Ingredients for Chili Lime Seasoning (For Fruit Skewers)
- ¼ cup Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Chili Powder
- ¼ cup Lime Juice Powder (Or Lime Zest)
- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne
Ingredients for Spaghetti Mayonara (Serves 5-6 as a Side Dish)
- 8 ounces Cavatelli/Cavatappi
- 20 Mini Meatballs, quartered (recipe follows)
- 2 cups Diced Zucchini (~7 oz, ½-inch dice)
- 1 ½ cup Shredded/Grated Carrots (~4.5 oz)
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
- ¾ cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion (~2.5 oz)
- ⅓ cup Chiffonade Basil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Dressing (For Spaghetti)
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Garlic
Ingredients for Mini-Meatballs (For Spaghetti)
- ½ pound Ground Beef
- ½ pound Ground Pork
- ¼ cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 tablespoons Chopped Parsley
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons Milk or Water
- 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ingredients for Banana Cream Pie Crust
- 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Ingredients for Banana Cream Pie Filling
- 2-3 bananas depending on size
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks; room temperature
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- Whipped cream for topping; optional
Directions for Chili Lime Seasoning
1. Mix all ingredients in mason jar. Store in fridge (if using lime zest)
2. Sprinkle on fresh fruit
Directions for Spaghetti Mayonara
1. Make the meatballs: Heat oven to 400°F. Combine beef, pork, parsley, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, milk/water, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into twenty four 1-inch meatballs. Place on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 400°F oven 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely before tossing in pasta salad.
2. In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. When noodles are al dente, rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking; drain well.
3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for dressing.
4. Add cooled pasta, meatballs, mozzarella, carrot, zucchini, basil, and red onion to bowl, toss to combine with dressing. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
5. Chill until ready to serve.
Directions for Banana Cream Pie
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine the graham crackers, butter, sugar, and salt and mix until well combined; it helps to use a fork or your hands!
3. Pour the mixture into a pie pan, and press it down with your hands (or the bottom of a measuring cup) until it is evenly distributed around the pie pan
4. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly golden
5. Set aside to cool
6. Combine the flour and sugar in a sauce pan, place over medium heat and whisk in the milk and sweetened condense milk
7. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Cook while stirring for about 3 minutes until thickened and remove from heat
8. Add about a half cup or so of the milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking continuously; this will bring up the temperature of the egg yolks so that they can be added to the warm milk mixture without scrambling
9. Add the egg mixture to the pan while whisking continuously until it is well combined
10. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; this helps to remove any pieces of yolk that may have been cooked, or any lumps
11. Whisk in the butter and vanilla
12. Allow to cool slightly, and then use a stand-mixer or hand-mixer to add the cream cheese in small pieces and whisk until all combine and mixed well
13. Cut the bananas into small slices and line bottom of the pie with the slices
14. Pour the pudding over the bananas and top with more bananas and whipped cream
15. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours; this can be made ahead of time