Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [28]
8 ounces uncooked shell macaroni
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 pound mozzarella, cubed
1 medium red onion, sliced into thin rings
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
½ cup pitted black olives, cut in half, optional
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, or to taste
¾ cup Italian herb croutons, or to taste
1. Cook the shell macaroni according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander and run under cold water to cool quickly. Drain well.
2. Combine the macaroni, tomatoes, mozzarella, onion, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olives, if using, in a large salad bowl. Toss gently to blend well.
3. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and croutons at serving time.
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Dorothea Ableidinger, New Prague, Minnesota
Serves 6 to 8
“This salad was always a treat for our girls when they came home from college to visit.”
One 7-ounce package small pasta shells
One 10-ounce package frozen green peas
10 ounces frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
6 medium radishes, thinly sliced
½ medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
One 2-ounce jar chopped pimientos, drained
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned salt, or to taste
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and run under cold water for 20 seconds; drain well. Combine the pasta, peas, shrimp, radishes, bell pepper, onion, and pimientos in a bowl; mix well.
2. Mix the mayonnaise, horseradish, and seasoned salt in a small bowl. Add to the shrimp mixture and toss gently to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight.
Sweet and Sour Dressing with Mixed Green Salad
Janice Adams, Jefferson, Wisconsin
Makes 4 cups
“Whenever I have to take a dish to a potluck, they want me to bring this dressing. I pour the dressing and French fried onions on a mixed green salad as soon as we are ready to eat.”
1 medium onion
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1¾ cups sugar
2 cups vegetable or canola oil
Mixed green salad, including vegetables such as carrots, green bell pepper, and celery
French’s Original French Fried Onions
Combine the onion and vinegar in a blender container. Blend until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and the oil; blend well. Serve over a mixed green salad with lettuce, carrots, green bell pepper, and celery. Top with French fried onions.
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: For a very simple salad, pour some dressing over sliced cucumbers and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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Sides
Side dishes are never an aside for families and friends who bring their best contributions to food-laden tables at home and church, and for reunions or other events in their communities.
Often, the recipes are handed down through the generations as daughters, daughters-in-law, and even granddaughters carry on a tradition of cooking a special dish that makes a meal complete. Others come about through adding a twist to a tried-and-true side item.
Karen Crunk of Lorena, Texas, says her husband’s grandmother made the best holiday dressing. When Crunk joined the family, she watched and made notes, since there was no written recipe. When she took over hosting the holiday feasts, Crunk set out to recreate the special dressing, and her Old-Fashioned Corn Bread Dressing is the result.
When it’s time to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and cattle roundups in the ghost town of Dos Cabeza, Arizona, Cheryl Boutin knows what her contribution will be. Her Homestyle Grits Casserole is always popular among residents of the close-knit neighborhood sixteen miles south of Willcox. This casserole can also be prepared a day ahead and then baked