Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad ~ three cheese tortellini blended with fresh vegetables, roasted red peppers, olives and feta, tossed in a simple homemade Greek dressing.
My daughter reminded me recently that even though I don’t need an excuse to eat Pickled Red Onions right out of the jar, there are many people that would actually like to put them in something ~ like this Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad.
If you haven’t made them yet (whyyyy?) you can still make this salad with great results using sliced red onions. But if you happen to have the few ingredients the pickled onions call for and a Mason jar . . . swoon.
Of course this salad isn’t all about the onions. It all starts with tortellini ~ tender bite size pasta pillows filled with three kinds of cheese and combined with fresh summer veggies in a simple homemade Greek Dressing. Give it a try. The combination of flavors is unbelievably good.
Easy 5 Minute Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Easy 5 Minute Refrigerator Dill Pickles ~ crunchy, loaded with garlic and dill flavors; prepped and in the fridge in 5 minutes. This no cook, small-batch recipe is the best pickle recipe you’ll find!
I’m kind of on a pickling craze right now, starting with Pickled Red Onions that I’ve been putting on practically everything ~ or nothing ~ even a fork full right out of the jar into my mouth.
I’ve made quite a few batches, passing them along to my kids (ahem. . .my jars?). Not only are they really good, but ridiculously simple to make, like things should be in the summertime.
There are always a few different jars of pickles in my refrigerator but with these Easy 5 Minute Refrigerator Dill Pickles buying them premade is a thing of the past.
Pickled Red Onions
Pickled Red Onions ~ easy and quick to make ~ this bright, zesty condiment is delicious on salads, burgers, hot dogs and even tacos.
My daughter has been raving about a salad she’s gotten hooked on from Panera. It doesn’t have either of my favorite salad ingredients, bread or pasta; but she said what makes it so good is the Green Goddess Dressing and Pickled Red Onions.
I ate my fill of Green Goddess Dressing in the ‘70’s when I rocked hip-hugging bell bottoms jeans, but the Pickled Red Onions definitely had my attention.
Pickled ~ anything ~ is just so darn good especially these 5 Minute Refrigerator Dill Pickles! Okay, almost anything is good pickled, but not pickled eggs in oversize jars you see sometimes in sports bars. But you can pickle a lot of other foods you want to add bright, zesty flavor to.
Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus ~ prosciutto wrapped around fresh asparagus, pan sautéed crisping the prosciutto and cooking the asparagus to tender perfection.
It may be mistletoe, egg nog, holiday cookies and ugly Christmas sweaters for now but New Year’s Eve will be here before we know it.
Last year I had a bright idea that we should go out for dinner, so we ditched our comfy pants and fuzzy slippers and embarked on our favorite neighborhood restaurant only to find our waitress frazzled, the place packed and the food not at all the quality we had come to expect there.
This year we’ll ring in the new year with a delicious home cooked meal including Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus ~ thin sliced prosciutto wrapped around fresh asparagus spears pan sautéed crisping the prosciutto and cooking the asparagus until tender ~ and of course good company too because isn’t that what the best celebrations are about?
Yukon Gold Sweet Potato Au Gratin
Yukon Gold Sweet Potato Au Gratin ~ sliced sweet plus Yukon gold potatoes in a creamy, silky gruyere cheese, fresh thyme sauce.
Maybe you’ve made classic Au Gratin Potatoes ~ one of my favorite potato-cheesy comfort dishes. While I still love them, the combination of Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes with a rich, creamy sauce just takes potatoes to a whole new level.
Yukon Gold Sweet Potato Au Gratin makes a simple, yet elevated holiday side, but don’t save it for the holidays. Let’s make it today!
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Medley
Brussels Sprouts, sweet potato roasted and caramelized then drizzled with balsamic glaze and topped with dried cranberries & pepitas.
Halloween is over and fall is marching on, which means Thanksgiving will be here before we know it! Are you hosting dinner? Bringing a dish to share? Either way, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Medley is your dish.
I know, the name is a mouthful. I struggled with the name because I wanted you know all the really tasty stuff it has in it. There’s more than brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Much more.
Brussels sprouts because if you haven’t noticed, are the jam these days. So trendy, so in vogue, so. . . delicious, because that’s the most important thing. They’re no longer that vegetable people make faces upon hearing the name. I’m pretty sure there was once a conspiracy theory about brussels sprouts.
Sweet potatoes, which have also taken on a new-found popularity the last few years both for taste and health benefits are included in this dish and when you caramelize these simple vegetables, magic happens. The flavors practically explode in your mouth and with just a few other ingredients, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Medley is your must-have side dish for the holidays.
Cheesy Baked Cauliflower
Cheesy Baked Cauliflower ~ tender cauliflower bites baked in a creamy cheesy sauce. All the decadence of mac and cheese, with the health benefits of a veggie.
Here we go again. Cheesy this. Three Cheese that. Some may say I’m cheese obsessed. They’re right. But never underestimate the power of cheese, even when ~especially when ~ it’s added to a vegetable. Enter, Cheesy Baked Cauliflower.
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes ~ rustic, creamy, cheesy ramped up with the flavor of fresh sage and brown butter. Seriously delicious. The best mashed potatoes you’ll ever eat.
There’s no denying fall is here and it’s not just because of All Things Pumpkin (you know what I mean). It’s in the cool crisp air too which means sleeping with the windows wide open (at least for now), swapping out summer clothes for the heavy winter stuff and packing away summer recipes for some good, fall comfort food.
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes are at the top of my list ~ creamy, goat-cheesy plus that delicious nutty brown-butter flavor. They’re (sigh) epic (some may say lick your plate) good. . . and just in the nick of time for not just fall, but major holiday entertaining. Oh yeah – and you can make them a day ahead which means entertaining just got easier.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing ~ easy, delicious pasta salad. Fresh sweet corn sautéed in bacon drippings blended with pasta, peppers, tomatoes, black beans and crispy bacon tossed in a simple homemade dressing.
Dannnng! I’m late to the table again ~ would you believe I just tried Mexican Street Corn?
My daughter has mentioned 2 or was it 10 times “we” should try making it. I know that’s code for “Mom, make this next time I’m over”. The truth is it just didn’t sound appealing. Mayonnaise slathered on beautiful, fresh, sweet summer corn sounded sacrilegious.
I took a chance though and was instantly hooked. This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a blend of pasta salad and Mexican Street Corn and make a really good side salad you won’t see at every summer barbecue.
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna Macaroni Salad: classic with real mayonnaise, chopped celery, onions and packed with tuna. Perfect for picnics + BBQ’s from Memorial to Labor Day.
There are a few summer menu must-haves at our house, Potato Salad being one and Tuna Macaroni Salad being the other. I don’t know why, but I only make them from Memorial to Labor Day.
Tuna Macaroni Salad is as simple as summertime is supposed to be (think childhood) and the flavor just may take you back to that time.
This was one of my first newly married recipes and like Potato Salad I can almost make with my eyes closed. Make it a couple of times and it’ll be the same for you. I’m still holding out hope my family will learn to love peas like I do and when that happens, I’ll be adding them by the fistful, but until then. . .
