This salad has just about everything!

Notes from our test kitchen; use your choice of chopped salami or seafood both will work well for this salad

Servings 10-12

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package dry rotini pasta
1small  head fresh broccoli, cut into medium-small florets
1 small  head fresh cauliflower, cut into medium-small florets
1 red onion, chopped
8 ounces chopped all beef salami or pepperoni OR 2 cups chopped imitation crab meat
8 ounces chopped mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese
1 (6-ounce) can sliced black olives or Kalamata olives
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

DRESSING:

3/4 cup bottled Caesar-Italian salad dressing
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (can use more)

Instructions:

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain rinse under cold water, drain well again then place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill a large pot with water; bring to a full boil.

Add in the broccoli and cauliflower florets; bring back to a boil and blanch for about 6 minutes; remove to a bowl of ice water allow to cool in the water, the drain well in a colinder.

Transfer the colinder to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.

Toss the cooked pasta with the chilled broccoli and cauliflower, onion, salami or pepperoni or the crab meat and olives.

In a bowl whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth; pour over the salad and toss to combine, adding in more salad dressing and/or mayonnaise if needed.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If desired you may toss in some grated Parmesan cheese.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes from our test kitchen; using good quality Italian canned tomatoes and tuna in olive oil will only improve on the flavor, do not substitute water-packed tuna, a good canned tuna is Progresso or Genoa, look for the small cans that are packed in extra virgin olive oil they are likely to be of higher quality — 4 vine-ripened red tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped may be used in place of the one 14 ounce can drained canned tomatoes

Servings 4-6

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (do not mince finely)
3-4 anchovy fillets
2 teaspoons capers
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (or adjust to suit heat level)
1 (28 ounce) can diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can whole plum Italian tomatoes, drained
1 (6-8 ounce) can Italian tuns in olive oil, partially drained (can add with the olive oil to saute in if desired)
1/4 cup light raisins
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add in the pine nuts and cook stirring for 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add in the garlic and onion, anchovies, capers and chili flakes; cook stirring for about 3 minutes breaking up the anchovies while cooking.

Add in the 28-ounce can of tomatoes with the juice and the 14-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, drained (or the 4 chopped fresh tomatoes) bring to a boil over medium heat stirring breaking up the whole tomatoes with a fork.

Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for about 1 hour  or until sauce has thickened, seasoning with 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh ground black pepper about halfway through cooking.

After the sauce has thickened slightly, stir in the tuna and raisins; break up the tuna into small pieces as you are stirring; return the sauce to a light simmer and cook for about 6 minutes.

Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Serve with cooked pasta.

Notes from our test kitchen; I have listed peanut oil for it’s higher smoke point, you may use a different oil if desired, you may omit the cayenne or adjust to suit your heat level

6 catfish fillets (4-6 ounce each)

2 cups milk

2 cups yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional or adjust to taste)

1 teaspoon white salt

peanut oil for frying

Instructions:

Place the fish fillets in a single layer into a shallow dish (an 11 x 7-inch baking dish will work well for this) cover with milk and chill for 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile in another shallow dish combine the cornmeal with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if using).

Remove the fish from the milk allow all excess to drip off, then place the filets on a plate and sprinkle lightly with white salt (1 teaspoon should be plenty for all the fillets).

Dredge the fillet into the cornmeal mixture shaking off excess.

Pour oil in a heavy skillet to depth of about 1-1/2-inches up the skillet; heat to 350 degrees.

Fry the fillets a few at a time (do not over crowd in the pan) for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Drain on a brown paper bag or on a rack.

These are just as delicious cold in fact I prefer them cold to hot

Plan ahead the salmon mixture must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before shaped and cooked, fresh cooked red salmon will work well in place of canned

I love a bit of spice so I usually also add in Tabasco sauce

Yield about 6-8 patties

INGREDIENTS:

3 (7-1/2 ounce) cans red sockeye salmon, drained (for the best flavor use only red salmon)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (a little more won’t hurt)

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (or 3 green onions)

1 teaspoon lemon pepper (or can use fresh ground black pepper)

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, or to taste (depending if you use salted crackers or not)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

crushed saltine crackers (start with 1/2 cup adding in more just until the mixture holds together, I usually use Matzo Meal)

1/3 cup all purpose flour, or as needed

vegetable oil as needed for frying

fresh lemon juice, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:—————————————————–

Place the salmon in a large bowl then flake with a fork.

Add in eggs, lemon juice, onion, black pepper, seasoned salt and garlic powder; mix well using a fork, then mix in the crushed saltine crackers.

Refrigerate for at least 4 or more hours.

Form the salmon mixture into about 1-inch patties and place onto a plate (have all the patties shapes and on a plate before starting to fry).

Transfer to plate.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over patties

Place about 1/3 cup flour in a shallow dish.

Carefully coat each chilled patty in the flour, then place onto a plate.

In a heavy skillet heat about 1/2 to 3/4-inch oil over medium heat.

Cook the patties about 4 minutes per side (make sure patties get cooked all the way through and are not still cold in the middle).

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over patties if desired.

This is also great between a tortilla as a wrap,  bread slices or scooped on a bed of lettuce, which ever way you serve it this will be a huge hit!

Notes from our test kitchen; 2 cooked chopped chicken breasts may be used in place of the tuna,  cooked turkey also will work, you will need to adjust the curry powder to taste or you may omit,  if I am making this with chicken or turkey I also add in some finely chopped garlic dill pickles.

Servings 3

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (low-fat or regular)

1-2  teaspoons Dijon mustard

pinch curry powder (or adjust to taste)

1-2 tablespoon sweet relish

1 (6 ounce) can oil-packed flaked light or white tuna,  drained

1 green onion, chopped

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped

seasoned salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 large croissants, sliced in half

soft butter (optional)

3 large lettuce leaves

3-6 slices Swiss cheese

Instructions:

Squeeze out excess moisture from the tuna using your hands, then transfer to a medium bowl.

Add in green onion, celery and apple; toss to combine.

In another bowl whisk the mayo with Dijon mustard,  curry powder and sweet relish (I suggest to start with 1/8 teaspoon curry powder and add in more to taste) add to the tuna mixture and mix to combine adjust the mayonnaise if needed.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and chill for at least 2 or more hours.

Lightly toast the croissant halves, spread with soft butter if desired then top with a lettuce leaf.

Top top each leaf with the tuna mixture , then a slice of cheese.

Cover with remaining croissant half.

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