Classic Macaroni Salad

 Feast & Famine, Gluten Free & Dairy Free, Pasta, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian  No Responses »
Oct 112015
 

Macaroni Salad

If you’re making macaroni salad with gluten-free macaroni, then Tinkiyada macaroni or shells will give you the best texture. Other, corn-based, pasta products, do not work as well in macaroni salad as Tinkiyada does. If you only have corn-based gluten free pasta, then by all means use what you have. But if you have a choice, then Tinkiyada seems to have better texture when it’s cold.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Ingredients 

  • 2-cups dry macaroni or small shells, cooked according to package directions & well-drained
  • 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts
  • 1 (4-ounce) jar pimento
  • 8 ounce can green peas, optional (to make it pretty)

Dressing

  • 8 ounce jar mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons dry onion flakes
  • 1/4 cup pickle relish
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)

Directions

Begin by preparing the macaroni according to the package directions. After draining it, rinse with cool water to cool it quickly. Open the water chestnuts. Drain and rinse with fresh water if possible. Chop the water chestnuts into small bits. If you’re using the peas, drain them too. You can try to drain the pimento, but you dont’ have to.

While the macaroni is boiling, prepare the dressing. In a medium-sized bowl, big enough for mixing the salad, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Mix well. Add the well-drained macaroni, water chestnuts, pimento and optionally, the peas. Mix well. Try to be gentle with the peas.

If possible, allow the salad to sit for 30-minutes before serving to blend the flavors.

To make a meal, serve with ham or SPAM and cheese sandwiches or baked ham or fried SPAM and green beans. Add canned peaches to cover all of your nutritional bases.

Spaghetti with Anchovies, Garlic & Red Pepper

 Feast & Famine, Gluten Free & Dairy Free, Recipes  2 Responses »
Oct 092015
 

anchovies

This is one of my very favorite meals in the whole wide world. A traditional homestyle Italian dish, it’s spicy, salty, warm, filling and delicious, especially when I’m tired, irritated and can’t bear the though of preparing anything more complicated. If you love anchovies this dish will become pure comfort food. If you don’t like them, skip this recipe all together—there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

To make this dish gluten free simply use gluten free spaghetti. The rest of it is good to go.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Red Pepper & Anchovy Sauce

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 ounce can anchovies packed in olive oil, undrained
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a small pot combine the anchovies, garlic and red pepper flakes. Half fill the anchovy can with a little of the water from the boiling spaghetti. Pour this water in the pot with the anchovies. Simmer the mixture over a medium-low flame for about 5-minutes, or until the anchovies disintegrate and the garlic swells a little bit.

Add this sauce to the drained spaghetti and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. Divide between 4 bowls. If desired top with fried bread crumbs or a little Parmesan or Vegan Parmesan Alternative. Spinach or green beans are good accompaniments.

Spaghetti Carburetor

 Feast & Famine, Recipes  No Responses »
Oct 072015
 

spaghetti_carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is a traditional Italian dish made with Pancetta bacon. It’s very good. This is not Carbonara, it’s Carburetor, or more commonly spelled Carberator, and is the plebeian alternative to Carbonara. My husband Fred, coined the title many years ago, and it has stuck ever since.

To make this recipe gluten-free use GF spaghetti. Hormel brand chunk ham is gluten-free according to their website, and I can attest to the quality.

I have not been successful in making this dish dairy-free. To my taste buds, dairy-free parmesan alternative just doesn’t cut it with Carburetor. Still, you may feel differently, so feel free to sub it in if you want to give it a try.

Spaghetti Carburetor

Ingredients

  • 8 to 12 ounces dry spaghetti
  • 1/4 cup butter or alternative of your choice
  • 5 ounce can chunk ham
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 fresh egg OR 2 tablespoons Ova Easy egg crystals combined with 3-tablespoons of water
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, or more to taste

Directions

First prepare the spaghetti according to package direction. While it’s cooking make the sauce.

In a small saucepan melt the butter or alternative over medium heat. Flake the ham into small bits and add it to the butter along with any liquid from the can. Also add the garlic powder. Simmer the ham until it absorbs most of the butter.

Meanwhile crack the egg into a small cup and beat it well. Or combine the powdered egg and water in a small cup. Stir until smooth and set aside. Measure the cheese and set it aside too.

When the spaghetti is tender drain it well and return it to the pot. Add the ham and butter, cheese and finally the egg. Toss well with a fork until the spaghetti is evenly coated with the sauce. Add a few sprinkles of black pepper and a little dried parsley if desired. Toss again and serve at once.

Technically speaking, this recipe is supposed to feed 4-people of moderate appetites, as part of a meal. In reality I have seen a hungry mountain man, who had hiked all day in the snow, eat the entire thing in one sitting and then have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dessert. In my experience, when prepared with 12-ounces of pasta, this recipe makes enough for 2-very hungry people, as part of a meal, or 3-people of more moderate appetites. If you are serving a hungry family of 5 or 6 you will have to double it. If you are playing in the snow all day, or doing lots of outside work, it will serve 2 as part of a meal.

Make it a meal by serving garlic bread, canned spinach, pears and chocolate pudding. In this case you might get as many as 4-servings out of the whole meal.

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