Mexi Pasta Salad

July 25, 20161 Comment

I am always on the hunt for a good summer cookout side. There are only so many times a person can make a great Potato Salad before you feel like you have potato salad coming out your ears! I have always enjoyed a good pasta salad though. So, I made it my mission this summer to perfect a great pasta salad and by golly, I think I got it… In fact, I know I got it.

This pasta salad is something different, out of the box and packed with fresh ingredients and delicious flavors all marrying to become one heck of a side dish. I served it at a cookout just yesterday along-side some BBQ chicken and grilled Montreal Steak. But, I can totally see it with some Southwest Turkey Burgers or even just topped with some fresh avocado and Grilled Shrimp or chicken.

The trick is not to gobble it all up before you get it to the party! I call it “Mexi Pasta Salad” because although I am pretty sure there isn’t an Abuela in Mexico throwing this together, it gives a good solid nod to the flavors of Mexico. With all your basic taco toppings thrown in and some cumin to spice things up, this salad is not your run of the mill deli get.

Add salt to a good size pot… a pot larger than you think you need for the pasta if possible.

Campanelle Pasta is what I am using today, you can really use any type of pasta for this.

Be sure to stir the pasta a few times throughout the cooking process to ensure nothing sticks together.

Here are some of the fresh ingredients you will need.

Some halved grape tomatoes.

Dice up that jalapeno into a nice small dice after removing seeds and ribs. (Unless you like a kick, then you can leave in as much of the innards as you like haha)

Dice up the bell pepper (any color is fine, I like red for it’s sweetness and color)

Once you dice up half your red (it’s really purple, I never understood why we call them red onions) pepper be sure to soak them in water for a bit to take out that onion tang that makes you cry, it’s a bit too strong for a pasta salad.

Roughly chop up half a bunch of cilantro.

Roughly chop a can of black olives. You can use freshly brined black olives if you like, but there is just something about the canned variety I like here.

Now for the little to no prep ingredients… Start with about 3/4 of a bag of frozen corn… If you happen to have fresh, please use that, I didn’t have any handy.

Rinse out a can of black beans.

Drain your pasta… I cook mine just past aldente. Also, I did not feel like having to wash another bowl, so my extra-large pot (Magic Pot from Pampered Chef) was perfect for mixing everything in together!

In a small mixing bowl, add in 1 cup of may.

To that, add about 1/2 cup of sour cream. This may seem like a lot of moisture, but we are adding a lot to this pasta.

Now the zest of one lime.

You could add in the juice of the lime, but I find the zest strikes just the perfect balance and the juice is really not needed… Save the juice for your Blueberry Mojito!

Next add in about 1/2 tsp of ground cumin.

Now a good pinch of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Mix your dressing.

Add corn.

Add beans.

Add dressing.

Drain onions and add in.

Add your chopping block stuff.

Mix together.

And for some extra crunch, add in half a diced english cucumber. If you prefer to use a cuke from your garden, just be sure to seed it first to reduce water content.

Mexi Pasta Salad

Serves 10-15 as a side

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta, cooked in salted water

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced small

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced and soaked in water, then drained

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 English cucumber, diced

1 can black olives, drained and roughly chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 bag frozen corn or 2 ears fresh corn grilled

For the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

zest of 1 lime

1/2 tsp. cumin

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare all ingredients as stated in ingredient list. Drain pasta. In a small bowl mix together mayo, sour cream, cumin, zest, salt and pepper.

Add dressing to pasta. Add beans, corn, both peppers, drained onion, tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers and black olives. Mix well. Taste for salt. Pour into serving bowl and chill at least 2 hours.

Low Carb Caribbean Shrimp Bruschetta

July 11, 2016

Last year at this time my family and I were just coming back and recovering from an amazing trip to Jamaica where we celebrated my sister and brother-in-law’s wedding! There was sand, there was surf, there was a beautiful beach chair and tropical drink waiting for me daily, ahhhh. I’m not gonna lie, it was nice!

Although I won’t be traveling to the Caribbean this year, there is always a vehicle to get me back there if just for a few moments… FOOD Food glorious food can really take you anywhere in the world and with this dish I am transported right back to those white sand beaches and clear blue waters!

If you are looking for a fancy shmancy appetizer to serve at your next cocktail party or if you are having a fun and festive Caribbean style get together, this dish is easy, delicious and can totally be made ahead and built just before serving! AND its low carb, gluten-free and super healthy!

Start with a ripened plantain.

Taking the peel off is not quite as easy as with a banana.

Slice thinly on an angle.

Deep fry in veggie oil.

Drain fried plantains on a paper towel.

Immediately salt.

Grab some bacon.

Cut bacon into three segments.

Sprinkle shrimp with some Jamaican Jerk Rub. This one is by Pampered Chef.

Pan fry in either butter or veggie oil.

Now you have three elements ready to go.

Gather these ingredients for your caribbean style pico de gallo.

I am using my Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor today because I want to be able to control just how processed the ingredients get, I want a small dice, but I don’t want to liquefy.

Dice up your tomatoes, red onion and peppers. For this, I am using sweet peppers, but you can totally use jalapeno peppers or even ghost peppers if you want to really go Jamaican!

Place the onion, tomato, peppers and cilantro in the food processor.

Process lightly.

Add the squeeze of half an orange.

Continue to process. Add in kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I added in some Portuguese hot ground pepper. (Pimenta Moida)

Cover the fried plantain with the pico de gallo.

Add a piece of fried bacon.

Add a little more pico de gallo.

Add your shrimp right on top and sprinkle with a bit more cilantro.

Low Carb Caribbean Shrimp Bruschetta

Yield 12 Bruschetta

1 ripened plantain, sliced and deep-fried in 2 cups Canola Oil

12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on

4 pieces of bacon, cut into thirds and fried until just crisp

For Pico de Gallo:

1 plum tomato, roughly chopped

1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

3 sweet peppers, roughly chopped

1/2 small orange, juiced

1 small handful cilantro

1 Tbs. Pimenta Moida (Portuguese ground red pepper)

1 tsp. Pampered Chef Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, plus more for shrimp

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Deep fry 12 slices of ripened plantains, set aside on paper to drain. Season shrimp with a sprinkle of Jamaican Jerk seasoning and salt. Pan fry with butter. Set aside. Pan fry bacon until just crisp, set aside on paper to drain.

For salsa, add in tomato, peppers, cilantro, onion, Pimenta Moida and Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste into a food processor. Process until a fine salsa is made.

Build your bruschetta = 1 plantain, 1 tsp pico de gallo, 1 pc. bacon, a little more pico de gallo, top with shrimp. Garnish with more cilantro.

Honey Mustard Slaw

March 7, 20161 Comment

Cole Slaw is not something I grew up liking. It’s healthy and fresh and crunchy, but every time I tried it as a kid, it really just didn’t appeal to me. As a result, I think of this more as an adult side. My mom would always get it as a side to her fish and chips or fried chicken plate. I think it’s something about that vinegary taste that turns kids off. But… You know what kids like? Honey Mustard. I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t like honey mustard. So, I thought for something a little different, lets see how the two marry.

I was making a hot pastrami sandwich and needed something to top it, but I didn’t want straight yellow mustard and I don’t feel like straight mayo goes with pastrami either. Hence, the Honey Mustard Slaw was born. My kids tried it and liked it! I’ll admit, they aren’t too hot on the Hot Pastrami Sandwich, so they got grilled cheese, but the slaw was a hit!

And the recipe couldn’t be easier, more affordable or more manageable as it lasts for several days covered in the fridge!

Start with a fresh head of cabbage. The fresher the better.

Slice off a couple inches from one side and wrap the rest in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for your next project.

Now Julianne the cabbage which basically just means to thinly and as uniformly as possible slice into strips.

Set the shredded cabbage aside.

Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of mayo to a medium size bowl with a lid if possible.

Add in a heaping teaspoon of stone ground Dijon mustard.

Add in a good splash of apple cider vinegar.

Stack up about 4-5 slices of pickle or one small pickle would be fine here too, this is what I had on hand.

Slice them up.

MIx.

Add in some honey. Try and invest in some good local honey, if you can, it’s really worth it!

Stir in honey and pickles.

Add in a touch of hot sauce, I am using Sriracha sauce here and only put in a little squirt. Depending on what you are using the slaw for and your heat tolerance, should determine how much you put in and if you don’t care for hot sauce, you can totally leave it out.

Add a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper and a small pinch of kosher salt.

The last thing I like to add in is a dollop of sour cream mostly for the tang and the creaminess.

My method of stirring is to add in the cabbage half first, coat with sauce and then add in the remaining shredded cabbage for the final stir.

Once the cabbage is completely coated with the sauce, you will want to let it rest.

Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. It will keep this way for several days.

Honey Mustard Slaw

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cabbage

3 heaping Tbs. mayonnaise

2 Tbs. sour cream

1 heaping tsp. stone ground Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp. local honey

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

4-5 sliced pickles, sliced into strips

1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

Make the sauce by adding mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, pickles, cracked pepper, salt and host sauce into a bowl (with a lid if possible). Stir. Add in 1/2 cabbage and coat with sauce. Add remaining cabbage and continue to stir until all cabbage is coated with sauce. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

Grilled Montreal Steak

May 22, 2015May 22, 2015

Grilled Montreal Steak has to be one of my husband’s favorite meals. I am always sure to make enough for that night’s dinner and then some left over for the next day. Not being a big fan of just re-heating steak, we use it to pop into Quesadillas, top a nice salad, or make some yummy Beef Stroganoff.

I used to use a pre-made Montreal seasoning mix, until one day, I ran out. But, we still wanted Montreal Steak, therefore, I came up with my own blend… and I have to say, we like it even better! You can make up a batch as you need it, or multiply the recipe and fill up a mason jar to keep it at the ready.

This steak would be perfect paired with Stacy’s Best Potato Salad and Low-carb Grilled Veggies!

Let’s start with mixing up the seasoning rub:

Start with making your own Montreal spice rub… You’ll need some kosher salt, dried crushed pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic powder, ginger and smoked paprika.

Add altogether and mix.

This is what you will end up with.

Now onto preparing the steak:

This is our favorite cut of meat. My butcher calls it “Beef Loin Flap” It’s got lots of connective tissue making it flavorful and juicy.

Although this is called a rub. we aren’t going to actually rub the meat just yet. Sprinkle on the steak on all sides pretty liberally.

After a few minutes, the spices start seeping in. You want to do this at least a few hours before cooking if possible. The salt really changes the meat.

Cover and place in the fridge up to 24 hrs before cook time… But, be sure to take the meat out about an hour before you are ready to cook it to allow it to come to room temperature.

This steak is delicious grilled outside on your gas or charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan. Just a warning though, if you are doing this inside, be sure you have good ventilation, you will need your burner on high for a properly seared steak.

Set your grill to high to get a good sear. Grill for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. If you wish to have less pink in the middle, now is the time to turn the burner down to medium and continue cooking — 6 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for well done. The meat is safe to eat once the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a meat thermometer.

Serve with some potato salad and enjoy!

Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe for Grilled Montreal Steak:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. steak (here we use beef loin)

8-10 Tbs. Montreal Steak Seasoning

For Seasoning Mix:

6 Tbs. kosher salt

3 Tbs. dry crushed red pepper

3 Tbs. fresh cracked black pepper

3 Tbs. garlic powder

2 Tbs. smoked paprika

1 Tbs. ginger

Directions:

Mix together all seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle seasoning onto meat, place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, store in fridge for 3-24 hrs until 1 hr before cook time.

Let meat sit at room temperature for one hour. Grill on high to preferred level of doneness. Meat should have an internal temperature of 145°F. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

*note: this is a gluten-free recipe.

Stacy’s Best Potato Salad

May 18, 2015May 19, 2015

My Dad LOVES potato salad. I don’t ever remember a time when there would be a family gathering or a cook out without it. So, years and years ago, I set out to make the very best potato salad there could ever be. I must preface this by first stating that I was never a huge fan of potato salad to start off with. This made my task a bit daunting, but I was up for the challenge!

Most potato salad you encounter consists of some bland boiled potatoes tossed with some cold mayo and if you’re lucky there will be some salt and pepper thrown in. Well, get that image out of your mind… this is not that.

Once my quest to develop the “best” potato salad was complete, it was a regular request from friends, family and co-workers! Everywhere I went, requests for this potato salad would follow. (So, be careful… because once you make it, it may be all people ask you to bring too! But, it’s so easy, that might be just fine with you.) I often get the comment, “I don’t even like Potato Salad, but I love Stacy’s Potato Salad, it’s the only one I will eat.” And quite honestly, it’s the only one I will eat too, as I mentioned, I am not a big fan of Potato Salad in general.

I think what makes it different is a combination of both ingredients and method. If you follow along, you will get perfect results every time. In the end, you will find this is a hybrid of potato salad and egg salad (the egg adds not only flavor, but an extra special creaminess.) The sauce itself lends some tartness from the mustard and crunch from the relish and an ever so slight backdrop of heat from the hot sauce and black pepper.

Let’s get started.

I start with red bliss potatoes. For this recipe I am using about 3 lbs. of potatoes, which is enough for a regular night. If you are looking to bring this to a party or a cookout, you are going to want to double or even triple the recipe. This recipe doubles and triples very well.

Fill a pot with COLD water. Don’t turn the burner on until after you have placed your potatoes in.

Dice to about the size of a quarter or slightly larger. Place in COLD salted water. This is necessary. If you place the potatoes in boiling water, you will change the consistency of the potato. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until fork tender.

Once you get the potatoes going. Get your eggs started. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with COLD water. Bring the water to a boil and shut off the burner. Immediately cover the pot and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain water and cover with cold water to chill. Perfect hard-boiled egg every time!

A perfect hard-boiled egg. (Sometimes I make an extra one and reserve for a sliced garnish, not today though)

Chop and set aside.

Start the sauce off with mayo. Your favorite jarred will be fine. But, be sure it is REAL mayonnaise, not dressing.

To the real mayonnaise add mustard (just plain yellow), relish (i use dill) a pinch of salt, a couple swigs of your favorite hot sauce and lots and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. My Dad loves black pepper, so I put in close to a full teaspoon of it. You can adjust this to your taste.

Now, add in the chopped egg.

Stir together to combine.

When the potatoes are done cooking and you find that they are fork tender, drain the water, but do not run cold water over to cool. You want the potatoes to be warm, even hot for this next step. Pour the mixture over the potatoes in the pot you cooked them in (this way you aren’t messing up another bowl.)

This is what you end up with. Sprinkle with paprika and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Once chilled, you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Best Potato Salad:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. red bliss potatoes, diced.

6 qts. cold salted water

3/4 cup real mayonnaise

2 Tbs. yellow mustard

2 Tbs. dill relish

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

pinch of kosher salt to taste

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

dash of paprika

Directions:
Prepare potatoes by placing diced potatoes in cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and watch for potatoes to become fork tender.

In the meantime, prepare sauce for salad. Mix together the real mayonnaise, mustard, relish, hot sauce, black pepper and salt. Add in the chopped eggs. Mix to combine.

Drain the potatoes and keep drained potatoes in the cooking pot. Add in the mayo mixture. Stir to combine. The potatoes and egg yolks will meld together. Top with a sprinkle of paprika. Let come to room temperature and chill for 2 hours.

Enjoy!

note: this recipe is gluten-free.

note: if you don’t like the taste of one of the ingredients, add a little less, but try not to eliminate it. For example, my sister is not a big fan of mustard at all, so I add a little less when she is coming over, but I don’t eliminate it as each ingredient has a chemical reason for being in the recipe. (and she loves it)

Stacy’s Deviled Eggs

May 11, 2015May 19, 2015

My family is heading to Jamaica this summer to attend my little sister’s wedding. It is a very exciting time. It is also a time to think about putting on summer clothes and dreaded bathing suits! So, my husband and I decided it was time to shape up a bit before the trip. Over the years I have found the easiest, most efficient and most effective way to drop some pounds is with a low (not no) carb diet and some healthy exercise! No fun right? Ah, but it could be. These yummy little deviled eggs just go to show ya that eating low-carb can be great.

I have always enjoyed a good deviled egg with its creamy spicy filling, so years ago I developed this recipe that I come back to time and time again whether on a low-carb diet or not. They are quick, easy and inexpensive. And they are great to serve at or bring to a party! So why not bring back this classic American appetizer this summer?

Each of my entries this week will be focused on something especially yummy and low-carb so that you can enjoy eating with your family whether they are following along the low-carb route or not! Each recipe will be great for carb lovers and dieters alike. And with summer BBQ’s starting all around the country, if you are watching those carbs, it’s always nice to have something to reach for other than those evil chips and brownies!

Start with a hard-boiled egg. To achieve the perfect hard-boiled egg just place your eggs in the bottom of a pot, cover with just enough water to emerse all your eggs and turn on your burner to high… once you come to a full boil, shut off and cover pot. Then set your timer for 12-15 mins. Done.

Crack your egg gently to try to avoid making divits in the egg… after all half the appeal of a deviled egg is its presentation.

For this recipe, I am using 8 hard-boiled eggs… but I always make one or two extra in case there is a casualty.

Empty out the yolks… (see there is a casualty, that will have to be the tester egg)

Now place the eggs on the deviled egg plate you will be using… I have one that goes into the freezer for summer parties, but this was for a pink themed spread, so I thought this would be a pretty plate to use.

Place all your yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Mash them up.

I’ve always made this recipe by eye… but, I can give you some general guidelines… two heaping soup spoons of real mayonnaise (a scant 1/4 cup)

One non-heaping soup spoon of yellow mustard. (about a tablespoon)

One soup spoon of relish. (one heaping tablespoon) This provides the vinegar that is in a typical deviled egg, but it also adds some crunch.

one squirt of Sriracha sauce or whatever hot sauce you like. (about one teaspoon)

One dash of cayenne pepper. (about 1/8 teaspoon) Be careful here, you can always add more, but cayenne pepper is hot hot hot.

Mash all your ingredients together. Then taste for salt and pepper. I didn’t add too much salt here, just about 1/8 teaspoon and about 5-6 cracks of black pepper to balance the pepper flavor from the hot sauce and cayenne.

Now, if you want to get fancy (and this was for a party, so I did want to) Place your mixture into a piping bag fitted with a pretty tip.

These are disposable piping bags that I use for my cake decorating… but, if you don’t have a piping bag handy, just use a quart sized freezer storage bag. Be sure it is freezer strength as the regular strength won’t hold up. Then just cut the tip of one corner off and you will still make a pretty design.

Now, fill your eggs. You want to come up just a bit higher than the egg itself.

Now add some garnish. I used a simple caper. I have also used a chopped up pickle in the past and that was yummy too.

And there you have it, a beautiful tray of homemade deviled eggs. Zero carbs and lots of healthy protein.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Deviled Eggs:

(serves 8)

8 hard-boiled eggs

1/4 cup real mayonnaise, scant

1 Tbls. yellow mustard

1 Tbls. dill relish, heaping

1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

kosher salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

Garnish: either capers or sliced pickles

Directions:

Cut and separate egg whites from yolks. Set whites aside. Mash yolks in a medium bowl. Add in all remaining ingredients and mash together. Garnish with capers or sliced pickles.

Enjoy!

*note: This is a no-carb, gluten-free recipe

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

Tag: summer

Mexi Pasta Salad

Mexi Pasta Salad

Low Carb Caribbean Shrimp Bruschetta

Low Carb Caribbean Shrimp Bruschetta

Honey Mustard Slaw

Honey Mustard Slaw

Grilled Montreal Steak

Stacy’s Best Potato Salad

Stacy’s Deviled Eggs