Category: Sidedish

Macaroni Cabbage Salad

The Sunshine Inn Blog2 Comments

Macaroni Cabbage Salad

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: Easy
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With summer finally here, macaroni salad seems to be a staple in the summer. Like everything else, if you always make it the same, it becomes predicable and ordinary. I always seem to have extra cabbage in the house so I thought, why not. It will give it a crunch. Also I was short on mayo so I thought I’d do oil and vinegar and lemon juice. Here is the end result.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 head of a medium cabbage sliced really thin
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 large carrot chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper chopped
  • 4 medium branches of celery chopped
  • 10 oz (uncooked) elbow macaroni
  • 3 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup of lemon juice, fresh preferred but Realemon Lemon Juice is a good substitute
  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp of chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook elbow macaroni to al dente.
  2. Once pasta is cooked, drain and immediately rinse with cold water until pasta is cool to the touch.
  3. In a very large mixing bowl put cabbage, garlic, onions, carrot, all three peppers, celery and cooled pasta. Mix well.
  4. In a smaller mixing bowl, put vinegar, lemon juice, oil, sugar, chilli flakes, paprika, salt and pepper and mix very well until sugar is dissolved.
  5. Pour over pasta and vegetable mixture and coat well.
  6. Chill for an hour and serve.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 197
  • Fat 6.3 g
  • Sugar 6.5 g
  • Carbohydrates 30.7 g
  • Protein 4.5 g
  • Fibre 3 g

Pot lucks, picnics, and BBQs just scream for macaroni salad. Well at least they do here. I’ve always worried about it being out too long because of the mayo and feared it would turn bad. This recipe put my mind at ease. Now of course, this is one recipe that you can play with a lot. You have extra avocados, throw that in, it won’t go black because of the vinegar and lemon juice. You want asparagus that you have left over in the fridge, in it goes. Same with broccoli. This is a great way to use up your left over veggies. The only one I would really want to cook is the asparagus (too tough if not cooked).

This recipe screams for you to have fun and make it your own.

Corn Black Bean Salad

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Corn Black Bean Salad

  • Servings: 20
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Oil and lime based

On a July 4th celebration, a young chef asks the master chef for the recipe for the Corn Black Bean Salad he just had. The master chef gave a revised recipe as the original served 250. This version serves 20 side dishes. If you add an extra protein, it can serve 10 as a main dish.

Ingredients

  • 8-10 corn cooked and shucked
  • 3 large avocado cut in cubes
  • 3-4 limes juiced
  • 1-1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 2-1/2 cups of black beans (canned rinsed)
  • 4 bell peppers of various colours chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 jalapeno peppers chopped finely
  • 1 tsp of smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a very very large mixing bowl put all ingredients together (I used two large bowls and divided everything evenly)
  2. Refrigerate

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 197
  • Fat 10.5 g
  • Sugar 5.5 g
  • Carbohydrates 25.2 g
  • Protein 5.1 g
  • Fibre 5.6 g

You need to bring something to a large picnic? This is a great option. I’ve changed it up a little. I thought I’d omit the lime juice (didn’t have any handy) and the oil, and put in 1 cup of sour cream instead and that was a success. You can always do both versions by separating the salad into two mixing bowls. Then in one bowl, put half the oil and lime juice mixture, and in the other 1/2 the sour cream. Had leftovers so prepared a chicken breast on the grill and added 3 ounces to 2 cups of the mixture and that made a great meal. You could do this with fish, steak, tofu, anything at all. I can even see a hard boiled egg. Possibilities are endless as long as you can see it, do it. Remember to have fun and make it your own.

Sour cream based

Fresh Spring Rolls

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Fresh Spring Rolls

  • Servings: 15
  • Difficulty: Easy
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For those who love Fresh Spring Rolls in rice wrappers, here is an easy recipe to follow and just as good, if not better, than most restaurants, as they are your own design.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of spring roll rice wrappers, found in asian food section of most grocery stores, some are square some are round. Doesn’t matter which.
  • 1 package of vermicelli rice noodles, also found in the same section as spring roll wrappers
  • 2 mangos, peeled and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cut into thin strips (I use the peeler to make very thin slices)
  • 1 large english cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 lb of small, cooked shrimp
  • 1 bunch of mint leaves (fresh)
  • 1 bunch of basil leaves (fresh)
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water, as per package instructions, usually 3-5 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Gather all topping ingredients together, including veggies, herbs and cooked shrimp.
  3. Add about 1 inch of water to a large deep dish or pie pan. Place none rice wrapper into the water and let soaker just 10-15 seconds. It should still feel firm as you remove it and lay it on your counter or plate. (It will soften up as you add the filling ingredients, but if you let it soak for too long it will get too soft and start sticking together or rip when you roll it up.
  4. Layer 1-2 slices of each veggie, a few shrimp, a few leaves of each herb and a pinch of noodles on the 1/3 of the wrapper closest to you.
  5. Fold the sides of the spring roll in over the ingredients. Then roll from the closest to you out, sealing everything tightly together.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 80
  • Fat 0.5 g
  • Sugar 4 g
  • Carbohydrates 18 g
  • Protein 1 g
  • Fibre 1 g

When you place them on your serving platter, make sure they don’t touch. They will stick together. If that is the case, wet your fingers with a little water and gently rub at the two stuck rolls to separate them.

This is a nice cool light appetizer. You can serve with your favourite dipping sauce. A nice peanut butter sauce or a spicy chili sauce. The fun part of this is your filling. I have altered mine with spinach, cooked chicken, crushed peanuts. You can add bean sprouts, sliced avocado for a nice creamy texture, bell peppers, romaine lettuce. The possibilities are endless. They never have to be the same. Remember have fun and make it your own.