Jimmy Buffet Salad

 Meat

• • 1 lb ground beef - sausage mix

Produce

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 1 cup romaine lettuce
• 1 yellow onion, small
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage (optional substitute for fresh onions)

• Condiments

  • 1/2 cup dill pickles
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  Pasta & Grains

  • 16 oz rotini pasta

  Baking & Spices

  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic flakes (optional substitute for fresh garlic)
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder (optional substitute for fresh onions)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

  Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  Dairy
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Here's How

• 
  
• Cook the pasta. Cook the rotini pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
  
  Sauté the onions and garlic. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  
  Cook the ground beef. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
  
  Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and 1/2 tsp salt until smooth.

Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, ground beef mixture, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pickles, lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Pour the dressing over top and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Serve the salad. Serve the pasta salad immediately while still slightly warm. It can also be chilled and served cold. Garnish with additional shredded cheese and chopped pickles if desired. Enjoy!

Options...

Pick your favorite pasta. Rotini or fusilli pasta works great in this salad as the spirals hold onto the dressing and mix-ins well. You can also use penne, farfalle (bowties), or cavatappi.

Lean and mean. Use lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner) to avoid excess grease. You can also substitute ground turkey seasoned with a little beef bouillon for a lighter option.

Give it a flavor boost. Season the ground beef with additional spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder to turn up the taco-inspired flavors.

Strawberry Slaw

 

There are some times that you run across a recipe that just sounds too strange to be true!  Strawberry Slaw certainly got my attention this spring!  Such an unusual mixture of texture and flavor that I couldn't resist trying it and oh my goodness what a hit this is!  I hope this will jazz up your summer picnics and family dinners - it's a fan favorite here!

You'll Need:

1 bag of finely chopped cole slaw mix
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisins
12 ounces of lemon yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  

2 cups diced strawberries

In a large mixing bowl mix the cole slaw mix raisins and almonds.  In a smaller bowl mix the lemon

yogurt mayo. lemon juice. salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the slaw mixture and chill for at least one hour.

Add the diced strawberries right before serving.  Adding the strawberries at the last minute prevents them from getting soggy and bleeding into your dish making it have a pink hue.

Shrimp Salad

 

This is a great dish for a party or slip some on a brioche bun for a quick dinner.  You could even spoon this onto a bed of your favorite greens. This dish is full of protein and does not lack on flavor!  This is quick and easy with no cooking involved!

1 Medium ring of frozen shrimp cocktail (cooked peeled and deveined
1 Pound of frozen salad shrimp (cooked peeled, deveined and tails off)
1 Lemon
4 Stalks celery
1 Red bell pepper
6 Radishes
1 Small red onion (optional)
1 Package fresh dill (0.5 oz)
1 Cup spicy mayonnaise 
4 Tbl Dijon mustard
2 Tbl minced garlic
1/2 Cup shrimp cocktail sauce
1 Hearty pinch red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Thaw all the shrimp, rinse and drain it well before assembling this dish.

In a large mixing bowl add one medium ring of frozen cooked and deveined shrimp cocktail.  Cut the tails off the shrimp and save that sauce for the dressing.  Add in the salad shrimp and toss these together.  Add the juice of 1/2 a large lemon and toss all the shrimp with the lemon juice.

Prepare the celery, red peppers, radishes and onion into a small chop consistency.  Add the veggies to the shrimp and toss everything together. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the shrimp mix and toss it well.

To make the sauce add the fresh dill (finely chopped with no stalks) to 1 cup of the spicy mayonnaise.   Add 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 3/4 cup of shrimp cocktail sauce.  Add in 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and a big pinch of red pepper flakes and salt to taste.  

Mix the sauce with your shrimp mixture and put it in your favorite serving dish.  Garnish with the remaining lemon sliced on top. This dish is best after a couple of hours in the refrigerator.  You can easily make this in advance and let it chill overnight.

If you are not ready for a spicy salad, simply use regular mayonnaise and omit the red pepper flakes.

You can serve this as a spread with cracker assortment.  You can spread it on a toasted Brioche bun with some extra cocktail sauce on the bun or even serve it on a bed of greens as a salad.  

Cherry and Almond Danish

 

This beautiful pastry will make a lovely presentation for your guests and it's remarkably simple to make.  Filling flavors can be easily exchanged to suit your fruit preferences.  This dish makes a delicious breakfast, an amazing afternoon snack or an impressive dessert.

You'll need:

1 package (2 sheets) of puff pastry, thawed

Filling:

8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs separated - use the yolks in the filling, save the whites for the egg wash

3 Tbl white granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 Tbl heavy cream

1 can cherry pie filling

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Egg Wash:

2 egg whites 

1/2 tsp cold water

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature bring your cream cheese up to room temperature.  This takes 30 - 45minutes.  Preheat your oven to 400*.

Prepare the filling by whisking cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream vanilla extract, almond extract and egg yolk until silky and light.

Gently unfold pastry and smooth any creases.  Slice the pastry sheet into 4 equal squares.  Delicately trace a one-inch inner border using the back of a butter knife. Be careful not to slice through the dough.  This gives you a visual guide on where to place the filling.  Grease your baking sheet or get a parchment paper liner and place your pastries on the baking sheet.  I used two sheets and did 4 pastries per sheet in two separate batches.  Know your oven!  If your oven cooks evenly - go for it all at once.  I have trust issues with that lower rack and didn't chance it.

Dollop the cream cheese filling mixture into the center of each rectangle, maintain that narrow margin around the edges.  I used about a tablespoon or so per square. Crown each slice with cherries (try to use more cherries than gelatin in the pie mix).

Make the egg wash by blending one egg with a small splash of water.  Brush the pastry edges then scatter the almonds across the surface.  I added a good pinch of white granulated sugar on top - I just felt like it need a little sparkle of more sugar!

Transfer the baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastries are a rich golden brown.  Allow the danishes to cool completely.  Just leave them on a cooling rack on the baking pan for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract into a smooth glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pastries.

Store danishes in an airtight container lined with parchment paper and keep for up to 3 days.

To reheat place danishes in a pre-heated oven at 325* for 5-7 minutes until heated thru.

I had enough filling and cherries to have done a third sheet of pastries, just in case you are feeding a crowd, this can be stretched for another pan of goodness!  Grab an extra puff pastry and do it!

1. 
   

Coconut Bread

 

My New Years plan is to keep things simple in 2026!  Life is full and that is a blessing but there are somethings that just don't need to be so complicated.

When I saw this recipe, the first thing I thought was that I have all but one ingredient already in the house!  It was meant to be!  I hope that you love this as much as I do!  Simple and oh so delicious!

You'll need:

2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lilly)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs 
1 stick butter or 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup softened
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (could use vanilla extract instead)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup of sweetened flake coconut

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.  Cream sugar, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Pour in flour mixture along with buttermilk and coconut extract and continue mixing until all ingredients are wet. Gently fold in the coconut flakes.

Sprinkle coconut and a little extra white sugar on top of the loaf before it goes in the oven for added texture and it looks great that way.  Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray and bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until center tests done.  Makes 1 loaf.