Macaroni Salad

1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1 green onion, chopped
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 small tomato, diced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cups English peas
Salt, to taste

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dill pickle juice

Mix mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Use dill pickle juice to thin to desired consistency.

Marjorie Stroud
Double Springs, AL
Winston Farmers Cooperative

Vanilla pudding mix
Green food coloring

Prepare pudding according to box directions. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring. Allow children to stir. The pudding “magically” turns green.
 

Milk
Green food coloring
Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add a drop of green food coloring into a empty glass. Add milk. The milk magically turns green!

www.theholidayspot.com/patrick

Pasta with Irish Bacon & Broccoli

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
8 ounces dried corkscrew or quill-shaped pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup de-fatted chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta in large amount of salted boiling water. While pasta is cooking, in non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon strips just until they begin to brown. Stir in garlic and onions; cover and cook for several minutes or until onion is soft. Raise heat to medium-high. Add chicken broth, hot pepper flakes and broccoli. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until broccoli is crisp-tender and still bright green. Stir in grated Parmesan and salt to taste. Toss with hot cooked pasta. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

www.holidays.lovingyou.com/march

2-3 grapefruits, sectioned and drained
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1 bag fresh baby spinach greens
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, thinly sliced
Optional garnish: goat cheese crumbles, additional mint and candied pecans

Prepare all ingredients and lay spinach leaves mixed with half of the mint on to a large platter. Arrange cucumber, avocado slices and grapefruit on top of spinach. Just before serving, ladle on Honey Tabasco dressing over top and sprinkle with desired garnish.

Honey Tabasco Vinaigrette Dressing

1/4 cup white wine or tarragon flavored vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

In food processor or blender, blend first
5 ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Mary Chamberlin
Compliments of TexaSweet
www.texascitrusexchange.com

Colcannon

2 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup low-fat soymilk
3 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut potatoes into large chunks. Add to a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add about one inch of water to a medium saucepan. Insert steamer basket, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add kale, cover, and steam for about 4 minutes. Remove kale and place in a mixing bowl.
Once potatoes are cooked, peel and add to kale.

In a small skillet, heat the soymilk and scallions, and simmer 5 minutes. Add to potatoes and kale and mash together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. 
Serves 4.

www.pcrm.org/health/recipes

Editor’s note: This is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipe made healthy. Give it a try!

Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

1/4 pound lean pork, thinly sliced across grain
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
5 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 pound lo mein noodles, cooked and still hot
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts 

Cut pork slices in narrow strips; set aside. Combine peanut butter, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, pepper flakes, garlic and sugar; mix well. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Add pork and quickly stir-fry until it loses its pink color. Add cooked noodles, peanuts and remaining 3 tablespoons oil; toss well. Add sauce and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

www.aboutpeanuts.com/cgi-bin/recipes

Lasagna

1 pound hamburger
1 box lasagna noodles (cooked by package directions)
4 large cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms, chopped
12 ounces cottage cheese
1 egg

Cook hamburger meat. Mix in tomato sauce, basil, garlic salt, green pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Simmer 3 hours.

Mix egg into cottage cheese. Layer pan with sauce, then noodles, then cheese mixture. Continue layering ending with sauce on top.
Bake for 1 hour at 350°.

Rhonda Baldwin
East Limestone, AL
Limestone Farmers Cooperative

Can be made the night before and kept in freezer until ready to cook.

Green Beans with Pecans

2-3 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and strings removed
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon parley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

in a 4 1/2 quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts salted water to a rolling boil. Add green beans. When water returns to a boil, cook green beans for 5-10 minutes, or to desired tenderness. Drain water from green beans and add butter, pecans, scallions and seasonings. Heat thoroughly and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Patti Cook
Silverhill, AL

Pecans! Not Just For Pies

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Inc.
Attn: Cooperative Kitchen
PO Box 2227  ·  Decatur, AL 35609-2227
Phone: 256-353-6843   ·  Fax: 256-350-1770
jima@ alafarm.com    ext: 605
joyceb@alafarm.com   ext: 618