Tag: Salt And Pepper

The Whats And Hows Of A Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salads are, indeed, extremely delicious. Once you squeeze them into your mouth, you just can’t stop doing so. They are just so delicious; you just can’t get enough of them. Why is that? What is in these savory salads that make them taste so good?

Just so you would know, macaroni salads are made with cooked elbow macaroni pasta that are often served cold and usually done so with mayonnaise. It is oftenly served with the accompaniment of barbecue or other entrees served in a picnic.

And just like all the other salads, there are also regional or national variations in preparing a macaroni salad. For instance, in Australia, they have given the term Pasta Salad to macaroni salads due to the fact that it is made with shell pasta pieces, which are cooked, and can also be bought from various grocery stores.

However, if you would rather prefer making your own homemade macaroni salad, the better, for it will then have that personal taste. The ingredients you will be needing are not hard to find and the procedure of making it is not hard to follow and do as well.

You just need six eggs that you must hard-boil earlier in the day; one and a half diced ham, which you have cooked earlier; a half cup of diced celery; two cups holding macaroni that you have already cooked prior to this procedure; one chopped sour pickle, no problem looking for this one for almost all pickles have a sour taste; mayonnaise of any brand that you prefer; cup of chopped stuffed olives; salt and pepper to serve as the tasty condiments; and also different kinds of salad greens like lettuce, cabbage, and other sorts of fresh greeny vegetables.

The procedure is very user-friendly, you just have to read well and focus as not to put in the wrong ingredient at the wrong time. Once you are done preparing the aforementioned ingredients, you can set your homemade macaroni salad on a nice bowl for beautification purposes. Just add mayonnaise so that your salad will moisten. Season your creation for a delicious taste, and for that grandeur finish, serve your self-made macaroni salad on fresh salad greens.

Macaroni salads are definitely easy to make and are, indeed, delicious. Therefore, do not prolong your stomach’s agony and make that macaroni salad that your stomach has long been waiting for.

Pasta Salad As A Healthy Alternative

Pasta has always been associated with weight and a heavy feeling. True, pasta is rich in carbohydrate, a food group most often than not, shunned by weight watchers. However, there are still people who find it hard to avoid this altogether. And they are right in thinking so.

Although it tends to add weight if taken in excess, carbohydrate is very important because it gives the body the energy it needs to enable it to do its work properly. So for those who cannot give up pasta, there is an alternative.

Instead of having it th traditional way ( with meat and bacon, and cream and all the fatty substances), why not have it as a salad? Below are three fantastic recipes gathered from all over:

TURKEY PASTRAMI AND PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. TURKEY PASTRAMI, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8-ozs. rotini, cooked and drained
1 14-oz can artichokes, drained and cut into quarters
1 cup carrrots, chopped (2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1 4-oz can black olives, drained and sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 /2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 lettuce leaves

Instructions:

1. In large bowl, combine pastrami, rotini, artichoke, carrots, onion, celery and olives.

2. In small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss together with pastrami mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Serve on lettuce leaves.

APPLE PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 container (8 oz.) plain nonfat yogurt
1 can (8 oz.) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 Tbsp honey
2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
1/2 cup shedded carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup raisins
3 cups diced, unpeeled apples (suggested: Empire, Gala, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Red Delicious, or Rome)

Instructions:

Thoroughly combine yogurt, pineapple, salt, spices, ginger, and honey; refrigerate. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Cool completely. In large bowl, combine all ingredients including yogurt dressing. Chill thoroughly before serving.

GARDEN PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 can (16-ozs) mixed fruit in juice or extra light syrup
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 pkg. (8-oz) spinach spiral pasta
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
– Romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Drain mixed fruit, reserving liquid. Drizzle fruit with vinegar and set aside. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender; drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, whisk together reserved liquid, cornstarch, basil, and garlic.

Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat; stir in mixed fruit and vinegar. Toss pasta with tomatoes, celery, and green onion. Fold in fruit and sauce; chill. Spoon onto Romaine lettuce to serve.

How To Make Your Own Chicken Salad

Making a chicken salad is often perceived by many to be extremely easy; just pour in the chicken. Actually, it is not all about the chicken. Chicken salads are about the overall taste it has, together with other ingredients.

Therefore, it is highly important to take note of the other ingredients that you put in your chicken salad for it to have a delicious and savory taste.

You will need three chicken breast halves that are of large sizes. With these chicken breasts, it is important that you do not remove the bone.

You will also need a good-sized apple, which you will dice; one or two large celery stalks that you will also dice; a half cup of chopped nuts, you can use either pecans or walnuts, both are good for chicken salads; salt and pepper; and a good type of mayonnaise.

First you have to season the chicken with pepper and salt. After doing so, bake it, while placed in foil, for fifty to sixty minutes at three hundred seventy-five degrees. Once done, drain the liquid, for it will not be needed. Leave your chicken to cool down.

Once it is already cool, cut the chicken meat into small chunks. You can also tear the cooked chicken into thin strips if you do not like chunks.

You may add in more salt and pepper if you think doing so is necessary. Add the apple that you have diced, with the celery and the nuts. To attain that desired moistness, put in your mayonnaise.

And there you have it; you have just conjured your very own chicken salad. When you want to serve your self-made chicken salad to your guests already, just place an ample amount of it on a bed of lettuce leaves. Serve it with bread, hot rolls, crackers or biscuits to have a complete, delicious meal.

If you have taken note of the ingredients, you will notice that the ingredients used are not oozing with cholesterol. Chicken salads are healthy, but they will not make you bloat. They are perfect for nutritious diets, for they are most certainly filled with different nutrients.

Making a chicken salad is not difficult. However, you have to be accurate and careful in choosing the ingredients you put in it as to keep that slender body of yours. You do not feel hungry, and you also do not have to worry about getting fat. What more could you ask for?

Famous Ceasar Salad Recipes

Ceasar Salad is undoubtedly the most popular of all the salads. Hence, the name fitted for royalty. It has gained popular acceptance mainly because it has the taste and texture you can actually enjoy. In other words, it does not taste like most healthy food should. Listed below are two amazing recipes and takes on the well-loved salad.

CEASAR SALAD (From Recipe Source.com)

4 ounces anchovies
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 ounces garlic — chopped
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 quart olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 cups romaine lettuce
salt — to taste
croutons — seasonings in recipe

STEP ONE: Prepare Croutons (Optional)

Cut a loaf of stale bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Season with melted butter, thyme, basil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake until crisp.

STEP TWO: Prepare Caesar Salad Dressing

In a large bowl, grind anchovies to a paste-like consistency. Stir in all remaining ingredients except Romaine lettuce.

STEP THREE:

Tear Romaine lettuce into large pieces and place in large bowl. Pour salad dressing over lettuce and toss salad. Serve immediately.

CEASAR SALAD WITH LEMONGRASS-SKWERED SHIMPS AND SCALLOPS (From Recipe Link.com)

CAESAR DRESSING:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably Reggiano
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
About 1/3 cup water for thinning

16 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined (tails on)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
16 medium sea scallops (about 1 pound), muscles removed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
8 stalks lemongrass, cut into 10- to 12-inch skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 cups croutons
6 cups lightly packed mixed salad greens
6 cups lightly packed chopped hearts of romaine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Reggiano

1.For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, anchovy, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until well incorporated. Whisk in the water to desired consistency. Refrigerate until chilled.

2.Preheat a grill to medium high or the oven to 450 degree F. Add the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a bowl. In a separate bowl, gently toss the scallops with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Season the shrimp and scallops, on both sides, with kosher salt and pepper.

Thread 4 shrimp onto each of 4 lemongrass skewers, threading them through the head and tail so they will lie flat when cooking. Thread 4 scallops onto each of the remaining 4 lemongrass skewers, so they will also lie flat when cooking.

Cover the grill and cook for 8 minutes, rotating the skewers frequently, until the shrimp are pink and the scallops are opaque throughout. Or, place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven.

3.Toss the croutons in a bowl with about 1/4-cup of the dressing. Add the greens and lettuce and Parmesan cheese. Add about 1/2-cup dressing. Season with more kosher salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Divide among 4 serving plates. Criss-cross 2 seafood skewers on top of each salad portion.

4.The dressing can be made up to 1-week in advance and refrigerated. The seafood can be grilled or baked up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated. (If precooked, be sure to cook the seafood on the rare side so as not to overcook it when reheated.) Reheat in a preheated 350-degree F oven, covered with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes.