Citrus Olive-Pasta Salad

Alyssa found this recipe and was excited to discover we had everything needed to make it on hand. We were also excited that she made it--it is a refreshing and delicious salad.

Citrus Olive-Pasta Salad

1 pound rotelle, fusilli, penne, or bowtie pasta
1 cup pitted cured olives, drained and cut in half
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the olives and mandarin orange segments.

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, oil, rosemary, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, and orange zest. Pour the mixture over the pasta and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Source: Robin to the Rescue

Sauteed Carrots and Parsnips

Alyssa chose this recipe and made this side dish the other day. It is the first time Alyssa and Joshua remember having parsnips. Alyssa chopped the vegetables a little smaller than a 1-inch dice--which worked wonderfully for the relatively quick cooking time called for. We all thought this was a delicious vegetable side dish!

Sauteed Carrots and Parsnips

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, parsnips, and scallions and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the oregano and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the broth and simmer until it is absorbed and the vegetables are fork-tender, about another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Waldorf Salad

Alyssa made this salad for Dad's birthday lunch. It is nicely tangy, and I love the crunch of the nuts and apples in a tangy, creamy sauce.

Waldorf Salad

¾ cup golden raisins
¼ cup water
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 Gala or Braeburn apples, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 celery ribs, chopped fine (about 2 ¼ cups)
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Salt and pepper

Combine the raisins and water in a small bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until the water begins to boil, about 1 minute. Let stand until the raisins are soft and the liquid has been absorbed about 5 minutes.

Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey in a large bowl. Add the apples, celery walnuts, and plumped raisins to the bowl and toss until well-coated. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (The salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)

Honey Butter

This is the recipe for Honey Butter that was submitted to the Yancey Family Reunion cookbook by Serena Yancey. It holds shape nicely and is delicious!

1 pound butter
1 pound honey
7 ounces marshmallow creme

Mix together and serve on hot bread or scones.

(Note: I didn't actually make this much. I just used equal amounts of butter and honey and added a bit of marshmallow creme. Although it was so yummy that I wished I had made more than I did.)

Asian Pork Kebabs with Apricot Mayonnaise and Toasted Coconut Rice

The Apricot Mayonnaise is salty, sweet, flavorful, and absolutely fabulous! Make extra of it and save some to use on sandwiches, too. We served the skewers on a bed of toasted coconut rice.

Asian Pork Kebabs with Apricot Mayonnaise and Toasted Coconut Rice


Apricot Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger

One 1 ¼-pound tenderloin, trimmed of silverskin and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
Metal or wooden skewers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Coat a stovetop grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat until hot, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the Apricot Mayonnaise ingredients. Mix well, then remove and reserve ½ cup of the mayonnaise.

Alternate pieces of pork and bell pepper on the skewers. Season the skewers with salt and pepper. Brush the remaining mayonnaise mixture all over the pork and pepper pieces. Place the skewers in the hot grill pan and cook until the pork is just cooked through (still slightly pink in the center), 5 to 7 minutes, turning frequently. (I lined a baking sheet with aluminum foil, sprayed it with nonstick cooking spray, and cooked my kebabs under the broiler.)

Serve the kebabs with the reserved Apricot Mayonnaise on the side for dipping.


Toasted Coconut Rice

½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup long-grain or jasmine rice
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the coconut in a dry medium saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Cook until the coconut is golden brown and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Add the rice and coconut milk. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 14 – 20 minutes (until liquid is absorbed). Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe source: adapted from Robin to the Rescue

Chicken Salad with Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette

We love Thai peanut sauce, and we were excited to discover yet another use for it. This salad is deliciously refreshing. It also makes a satisfying main dish perfect for hot summer days.

Chicken Salad with Peanut-Lime Vinaigrette

1 pound cooked chicken, cubed (we used rotisserie, but you could use leftover roast chicken or chicken from the deli section)
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes (I recommend seeding the tomatoes first)
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red onion
½ cup Thai peanut sauce (we buy it at Fred Meyer in the produce section—but you might find it with the Asian ingredients)
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups shredded lettuce (or just chopped lettuce)
¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, celery, and onion. Add the peanut sauce, mayonnaise, and lime juice and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the lettuce on four individual plates and top with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top just before serving.

Recipe Source: Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals

Sour Cream Blueberry Bread

I had some ripe bananas that needed used. I also happened to have a lot of blueberries in the fridge. So I decided to try this recipe. It turned out great! I quadrupled the recipe and baked it in mini Bundt pans, mini loaf pans, and bug muffin pans. All the shapes turned out great! (I tend to have trouble baking one large loaf of a quick bread--the crust always seems to get overdone by the time the middle is baked through.) I just adjusted the baking time appropriately for the size of pan used.

Sour Cream Blueberry Bread

2 medium-ripe bananas (6 ounces blended)
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (6 oz) sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup (2 oz) chopped pecans
2 large eggs
½ cup (4 oz) sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 heaping cup (4 oz) fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or desired pans) or spray with baking spray.

Mash bananas well with a fork or coarsely puree them in a food processor. (Note: I used the food processor to chop the nuts before I mashed the bananas in it.) Measure out 6 oz and set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, butter, and the 6 oz (1 cup) mashed banana pulp. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the banana mixture, and stir just until combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to break them up or mash them. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the bread until the top is firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 – 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Unmold the loaf onto the rack and let cool completely. Cut into thick slices to serve.

Recipe source: The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book