Tangy Tortellini Salad

Stanley Park in Westfield, MA
(File Photo)

Pasta, any variety, always tastes delicious!  Layered between a meat sauce or with mozzarella/ricotta, parmesan or cottage cheeses, Pasta has always been a fave.  So, it not really surprising that in the warmer months Tangy Tortellini Salad finds its place as a side dish on our dinner table!  It has always made its presence on our large array of foods whenever we have a summer gathering.  It's one of those faves that after a very enjoyable afternoon chatting it up with family/friends just maybe a small portion may be located in my fridge after everyone has departed.  Yum! 

Tortellini Salad is a very easy salad to prep - which always makes it a picnic fave for me!  It starts with a 12 ounce bag (or 2, depending on the needed amount ) of tri-colored frozen Tortellini!

Tangy Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:
12 ounce bag (or 2) frozen Tri-colored Tortellini
Italian Salad Dressing - 8 oz.
Parsley, chopped
Chopped Onion
Garlic Powder
Black Olives, sliced - optional and delicious

Method:

1. Prepare Tortellini following directions on bag.
2. Drain, rinse with Cold water.
3. Place in bowl.
4. Add about 1/2 Cup Italian Salad Dressing.
5. Add desired amount of chopped Parsley, chopped onion + Garlic Powder.
6. Add about 1/2 Cup Black Olives, sliced, optional. 
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours.
8. Add additional Italian Dressing, if desired.

Do you have a fave summer salad in addition to a veggie salad or a fruit salad?

We Enjoy!
Yummy!

     

Baked Sockeye Salmon

Looking out my kitchen window this past weekend I saw sunshine, shadows, perennials budding and flowers!  It's quite amazing, considering the Halloween Nor'easter that visited my area of my state late last October.  Things are looking good and we are really thankful!

 
Yesterday, the Irises were still beginning to blossom, but our skies were filled with clouds and raindrops were falling.  The plan of Grilled "Wild Caught" Sockeye Salmon for dinner needed to be changed.  As during the cold winter weeks Baked Sockeye Salmon was a great alternative.  Yum! It's another quick and easy entree that tastes so good!   

Baked "Wild Caught" Sockeye Salmon

Oven:  350° F     Baking Time: 20 Minutes for a 1 lb. fillet

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with PAM.
3. Place 2 Bay Leaves in middle of baking pan.
4. Rinse fillet under cold running water.
5. Place on Bay Leaves, skin side down.
6. Drizzle about 1 to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil for baking and sauteing over fillet.
7. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon Paprika on top of fillet.
8. Bake in 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

It's always great to have another quick plan.  Baked "Wild Caught" Sockeye Salmon tastes delicious!  While on vacation or when at home, we enjoy seafood every week!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

          

Peachie Angel

Peachie Angel

The sliced peaches were flavored with Cinnamon & Nutmeg!  Four tender peach slices were resting on a slice of Angel Food Cake and 4 more peach slices surrounded the cake drizzled with a light spiced syrup.  Gracing the top of this delicious dessert was a squirt of Reddi-wip!

This fragrant light dessert did bring back the recent memory of dining at Poogan's Porch in Charleston, SC.  It was a wonderful dining experience tasting the delicious Lowcountry cuisine at this quaint restaurant!  Our entrees were scrumptious and we were also tempted to sample a mouth watering southern dessert.  While savouring the aroma and then tasting the light, appealing, scrumptious dessert that contained sliced peaches and a very light cake, I knew that I would try to duplicate it after I returned home.  It was good!   

I sure did this past weekend!  The Big Y's Bakery does sell Angel Food Cakes.  Del Monte sliced peaches in a light syrup were also purchased.  Easy to prepare and soo tasty!  The name of the Poogan's Porch dessert - I do not recall, so I am naming my light delicious dessert- Peachie Angel!

Peachie Angel   inspired by Poogan's Porch, Charleston, SC 

Needed ingredients:

(1) Angel Food Cake, cut into serving slices

(1) 15 oz. can Sliced Peaches, in a light syrup
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
Reddi-wip or Whipped Cream

Method:

1. Place sliced Peaches and syrup into medium bowl.
2. Add Cinnamon + Nutmeg and stir to combine.
3. Cover with foil and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
4. Next day before serving cut cake into slices.
5. Place spiced Peaches over cake slice and top with Reddi-wip.

This is a wonderful, quick dessert after a special meal on a warm summer day!  Whenever we enjoy Peachie Angel I will remember the gracious/ helpful staff at Poogan's Porch! 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Smelling the Roses...

Current Photo

...or maybe waiting for the Irises to bloom!  This is a gorgeous time of year in New England!  The early spring bushes/bulbs already blossomed and now my Irises & Chives are getting ready for their turn.  One AM I will open our front drapes and...

File Photo

    This is definitely a season to enjoy!

...and to all Moms... 

Happy Mother's Day!!

~Charleston~

History is FuN!  This past week we savoured the charm, the history and definitely the food in Charleston, SC and the city's surrounding area.  It's always a special treat to visit another beautiful part of our vast country.  Driving past or walking under oak trees with the Spanish Moss gracefully hanging down was fascinating.

Middleton Place

At Fort Moultrie we learned that at one time our country's flag had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes.  That is definitely a "FuN Fact" that I will be adding to my list (below my header) in the future!

Click on Flag to read History  

Fried Green Tomatoes taste wonderful!  When the local tomatoes are "in season" this summer I will be preparing this dish.  Gumbo = YUM!

This was a great trip to a beautiful area in the U.S.!
We did enjoy!
The food was so yummy!