Here’s a tasty pasta recipe provided to us this week by Helen Koal of Cromer, Man. Helen writes that this recipe has served her family well for over 50 years!
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cucumber or 1/2 English
cucumber
3 finely chopped onions
2 diced tomatoes
2 c. cooked macaroni
In a separate bowl combine 2/3 c. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 c. canola oil, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 3/4 c. ketchup. Add this sauce to macaroni and vegetable mixture. Refrigerate. Stir several times.
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Helen’s recipe prompted me to look up Pasta from the Prairies: 70 great recipes from the Farm Kitchens of Western Canada. This was the Canadian Wheat Board’s recipe book, published in 2005 to mark its 70th year and to honour Canadian farmers who grow the fine durum that becomes the semolina used in pasta around the world. All 70 recipes are taste tested in farm family kitchens, so you can be sure they’re wholesome, delicious and don’t require hard-to-find ingredients. Here are a couple of selections from Pasta from the Prairies.
HAM AND
PASTA SALAD
This recipe was provided to the CWB by Angeline Bergman.
Salad:
2 c. cooked ham, cubed
1 small green pepper, chopped
3 c. fusilli or small shells, cooked and drained
1-1/2 c. cheese, cubed
1 head broccoli, cooked, drained and separated into
bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion (optional)
Parmesan dressing (see below)
Toss all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours before serving (or including in your picnic basket). To make dressing, shake all ingredients in tightly covered container.
Parmesan dressing:
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
Taste-tester notes: Wanda Jefferies said everyone loved this salad when they tried it on their Glenboro, Man. farm (their youngest boy picked out the pepper and onion). This is a very good option for a cold lunch, picnics or field lunch kit, Wanda wrote. She suggested trying it with a few black olives as well. It took her about 30 minutes to prepare and as for taste? She gave it four out of five stars.
Chicken With Sesame And Ginger
Karen Klimak provided this recipe for the cookbook.
3/4 c. Knorr sesame ginger marinade
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thin slices
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 c. snowpeas
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
4 green onions, cut into 3/4-inch diagonal slices
1/3 pkg. (5 oz.) spaghettini, cooked and drained
2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup marinade with chicken and seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok. Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Remove chicken and set aside in bowl. Add carrots, snow peas, red pepper and green onions and stir fry until tender crisp. Add spaghettini and remaining 1/4 cup Knorr sesame ginger marinade. Cook and toss for one minute or until completely heated through. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired and serve.
Taste-tester notes: Dorothy Weetman from Stewart Valley, Sask., said this meal was a great hit on her farm.
She fed it to four adults who all gave it four out of five on the delicious scale. It was also very
easy to prepare, taking about half an hour. The recipe made two very generous servings but would have fed four if the meal
included salad and dessert. This recipe could also work for a wrap, by adding chopped peanuts and a few bean sprouts.
