This fruit and pasta salad is one of my favorite side dishes from my childhood. It is always a crowd pleaser and is simple and easy to make. If you need a dish for a potluck or a side for a family dinner, try Pepe Salad.
Pepe is pronounced with two short E's like the e in "egg." When you go to buy it, it can be found in the grocery store's pasta section. Look for Acine de Pepe no. 44. It comes in a one pound box. The original recipe called for 1/2 lb of Pepe but I usually double the recipe and use the full box. The recipe below has been doubled and makes a enough to feed a crowd. If you are cooking for a small family, you might want to halve the recipe.
Cook and drain 1 lb of Acine de Pepe Macaroni. Wash in cold water and set aside.
Sauce
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp flour
4 beaten eggs
Fruit juice from 6 cans of canned fruit (see below)
Drain and save juices of, set fruit aside
2 cans chunk or tidbit pineapple
2 cans of mandarin oranges
2 cans of fruit cocktail (I don't like the fruit cocktail so I usually add 1 extra can of mandarin oranges and 1 extra can of pineapple)
In a medium sized saucepan, mix the sugar and flour first with a whisk. This helps prevent clumps. Then add fruit juices and beaten eggs. Mix well and cook until thick over medium heat. Cool slightly and then poor over cooked macaroni in a large bowl with a lid. Add drained fruit. Mix and chill overnight.
Add 1 extra large container of cool whip (I think it's the 32 oz size). Mix thoroughly. Serve.
Regular Recipe (not doubled)
1/2 lb box of Acine de Pepe
Sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
2 beaten eggs
Fruit juice from canned fruit
Drain and save juices of, set fruit aside
1 can chunk or tidbit pineapple
1 can of mandarin oranges
1 can of fruit cocktail (I don't like the fruit cocktail so I use 1 can of mandarin oranges)
Add 1 small container of cool whip. Mix thoroughly. Serve.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Bacon, Pineapple, Chicken Stir-Fry
When my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago, we decided to have a Hawaiian themed party. My mom has always wanted to go to Hawaii but has never been. I researched Hawaiian themed recipes and we had a fun time at our little luau. We enjoyed the recipes I found but this one we have continued to make over and over again. It is always enjoyed. It was originally posted as a kabob recipe but I have found it is much quicker and easier to make as a stir-fry and that is how we typically enjoy it now. The original recipe came from tablespoon.com.
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can pineapple chunks (reserve juice for sauce)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
12 strips thick cut bacon
Hawaiian Sauce
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Start by cooking the bacon into strips. Remove from pan and drain most of the grease. Cook the chicken until mostly done and remove from pan. Stir fry pineapple and veggies until nearly done and add the bacon and chicken back in.
On the stove, heat the Hawaiian sauce in a small saucepan until it starts to boil. Boil while stirring about 2 minutes. It should thicken. Remove from heat and serve next to the stir fry. Serve stir fry over white rice.
Kabobs: If you want to make this as a kabob recipe, just thread all of the main ingredients onto skewers and grill until done. I find they work best baked in the oven for a few minutes before finishing on the grill. Just lay skewers in the bottom of and over the sides of a roasting pan to pre-bake. This helps make sure the chicken is done before the veggies burn. Grill and then serve with the Hawaiian sauce.
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can pineapple chunks (reserve juice for sauce)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
12 strips thick cut bacon
Hawaiian Sauce
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Start by cooking the bacon into strips. Remove from pan and drain most of the grease. Cook the chicken until mostly done and remove from pan. Stir fry pineapple and veggies until nearly done and add the bacon and chicken back in.
On the stove, heat the Hawaiian sauce in a small saucepan until it starts to boil. Boil while stirring about 2 minutes. It should thicken. Remove from heat and serve next to the stir fry. Serve stir fry over white rice.
Kabobs: If you want to make this as a kabob recipe, just thread all of the main ingredients onto skewers and grill until done. I find they work best baked in the oven for a few minutes before finishing on the grill. Just lay skewers in the bottom of and over the sides of a roasting pan to pre-bake. This helps make sure the chicken is done before the veggies burn. Grill and then serve with the Hawaiian sauce.
Instant Pot Hummus
I love hummus! I go through phases where I will eat it like I can't get enough of it and then I stop and don't eat it for months. However, I decided I should learn how to make my own and I found the perfect recipe IF you have the right kitchen tools. I found the original recipe online at Littlespicejar.com. You can reference it here if you would like.
Ingredients
Garbanzo Beans
8 oz dried garbanzo beans (about 1 1/4 cup)
6 cups water
2 cloves garlic
Hummus
1/3-1/2 cup lemon juice (I use the bottled stuff)
1/2 cup tahini paste (found by the peanut butter in the grocery store)
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup reserved chickpea water
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin powder
Directions
Add the beans, water and garlic to the Instant Pot. Set on manual to high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow natural release for at least 30 minutes. This allows the chickpeas to continue to cook. Reserve 1 cup of chickpea cooking water, drain the beans and set aside.
Blend
The original recipe calls for a food processor. I use my Vita-mix. Both will work.
Blend the tahini, garlic and lemon juice until it is smooth. Add half the chickpeas, 1 Tbsp of chickpea liquid and half the olive oil. Add the seasonings and remaining chickpeas and olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed. If it's too thick add more chickpea liquid or lemon juice.
Refrigerate and use within a week.
If you want to make hummus more frequently, you can always cook more beans to start with and freeze the extras with some of the liquid. Dethaw a day before you want to make hummus.
Ingredients
Garbanzo Beans
8 oz dried garbanzo beans (about 1 1/4 cup)
6 cups water
2 cloves garlic
Hummus
1/3-1/2 cup lemon juice (I use the bottled stuff)
1/2 cup tahini paste (found by the peanut butter in the grocery store)
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup reserved chickpea water
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin powder
Directions
Add the beans, water and garlic to the Instant Pot. Set on manual to high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow natural release for at least 30 minutes. This allows the chickpeas to continue to cook. Reserve 1 cup of chickpea cooking water, drain the beans and set aside.
Blend
The original recipe calls for a food processor. I use my Vita-mix. Both will work.
Blend the tahini, garlic and lemon juice until it is smooth. Add half the chickpeas, 1 Tbsp of chickpea liquid and half the olive oil. Add the seasonings and remaining chickpeas and olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed. If it's too thick add more chickpea liquid or lemon juice.
Refrigerate and use within a week.
If you want to make hummus more frequently, you can always cook more beans to start with and freeze the extras with some of the liquid. Dethaw a day before you want to make hummus.
Santa Maria Grilled Tri-Tip
I never used to buy tri-tip because I had no idea how to cook it. I loved eating it but didn't know how to prepare it and cook it well. This is no longer the case. When I make this tri-tip recipe, my family tells me it's one of the best meals I make. They all love it and gobble it up. It's really not hard to make so if you need a little help on cooking tri-tip, try out this recipe. You won't regret it. I found the original recipe on Allrecipes.com. You can find the original recipe here: Santa Maria Grilled Tri-Tip Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Rub
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp rosemary (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle before I add it in. It adds better flavor)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 beef tri-tip roast (about 2 1/2 lbs)
Marinade
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (If you don't have this, that's okay. I've made it with and without Dijon)
Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl. Coat beef on all sides with spice mixture. Put beef into a glass dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Combine marinade and add to the glass dish. Turn beef to get marinade on all sides. Uncover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. I often do the dry rub and marinade at the same time. It's probably better letting the dry rub sit on the meat for 4 hours before adding the marinade but if you're short on time, you can do both steps at once.
Cooking
I have a small rotisserie machine that I typically cook the tri-tip on. I cook a 2.5-3 lb tri-tip for 30-40 minutes until the center is about 140 degrees. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
You can also pan fry this in a cast iron skillet or grill outside. Place meat on pre-heated grill or cast iron skillet. Brush with the garlic-vinegar mixture. Cook meat 4 minutes, flip and baste. Repeat the flip and baste process every 4 minutes until beef reaches an internal temperature of about 130-140 degrees. (I find that the 130 is a little too rare for our family). Let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
I often double or triple the dry seasoning so I have extra on hand when I want to make a tri-tip.
Trippled Dry Rub
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp pepper
2 Tbsp garlic powder
4 1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp rosemary (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle before I add it in. It adds better flavor)
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Ingredients
Dry Rub
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp rosemary (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle before I add it in. It adds better flavor)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 beef tri-tip roast (about 2 1/2 lbs)
Marinade
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (If you don't have this, that's okay. I've made it with and without Dijon)
Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl. Coat beef on all sides with spice mixture. Put beef into a glass dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Combine marinade and add to the glass dish. Turn beef to get marinade on all sides. Uncover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. I often do the dry rub and marinade at the same time. It's probably better letting the dry rub sit on the meat for 4 hours before adding the marinade but if you're short on time, you can do both steps at once.
Cooking
I have a small rotisserie machine that I typically cook the tri-tip on. I cook a 2.5-3 lb tri-tip for 30-40 minutes until the center is about 140 degrees. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
You can also pan fry this in a cast iron skillet or grill outside. Place meat on pre-heated grill or cast iron skillet. Brush with the garlic-vinegar mixture. Cook meat 4 minutes, flip and baste. Repeat the flip and baste process every 4 minutes until beef reaches an internal temperature of about 130-140 degrees. (I find that the 130 is a little too rare for our family). Let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
I often double or triple the dry seasoning so I have extra on hand when I want to make a tri-tip.
Trippled Dry Rub
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp pepper
2 Tbsp garlic powder
4 1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp rosemary (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle before I add it in. It adds better flavor)
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Best Ever Carrot Cake
This carrot cake was originally from a recipe somewhere online. I'm sorry, I don't have the website to give credit. If I find it, I will post the link. My mother-in-law made it and we all fell in love with it. It's the best carrot cake I've ever eaten. This carrot cake is loaded with healthy ingredients and tastes absolutely amazing! Both the cake and the frosting are not overly sweet like many cakes end up being. I'll include a few tricks and substitutions I have found that work well.
Best Ever Carrot Cake
From Grammy Terry Zachary
1 ¼ cups unsweetened applesauce (or 2 apples pureed in Vita-mix)
1 ¼ cups sugar (can also substitute coconut sugar)
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots (buy a bag of shredded carrots from the grocery store to save time)
1 cup coconut (I've used unsweetened or sweetened. Both will work)
1 cup nuts, chopped (I use walnuts)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup un-drained crushed pineapple
Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for 9x13 pan
25-30 minutes for 3, 8 inch round pans. Cool.
*This cake base would make excellent muffins as well.
*This cake base would make excellent muffins as well.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, whip by itself first. Remove to separate bowl.
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, granulated
1 pinch salt
1-2 tsp vanilla
1. In a mixing bowl whip the 1-1/2 cups whipping cream until stiff peaks form. (Move out of mixer).
2. Beat together the cream cheese with sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth.
3. Using a spatula fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
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This frosting holds up well and doesn't melt like plain whipped cream does. It is easy to spread and can be used for carrot cake or regular cake as it doesn't have a super strong cream cheese flavor. It is really delicious!
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