All posts by Cak

Retired teacher. Eager food-blogger-to-be. Presently overwhelmed food blogger but continuing to feel optimistic and hopeful!
Recipes - Salads

Absolute Best Macaroni Salad

different mac

Ahhh, macaroni salad! Who doesn’t love pasta and veggies dressed with a special “sauce”? Because this salad keeps well in the fridge without losing its flavor or texture, it was on my carry-in list to my sister’s house for Christmas again this year. The secret to the salad’s great taste is found in the sweetened condensed milk used in the dressing. Cutting the vegetables for this dish by hand does take longer, an exercise in determined effort more than anything else, but the moisture the veggies release using a food chopper detract from the flavor of this dish and you will have better results taking the time to slice-and-dice them yourself.

The secret to the salad’s great taste is found in the sweetened condensed milk in the dressing. Use just enough mayonnaise to prevent the dressing being runny as this keeps the pasta from being overwhelmed. I already adjusted the mayonnaise amount; you should start with the smaller amount then adjust to your taste. This yields a large bowl of salad so it is a perfect choice for a “next day” menu as well. Do try this and let me know what you think; it is not the typical Hawaiian-style plate lunch mac salad, y’all, but it is a good alternative. Don’t over cook the macaroni and it’s all “duck soup!”

Ingredients

For the salad

1 (16 oz.) pkg. elbow macaroni, cooked, drained well
1 large onion, chopped, small dice
1 large green pepper, seeded, cut into strips, then cut, small dice
2-3 stalks celery, cut into thin strips then diced
3 carrots, shaved into strips then snipped small

For the dressing

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 to 2 cups Hellman’s mayonnaise, to taste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Celery seed, to taste

Directions Prepare the vegetables. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well in a colander. Prepare the dressing by combining the milk, mayonnaise, and vinegar in small mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt, pepper, and celery seed if using. Place well-drained macaroni in large bowl, add the vegetables and the dressing; stir well, folding the dressing in thoroughly to coat the macaroni. Scrape into large covered container and chill completely before serving. Store leftovers in fridge.

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Recipes - Desserts

Cherry Buckle

Cherry Buckle 3

This recipe is so simple that I may need to set up a “fast comfort food” category! The original recipe was inadvertently updated when I made a mistake and picked up a can of cherry pie filling rather than the can of unsweetened cherries the original recipe called for. The result featured a light sweet cake-like texture with plenty of fruit; Susie and I thought it was just fine so you may use either the pie filling or the original recipe’s can of unsweetened fruit.

A buckle is akin to a cobbler, but the dish gets its name from its tendency to fall on itself while baking; the batter is first added to the baking dish and the fruit spooned on top; as it bakes the batter tries its best to rise to the top and the fruit is doing its thing heading to the bottom so it all “buckles inward”. This old recipe came highly recommended from one of mama’s neighbors because the ingredients are commonly found on a cook’s pantry shelves. You need only keep a can of pie filling, or a can of unsweetened fruit, on hand and you’re good to go when you want something sweet and something fast.  Jazz it up with a tablespoon of heavy cream poured over individual servings.

Cherry Buckle

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 t. almond extract
3/4 cup milk
1 large can unsweetened cherries or other fruit, drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup additional sugar, to taste
1-1/2 T. half-n-half or heavy cream, optional

Directions Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in a 2-qt baking dish or 8×8″ pan. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder, stir with a fork to sift. Combine the almond extract with the milk; add to dry ingredients; whisk, blending well. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into your baking dish then top with canned cherries. Swirl the cherries lightly into the batter, add the reserved juice, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly then pour a little heavy cream on top before serving.

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Recipes - Desserts

An Old Favorite

Image

shauns pistachio angel delight

One of my hanai nephew’s favorite desserts (and he has already changed the recipe and made it even more his own), Shaun’s Angel Delight is a wonderful dessert for Christmas or any time at all. The mac nuts Shaun added in lieu of the pecans I used at Kete-Yama’s are a wonderful connection as well to our island home, Maui. And, of course, he used his favorite Pistachio pudding and not my recipe’s French Vanilla. I made this dessert daily at Kete-Yama’s, my small café on Maui, and it quickly became Shaun’s favorite. The middle layer is the custard so you can be creative here (i’m thinking chocolate pudding mix and adding chocolate shavings to the top instead of flaked coconut). No matter the flavor, the texture is always complemented by the crispness of the shortbread crust. Mama’s sister, our Aunt Lou, sent me this recipe when I asked at home for good dessert recipes for the café, and it became a reliable and popular item on our menu. This one you made looks so yummy, Shaun! Hark, the Herald Angels Do Sing!

Shaun’s Angel Delight

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup pecans, chopped small
1-(8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup of 12 oz. container Cool Whip, reserve extra for topping
2-(3 oz.) boxes French vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
Shredded coconut

Directions Preheat oven to 350. To make crust, combine flour, butter, and nuts in medium bowl. Stir well to mix thoroughly then press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan; bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool well.

When crust has cooled, make the second layer by combining cream cheese, powdered sugar, and the Cool Whip in a large bowl and stirring well to thoroughly blend. Spread on top of crust.

Prepare the top layer by combining the instant pudding mix and milk in large bowl. Beat well with electric mixer until thickened. Spread on top of the second layer and top with reserved Cool Whip, shredded coconut, and more chopped nuts if desired. Chill well before serving.

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Recipes - Miscellaneous

Christmas Brunch Toffee

Mamie's Toffee

Mamie’s recipe which I somehow totally missed when I was collecting recipes for the cookbook, so I am happy to share it now. Toffee Anything is a winner in my book, and this recipe combines a mixture of raw almonds, chocolate chips, and pecans with a buttery essence that just keeps your hand moving to your mouth. Mamie made several batches this year for sharing with friends as they left their annual Christmas Brunch at her home. Packed loosely in festive cellophane bags, it is a sweet way for ending a good day with good friends featuring good cheer.

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Measure and gather all ingredients. Place the almonds on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes on high, stirring once. Cook one more minute; then place on a foil-lined jelly roll pan in a single layer leaving space between.

Add sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt to a thick-bottomed 2-qt. sauce pan. Using a pan with a thick bottom will prevent the mixture burning. Stir mixture, melting over low heat, stirring continually.

Once melted, increase the heat to medium-high. Keep stirring (lots of stirring going on here) for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture turns a golden color similar to the color of the raw almonds. When it does, remove from heat and pour it slowly over the almonds in your prepared pan.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow chips to soften then use wide rubber spatula to spread the chocolate over the nuts and the prepared toffee in your pan. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans and allow to cool completely; set in fridge to finish chilling. After the toffee is completely cooled, break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

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Recipes - Salads

Cranberries in the Snow

this cranberry salad

Christmas is past, but, oh, how memories linger! My hope is that every blessing you enjoyed be magnified in the new year! Shared family time, often with a baby or several, means a new generation of your family growing and changing right in front of your eyes, and is there anything finer than Christmas excitement reflected in their eyes? The days after Christmas are sweet as well with all busyness finished and stopping to catch our breath before the new year begins. The holiday tables set with favorite dishes linger in my memory especially then. Our celebration this year was made sweeter with this cranberry salad. This old recipe of mama’s is a beautiful addition to any holiday table; it looks so festive plated with a Christmas turkey or ham. The sweetened tartness of the cranberry sauce is a perfect complement to the “snow” topping. This tastes even better the second day, or for a sweet late-night snack, after the flavors have mellowed. It is such a special dish, do try it!

Cranberries in the Snow

Ingredients

1 lb. pkg. fresh cranberries
3/4 cup water
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup pecans, chopped
1-(8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1 large box cherry flavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
1 cup celery, sliced thin
1-(7 oz.) jar marshmallow crème
1/2 pt. carton whipping cream

Directions Cook cranberries in water until tender and they begin to pop. Mix dry gelatin and sugar in large bowl and add cooked cranberries. Stir and allow to cool. Add pineapple, celery and nuts. Pour into a 9×13 glass pan and refrigerate until set.

Topping: Whip the cream and mix well in large bowl with cream cheese and marshmallow crème. Use a rubber spatula or a flat wooden spoon for this as it takes effort to get the marshmallow crème blended with the whipped cream. Keep blending until you reach a good spreading consistency. Spread on top of gelatin mixture and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

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