Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad - great for pot luck!

This pasta salad is sooooo yummy. It's from the Pioneer Woman's website. She has many amazing recipes so check it out! www.thepioneerwoman.com
I made this for tonight's annual Christmas Eve potluck at Grandpa's House! We have been doing this as long as I can remember and it's when the entire extended family gets together. This salad is a make ahead so it's perfect for potluck. I really hope you try this! I used whole wheat pasta to make it a little healthier. Also, I was very excited to find a HUGE jar of pitted kalamata olives at Costco for about $5. Woooohooooo! The dressing is best if you make it the night before :)

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

DRESSING INGREDIENTS
1 jar Sundried Tomatoes (7 Oz.)
4 cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper, to taste
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SALAD:
16 ounces, weight Corkscrew Pasta
1 jar Kalamata Or Assorted Olives
1 pint Ripe Cherry Tomatoes (cut In Halves)
10 leaves Basil (10-15 Leaves), Chopped Or Julienne
1-1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

Preparation Instructions

Dressing:

In a blender combine sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped. Continue blending while drizzling in olive oil until mixed together.

Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.

Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta. Add olives and toss together. Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.

Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

I know you want a bite :)

A cute little hostess gift or Christmas present.

This is a cute idea to bring as a hostess gift or as a little something for your girlfriends at Christmas. I made Emeril's Essence (the "BAM" he keeps yelling about on his TV show.) I really like this spice combination and add it to almost any ground meat mixture (in pasta, burgers, chili, meatloaf, etc) or on roasted potatoes/ home fries. I made these ones extra special by using a "sweet smoked paprika" (from Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver) instead of regular paprika. You can buy the jars at Gourmet Warehouse as well. Ikea also has some cute spice jars that are very affordable. I have more present ideas but can't let the "cat out of the bag" yet or I'll ruin Christmas for friends and family :)



Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

I got two spice jars from one batch :) ENJOY!

Tasty Thai Coconut Shrimp- fast, delicious and healthy

This recipe is great! So yummy, quick and healthy. My husband cheers when I make this "Are we having the peanut butter one??? YAAAAAAAA!!!" This one is on the table in under 25 minutes usually. Feel free to pay around with this recipe. Try whatever veggies you like or have (zucchini, mushrooms, bamboo, or mango (at the end.). Also, the sauce is a balance of sweet, salty, spicy and acid. This is a guide but the exact amounts depends on the specific ingredients you use. So, try it and play around until it tastes right to you. It should be tangy not flat. ENJOY :)

Tasty Thai Coconut Shrimp

2 tsp vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cups broccoli florets
1 red pepper cut into thin strips
2/3 cup coconut milk (shake before opening)
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
juice of one lime
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
2 cups of raw prawns or shrimp, peeled and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, tomato paste, peanut butter, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice. Use a whisk to combine.

Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat in a wok or large frypan. Cook the garlic and ginger about two minutes (do not burn garlic or you will have to start again! Burt garlic is bitter and terrible.) Add broccoli and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add pepper and cook another minute.

Add the sauce and simmer for five minutes, stirring regularly. Add shrimp and bean sprouts; cook another two minutes or until shrimp have completely turned pink. Take off heat and stir in cilantro.

I like to serve this over brown rice or brown rice noodles (available at Superstore and Walmart Superstores. I love these noodles because they cook in 4 minutes for a super fast dinner.)

"Entertaining Meatloaf" -Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I love this meatloaf! My girlfriend and I always trade good recipes when we try new ones that we like. This is one she sent me with a "must try, could serve to company" title. The recipe is by Giada De Laurentiis. It is so good, you can easily serve it to company, hence it's nickname "entertaining meatloaf." Your guests might give you a weird look when you tell them that you made meatloaf for dinner, but once they try it they will be very impressed. I usually make this meatloaf when I buy my bulk ground turkey from Costco. I double the recipe and make two. I freeze the second meatloaf (raw) in a cling wrap lined loaf pan. (once it's frozen you can get your pan back :) Simply thaw and cook as directed for an easy weeknight meal. ENJOY!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Vegetable oil cooking spray
'/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
'/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
'/4 cup chopped garlic- and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
'/4 cup olive oil
'/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1'/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spray a 9 x 5-inch nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, olive oil, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to over work the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan; it will fill the pan halfway. Bake until the internal temperature registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes. Use a paper towel to remove any fat that may settle on the surface of the meatloaf. Slice and serve.

Here is the link to this recipe on the food network, however I noticed it's slightly different http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-meatloaf-with-feta-and-sun-dried-tomatoes-recipe/index.html