Veggie Pasta Salad

I came across this recipe on a wonderful food website that I'm constantly perusing called Tasty Kitchen and just knew that a variation of it would be wonderful alongside some beautiful salmon fillets that we bought.  I know it's the middle of winter and believe me we will be having the rib-sticking, like-momma-used-to-make, warm, winter casseroles and stews also this week, but when you've got deep red pacific salmon on your plate you want something light and simple beside it.  This is perfect - and believe me, it will also be coming back out in the middle of summer next to those barbecue ribs and steaks that my hubby (the BBQ master :o) rustles up outside.

Veggie Pasta Salad
6-8 servings
(adapted from this 'Summer Pasta Salad')

dressing
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs black pepper
3/4 Tbs salt

salad
2 cups dried elbow or penne pasta (to give you approx 4 cups)
1 large tomato
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup baby carrots
4-5 green onions

• place all the dressing ingredients into a lidded jar and.....shake, shake, shake :o) - store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.
• cook the pasta in boiling, salted water as per package instructions.
• meanwhile, chop the tomato, pepper, carrots and green onions to uniform size (I wanted mine fairly small) - these were just the veggies that I had on hand, but use your own favourites.
• when the pasta is cooked, drain and run under cold water to cool and stop it cooking any further.
• in a large bowl, mix together the cooled cooked pasta and veggies until well blended.
• pour about half of the dressing over the pasta and toss well - add more dressing if you want.
• keep covered in the refrigerator.

Veggie Pasta Salad ingredients.

dressing ingredients.

place all the dressing ingredients into a lidded jar.

pop on the lid and give it a good shake; put in the refrigerator until you want to use it.

cook the dried pasta in boiling water.

run the cooked pasta under cold water to stop it cooking further and cool it down.

chop all the veggies.

mix all the veggies and cold pasta together.

pour some dressing over the pasta and mix well - I couldn't resist spooning out a small bowl of it to eat straight away - I promise the rest went into the refrigerator ready for dinner and left-overs :o)

Bacon Pinwheels

Quite frankly is there anything better on a lazy Sunday morning than bacon?  Being originally from England there's a very fond place in my heart for the simple 'bacon buttie' - that thick cut back bacon nestled between two slices of thick, crusty, buttered white bread, with maybe a smear of tomato ketchup or, as my brother would always have, HP brown sauce :o)

This morning though I thought I would make something with at least a little veggie appearance so that we don't feel so bad about eating the bacon!!  The original recipe from Pillsbury actually classes it as an appetizer but honestly you could eat these little guys any time of the day....all day. 

Bacon Pinwheels
(adapted from this Pillsbury recipe)
makes 18 pinwheels

1 tube of Pillsbury Grand Crescent Rolls
2 Tbs Ranch dressing
5 rashers of bacon
5 green onions
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 cup cheese, grated (I had some nacho mix left over)

• preheat the oven to 350 F.
• cut the bacon into small bite size pieces and in a small frying pan or saucepan, saute until beginning to crisp; drain on a plate covered in kitchen towel and set aside.
• meanwhile, chop the green onions and de-seed and chop the tomatoes.
• open the tube of crescent rolls carefully and lay out the dough cutting it to make two rectangles approximately 5" x 9"; pinch the perforated seams together so they don't tear while rolling up.
• spread each piece dough with a tablespoon of ranch dressing.
• sprinkle the bacon, onions, tomato and cheese evenly over each rectangle.
• starting from a short side, roll the dough to make a 'sausage'; repeat with the other piece.
• using a sharp knife, cut each 'sausage' into nine pinwheels and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, an inch or so apart.
• bake for 12-14 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
• remove from the cookie sheets immediately and serve warm.

 Bacon Pinwheel ingredients.

saute the bacon until just beginning to crisp.

chop the onions and de-seed and chop the tomato.

unroll the dough and cut into two rectangles.

spread with the ranch dressing.

sprinkle the bacon, onion, tomato and cheese evenly over the dough.

starting at a short side roll up to make 'sausages'.

cut into pinwheels using a sharp knife and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

isn't that just a little puffed piece of perfection!!! :o)

sorry about the pink plate - we were so hungry, but I wouldn't let hubby have any until I'd finished photographing and it was the first plate I grabbed :o)

Vanilla Extract

If you're anything like me, you probably use vanilla extract like it's going out of fashion.  In all these years though I've never actually made it myself, which seems mind boggling to me seeing as it's so easy and there's usually a very special place reserved in my freezer for the vodka bottle!!!

So here it is, the beginning of homemade vanilla extract - I didn't have as much vodka as I thought I had left (oops!!), so I'll get some more on the weekend and top the bottle up enough to cover the vanilla beans, but you'll get the idea.  I'll also keep you posted on how it develops over time.

Vanilla Extract

2 cups (approx) vodka
2-4 vanilla beans
1 bottle or jar with screw lid

• using a sharp knife slice the vanilla beans down the length, leaving about an inch attached at one end.
• place the vanilla into the bottle or jar that you're going to use (I think my bottle used to have BBQ sauce in it at one time, but not too sure - it's about 425ml volume)
• pour in enough vodka to cover the vanilla beans, and screw the lid on tightly.
• keep in a cool place away from directly heat or light.
• shake the bottle vigorously every couple of days for 3-4 weeks, until the flavour has intensified and the colour has become darker.
• as you use the vanilla extract, top up with more vodka when the volume gets down to about 1/4; bearing in mind that the intensity won't be as strong for a while.
• the vanilla beans should last about a year before you'll want to replace them with new ones.

 Vanilla Extract ingredients.

slice the vanilla beans so that the delicious little 'seeds' can infuse into the vodka.

once I get some more vodka I'll top it up enough to cover the vanilla beans completely.

Strawberry-Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Well the holiday season is officially over for another year.  All the decorations and lights have been taken down and packed away - the last of the delicious rum cake given to us by a dear friend will soon be gone (hopefully we'll be on the list again for next years handout :o) - the Christmas DVDs have been put to the back of the drawer - but the thing that will be missed the greatest.....the TV channel showing the 'Yule log' 24/7.  A blazing fireplace crackling on those cold winter mornings with the burly plaid sleeved arm appearing every now and again to put another log on (and I didn't even have to ask him!!).

The main living area in our little cottage is basically a one big open plan room, so it was the perfect channel to tune into while I was in the kitchen - with our real wood burning stove on the opposite wall from the TV, it was really cozy.  I suppose now I'll just go back to the music channels instead :o)  In fact today I had 80's classics blaring through the house while I made these thumbprint cookies to fill the cookie jar.

Strawberry-Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
30-36 cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 - 1/2 cup strawberry jam (or your favourite preserve)

icing drizzle
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp milk

• in a stand mixer cream together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
• add the almond extract and flour and blend until incorporated - the dough may seem flaky but it will hold together once you start forming the balls.
• pinching off pieces of dough, roll them between your palms to form 1-1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• make a small indent into the top of each ball - I used the end of my small basting brush, but anything similar will work, even just your fingertip.
• fill each indent with jam, being careful not to overfill (you don't want it spilling across your cookie sheets while they're baking and ruining them.)  For ease I put the jam into a small ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner, using it as a piping bag - far easier and a lot less messy than trying to spoon it into each cookie :)
• place the cookie sheets into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to harden the cookies so that they don't spread too much while baking.
• meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 F.
• bake for 13-16 minutes, until the edges and bottoms are slightly browned - being shortbread the main cookie will remain pale so don't over bake them expecting the whole cookie to brown.
• let the cookies cool on the sheets for a minute then transfer to wire racks which have been placed over wax paper.
• in a small bowl whisk together the icing ingredients to form a smooth icing.
• using the whisk or a spoon, drizzle the icing over the cookies (the wax paper will catch any excess for easy cleanup), and let them cool completely.
• store in an airtight container layered between wax paper.

 Strawberry-Almond Shortbread Thumbprint ingredients.

cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping down the edges a couple of times.

the dough will seems quite 'flaky' but don't worry, it will come together fine.

form into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

this is my trusty, old basting brush (the bristles are a little on the bare side now, but it works great :) - the handle end was perfect for making the indents for the jam.

don't make the holes too deep, you don't want the jam oozing out of the bottom of the cookies.

to make things a little easier put the jam into a piping bag, or as I did a small ziploc bag with the corner cut off, to pipe the jam into the indented cookies.

after you've added the jam, pop the sheets into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to harden the cookies up.

mix the icing ingredients to a smooth consistency.

transfer the cookies to a wire rack ready to drizzle with the icing.

melt in the mouth.....mmmmmm.

Corned Beef and Cheese Pasties

We've all got that certain something that we go to when we need a little pick-me-up.  That comfort food that satisfies whatever it is you're craving at any particular moment.  Whether that's an actual craving for the food or for the feelings and memories that the food itself evokes.  If you're anything like me, you've also got more than one 'comfort food' that you go to....my Mum's roast potatoes; my late Nan's turkey gravy (I never took enough notice as a child to know exactly what she put in it, but I've never been able to replicate it, and unless she decides to send it to me in a dream, I'm never going to get it!!! :o); a bag of rainbow sherbet - childhood memories of purple fingers.....and then there are these little artery clogging beauties.

They're not for the faint hearted, that's for sure.  With the amount of cheese and buttery puff pastry in each one they are definitely only for rare and special occasions.  The very simple recipe originally comes from the landlady (Yvonne) of a small country pub that we used to go to regularly back in England.  After a lunch of pasties and beer it's a wonder any of us made it home without bursting....ahhhh, very fond memories :o)

Corned Beef and Cheese Pasties
makes 9 (4 inch diam) pasties - with some leftover filling

2 cans corned beef
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used some leftover 'nacho' mix, but try anything you have)
1 package (397g) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg

• preheat the oven to 375 F.
• open the cans of corned beef and put them into a large bowl; mince with a fork until broken up well.
• add the grated cheese and mix well.
• on a floured surface roll out the puff pastry to about 1/8 inch thickness and using a 4 inch cookie cutter or whatever you have, cut out 18 discs.  You can make these pasties smaller or larger depending on how many you want, so adjust the cutter size accordingly.
• crack the egg into a small bowl, add a splash of water and beat until slightly frothy, for an egg wash.
• assemble the pasties by placing one pastry disc on a flat surface, ball up some corned beef mixture to about the size of a golf ball and place in the centre of the pastry disc, flattening it slightly, leaving a 1/2 inch ring of pastry showing.
• brush the exposed ring of pastry with egg wash before placing the top piece of pastry.
• take a second pastry disc and stretching it slightly as you work, place it on top and mold it around the filling.
• using a fork press down the edges to seal them, pierce a couple of holes in the top of each pasty and place them onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• once you've assembled all of the pasties, brush them thoroughly with egg wash and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on size.
• let them cool slightly before eating as the filling can get very hot.  These are also delicious cold.

 Corned Beef and Cheese Pasties ingredients.

mince the 2 cans of corned beef until broken up well.

add the grated cheese and mix well.

the puff pastry that I used came in two of these blocks in the package.

roll each block out to about 1/8 inch thickness.

cut out using whatever size cutter you want - I used a 4 inch one.

I managed to get 18 discs, so 9 pasties.

make up your egg wash.

leave a ring of pastry around the filling and brush with egg wash.

stretching it slightly place the second pastry disc over the mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork.

place all the pasties on an ungreased baking sheet and brush thoroughly with egg wash before baking.

bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

flaky and gooey and cheesy and.....oh my!!!!