This has to be one of the easiest desserts to throw together, although it’s not the healthiest 🙂 , but it is so tasty, especially when served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream…OH MY! It’s a dump and bake type of dessert and the cherry and pineapple flavors go wonderful together.

You can definitely make difference versions of this cake, such as apple and cranberry, peach and blueberry or whatever fruit flavors you love. You can use canned fruit to make it quick and easy, or you can make your own fruit topping from scratch if you have the time. They all taste good!

You can make this a day or two in advance and after it has cooled completely just cover it and store in the fridge. Eat it cold or warm, but it’s easier to cut when it is a little warm. So, zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, or in the oven for 5 and then dish it out.

You will need:

• 1 large can of crushed pineapple (20 oz)
• 1 large can cherry pie filling (21 oz)
• 1 box of yellow cake mix (around 15 oz)
• 1 1/2 to 2 sticks unsalted butter, sliced into squares
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

Steps:

1. Remove about half of the liquid from your crushed pineapple then place in a baking dish, approximately 11″ by 7″ in size, and spread into an evenish layer 🙂 .
2. Top with big dollops of the cherry pie filling and gently layer and slightly swirl it in with the pineapple.
3. Top evenly with yellow cake mix.
4. Add butter to cover surface of cake mix.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown.
6. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, if you have the patience, then serve with vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers covered in frig.

Kali Orexi!

I have made this salad for years. It’s always a favorite at the table and one of my sister and husband’s favorite sides that I make. I can eat the whole bowl myself, if I wasn’t carb conscious! It is simple to throw together and has the perfect touch of sweetness and savory. It is better if you make it one or two days in advance so all the flavors meld together.

You can use any type of short cut pasta but I like using elbow, cavatappi, or chiocciole. Its the perfect size and shape to get a good texture and it has a sturdy base to soak up all the dressing. Plus, these shapes give a fun look to your salad.

This macaroni salad is on the sweeter side, although not too sweet. It uses sweetened condensed milk and some sugar for it’s sweetener (I recommend trying it as is and if you think it’s two sweet then leave out some of the granulated sugar and/or condensed milk next time), and salad dressing or mayo for the base. Then you add in several yummy veggies and you are almost there. If you don’t like peppers, then add in some chopped celery instead, you get the idea…use your favorite veggies. Let it sit in the fridge, at least overnight to 2 days, for better flavor. Let’s start making it!

You will need:

• 1 can condensed milk (14 oz)
• 2 cups salad dressing or mayo
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 1 medium white or red onion, chopped
• 1 large green or red pepper, chopped
• 1 pound elbow, cavatappi, or chiocciole, macaroni, boiled and drained

Steps:

1. Mix condensed milk, salad dressing or mayo, vinegar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl (big enough to fit the macaroni too), and mix well to combined.
2. Add the carrots, onion, and pepper and give it a stir.
3. Lastly, add the warm drained pasta and combine well, making sure all the pasta has been covered with some of the dressing.
4. Cover well and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to up to two days before eating.
5. Give it a good stir before serving.

Kali Orexi!

I learned how to make these while studying at the Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy in Thailand. They are quite easy to put together and so flavorful. You can smell their wonderful aroma from street food vendors while walking down various streets in Bangkok, or permeating thru storefronts throughout the day. These were one of my daughters favorite street foods while we were there all together one year, and is still one of her favorites that I make 🙂 .

These spring roll wrappers are filled with ground chicken (although you can use any ground meat you prefer, I’ve also made them with minced shrimp and pork, and with no meat but with extra cabbage, you can also substitute tofu), cabbage, noodles, and other veggies, then deep fried and served with a sweet chili sauce. So delicious that you feel the need to eat A LOT of them…and they are pretty healthy…until you deep fry them 🙂 ! I have also tried baking them…they get almost as crispy but they don’t get as brown as frying them, so if you want to “eat with your eyes”, as the saying goes, then frying them make them look more appealing…but if it’s healthier you are going for then baking them is a good option. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-30 minutes…until the edges are golden brown.

The chicken we used at the Academy was hand minced/chopped with a butcher knife. I can’t emphasize enough how much tastier the chicken is than buying store bought ground chicken. I do not like the taste of store bought ground chicken anymore, after having the house minced version. To make your own minced chicken (or any meat/seafood), just take a chicken breast (or 2 or 3) and chop it up with a cleaver, or any other type of knife that would work. Chop one way then the other and go back over it until you have real small minced pieces. It’s a great way to relieve some stress 🙂 . If you do this once you will not like store bought ground chicken anymore…be aware!

The noodles used in these are glass noodles. They are also called cellophane, mung bean, or bean thread noodles. They have that transparent look to them. In a bind you can also use rice noodles, but they change the texture/flavor a little. The below recipe has been slightly adapted from it’s original version. It will make about 20-24 spring rolls, depending on how much you stuff them. If you don’t want so many than just proportionally cut the recipe in half or fourths.

If you want to make these vegetarian just leave out the ground/minced meat and instead of oyster sauce use mushroom sauce.

You will need:

• 4 tablespoons canola/vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 coriander roots, chopped (or 16 two-three inch pieces of cilantro stems)
• 1 cup chicken, minced/ground (leave out and add more cabbage, or use tofu, for vegetarian)
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or finely julienned in 1″ or so slices
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce for vegetarian)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder (ground)
• 1 cup softened glass noodles (aka cellophane, mung bean, bean thread), pre-softened to package directions
• 2 tablespoons flour plus 1 tablespoon water to make a “glue”
• 20-24 six inch spring roll wrappers
• vegetable or peanut oil, enough for frying (or bake at 400F for 25-20 min)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 coriander root, finally minced (or 4 two-three inch pieces of cilantro stems)
• 1-2 red spur chilies (or fresno), finely minced (depending how spicy you want it)

Steps:

1. In a hot wok, add 4 tablespoons oil then add chopped garlic and coriander root and fry until fragrant (5-10 seconds). Make sure you are tossing it around with your wok spatula or whatever utensil you prefer…you do not want this to burn.
2. Add the minced chicken and fry until it is cooked and most of the moisture has evaporated, again continually tossing it around.
3. Add the vegetables (bean sprouts, cabbage, and carrots) and cook briefly, then add the oyster and soy sauces, sugar, and white pepper powder, stir to combine and stir-fry for an additional minute.
4. Lastly, add the pre-softened noodles, combine and remove from heat to come to room temperature, you don’t want to add hot filling to the wrappers, it will soften them. Also, after the mixture cools, if there is a lot of liquid left in it drain most of it before filling your wrappers. You don’t want them to get soggy.
5. Mix your flour and water to make a paste, you will use this to seal the end of your wrapper to itself.
6. Take a wrapper and lay it down (rougher side facing up so you won’t get bubbles on the outer side when it cooks, more for presentation) with points facing straight up and down and add about 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the bottom third of the wrapper and roll in from the bottom a little then bring in the two sides and roll almost all the way. Right before rolling all the way, use your finger and dip into the flour paste you made and run it on the whole open top point and then finish rolling.
7. Do this with the rest of the spring rolls and then start heating your oil to 350F and fry until golden. *See note
8. To make the sweet chili sauce, combine the white vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer until most of the vinegar smell is gone, about 15-20 minutes. Add the minced garlic, coriander root/cilantro stems, and chili’s. If you have a mortar and pestle you can roughly pound them instead of hand mince. Continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened. It will thicken more as it cools. Completely cool before using. You can make this a day or two in advance and have it ready.

Note: You can make these a day ahead of time by putting them in a sealable container and between each layer add a piece of wax paper. Add another piece of wax paper on top and then a damp cloth or paper towel on top of that and seal with plastic wrap and then the container top. The next day, heat your oil and fry. You can also freeze them right after you roll them to take out at a later date to fry at 375F. Just make sure that they are not touching each other when they freeze. Then just take them out and fry them from their frozen state, in smaller batches since the cold will lower the oil temperature, for about 6 minutes or until golden and warmed through.