German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

When I was little, I wasn't a big fan of any salad that contained green lettuce leaves. I thought it tasted like grass and was better used as food for rabbits. I ate it, but many times it was very begrudgingly and only the smallest amount my mom would let me get away with. However, there was always one salad I didn't need convincing for and that was my mom's Gurkensalat (cucumber salad). I could happily eat a big bowl in one sitting without complaint.

Gurkensalat is as quintessential in Germany as Bratwurst, Sauerkraut or Schnitzel. Most families have a recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation with a few slight variations depending on the region in Germany. My love for this salad has only grown stronger over the years and I'm happy that my family loves it equally as well. In fact, this is one of my most requested recipes from friends who have tried it at our home. I've always told them "it's a little of this and a little of that", so I guess many of them will be happy that I've finally added it to my blog with a "real" recipe.

Cucumbers are mild and pretty neutral tasting, plus they are very refreshing, especially on a warm day. Making this salad doesn't require a lot of time, but there are a few key points to remember. I peel my cucumber and use a mandolin to get thin, even slices. Salting the cucumbers prior to adding the salad dressing helps remove some of the moisture and prevents the salad from being to watery. Fresh dill will really bring out the freshness in this salad, but in a pinch I've used dried dill before and it will work just fine, but in this case fresh is best. Last, but not least, while I use extra virgin olive oil for every other salad dressing or vinaigrette I make, for this salad I prefer a very neutral tasting oil like grapeseed oil which is a great healthy alternative.

This salad tastes best if it can "hang out" for about an hour before serving. It helps all the flavors meld together and makes it even more tasty. Gurkensalat is a great side dish for any grilled meat, but one of my favorite ways to eat it is the way my mom and grandma served it quite frequently, alongside some freshly made Käsespätzle (Cheese Spaetzle). I really hope you will give this recipe a try and that it becomes a family favorite of yours as well.

German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
~makes 4 servings~
(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 English Cucumber, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt


For the dressing:
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:
Peel and slice cucumber and place in a strainer over a bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, mix with the cucumbers and let sit for about 20 minutes to drain.

Meanwhile to make the dressing whisk oil, white vinegar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and honey in a small bowl until emulsified. Whisk in sour cream, onions, dill and chives.

In a bowl add your drained cucumber and your prepared dressing. Combine and let sit for about 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Notes: My mom taught me to peel the cucumber from the "flower to the stem" (top to bottom), this way if you have a bitter cucumber end you don't drag the bitterness across the entire cucumber.

Always taste both ends of your cucumber before using, there is nothing worse than a bitter cucumber ruining your salad.

I use a mix of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar for this salad. Over the years I have found that this mix comes pretty closely to the unique taste German vinegar has.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe
 
 

White Chicken Chili

I know I sound like a broken record but it is still hot in Arizona. Not "I'm melting" hot, but still hot enough that we are having a hard time recognizing it is fall by the time 3:00 pm rolls around. This is why I have decided I would just pretend it is nice and crisp outside and I started treating my meals as such. My youngest has also decided he had enough of this heat and started wearing jeans to school again, despite the fact that he is a sweaty mess by the time he arrives back home. He pointed to the calendar the other day and told me that he HAS to wear long pants after fall break because that's just what you do. Seriously, how can I argue with this logic?

I found this recipe probably a little over a year ago on Tasty Kitchen and it caught my eye right away. After a little bit of tweaking the recipe, it has come to be a family favorite, especially after a long day of school and soccer practice in the evening. The chili comes together quickly and while I realize you could make this with dry beans that have been soaked and cooked, it would defeat the convenience of the recipe for me, but if that's what you like to do, I say go ahead and knock yourself out. Chicken breast is cubed and browned along with onion and garlic powder in a big pot. The drained and rinsed beans are added along with chicken broth, green chilies and spices. The mixture is simmered for about 30 minutes and for the final touch sour cream and heavy cream are added. This ensures a perfect balance of spiciness and creaminess.

The soup has quite a kick, so if you like it a little milder, make sure to use less chilies or leave the cayenne pepper out. I like to serve this chili with tortilla chips and a little sprinkling of cheddar cheese, but a good cornbread on the side would be just as delicious. This is one of those meals that never has leftovers in our house and my kids fight over the last few spoons. It is also not as thick as a traditional thick chili, think of it more like a hearty soup with a kick. The spiciness of this dish will warm you nicely on a chilly evening, so make it tonight and get yourself all toasty warm!

White Chicken Chili
(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 whole medium onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cans (15.5 oz) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
3 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving  (optional)


Preparation:

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream. Serve garnished with cheese if desired.

French Onion Dip

Do you have a husband that on occasion will bring home some utterly delicious junk food from the grocery store? Well, I do, but mine only brings home salty snack food. I'm still working on getting him to buy all the chocolaty treats though. Anyways, one of those times he brought home a tub of French Onion Dip along with a bag of chips. He was even trying to be "good" and bought the low-fat kind. Calorie wise, it wasn't too bad unless you ate the whole container, but looking at the ingredient list I felt a little nauseous. I get extremely upset when you can't pronounce half of the ingredients in the product. I mean really, is it necessary to add all of this additional junk into it? Yes, I do understand that preservatives are necessary, but there are also a lot of unnecessary additives in convenience food. I'm very passionate about the fact that many of these foods can be simply prepared at home with great results. They do take a little bit longer to make than going to a store and purchasing them, and I know sometimes when in a bind they are convenient, but homemade is always better in my opinion!

I've made french onion dip before by taking sour cream and a Lipton onion soup mix envelope. Still better than the pre-mixed stuff, but after looking over the mix not much healthier. I figured there must be a recipe out there for a homemade French Onion Dip, and I was going to find it. Which is where Foodnetwork.com and Rachael Ray came to the rescue. I'm not the world's biggest Rachael Ray fan, but the dip sounded promising.

After cutting and cooking the onions along with some seasoning, all you have to do is add the onion mixture to the cream cheese and sour cream. That's it, easy enough, right? I had to tweak the original a bit, but not much. The result is a fabulous dip that actually tasted even better after sitting overnight in the refrigerator. This dip makes a lot, but can be halved easily for smaller gatherings. It can be served with chips, but is just as good with cut up vegetables or crostini. It is also a great dip to take along on picnic's or potluck's. This is definitely a new recipe to add to my collection to be made many more times.

French Onion Dip

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise then very thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cubes beef bouillon (I used 2 teaspoons of this)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup beer (or additional water)

black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

Salt to taste

Directions:

Place a medium skillet over medium to medium high heat and add the extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. Melt butter into oil then add onions and garlic cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bouillon cube to the pan with water and beer (or all water) and cook until it "melts" coating onions, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Season the onions with pepper, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to quick-cool a bit.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream and softened cream cheese using a rubber spatula. Stir in the onion mixture until completely combined, add salt if necessary. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Adapted from: Rachael Ray

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

A few weeks ago I received a preview magazine for Cuisine at home in my mailbox. After looking through it and loving a lot of the recipes, I decided to subscribe to it since I'm always trying to get inspired by new and different things. I received my first issue a few days ago and the poor magazine is now covered in little sticky notes for all the recipes I'm planning on making.

The first one I chose caught my eye immediately as I flipped through the first few pages. I picked the Shrimp Tacos. The picture just screamed "summer time" and they looked incredibly delicious.

There are 3 components to this recipe. The marinated shrimp, a wonderful (and easy) slaw, and an incredibly tasty chipotle sauce. What makes this recipe even better is that the shrimp are grilled, to us that means the oven stays off, which is an added bonus for us here, especially since our temperatures have hit 110 degrees F over the past weekend.

The meal comes together quickly, the shrimp marinates while you prepare the sauce and the slaw. Grilling the shrimp takes no more then a few minutes from start to finish, I would almost go as far as calling this a "fast-food" meal, since dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes flat.

I have always enjoyed a good fish taco and still do, but this is my new favorite seafood taco. The taste is absolutely mouthwatering and amazing, but what makes this even more interesting is that each of the components of the taco aren't calling for a whole lot of ingredients, but once you put this together it's so good.  I didn't make a lot of changes, but went ahead and used double the ingredients in the sauce since it was so tasty.

I served these Tacos with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans. Stay tuned this week for recipes for both of these side dishes. They were just as good, plus you don't want to miss this weeks Ice Cream Flavor, it is out of this world!

So if you are trying to celebrate summer to it's fullest, and you love seafood, then make these tacos, they sure were a hit at our home.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

~serves 4~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the shrimp tacos:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 pound (about 24)large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

For the chipotle sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 teaspoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

For the red slaw:

4 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt to taste

Directions:

Whisk together 1/2 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and chili powder for the shrimp. Add the cleaned shrimp to the marinade and chill until ready to skewer (about 10-15 minutes).

Preheat on side of the grill to medium-high and the other side to medium-low.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, chipotles, honey, and lime juice for the sauce. Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, or up to 2 days.

Combine cabbage, scallions, cilantro, 1 tablespoon oil, and vinegar for the slaw. Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, or up to 1 hour.

Warp tortillas in foil. Thread shrimp onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers.

Grill foil-wrapped tortillas, covered, over medium-low heat, 3-4 minutes. Flip and grill 3-4 minutes more. Grill shrimp skewers, covered, over medium-high heat, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove tortillas and skewers from the grill.

To serve, divide slaw and shrimp among 8 tortillas; drizzle with sauce.

Adapted from: Cuisine At Home

Streusel Muffins

Memorial day has come and gone and we sure had a fun weekend. It also meant we had a few house guests. And as it goes, when you are hosting, you always try to make sure everyone is as comfortable as can be. It also means providing breakfast for guests that spend the night.

Sometimes I will just set out bowls of yogurt, fruit, and granola, and let everyone fix their own yogurt parfaits. Other times I make a breakfast casserole the day prior that only needs to be warmed up that morning. This time however, I decided on Muffins. I don't know a lot of people that will turn down fresh muffins with a nice cup of coffee or a glass of milk. 

When I was searching for a dish to make I was trying to decide between a few different recipes, but I couldn't resist the picture that accompanied these Streusel muffins in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book, plus, I had all the ingredients on hand. I know I sound like a broken record by now, but again, there has not been one disappointing recipe in this book so far.

The muffins have a simple sour cream vanilla flavor that gets enhanced by adding a generous amount of cinnamon streusel on top. Think coffee cake meets muffin. The dough is made quickly, as is the streusel topping. Adding the streusel though without making a mess, is a bit of a challenge. Once baked, you make a simple confectioner's sugar and milk frosting, which then gets drizzled over the top to complete the muffin.

These muffins were the perfect wake up call, and our guests left the breakfast table happy and satisfied. I hope you'll give these muffins a try, I'm sure you will enjoy them for a breakfast or brunch treat as well!

Streusel Muffins

~makes 24~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

Milk Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in vanilla by hand. Add flour mixture and sour cream; stir until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Sprinkle half the streusel topping over muffins, gently pressing it into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing muffins.

To finish, place muffins on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; drizzle evenly with milk glaze. Glazed muffins can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Streusel Topping

(makes enough for 24 muffins)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined but still crumbly.

Milk Glaze

(makes enough for 24 muffins)

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons milk

Whisk together ingredients  until smooth. Use immediately.

Adapted from: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes 

Dill Potato Salad

What goes better with BBQ than potato salad as a side dish? Really, it is the perfect accompaniment to pretty much anything grilled. But, considering that we have a lot of summer days in the south-west and my husband loves to BBQ, I have to have a big repertoire of go-to salads or we would eat the same thing over and over again, and who wants to do that? True, I do have a few salads I make often, like my Better Than Restaurant Coleslaw or my Susi's German Pasta Salad but I do like variety, so I try new recipes quite frequently. Some taste great and make it into regular rotation but many recipes I end up tossing out since they were not a hit with the family.

This potato salad falls into the "regular rotation" category. I love dill and use it a lot in my cooking so when I came across this salad it was a no-brainer for me. Unfortunately potato salad is never made quickly. And honestly, it isn't my favorite task when it comes to peeling the boiled potatoes, but the reward in the end is that the salad is always well received.

Starting with a good tasting potato is key for a tasty end result. I like to use Yukon gold potatoes. Their buttery taste works well in a variety of dishes, plus they keep their shape well. Celery, green onions and and a lot of fresh dill add freshness to the recipe. A delicious dressing that combines mayonnaise, sour cream and a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard make this potato salad a winner.

If you have room for another potato salad recipe this summer on your dinner table, then give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.

Dill Potato Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

3/4 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayo

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cooked but still warm potatoes and toss with the white vinegar. Set aside to cool.

Add the celery and green onions to the cooled potatoes.

In a separate bowl whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently add the dressing to the potato-vegetable mixture and carefully toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

Shopping at Costco is always an adventure. You never know what you can come across. On weekends when all the testers are out, you can actually make a meal of it, and unfortunately it also means more impulse buys since you think you "have" to buy the product you just tasted.

Costco's Sonoma Chicken Salad was one of those buys. It had cranberries, pecans and poppy seeds in it. This sets it apart from a lot of the chicken salads that are out there. It was mighty tasty and we all enjoyed it. The only downside of the Costco chicken salad is that for one, it is expensive, and for two, it also has some unpronounceable ingredients mixed in along with a high calorie count.

So in true fashion I decided to replicate the recipe, and we haven't bought one chicken salad from Costco since. It is a different kind of dish than what you might be used to since I add pecans, dried cranberries, poppy seeds, and grapes to my version which makes it incredibly delicious and look beautiful. Many people who I have served this to who were initially turned off by all the fruit, ended up liking it after all and I keep getting requests for the recipe. 

This salad can be served with crackers, with a loaf of good artisan bread or on a split croissant. It also travels well for picnics and potlucks. I hope you'll give my creation a try!

Sonoma Chicken Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin and bones removed, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 cup green grapes, cut in half

1 cup red grapes, cut in half

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl add chicken, celery, green and red grapes, and dried cranberries.

For the dressing whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gently toss chicken mixture and dressing together. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Fold in toasted pecans right before serving.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe, inspired by Costco

Almost Crab Salad

Many years ago I found a recipe for shrimp pasta salad in one of my cooking magazines. It looked and sounded good for a lighter summer meal. So I went looking through my freezer for shrimp which I could have sworn I had some on hand. Of course there were none, the only "seafood" I could find was imitation crab meat that I had bought in case I ever came across a recipe that would use it.

I figured I might as well try to use it in this salad and needless to say, it's been years. I've never made the original with shrimp since we've been in love with this salad ever since the first time I made it. Many times this is my go-to salad on a busy day since I can make it early in the morning and just let it hang out in the fridge till dinner time. I serve this often as a main dish with just a crusty loaf of bread and fruit (like watermelon) on the side.

The salad has a wonderful flavor combination brought on by the sweetness of the peas and the imitation crab. It also has a little bit of crunch from the green onions and a wonderful tart, creamy dressing that is enhanced with lemon juice and dill.

This salad is a great salad for those hot, busy days, I hope you give it a try!

Almost Crab Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound small pasta shells, cooked and drained

1 pound imitation crab meat

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) frozen peas

3/4 cup green onions, finely sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain yogurt*

1/2 cup sour cream*

1 cup mayonnaise*

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh dill, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

* Low-fat yogurt, sour cream and mayo can be used with equally good results

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, imitation crab, peas, onions, parsley, and chives.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour over pasta mixture and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

 

The other day my husband stopped at Costco on the way home and brought me a 4 pound container of Strawberries. What a perfect opportunity to make another of David Lebovitz's ice cream recipes. After looking through his book, The Perfect Scoop, I decided on Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream which can be found on Page 90.

This ice cream is very different from his Vanilla Ice Cream which I had made a couple of weeks back. This ice cream unlike the vanilla version, required not cooking a custard. The ice cream has very few steps, so besides slicing up the strawberries and blending everything together, which should take a max of 15 minutes total, there is only waiting time. This is truly an easy recipe as far as homemade ice creams are concerned.

It starts by washing and slicing your strawberries, then adding your sugar, some alcohol; which in my case I used Chambord (David uses vodka or kirsch in his recipe). Then the mixture macerates for one hour. After that, put the strawberries, which have juiced significantly, along with sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. The mixture then gets poured into the ice cream maker and frozen to the ice cream makers manufacturers instructions.

This ice cream did not disappoint either. It was full of strawberry flavor that was only enhanced by the sour cream, heavy cream, and Chambord but overall, the strawberries were the star in this frozen concoction. Everyone in the house enjoyed this ice cream immensely which I will be making again as long as strawberries are in season.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

~makes about 1 1/4 quarts~

Ingredients:

1 pound (450 g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

2 tablespoons Chambord*

1 cup (240 g) sour cream

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with the sugar and Chambord, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour stirring every so often.

Pulse the strawberries and their liquid with the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until almost smooth but still slightly chunky.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*If you are concerned about the alcohol you could leave it out, but I really think it enhances the berry flavor and certainly helps with the texture of the finished product once frozen.

Adapted from: David Lebovitz

Susi's German Pasta Salad

Growing up in Germany I was introduced to this pasta salad as a young girl. I guess my mom found the recipe sometime in the 70's in a magazine and it has been a family favorite ever since.

I always looked forward to my mom making this salad. I remember us (my sisters and I) putting dibs on the leftovers if there were any. I introduced my own family to this recipe many years ago and it has been just as well received. My children will also fight over the leftovers, just like I did many years ago with my own siblings.

This pasta salad is made quickly and tastes great with just about anything from grilled chicken, to pork, beef, or sausages. Sometimes I even leave the ham out and make it a true vegetarian option depending on who is eating.  Because of the mild flavor of the canned peas and carrots this salad has proven over and over that it is a favorite with kids even if they are not too keen on vegetables. The dressing isn't as rich tasting due to the sour cream content which will cut the heaviness of the mayonnaise but I've also made this salad time and time again with low fat ingredients with the same great results.

I hope you'll give my German version a try, maybe it will become a family favorite for you as well.

Susi's German Pasta Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

8 ounces Elbow Pasta 

1 (15 ounce) can Baby Peas, drained (I prefer Le Sueur Brand)

1 (15 ounce) can Baby Carrots, drained and sliced (Le Sueur Brand)

1 (6 ounce) pack boiled Ham, diced

1/2 cup pickles, diced

2 tablespoons pickle juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 tablespoon pickle juice

Pinch of sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Immediately add the pickle juice and vinegar, toss to coat the pasta. Let cool slightly, then add the peas, the carrots, ham, and pickles. Mix together.

For the dressing add sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Taste for seasonings.

Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe