Hawaiian Pasta Salad

This is a flashback of our trip to 

Hawaii

where all the best juicy fragrant

 luscious pineapple grows!

 

Dole Plantation on Oahu Island, Hawaii

A great tour and delicious Dole Pineapple Whip!

  

Thanks to Bill's friend for this recipe that’s apparently all over the www, but this is the first I’ve laid eyes on it.
 
It’s pineapple, ham, red bell pepper, and green onion, all coated with a tasty pineapple dressing for a delicious pasta salad.

This is another potluck dish for the summer, that’s a little different in a great way.  It’s all about the fantastic sweet and tangy pineapple dressing that’s so easy to make.  

The creamy sauce has a whole lot of tang, thanks mainly to the added vinegar, Dijon mustard and sour cream.  Pineapple juice and a spoonful of honey take the edge off.  

It gives awesome flavor when combined well in the bowl filled with pasta, pineapple, ham, peppers and onion.  

It may not be the fanciest of dishes, but it’s one of the best of the season…

It will surely be a hit at your family cookout or at your next gathering!



Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Printable recipe 

Ingredients:

8 ounces bow tie pasta
1 (14-ounces) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups diced ham
2 green onions, sliced thin

Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper to taste

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss with the dressing.
Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Store refrigerated up to 5 days.


Enjoy it!

Spicy Goodness ~ Grilled Cajun-Style Chicken Breasts

Just imagine

the aromas of Acadian cuisine 

in the Louisiana bayous,

the euphonious sound of their music…

This is the Cajun way of life.

St.Martin Bayou Sunset by DramaQueenB Photography

Acadians are the ancestors of present-day Cajuns.  The world “Cajun” derives from “Acadia" ~  a name used to refer to the Nova Scotia area in Canada where French immigrants settled during the early colonial era.  

They were hunters, fishermen, and farmers, well-versed in the art of living off the land, when they arrived destitute in the New Orleans area, and were given land grants.  The Acadians had a strong bond with each other as they moved into the bayous, swamps and prairies of Louisiana to start their farms.  

Their old traditions and language merged with the distinctive Louisiana landscape to fuse into a new Cajun cultural identity.

A lot of people are unaware that the typical Cajun food was developed by extremely poor people.  Refugees and farmers used what they had to feed large families.  

Bill and I have visited the New Orleans area many times, and love Cajun-style cooking ~ it’s aromatic, spicy, and rich, really good…  

This time, I used a generous portion of minced garlic, onion powder and oregano, all whisked together with spicy Robusto Italian dressing for the chicken marinade. 

Bill grilled the chicken to a spicy, moist, delicious meat for our dinner.  

Fire up your grill now for some seriously good Cajun-style chicken!


Grilled Cajun-Style Chicken Breasts
Printable recipe 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Wish-Bone Robusto Italian Dressing
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Method:

Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag.
Add chicken breasts and let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess.
When grill is heated, place chicken on grill over medium heat.
Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending upon thickness, or when thermometer registers 165°.

Serve



Enjoy it!

Berry Fresh Cherry Salsa for Your Grilled Meat

 Woo hoo!

 

It's cherry picking season 

here in the 

Upper Midwest!

 

 Vintage linen postcard by Curt Teich Co of Chicago

I like to put cherries in any dish, any time I can ~ this great salsa is one example!
 

It’s a fresh and fruity salsa, it’s kicking’ jalapeño, it’s delicious!

I’m a huge fan of cherries ~ there’s even a cherry or two in my header here but, now I’m talking about eating them more ways than fresh off the stem, as in pies and jam, chocolate-covered, trail mix, wine, or mustard.

The juicy ruby-red  gems are perfect for a fresh fruity salsa.  You need to try it if you haven’t experienced it.

Cherry salsa is a spicy sweet condiment that’s perfect along side grilled chicken, pork, salmon, or your favorite white fish.  

Control the heat by removing all of the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño for a milder salsa.  Chop the ingredients as coarse or fine as you like, I like it chunky myself.  Swap cilantro for basil, if that’s your taste.

Mmmm!  Now for some salty tortilla chips for dipping!

Cherry Salsa w/Basil and Balsamic Vinegar
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
¼ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Chill for 1 hour before serving.
Makes about 1½ cups




Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Birthday Cake for Bill's Birthday!

We celebrated 

Bill’s  71st birthday 

yesterday!

What Bill really likes on his big day is the cast iron crowd-please of cakes ~ Chocolate cake ~ A good old-fashioned chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting, and his 5-year-old grandson, Matthew, to help him eat it!

This is a simple rich moist cake recipe, from a Hershey’s Cookbook.

According to a University of Michigan study, chocolate contains chemicals called opioids.  Opioids are also found in opium, and they produce a euphoric feeling and are very pleasurable.  

Apparently, one of the effects of chocolate on the brain is to release natural endorphins so that when we eat chocolate, it dulls pain and gives us a little euphoric feeling. That could explain why chocolate is craved.  

There’s a sweet solution to that craving ~ feed it!

And this chocolate birthday cake with chocolatey fudge frosting, “filled the Bill!”

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Birthday Cake
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

4 squares Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
5 tablespoons hot water
½ cup butter
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
1¾ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt the baking chocolate, cut into small pieces, with the hot water in top of double boiler over simmering water.
Cream the butter and sugar together well.
Add the egg yolks, well-beaten, and whip thoroughly.
Then add the melted chocolate mixture, slightly cooled.
Add the flour, sifted with the baking powder and salt, and the milk.
Fold in the stiffly whipped egg whites and vanilla. 
Pour into well-greased and floured, 2 round 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans or a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.*
Bake for about 20-25 minutes for round pans, 40-45 for oblong pan or until done when toothpick is inserted in middle and comes out clean.
Let cool in round pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Frost when completely cool.
*I used two 9-inch round pans, they baked for 22 minutes.

Classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup milk

Method:

Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, or in the microwave.  
In a large bowl, combine confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and ½ cup of the milk.
Blend in the melted chocolate mixture.
Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Let stand until spreadable, frosting will thicken as it cools.
Frost cake.

Serve 


Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Medallions

These little medallions were 

quick and delicious!

The recipe is  pretty straightforward:  blend Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic and seasonings with a little olive oil, rub over the pork medallions and grill.

We concurred on this ~ the pork was tasty and tender, perfect for summertime grilling, and a it will be a repeat before long.

Serve it with you favorite side dish and a little green salad, and Voila!  You’ll have a great tasty quick dinner.


Grilled Pork Medallions
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 (1¼ pounds) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Method:

Prepare grill.
Cut pork crosswise into ½” inch think diagonal slices.
Combine oil and remaining ingredients, rub over pork, coating well..
Grill pork 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.

Serve




Enjoy!