Earlier this week, I decided to make pasta salad- my wife enjoys this as a lunch or a side dish... I take my version into the "one stop meal" range, by the ingredients I put in it!
First, I hard boil and peel a couple of eggs, and let them cool. I then get the spiral, multi-colored pasta underway, boiling salt water, and cooking to Al Dente, shocking it after draining in a colander with cold water.. I then start chopping... Onions, celery, green olives, pepperoni, ham, Monterey Jack cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, the hard boiled eggs,and- darn! Out of bell peppers! Oh well, there is a substantial amount of stuff in this already.. I then mix with a zesty Italian dressing, with a creamy Italian dressing and pour over the added pasta and other ingredients- chill for a couple of hours, draining a bit of dressing off as moisture in salad settles.. This is a popular dish to haul to summer potlucks, or picnics!
Yesterday afternoon, I got a light trim of a haircut(I'm trying to grow a pony tail for the first time in my life!). I was close to a good butcher shop, which makes a wife-favorite treat- stuffed pork chops! I bought two for dinner. When I got home, I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper, and savory blend.. sprayed with olive oil and baked covered for 1-3/4 hrs. They swelled, as shown in the photo, stayed moist as I roasted uncovered for 15 min. With a little gravy on the side, it made for a pleasant surprise for my wife...
