Friday, June 4, 2010

Pasta & Imitation Crab Salad



Pasta & Imitation Crab Salad 

(8-oz.) pasta (I used Creamette Radiatore Nuggets)

About 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup thinly sliced baby carrots

2 Tablespoons diced red onion

(6-oz.) Colby-Jack cheese, cut into small chunks

(5-oz.) imitation crab meat, cut into chunks (about 1 cup)

1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise

1 cup light Italian salad dressing

 2 Tablespoons Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

28 grape tomatoes

freshly cracked black pepper, add according to taste

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1.)  In a large pot of boiling water, add the vegetable oil and salt.  Add the pasta, and cook pasta for 8 minutes and 30 seconds.


2.)  During the last 30 seconds of cooking time, add the broccoli.  After the 30 seconds, immediately drain and rinse the pasta and broccoli under cold water in a colander.


3.)  While the pasta and broccoli is draining in the colander, add the carrots, onion, cheese, and imitation crab meat to a large bowl.


4.)  In another bowl mix together, the mayonnaise and Italian dressing.  Use 1-cup of the dressing to mix into the salad, and reserve the other cup for later.


5.)  Incorporate the 1-cup of dressing into the large bowl of vegetables, cheese, and meat. Add the pasta and broccoli to the bowl; stir gently to mix the salad.


6.)  Season the salad with a bit of the freshly cracked black pepper.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the salad, and gently fold in the grape tomatoes.  Cover the salad, and place it in the refrigerator to chill.


7.)  After 2-3 hours of refrigeration, and before serving the salad; stir in a 3/4 cup to 1-cup of the mayonnaise/Italian dressing.  The extra dressing will keep the salad creamy and moist, even up to a day or two later.


8.)  Servings: 8 to 10


Up close photo of Pasts & Imitation Crab Salad.





















Potato Chip Sandwich

This is one of my favorite sandwiches to make and eat! 













Potato Chip Sandwich 

2 slices of bread, or 1 hamburger bun, or hoagie roll 

mayonnaise or salad dressing (add desired amount)

leafy green lettuce, optional

4 slices of deli-style lunch meat, any kind (See *Note) 

2 thinly sliced tomatoes (I used one slice, as I used a small hamburger bun.) 

5 to 6 slices of pickles

1 or 2 thin slices of cheese (I used Colby-Jack), plus rippled potato chips (as many as you can stack on.)  

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1.)  Spread mayonnaise or salad dressing on both sides of bread, hoagie roll, or hamburger bun(s). 

2.)  Add a bit of leafy green lettuce, to one slice of the bread, the hoagie roll, or the hamburger bun. 

3.)  Top with slices of cheese, deli meat, tomatoes, pickles, rippled potato chips, and top it off with the other slice of bread, or the bun. (If using a hamburger bun, you'll only need to add one tomato slice to the bun.

4.)  This makes: 1 sandwich (1 serving)

5) *Note: When making this sandwich, you can use either smoked turkey breast meat, or perhaps a honey-smoked turkey breast, or even the deli-style (shaved) meat.  I'll add 6 slices to my hoagie roll, since the meat is sliced very thin.  One other thing, you can add thin slices of red onion to your sandwich, if desired.

Cream of Potato & Cheddar Cheese Soup

One day my daughter had given me some of her Yukon Gold Potatoes from her garden.   I then decided I'd quickly  throw a potato soup toge...