Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I made this yummy salad full of fresh veggies and tossed with a unique vinaigrette for our Fourth of July get together with friends. It made a huge portion, perfect for potlucks. It can be made ahead of time and chilled - a bonus for this busy Mommy who's one year old is constantly keeping me on my toes!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
From Family Circle Magazine 
Makes 12 servings (more if using potluck sized portions)
Printable Version

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite pasta

8 ounces snow peas (I used regular frozen peas that I thawed)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 sweet orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ¼ inch strips

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½ medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

For the Vinaigrette

¼ cup distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions Cook noodles according to directions. Add snow peas during the last minute. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Meanwhile place tomatoes, pepper strips, feta and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together all ingredients for the Vinaigrette and whisk. Place pasta and snow peas in a large bowl with the other ingredients with Vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine. Scatter sliced basil on top and gently stir. Refrigerate until serving.

M & M Cookies for Memorial Day

I spent the morning of Memorial Day this year making these cookies to take into my husband and his co-workers who were hard at work serving military families at our Naval Hospital. I adapted this recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook chocolate chip cookie recipe and was really happy with the results. They were really yummy and who doesn't love an M&M cookie? 

This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies and I was worried I sent in too many, but my husband said that these were demolished in 24 hours. I am so glad that I was able to give back in a small way  on a Holiday that honors the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. 

M & M Cookies
From Betty Crocker's Cookbook
Makes 6 dozen cookies
Printable Version
Ingredients 
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 large package of M&Ms (I used plain but any variety could be used)

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix throughly shortening, butter, sugars and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients, making sure to gently stir in the M&Ms at the very end.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet. 

Pumpkin Cashew Chicken Curry

This dish is by far the best thing I have made in a LONG time. My neighbor AnnMarie and her family just moved from Okinawa and gave me a bunch of canned pumpkin. I asked her how she used pumpkin and she shared with me this amazing recipe. I am so thankful she did because it was seriously delicious. You can't go wrong with the flavor combinations in this one pot meal - pumpkin, curry, coconut milk, red onion, cinnamon, cilantro, cashews. I added in carrots for additional flavor and veggie content and this dish could easily be adapted for vegetarians if you substituted more veggies for the chicken. After I made it I put it in my crock pot to hang out on warm for several hours and I think it really intensified the flavors.

This is my new favorite recipe and one I will put into our regular dinner rotation. 

Pumpkin Cashew Chicken Curry
Modified from PaleOMG and recommended by AnnMarie (thanks AM!)
Serves 4-5
Printable Version
Ingredients 
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons ginger 
1 red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 can coconut milk 
1 large can of pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup cashews
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, for garnish 
3 cups of cooked rice (I used Jasmine)

Directions 
Heat large pot or Dutch Oven to medium and add in oil. Add minced garlic and ginger and once fragrant add in chicken and carrots. Cook until chicken is white on all sides. 

Pour in coconut milk, all spices, red onions and pumpkin. 

Raise heat until mixture becomes bubbly, stirring frequently.  Allow to cook until onions have softened, about three minutes. 

This is when I transferred everything to my crock pot but you can also serve it immediately. When ready to eat place on top of rice and garnish with cashews and chopped cilantro. 

Margarita Pie

You can't have a Mexican Feast to celebrate Cinco de Mayo without a yummy dessert. I saw this recipe for Margarita Pie on my friend Elizabeth's blog and knew it would be a perfect, refreshing ending to our Cinco de Mayo dinner with friends. I love desserts that you can make ahead and this one you can freeze overnight. I definitely tasted the alcohol in this so it is most definitely not a kid friendly dessert, but you could omit the tequila and triple sec! A margarita in pie form - can't go wrong with that!

Margarita Pie
From Elizabeth's Dutch Oven 
Printable Version
Ingredients
For the crust:
8 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup crushed pretzels

For the filling:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3-4 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec
1 tub cool whip

Directions
For the crust:
Crush pretzels into bite sized pieces and measure out 1 1/4 cup. Melt butter. Mix sugar and butter then add pretzels and coat. Press into the bottom of an 8X8 square pan coated first with additional melted butter or cooking spray.

For the filling:
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the pretzel crust. Freeze for several hours or overnight before serving. 

Crock Pot Queso Dip

I made this incredibly yummy and gluttonous Queso Dip for a Cinco de Mayo dinner we hosted. My husband loves Queso and could have eaten the entire batch. Thank God we had our friends to share this with because it is not healthy! It was so easy to make because all you do is throw everything in the crock pot and in an hour or so it's ready to be gobbled up. 

Crock Pot Queso Dip
From A Gilt Nutmeg
Printable Version
Ingredients 
1 tub of hot sausage 
2 lbs Velveeta, roughly cubed
1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese
1 can of Rotel or other brand of diced tomatoes and green chiles 
Tortilla chip for serving

Directions 
Fry up the sausage and crumble it, making the pieces as small as possible. Place on paper towels on a plate to absorb some of the drippings. In the pot of your crock pot place the sausage, cubed Velveeta, cream cheese and can of Rotel. Turn the crock pot on high and in about half an hour stir to combine ingredients. Stir again in another half hour and everything should be melted together. Turn crock pot to warm setting until ready to serve.