Tomato Cucumber Macaroni Salad Food

THE BEST MACARONI SALAD YOU WILL EVER HAVE!!

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool completely; drain.
• Mix macaroni, tuna, eggs, tomatoes, onion, and cucumber in a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk salad dressing and milk together in a separate bowl until smooth. Beat sugar, mustard, pepper, and salt into the dressing mixture; pour over the macaroni mixture and stir to coat.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

CUCUMBER TOMATO MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine ALL ingredients; toss to coat (adding more mayo and/or salad dressing to taste).
• Cover; refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
• Stir before serving.
• Note: If you don't want to include the cooked hard-boiled eggs in the salad, I sometimes cook up 6-7 (or how many you desire), and just cut them into four pieces, and just lay them on top evenly around a large bowl with the pasta salad, so people have the option of having them or not-- and it makes for a nice presentaion-- if you are adding them into the salad, then 2-3 chopped should be enough.

MARINATED MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk canola oil, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Set aside to let the flavors blend for 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain.
• Combine cooled pasta, tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, and cucumber in a bowl.
• Drizzle the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat.
• Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

FRESH TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH BUTTERY GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons Country Crock® Spread in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and cook, tossing frequently, until light golden, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic and cook over low heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons Spread in same skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until light golden and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Put toasted bread cubes, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers in large bowl; toss. Drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with basil and toss.

TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a salad bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Chill.

CHOPPED CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Put onion, garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Let macerate for 10 minutes.
• Add roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and celery. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss well. Let macerate for at least 20 minutes, tossing several times with the dressing. You can also prepare the ingredients in advance, and assemble the salad up to 1 hour before serving.
• To serve, toss once more and transfer to a deep platter or wide bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and feta.

CUCUMBER, TOMATO AND PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook rotini as directed on package to al dante; Drain and run pasta under cold water.
• Drizzle italian dressing over pasta, mixing slowly so as not to break apart the pasta pieces. Add in tomatoes, black olives, cucumber, and 5 tablespoons of the feta cheese. Continue mixing ingredients until well-coated.
• Sprinkle remaining feta cheese over pasta mixture and top with almonds. (Instead of almonds I've used Melissa's Salad Sprinkles. This could not be located in RecipeZaar as a recognized ingredient but I wanted to record it in the directions as another option for a salad topper.).
• NOTE: If you don't care for feta cheese, try using Parmesan cheese instead. It tastes just as good and gives the salad a somewhat different flavor. Use only four to five tablespoons instead and mix in as given above.

MACARONI GARDEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the macaroni, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, basil and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until blended. Pour over macaroni mixture and stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

TOMATO CUCUMBER MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Cook macaroni, according to package directions.
• Drain. Rinse with cold water.
• Mix all ingredients together.
• Chill 30 minutes.

PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS AND GRILLED GREEN ONION-CRUSHED OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high.
• Toss the scallions in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the scallions until the bulbs are tender and the greens are well charred, 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Set aside to cool. When the scallions are cooled, chop them finely.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. Add the scallions and toss to coat.
• When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to the vinaigrette. Add the olives, tomatoes, red onion, provolone, dill, parsley and arugula. Toss to combine.

CRISPY GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO AND RED ONION

Steps:

• Heat a large (about 12-inch), well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the pan, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing every 1 ½ to 2 minutes so they get golden and crispy all over.
• Meanwhile, prepare your tomatoes: If you are using small ones like cherry or grape varieties, simply slice them in half. For larger tomatoes, quarter them or slice into bite-size chunks. (It is good to have a mix of shapes and sizes.) Place the tomatoes and onions in a large serving bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper and gently toss.
• When the gnocchi are golden and crispy, add them to the tomatoes, along with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a handful each of parsley and basil. Toss and taste, adding more salt or pepper as needed.
• Top with more parsley and basil, and eat immediately or at room temperature.