Spicy Pasta Salad

Photo source:  The Pioneer Woman

This recipe was one featured on Ree's show on the Food Network, The Pioneer Woman this morning. Her description of this recipe as she was making it was making my mouth water! 

I love anything with pasta, and pasta salad with mayonnaise is so delicious to me!

Click here to go to The Pioneer Woman recipe page.

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Macaroni salad can be a main meal as far as I'm concerned!

I've always had mayonnaise based macaroni salad and this one has an oil and vinegar dressing that sounds interesting to me.  I also love the addition of olives, mozzarella and tomatoes.

I'm thinking if I don't like the oil and vinegar dressing, it would most likely taste awesome with the addition of mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
• 3/4 cup kalamata, pitted sliced in quarters length wise
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing:

• 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1 teaspoon capers, drained
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic,
capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, toss. Toss with Parmesan and basil just before serving.

Source

Stuffed Honey-Ham Biscuits

Easy, Easy, Easy!!!!!

Awesome appetizer for parties or a great addition to breakfast.  

I'd like to try it with scrambled or fried eggs added after it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
• 8 slices (1/2 oz each) Swiss cheese
• 8 slices (1 oz each) deli cooked ham
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions


Heat oven to 350°F. 

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut slit on 1 side of 1 biscuit, forming a deep pocket. 

Place 1 slice of cheese inside pocket. 

Top cheese with 1 slice of ham and 1 teaspoon honey.

Press dough over filling, sealing edge of biscuit; place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining biscuits, cheese, ham and honey.


Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from cookie sheet to serving plate. 

Drizzle remaining honey over tops. Serve immediately.

Recipe and Photo Source link

Cherry Cola Cake Recipe

Doesn't this look pretty and delicious?

I love the combination of cherry cola and chocolate!  We have recently discovered Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, which I think would also work.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food websites, Taste of Home.  Link follows the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup cherry-flavored cola
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 2 tablespoons frozen cherry-pomegranate juice concentrate, thawed
• Fresh sweet cherries with stems

Editor's Note: To frost sides as well as top of cake, double amounts for frosting.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Line bottoms of two greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper. 

Divide marshmallows between pans.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar and baking soda. 

In a small saucepan, combine butter, cola and cocoa; bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended; add to flour mixture, whisking constantly. 

Pour into prepared pans, dividing batter evenly. (Marshmallows will float to the top.)

Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in marshmallow creme and juice concentrate on low speed just until blended.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer; spread with remaining frosting. Decorate with cherries. 

Yield: 12 servings.

Originally published as Cherry Cola Cake in Taste of Home June/July 2013