Pasta Salads Never Miss the Mark

Janet Groene's
Pasta Salad Waikiki
    This make-ahead salad is a main dish for campground party or potluck. Assemble it up to two days ahead and keep it chilled. Don’t over-cook the pasta. It should have room to absorb the tangy  dressing. Vary the fruits if you wish, using a total of 4 to 5 cups. Ham may be substituted for the smoked turkey.

20-ounce can pineapple tidbits in their own juice
10-ounce can mandarin oranges in juice or light syrup
10- or 12-ounce can mango or peach chunks in their own juice
1 ½ pounds deli smoked turkey*
16-ounce package medium pasta such as penne, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups bottled citrus dressing
1 ½ cups whole pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

* Have it sliced thick, then cut in strips.
   
 Drain the fruit well, saving juices to make fruit punch. Combine everything but the coconut in a large plastic bag. Zip it shut and “work” the bag gently to mix everything well. Chill. To serve, put in a serving bowl and scatter with shredded coconut if you wish. Serves 8 to 12.
See more of Janet Groene’s galley-tested recipes including a weekly pantry recipe made with shelf-stable ingredients at http://www.boatcook.blogspot.com

A Sauce With Pizzazz

Janet Groene's
Mystery Sauce
    Whisk together three ingredients and keep the mixture in the fridge for up to a week of WOW reactions when you serve it on meat, fish, vegetables. Just a little does it, so be sparing and subtle. Make it different each time and nobody will guess it’s the same, easy recipe.
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup spicy brown mustard
1 cup jam or preserves*

* Try peach or apricot to serve over chicken, cherry or strawberry jam for pork or ham, orange marmalade for seafood or steamed carrots, pepper jelly for steak, sausages or a stir-fry of peppers and onions. 

    Blend the three ingredients of choice and give the mixture at least an hour for sugar to dissolve. Serve chilled or at “room” temperature. 

    Optional: you might add up to ½ cup of shredded coconut to serve this mixture with coconut shrimp, chopped pecans for pork, chopped walnuts for chicken. For turkey,  substitute whole berry cranberry sauce for preserves.

See Janet Groene’s tips for women in the RV lifestyle at http://www.solowomanrv.blogspot.com