Tortellini Salad recipe

 ref: 

• https://marydisomma.com/blogs/recipes/luigis-italian-tortellini-pasta-salad-with-homemade-vinaigrette
• https://carlsbadcravings.com/italian-pasta-salad/

This looks like a "clean out the refrigerator recipe" but it's very tasty. I'm going to cut the ingredients in half as it makes a lot.

Dressing: Put in a jar with good lid and shake to blend

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil (if you have it, I used 2 fresh leaves from garden.)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• about 2 T. fresh, finely, grated parmesan cheese
• about 1/4 fresh onion, finely chopped (added here so lemon juice can make less sharp)
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. lemon juice (original recipe called for red wine vinegar which we don't have)

Cook for 3 minutes or until done in heavily salted boiling water (about 1 T salt)

• 6- 12 oz fresh tortellini (I assume any cooked noodles would work if you don't have tortellini)

Drain, then put in metal bowl, coat with some of the dressing and put in fridge or freezer to cool down while you cut up the rest of the ingredients.

Put in large bowl

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, cut into cubes
• about 1/2 - 1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half
• about 1/4- 1/2 c. artichoke hearts, drained, quartered (can use marinated ones)
• 5 mozarella cheese sticks sliced into "cubes"
• 1/4 - 1/2 lb. salami cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. Kalamata Olives cut in half (or some canned olives)
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. sliced pepperoncini, drained
• 2 - 4 T. fresh chopped parsley

Blend everything together and see if you like the ratio of everything. 

Then add cooled tortellini and the rest of the salad dressing. Mix everything together.

Can eat right away or wait until later.

Gluten Free Chocolate Beet Recipe

Basically just substituted grated beets for carrots in "May 6, 2022, Very Moist Carrot Muffins recipe.

Can make with just beets and it will be super moist. However the cocoa powder adds a very nice cake like texture.

25' @ 350 F, 24 greased muffin tins

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. (Sometimes I'll make and store several bags of dry ingredients so I can make these muffins a lot quicker)

• 2 cups gluten free flour*
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp crushed into a powder instant coffee.

Beat

• 4 eggs

Slowly add oil like you're making mayonnaise. You want the egg/oil mixture to thicken with many tiny bubbles and be cream colored. (I think this helps keep a dome top on the muffins and prevents the top from sinking. However they taste good no matter how they look.)

• 1 cup oil (I use olive oil but feel free to use any kind you like)

Add to egg/oil mixture until well combined.

• 3 cups grated beets (About 2 beets. I generally just let the chopped beets mound and overflow my 2 cup measuring cup. It's close enough.  I also use a food processor.)

Then add flour mixture and combine thoroughly. It is pretty thick at this point. Not really pourable.

Scoop into well oiled cupcake tins (I like to use coconut oil but if you have paper liners you could use those.) and bake.

You can tell the muffins are done by their smell and they pull away from the sides of the tin.

Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin until they are cool. It's easier to get the muffins out

*It doesn't seem to matter which brand of GF flour you use. 

I wanted to try it with rhubarb but my sister avoids rhubarb. Might try it with squash later in the season.

Cucumber Water, Rosemary and Ginger Water

 

Grandpa Ray's Sweet Refrigerator Pickles

 Blend together (heat in microwave if needed to dissolve sugar)

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• some dill (optional)

Then add

• small thinly sliced onion
• thinly sliced cucumbers

Kim's Meatloaf Recipe

 

Mark & Kim's Grandma's Cheese Torte Recipe

 Mark and Kim always asked for their Mom to make this for their birthday instead of a birthday cake. The story is that Grandma ¿DiAquisto? got it from the milkman.

According to AI Baker's cheese, also known as farmer's cheese, is a soft, unripened cheese similar to cottage cheese but with less moisture and firmer, crumbly texture. Mark says it's hard to find and is usually only sold around Christmas.