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  • Welcome!
  • Air Frying
  • Main Dishes - Menu
  • Appetizers & Beverages
  • Desserts & Sweets
  • Grill Time!
  • Seafood and Fish
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups & Stews
  • Pressure Cooking
  • Contact
My Food Fantasia

Side Dishes

Cold Tuna Pasta Salad

7/18/2017

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If you like tuna casserole, Cold Tuna Pasta Salad is a great, light summer-time twist! This salad is refreshingly delish any time of the year, but I especially love it when it is HOT outside…and I don’t need to turn on the oven!

The awesomeness of this recipe is that you can add a variety of different types of veggies to make it to your personal liking or to adapt to whatever you have on hand. I always add frozen peas, green onion, celery, and tomatoes, but I also love stirring in a couple of different types of the optional add-ins that are listed in my recipe (posted below).

Because personal preferences vary regarding the “perfect creaminess factor” for a mayo-based pasta salad, the amount of Miracle Whip that I use in this salad can be adjusted to fit your taste…just add more to make it creamier. My recipe lists “1 or 2 cans (7 oz. each) tuna.” I like to add two cans because my family LOVES tuna! However, one can of tuna will work if that’s your preference.

A few pointers in making this pasta salad that I want to share:

  • I always add a couple of BIG pinches of kosher salt and drizzle a little bit of olive oil into my pasta-c00king water.
  • Be sure not to overcook the pasta…it should be slightly "al dente" so it won’t fall apart when it gets stirred into the salad.
  • When adding frozen peas or corn to a pasta salad, put the frozen veggies into a colander in the sink. When the pasta is finished cooking, dump the pasta and its water into the colander containing the frozen veggies to “thaw” the veggies in a flash. Then rinse the pasta with cold water for a couple of minutes…and you’ve killed two birds with one stone!

This recipe will yield a large, family-size bowl of delicious pasta salad. It's great served by itself as a light meal or as a yummy side dish. Enjoy!
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Cold Tuna Pasta Salad

12 oz. elbow macaroni
1 cup frozen peas
2 green onions (both green & white parts), thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, small dice
1 tomato, diced
1 to 2 cans (7 oz. each) albacore tuna, drained and flaked
1-1/2 cups Miracle Whip (or more for additional creaminess)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried dill

2 tbsp chopped dill pickles
1 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)

Optional add-ins (veggies cut into small dice):
Zucchini (peeled or unpeeled)
Green or red bell pepper
Cucumber
Garbanzo beans (drained)
Black beans (drained)
Corn kernels 

Cook noodles according to package directions (be sure not to overcook). Before draining the cooked pasta, add the frozen peas into a colander in the sink. When the pasta is done, pour the pasta/pasta water into the colander containing the frozen peas (this will thaw the peas perfectly). Then run cold water over the pasta/peas for about 2 minutes to cool the pasta. Shake colander to remove excess water. Place pasta/peas in a large bowl and place in refrigerator to continue cooling. While pasta is chilling, cut up the veggies you will be adding to the pasta.

To prepare the salad, combine the cooled pasta/peas, tuna, green onions, celery, and tomato (including any other add-in veggies of your choice). Then add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt/pepper and/or Miracle Whip if needed.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Note that when the salad is refrigerated, the pasta will absorb the mayo-based moisture. Prior to serving, add a bit more mayo and/or a splash of milk.
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Rosemary-Garlic Smashed Potatoes

6/23/2016

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Potatoes are such awesome veggies! They’re packed with potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins B6 and C, and they’re also low in calories (about 110 calories in a medium potato with the skin left on). I’m in awe of how many different recipes I continue to discover that incorporate potatoes as either the main dish “star of the show” or as a delicious side dish.

Many people may be “mashed potato purists” and believe the only way to serve mashed potatoes is to have them velvety, perfectly smooth, and no bumps-or-lumps whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong…I do love perfectly creamy mashed potatoes. I remember growing up and watching my Mom meticulously mixing away at a bowl of mashed potatoes with her hand mixer, adjusting the milk and butter ratio and mixing, mixing, mixing until those potatoes were the epitome of creamy mashed potato perfection! Those were some awesomely delicious mashed potatoes!

Even though “smashed potatoes” may be looked at as a “lazy way” to make mashed potatoes, trust me when I say that smashed potatoes will make you go “Mmmmm!!” About half of the fiber content of a potato is found in the potato skin itself, so I leave on the scrubbed-clean potato skins when I boil my potatoes. Adding crushed rosemary and smashed garlic cloves while the potatoes are boiling adds flavor (and the pieces will still stick to the potatoes after they’ve been cooked/drained). Using a potato masher, I like to “smash” my potatoes so they still have plenty of chunks left in them. The chunky potato pieces and the potato skins add a great contrast in texture compared to mashed potatoes!

In my recipe, you’ll notice that there is a lot of room to ad lib with the ingredients to make these smashed potatoes whatever consistency you prefer by adjusting the amounts of milk, sour cream, and margarine. You can see two different possible consistencies in these two pics…one was more creamy/smooth, the other was less creamy and more chunky.

As a side note (even though I didn’t list it in the recipe), sometimes I will mix in a handful of real bacon bits (not the “fake bacon” stuff!) to change things up a bit. Any leftovers are easily reheated in the microwave, with just a splash or two of milk to bring back more creaminess.


My Rosemary-Garlic Smashed Potatoes are great served as a side dish with a simple dinner or with grilled main dishes. They're impressive and go well with a holiday meal like turkey, duck, prime rib, or ham. And…these smashed potatoes are SO GOOD that you can eat them plain and you won’t miss the gravy! Enjoy!

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Rosemary-Garlic Smashed Potatoes

2 1/2 to 3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes, scrubbed & quartered
2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup low-fat milk (or more)*
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream (or more)*
2 to 3 tablespoons margarine (or more)*
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon each dried bail, oregano, and parsley
1/2 to 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese**

After scrubbing and cutting the potatoes, add to stockpot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add smashed garlic, rosemary, and kosher salt; bring to boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain potatoes into a large strainer in sink (don’t rinse). Place potatoes into a large mixing bowl, and add milk, sour cream, and butter. Roughly mash with a potato masher. Then add salt & pepper and the other herbs (paprika through parsley), stirring with a spoon; then fold in the shredded cheese. Add additional milk, sour cream, and/or margarine until potatoes reach the consistency that you want. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Notes:

* Start out with suggested amounts of milk, sour cream, and margarine; add additional (a little bit at a time) if you’d like to make the consistency creamier.
** Use the amount of cheese that you prefer (kind of cheesy or really cheesy). Shredded cheddar cheese can be substituted with any other shredded cheese of your liking.

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Fiesta Guacamole

5/2/2016

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Cinco de Mayo is coming up, and one of my favorite Mexican side dishes/appetizers is GUACAMOLE!  :)  I've experimented quite a bit to come up with my own really yummy guacamole recipe, trying to get the perfect flavor balance >>> creamy, with a little bit of onion, a tinge of garlic, the nice zip of cilantro, acidic balance of citrus, plus a little bit of heat. I think that finally hit the mark with my Fiesta Guacamole! 

Fresh cilantro really adds to the depth of flavor, but if you don't have fresh cilantro, you can substitute with dried cilantro. A good rule-of-thumb is 3 portions of fresh herbs equals 1 portion of dried herbs. Also, Roma tomatoes are perfect for guacamole (or pico de gallo) because they have fewer seeds, are very "meaty," and less watery. If you want to use regular tomatoes, the taste will still be great, but you need to cut out the seedy membrane in the middle of the tomato and remove the seeds, which will diminish the extra wateriness you’d have otherwise. I'm a firm believer in using red onion in guacamole, but if you need to substitute with white onion, that will work...but the taste won't be quite as authentic.

Fresh guacamole is amazingly delish, so why buy it when you can make your own? No additives or preservatives...just natural, creamy, homemade avocado goodness to add some “Ole!” to your dipping tortilla chips or your Mexican-themed meal! Enjoy!
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Fiesta Guacamole

1 cup Roma tomatoes (chopped)
1/4 cup red onion (finely diced)
1 to 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (minced)
3 avocados (peeled, seeded, and coarsely mashed)
1 jalapeño, optional (seeded and minced)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I prefer Chalula or Chipotle Tabasco)

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover surface of guacamole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (to allow flavors to meld).


This easily holds up in the refrigerator for about 2 days…but the color of the guacamole may change somewhat. Don’t worry, just give it a good stir…it’s still very tasty and safe to eat.

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Warm German Potato Salad

2/22/2016

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It's kind of funny how different types of food can bring back childhood memories. Both of my parents grew up in German households, and both of my grandmas made some of the most amazing German-heritage foods! My Mom also made some German recipes when I was growing up... so I have a strong sense of cozy, homeyness when I recall eating these types of food. 

I've eaten a lot of Warm German Potato Salad in my lifetime...and I just love it! Wait...if you're thinking, "How can you make a potato salad that's warm? What about the need to keep potato salads chilled? What about food poisoning?" Well, this isn't a "typical potato salad." There's no mayonnaise, no eggs... It's not a creamy salad, but instead is a vinegar-based salad. And, yes, it is served warm! Getting the balance of the vinegar (and sugar) correct is a key factor to make this very authentic and keep it true to my German heritage.

The ingredients are quite simple, and the salad comes together very easily. Warm German Potato Salad is a healthier, lighter option than a creamy, mayonnaise-based potato salad.... and that's a good thing, because I like to have a big pile of it on my plate when it's time to eat! :) It is simply heavenly to devour when it’s freshly made, and it’s just as good (maybe even a little bit better?!) the next day served leftover. Any leftovers need to be refrigerated, and the flavorful sauce will soak even more into the potatoes. Leftovers can be served cold (still yummy) or reheated in the microwave. (Note that if reheating, adding a few splashes of chicken stock helps to reconstitute the sauce a bit.)

My Warm German Potato Salad recipe is the closest replicate of the deliciousness that I grew up eating. If you've never had this type of salad, give it a try! And if you've had this before, you know what I mean when I say that this is SO GOOD!
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Warm German Potato Salad

2 pounds red potatoes (scrubbed, peels left on, and cut into large cubes)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/3 cup cooked & crumbled bacon (I use packaged pre-cooked bacon)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Place cubed potatoes in a large pot; add water so potatoes are covered by about 1 inch of water. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Partially cover pot with lid; cook and stir occasionally, until potatoes are tender. Drain and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onions and sauté until tender. Reduce heat to low; then add sugar, flour, salt, pepper, celery seed, and mustard powder. Stir constantly until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in crumbled bacon, water, and vinegars. Then heat mixture to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Pour vinegar mixture over warm potatoes and gently stir to coat potatoes; place salad in serving dish and enjoy while warm. Refrigerate any leftovers. When serving leftover salad, it’s great heated up in the microwave or served cold.
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