Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad…

This is a twist on the classic pasta salad; it is a creamy ranch-dressing version. The bacon in my book makes the entire salad.

 I think if you added cooked cubed chicken, this would make a wonderful meal for a warm spring or summer evening.

The recipe does not call for it, but I like to add green onions, and two to three teaspoons of the bacon drippings. You can also replace the large tomato with cherry or jelly-bean tomatoes.

 This recipe can be made healthier by using whole-wheat pasta, low or non-fat mayo, non-fat cheese, nonfat or 1% milk and turkey bacon.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of uncooked rotini pasta

10 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons of ranch dressing mix

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon garlic pepper

½ cup of milk or as needed

1 large tomato, chopped

4.25 ounce can sliced black olives

1 cup of shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, dressing mix, garlic powder and pepper.

Stir in milk until smooth

Add pasta, tomato, bacon, cheese, olives, toss until well coated

Chill 1 hour before serving

**If salad seems a little dry, add in 1 tablespoon of milk at time**

Italian Kale Soup…

I saw a recipe on the back of a cracker box for an Italian soup that used sausage, cannellini beans and spinach. I then came across a recipe for cannellini bean and kale soup. There were things about both recipes I did not like.

 The Italian soup had noodles in it and it just didn’t seem to appetizing to me. It did have sausage,but since I used it the night before in red beans and rice, I didn't have any to add. I thought about putting ground beef in this soup, but didn’t think it would taste right. You could add a pound of sausage to this recipe if you wanted.

The soup is colorful, and full of all those good vitamins we all need, like beta-carotene from carrots, that can help guard against colds and the flu. Then there is Kale, which has quickly become the new super since people have discovered all of its wonder benefits.  

So what is so special about Kale?

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

As it stands right now you could switch the chicken broth out for vegetable broth and make this a vegetarian soup.

 I put salt and pepper on the ingredient list. I personally don't think it needs any salt, but to each their own. I think a few tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese on top when serving would be really good.

Ingredients:

1 med yellow onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons garlic, minced

Olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

6 packed cups raw kale, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 parsnips, chopped

2 cans (15 ounce) Cannellini beans, undrained

1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes

½ teaspoon ground thyme

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, add in kale and stir until the kale wilts

Add broth, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Drain tomato juice into pot; crush tomatoes before adding to pot.

Add cannellini beans and spices.

Simmer for half hour.