Ham and Peas Macaroni Salad

Since the pandemic began, we haven’t eaten inside a restaurant. We have visited a few outdoor places, but we are definitely not ready to take a chance on inside dining yet. I find that I really don’t miss it much.  And what I do miss, I am trying to recreate.

That brings us to this tale of Ruby Tuesday’s ham and peas macaroni salad.  That stuff is so damned good. This took a few tries. I think I got it if not perfect then pretty close. I bought a ham steak and rinsed it to remove the salt. I also used homemade dressing. You can just use your favorite brand. You can also substitute any or all of the mayo with ranch. I used baby bells to add a little color, but if you are being true to the RT salad, use green bell peppers.

Now, if I could figure out how to make those pumpernickel croutons….

 

Servings: 6- ½ cup servings (seriously, who eats that little?)
Time:  Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 9 minutes, Chill: 2 hours
Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a mixing bowl, a pot, a colander, a large storage container

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta
• ½ cup ranch dressing (your favorite brand or make your own) + 2 tablespoons
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 small bell pepper, diced (½  cup) I used 2 baby bells, one red and one yellow for color
• 1 cup diced, cooked ham
• ½  cup frozen peas
• Salt and pepper

1.  Place the frozen peas in the colander. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain the pasta over the peas. Rinse in very cold water and allow to drain completely.
2. Dice the bell pepper, removing the white pith and seeds. Rinse and dice the ham. Try to make the dice of both the same size.
3. Mix everything with mayo and ½ cup ranch. Reserve the rest of the ranch for later. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
4. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
5. Mix in the reserved dressing and more black pepper just before serving. (Pasta is thirsty and will soak up dressing. The reserved stuff will ensure that your salad is creamy.)

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Honey Walnut Shrimp

If you’ve ever eaten at Panda Express, you’ve probably had this dish. Crispy shrimp and glazed walnuts make a tasty combo. Now, you can have it at home, in the middle of the night, in your underwear.

Figuring out the sauce was the hard part. I know that Bang Bang Shrimp’s secret ingredient is mayo and to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs you need ketchup, so I went the condiment route. Mayo it is! Then honey and cream complete the simple sauce, which I will be serving over other dishes. Panda Express uses tempura batter, but I took a short cut. Easy is my favorite flavor.

Servings: 3-4

Time:  Prep: 20 minutes; Cooking:  20 minutes; Shrimp in 40 minutes

Hardware:  A measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knife, 3 deep bowls, a whisk, tongs, a skimmer or a slotted spoon, a saucepan, a deep, heavy skillet, a parchment covered, plate a paper towel covered plate, an oil thermometer

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup walnuts
• Salt & Pepper
• 1-pound large shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup mayo
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Oil to fill the large skillet halfway
• Cooked white rice and 2 green onions

1. Slice the green onion. Generously salt and pepper the shrimp. Set aside.
2. Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium. When the sugar has dissolved, add the walnuts and boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove the walnuts with the slotted spoon and allow to cool on the parchment covered plate.
3. Add enough oil to fill the heavy skillet up halfway. Heat it on medium high. When the temperature reaches 375°, the pan is ready.
4. Beat the eggs in one bowl. Place the cornstarch in another. Dip the shrimp first in the egg mixture, then in the cornstarch and then place in the hot oil. Fry them for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Use the tongs to turn halfway through. Don’t crowd the shrimp. You may need to cook them in batches. Move them from the oil to the paper towel lined plate. Keep them warm in the oven on the lowest setting.
5. When the shrimp are finished whisk the mayo, honey and heavy cream together in the third bowl. Toss the warm shrimp and walnuts with the sauce.
6. To serve, place cooked white rice in a bowl, add some shrimp, walnuts and sauce, then garnish with slices of green onion.

Yum! Yum! Shrimp Tacos

If you have ever been to Bonefish® and had their Bang Bang Shrimp® then you know how delicious they are.  When I am craving them, I can sometimes convince Jeff to get dressed, drive across town, and spend a bunch of money to get them.  Sometimes, but not always.  I decided that I would try to figure out how to make them, so that I could have them at home, in my lounge shorts, for much cheaper whenever I want.  While this is not exactly like Bang Bang Shrimp, it’s darned close.  See what you think.

I filed this under sandwiches, because I imagine people looking for tacos are looking for something more taco-y.  You can use your own hot sauce, but nothing smoky.  I like heat, so I added a little powdered habanero into the flour. Even if you don't like heat, this is meant to be spicy.  Add as much spicy as you can. I served mine with slices of lightly salted tomatoes as a side dish.  You can also offer sour cream to your guests, as this helps with spicy food.

Yum! Yum! Shrimp Tacos

Serves: 4-6

Time:   Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a heavy skillet (for frying), 2 shallow bowls, a mixing bowl, a slotted metal spoon (or a spider/skimmer), an oil thermometer, a whisk, a rubber spatula, a paper towel covered plate, a plate and a paper towel 

Ingredients:

Shrimp

• 1 pound large shrimp (21-25 count)
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• oil for frying

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Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons Sriacha sauce* (or more depending on your taste)

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• 2 green onions
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 8 small flour tortillas

1. Clean the shrimp. Generously salt & pepper. Set aside.
2. Chop the green onions and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs in one of the shallow bowls.
4. Mix the flour, corn starch, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of salt and pepper in the second bowl.
5. Add enough oil to fill the heavy skillet up half way.  Heat it on medium high.  When the temperature reaches 375°, the pan is ready.
6. Place the shrimp into the flour and shake as much flour as you can from the shrimp.  Dip the shrimp into the egg mixture and back into the flour mixture to create a crust.
7. Fry the shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through.  Don’t crowd them.  You may need to cook them in batches.  Use the thermometer to keep the temperature between 370° and 375°. Using the slotted spoon, move them from the oil to the paper towel covered plate.  You can keep them warm by placing the plate in the oven on the lowest setting.
8. While the shrimp is cooking whisk the mayo, chili sauce, and hot sauce together. Adjust with salt and pepper.
9. When the shrimp is done, toss all the shrimp with the sauce and green onions.
10. Wrap the tortillas in a moistened paper towel and microwave them, on a plate, for 30 seconds.
11. To serve, place some shredded cabbage on each tortilla then top with some shrimp. Yum! Yum! Indeed.

Penne Pasta in a Zesty Tomato Cheese Sauce

Here are the ingredients in Hamburger Helper Zesty Italian Dinner:

Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Corn Starch, Dried Tomato, Sugar, Salt, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Dried Onion, Spice, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Dried Garlic, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Beet Powder Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Soy Flour, Egg, Nonfat Milk

The nutrition label states that each  ⅓ cup serving has 710 mg of sodium which is 30% of the recommended intake for a day. That is just for ⅓ cup.

This is my recipe for Penne Pasta in a Zesty Tomato Cheese Sauce.  My recipe has less sodium and no dextrose, maltodextrin, or partially hydrogentated soybean oil.  You can control the amount of fat in my recipe by replacing the Italian sausage with low fat hamburger.  You can also use whole wheat pasta and low fat cheese.  I threw in a chopped up fresh tomato with the pasta.  You could also add some cooked broccoli with the cheese.   If you aren't into spicy food, just eliminate the pepper flakes.  This recipe is just as easy to make as hamburger helper, but much healthier and tastier.

Servings: 6-8

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a can opener, a large pot or skillet with a lid, a wooden spoon,
Time:  Prep time: 5 minutes, cook time: 20 minutes, rest: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-14 ounce can low sodium tomatoes
• 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth (or water)
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 2 cups shredded provolone cheese

1. Chop the onion and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil on medium high.
3. Remove the sausage from its casing.  Cook and crumble the sausage with the onion and garlic.  This should take about 7 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, broth, milk, Italian seasoning, cornstarch, and pepper flakes to the pot.  Stir and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
5. Add the pasta and allow it to return to a boil.  Turn the heat down to simmer and cover.  Cook for 11-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
6. Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat.  Allow the pasta to rest for 5-7 minutes, uncovered.  The sauce should thicken while standing.

Serve with a Caesar salad.