Antipasto salad

My family absolutely loves my take on the traditional antipasto salad. I always have to make large batches to last several days. The biggest benefit is that the portion that sits in the refrigerator longest tastes best after the flavours have been melding for days. 

Antipasto Salad

Ingredients:

        8 oz Tri-Colour Rotini

        1/2 c Vegetable Oil

        3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

        1 clove Garlic, minced

        1 tsp Basil

        1/8 tsp Red Pepper

        1 tsp Salt

        1/4 c Parmesan

        2 c Broccoli Florets

        1/4 lb Pepperoni, sliced

        10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

        1/2 c Mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente, Drain
2. In large bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, pepper and salt
3. Toss with warm macaroni to coat well.
4. Toss with Parmesan.
5. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
6. Add Broccoli, pepperoni and tomatoes; toss well. 
7. Sprinkle with mozzarella and serve.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Asian-Influenced Pork Loin

My family loves pork tenderloin. but so many times it ends up drier than I like inside.  They don't complain, but I just am not pleased. This recipe, that I found on Taste of Home website, turned out so juicy and tender. As usual, I tweaked the recipe to suit what I have on-hand. 

Asia-Influenced Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

        1 boneless whole Pork Tenderloin (3-4 pounds)
        1/2 tsp Sea Salt
        1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
        1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
        1 Tbs Butter
        1 med Onion, finely chopped
        1/2 cup Ketchup (I used homemade - recipe below)
        1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
        1 Tbs Hoisin Sauce
        1 1/2 tsp Chinese-Style Mustard
        1 tsp Oyster Sauce
        1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
        1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
        1/4 tsp Sweet & Spicy Saigon Seasoning

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven° for  50 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.
5. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring often. 
8. Brush sauce over pork.
9. Bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until thermometer reads 145°.
10. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:   

        1 cup Tomato Sauce (I was out, so I made some from scratch) 
        1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
        3 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
        1/2 tsp Salt
        pinch Ground Cloves

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients until well combined.

                           

Tomato Sauce Sustitute

Ingredients:

        1 part Tomato Paste
        1 part Water

Directions:

1. Mix well.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Chicken in Sour Cream, and Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

I have to admit that my favourite piece of chicken is the thigh. It has so much more flavour than the breast. And lots more meat than the drumstick.  I love using the Maple-Glazed Chicken recipe, but variety is good too. I found an interesting recipe over at AllRecipes and decided to tweak it a little bit.  First of all, I have no Cream of Mushroom Soup and couldn't find a substitute recipe (see bottom). So I came up with this one that was a complete hit.

Chicken in Sour Cream

Ingredients:

        8 chicken thighs
        1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
        1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
        1 pinch Salt
        1 pinch Paprika
        Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
        1 (1 oz) pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix
        1 cup Sour Cream
        1 Tbs Lemon Juice
        1 tsp Dried Dill Weed

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish. 
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
3. Combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, and dill weed.
4. Pour over chicken.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour, or until chicken is tender and sauce is brown.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

        Butter  (I used unsalted) 

        Mushrooms, chopped

        Garlic

        Flour

        1 cup Milk

Directions:

1. Melt Butter.
2. Add chopped Mushrooms.
3. Saute until slightly brown
4. Add chopped Garlic, Flour, 1 cup Milk
5. Heat to a nice roux.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid