Mexi Pasta Salad

A pasta salad to please … packed with delicious ingredients. This is the perfect main dish. It’s a salad I just can’t stop eating. Yikes! A great side to add to my Smoker Brisket.

If like me, you have a hard time following a recipe exactly this is a recipe for you. It takes to change-ups easily. The campanelle pasta is a great touch but you can substitute.

I happened upon this recipe quite by accident. I love the blogger site but I’m not sure it remains active. I’ll be trying some of the authentic Portuguese recipes. Hope you enjoy the site and this recipe.

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Macaroni Salad

Perfect for the Fourth

Macaroni salad

 

Whatever macaroni or pasta you use this is sure to please those hungry picnickers. Try this patriotic pasta from World Market but don’t be surprised when all the color disappears with the cooking. The shapes get a little lost too in the thick dressing. With that said, this is an amazing macaroni salad. That’s a bit patriotic too, isn’t it? Once you have the pasta chosen, your choice, the rest is really simple. Add or subtract ingredients to cater to family and friends. Delicious!

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Memorial Day Week-end

Strawberry Dessert

Baked Strawberry Shortcake

Family is gathering and for me it’s a time to cook recipes that are tried-and-true. This is a simply baked strawberry shortcake for a crowd. It’s an old time favorite, here. Some feel it’s not dessert if it’s not chocolate. If this is you try my chocolate category for great ideas. Potato salad is one of my favorite BBQ sides and I do have a variety of recipes. If you’re into sweet potato fries you might find this sweet potato salad irresistible. A few of my favorites to get you started into Summer 2017:

Baked Beans

Baked Beans

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato

Barbecued Corn

Barbecued Corn

Classic Potato Salad

Classic Potato Salad

Purple Cow

Purple Cow

Portuguese Beans

Portuguese Beans


Pistachio Salmon

And Easy Rice Pilaf

Salmon is so easy and so delicious. It really doesn’t need to be dressed up but I like the simple addition of pistachios and cilantro. This recipe doesn’t have exact measurements for the ingredients. It’s to your taste. You can’t go wrong. Use raw or roasted pistachios, salted or unsalted. Just make those allowances when adding salt to taste. Here you go….

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Broccoli Rice

Broccoli Rice

An old time recipe reinvented. Both recipes are here for you to enjoy. The original looks to be a tweaked Campbell’s Soup recipe, my Mother’s recipe. The second is revised for the family vegetarians, my recipe. For a carnivorous main dish add a little cooked chicken. Okay, this is not a dish that will knock off socks but it is a vegetable dish you’ll enjoy.

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Good Ol’ Fashioned Deviled Eggs

And Much Much More

Old Fashioned Deviled EggsMy food critic informed me his favorite deviled eggs are his Mother-in-law’s! But he doesn’t even like eggs! How can that be! Deviled eggs are a personal thing … there’s no one perfect recipe. My fav’s my Grandmother’s (can’t duplicate it) but you had to be quick to get a taste. I’m not exactly old fashioned but I love old fashioned recipes. I’ve gathered together a few I feel will please using cookbooks from the distant past. Choose one or two to try. And for that really special occasion use the sauce recipe too.

Deviled egg recipes usually have both mayonnaise and mustard but don’t limit yourself when putting your recipe together. Any number of different ingredients can be added to personalize yours. Enjoy!

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Eggstravaganza

eggstravaganzaWhat to do with those hardboiled eggs! Here are some recipe ideas. Not just sides but main dishes too. I can’t pick a favorite because I love them all.

Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad

Salads and Dressings

Greens with Eggs and Ham

Tweaked Classic Best Foods Potato Salad

Portuguese Peas

Chicken, Rice & Eggs

Eggs, Ham and Mushrooms

 

Leftover raw eggs Too?

Butter Sponge Cake

Butter Sponge Cake

Eggs & Potatoes

Spinach and Eggs

Pound Cake

Pound Cake


Peppers. Olives and Capers

Peppers, Olives and Capers

 

 

Layer this sautéed combination over rice or pasta or serve it all by itself. Add anchovies to the recipe if family and friends don’t object. Or give depth to the taste with anchovy paste instead like I do. Adding sliced sweet yellow onion to the sauté is great too, but we go for a lot of garlic. Try this 15 minute dish for a quick light tasty lunch or dinner.

Healthy and Happy New Year!

 

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Taco Soup

Taco Soup

Mostly Vegetarian or Totally if you use vegetable broth. Another easy quick soup to put together! Especially satisfying when the temps outside dip to freezing.

Tortilla SoupInstant Chicken Tortilla Soupo

Other Soups You May Enjoy

Tortilla Soup with Ground Beef

Instant Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 

 

 

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Our Family Tradition

Estrada’s Spanish Kitchen in Visalia has long gone but the beautiful memories will last forever. We’re always in search of Estrada’s recipes or the taste-alike version. This enchilada sauce recipe is exact in taste ‘though we’ve been informed no chocolate was used in the original. We’ll never know for sure since all is secret. Whether you’re a part of this history or not you’ll love this enchilada sauce.

If you need help building your enchiladas after you make the sauce here is an easy step by step.

Continue reading for Estrada’s taste-alike recipes. You’ll love them as much as we do! A promise.

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