Creamy Pasta Salad

Salt

1 lb. elbow macaroni
½ small red onion, minced
1 rib celery, minced
¼ c. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 Tbls. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 ½ c. mayonnaise
Black pepper

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Salt water and add elbow macaroni and cook until nearly tender. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cook, then drain briefly so that pasta remains moist. Transfer to large bowl.

Stir in onion, celery, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne, and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add mayonnaise and let sit until salad texture is no longer watery, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
NOTES: Don’t drain the pasta too well before adding the other ingredients. A little extra moisture will keep the salad from drying out. If made ahead of time, stir in a little warm water to loosen the texture.
Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

guacamole salad

Ina Garten recipe

Ingredients
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature

Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole

From here

Ingredients
1 16-ounce package frozen cauliflower florets
1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli cuts
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 cups milk
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese with chives, cut up
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 slice of bread)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Directions
1. Cook broccoli and cauliflower according to package directions. Drain well. Place in a large saucepan. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook onion in the 2 tablespoons margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, salt, garlic powder, basil, and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Stir into vegetable mixture. Turn into a 2-quart casserole.
3. Toss together bread crumbs, cheese, and the 2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 12 servings.

bean and barley salad

1 cup barley
3 cups water
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can baby corn cobs, drained and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup cider or wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, squished
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine barley and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover and cook until all water is absorbed and barley is tender (35-45 minutes). Rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, combine cooked barley, beans, corn, pepper, and onion. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to the bean mixture. Cover and chill.

make-ahead mashed potato casserole

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients

Casserole
5 pounds russet potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled, sliced into 3/4-inch-thick rounds, and rinsed thoroughly
2 1/2 cups whole milk , warmed
1 cup sour cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

Instructions


1. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 15 minutes.


2. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Set a food mill (or ricer) over the now empty, but still warm, saucepan. Working in batches, drop the potatoes into the hopper of the food mill and process the potatoes into the saucepan. Stir in the milk, sour cream, butter, Dijon, 2/3 of the cheese, and garlic until uniform. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


3. Spread the potato mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top.


4. To Store: Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.


5. To Serve: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the casserole is heated through.

easy rice

1 tsp garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp onion, minced

Saute in 1/2 stick of butter. Add 1 cup of rice, then add 2 1/2 cups of hot water, 1 Tbsp instant minced chicken bouillon. Cook for 20 minutes. Grate 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and season with black pepper.