ramen noodles and boillon. Boil for 3 minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool (noodles will absorb excess liquid).

Combine lettuce, cabbage, onions, mushrooms and celery. Toss with 1/3 to ½ cup of dressing. Place in serving bowl and top with chicken, ramen noodles, carrots and sunflower seeds.

Serves one with approximately 525 calories – but this is a BIG salad and has enough protein to satisfy.

Low Fat Asian Linguine With Vegetables

2 ounces whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 cup Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 Green onion, cut on the bias
2 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1/3 cup Oriental salad dressing

Cook linguine in boiling water as directed on package with broccoli; drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the pepper and white parts of the onion (reserve the green parts) and stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Mix in reserved linguine and broccoli and add salad dressing. To serve, top with slices of reserved green onion and basil leaves.

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. brown sugar

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

 I found this recipe on a recipe card that belonged to my  mother in law and we all love it.. 

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix  

Ingredients:

5 Tbl dried minced onion
7 tsp parlsey flakes
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dill 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container.

For Dressing:  Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 1 C mayonnaise and 1 C buttermilk.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

For Dip: Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 2 C sour cream.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

Italian Dressing Mix

• 1 tablespoon garlic salt

• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar (something like evaporated cane juice would work well)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons salt

Use as Italian seasoning in breadcrumbs or sprinkled on grilled chicken. Can also be used as a dressing or marinade by mixing 2Tbsp of the mix with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 2Tbsp water.

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 Tbsp dried minced garlic
1-2 cooked and cubed chicken breasts
1 box of rotini pasta (we use brown rice)
1/2 head of steamed broccoli or about 1/2 bag of frozen broccoli

Cook pasta until al dente or slightly firm. (if you’re freezing this under cook it) Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour or cornstarch (cornstarch for you gluten free folks) to make a rue. Once mixed together well, add the broth in slowly while whisking. Once at a gentle boil, whisk occasioanly and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Add in cream cheese and all the seasonings. Mix well and taste. If you like more seasoning, add it now. Let simmer for a few minutes while you grease a 9×13 pan and dump the pasta, chicken, and broccoli into it. Pour cream cheese mixture over everything and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 


Take out, stir, and enjoy!