Amish Macaroni Salad

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

2 cups creamy salad dressing ( Miracle Whip)

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

3/4 cup white sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon celery seed

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain, and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish. In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, white sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed. Pour over the vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Pasta Salad

1 (8 ounce) package small seashell pasta

2 eggs

2 ounces cooked ham, cut into thin strips

1 (10 ounce) package frozen English peas, thawed

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside.

2.Meanwhile, place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a full boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs into cold water. Let cool completely, then peel and slice.

3.In a large serving bowl, toss together the pasta, egg, ham, peas, and Swiss cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, green onion, mustard, mustard, and hot pepper sauce. Stir until well blended.

4.Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the pasta, and toss to coat thoroughly. Spread the remaining dressing evenly over the top of the pasta salad, all the way to the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly, and chill 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor.

German Potato Salad

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons dried parsley

ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peeled and cut potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Add onions.  In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes and onion. Let stand for 1 hour before serving to enhance flavors.

Zucchini and Tomato Salad

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

3/4 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

Pepper to taste

In a serving bowl, combine the zucchini, tomatoes and onions. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over zucchini mixture and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Parmesan Roasted Corn on Cob

1/2 cup mayonnaise

5 ears corn, husk and silk removed

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate. Brush a thin layer of mayonnaise on each ear of corn. Sprinkle the corn with the Parmesan cheese, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Wrap each ear with aluminum foil and place on the grill.  Grill, turning occasionally, until the kernels begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

Dijon Potato Salad

5 medium red potatoes

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 green onion, sliced

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with warm. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain potatoes and cut into cubes; add to the mayonnaise mixture and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Asian Salad

2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, crushed

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 head napa cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a medium skillet over low heat brown ramen noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds with melted butter or margarine. Once browned, take off heat and cool. In a small saucepan bring vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar to boil for 1 minute. Cool. Add soy sauce. In a large bowl , combine shredded napa cabbage and chopped green onions. Add the noodle and soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat. Serve.

Spaghetti Squash and Cucumber Salad

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

6 ounces pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 English cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and sliced

1 small red onion, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup olive oil, or more if needed

1 tablespoon garlic salt

black pepper to taste

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves into a large baking dish with the cut-sides facing down. Bake in the preheated oven until you can easily cut into the skin side with a knife, about 30 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool. Toss the cooled spaghetti squash, the tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, red onion, and garlic together in a large bowl until evenly mixed. Stir the lemon juice and lemon zest together in a small bowl; slowly pour the olive oil into the lemon juice mixture while whisking vigorously. Season with garlic salt and pepper; drizzle over the spaghetti squash mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Beth Bond is a certified chef with a culinary arts degree and a hotel and restaurant management degree from Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky. She also has several years’ experience in the hospitality and food service industries. She is a press association award-winning photographer and has several years’ experience in the newspaper industry. She can be reached by e-mail at beth@greenupbeacon.com