Hug Who?

This ain't your mama's pasta salad. Unless your mom has impeccable taste (like mine). This is a "cheater" recipe. A very good friend of mine (Lori) introduced me to this pasta salad a mere 12 years ago. This delectable pasta salad was being served at a small cafe called Hug Hess in Ogden, UT. I had not had it for at least 12 years, and it is so remarkable that when I was recently working in Ogden I had to hunt it down. I miraculously found the cafe, and the employees were so nice to let me sample the pasta salads they had because I didn't know the name of what I was looking for. Found it. Pasta Salad Supreme. And let me tell you; supreme, it is.

Now, this is another recipe that I do not really call a "recipe". It is a list of ingredients. Figure out the balance/ratio yourself. You can do it!

Cooked Chicken Breast - cubed. (They roast theirs, but I think I'll try grilled next time.)
Crumbled Blue Cheese (it's worth getting a good quality)
Cooked Bowtie Pasta
Cooked Spiral Pasta (they use the tri-color variety)
Raw Broccoli - mostly crowns, but some stalks are good, too.
Bacon - cooked so VERY crispy, otherwise it gets soggy and floppy. Ew.
Diced Tomatoes
Chopped White Onions
Carrots cut into discs
Kidney Beans - be sure to rinse them when using canned
Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe to follow)

Yep. Just mix it all in together, pretty much. It's really not rocket science. A good pointer: Add the dressing a little bit at a time. You don't want too much of a good thing. Also, if you have some left over (I would be amazed) store it in an airtight container - it should be good for a few days. It's also good to have some extra dressing as it gets absorbed over time.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

2 parts vegetable oil
1 part red wine vinegar
1 part granulated sugar
poppy seeds

Add ingredients into a food processor. Pulverize! Then enjoy.

...Now I'm hungry.

Mini Italian Club Sandwiches

These mini clubs are BEGGING you to eat them. It almost looks like they're smiling at you. "Go ahead, bite me." This isn't so much a recipe, but a how-to post. Really, quite simple, but looks impressive, nonetheless.

Ingredients:

Ciabatta Rolls
Basil Pesto
Thick Sliced Bacon
Oven Roaste Deli Cut Chicken (or turkey)
Aged Provolone
Olive Oil

Directions:

Cook all the bacon you will need first. This is the step that takes the longest. After slicing the ciabattas open, I lightly brushed them with olive oil and toasted them slightly under the broiler. Then, spread pesto on both the top and bottom of rolls. Don't be stingy. This gives the sandwich moisture and extra flavor. Then take your bacon, chicken, provolone (I used 14 month aged from Italy - get at Caputo's!). Don't put too much chicken (or turkey) - you want to keep it thin or the tiny sandwich gets too thick and too tricky to bite.

I then put a toothpick in each quadrant of the roll before I sliced it in fourths. (This will make the mini clubs sit up straight in their chair for the entire party.) Then pile them on a plate, tray, or bowl, and eat! Enjoy!