Macaroni Salad

   With summer coming to an end, the final cookouts of are being planned... Hamburgers, BBQ, chicken skewers - Some may think that the stars of these gatherings are what meat(s) get put on the grill, but to me? It's all about the sides!
   That's why I wanted to post one of my absolute favorite family recipes, specifically one my mother and aunt are best known for... Macaroni salad; served warm or cold, either way it's delightful.

You will need:

• 1 lb Box of Small Elbow Noodles
• Water
• Coarse Sea Salt
• Baby Dill Pickles
• Pickle Juice
• 2 Medium Sized Tomatoes
• Mayonnaise
• Black Pepper

Step One:

• Fill a decently sized, preferably non-stick, pot with about four cups of water.
• Use 2-2.5 teaspoons of coarse sea salt to make your boiling water as salty as the sea!

(Salting your water not only helps your pasta to not stick together, but also is the only opportunity you'll have to flavor your noodles.)

• Once your water is boiling, pour the entire 1lb box of small Elbow noodles in; if you buy a cheaper brand of pasta, you'll have to stay with the noodles as they boil to ensure they don't stick to the pot.
• Let pasta boil until al dente (firm, yet tender), because the pasta will continue to cook within its own steam when out of the water... Do not pour cold water over your noodles to stop them from cooking; sauce won't stick to/soak into your noodles if you do.

A little tip: An old wives tale says "If you try to boil hot water, it takes longer." This is actually false! You can cut half your cooking time by starting out with hot water.

Step Two:

• Dice 3-4 baby Dill pickles, medium to fine... They are more dense, and you can avoid big seeds.
• We use 2 medium sized tomatoes from our garden, that's why this is a summer staple! Market/store bought tomatoes are fine as well, but only use tomatoes grown in the summer... De-seeding the tomatoes is optional, but we usually do to avoid any mealiness.

(This is a key ingredient! The tomato's acid mixes perfectly with the mayonnaise and pickles; brightening the dish with natural sweetness.)

• Take 1 cup of mayonnaise and add the diced pickles and tomatoes to it - Mix well.
• Add pickle juice to-taste; we use about 2 tablespoons... The juice thins out the mayonnaise and prevents needing to add any salt to the dish.
• Once noodles have been strained, fold the mixture into the noodles while they're still warm so that they soak up a bit of the mixture.
• Finish up with black pepper to-taste, and pop the finished product into the fridge to cool (or enjoy warm)!

I hope your family loves this yummy side dish as much as mine does!

Comment below if you enjoy this recipe, and tell me all about your final gatherings of summer.

xoxo Elle

Party Ready Lemonade

   What is summer without a bit of citrus? Boring, that's what!
   The lemonade my mother makes is my absolute favorite, biases aside... I'm not the only one who loves it, so I wanted to share her quick, easy, and completely delicious recipe for ready-to-serve lemonade.

You will need:

• Natural Strength "RealLemon" Juice or a bag of lemons to hand juice.
• Simple Syrup (water and sugar)
• Water
• Ice
• Container to shake or stir

Quick Steps (Serving size: 6 Cups):

• Pour 1 cup of your lemon juice of choice and set it aside.
• Make the simple syrup; boil 1.5 cups of water then combine the boiling water to 1.5 cups of sugar... You can substitute Splenda if you'd like.
• Mix the simple syrup with the lemon juice.
• Add 2 cups of cold water to the mixture and stir together.
• Fill mixture container with ice.
• Shake and/or stir well.
• Serve it up!

Tip One: To make Lemon Lime or Strawberry Lemonade, just use .5 cup lemon juice and .5 cup of desired juice.

Tip Two: Looking for hard lemonade? Try pouring 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of cranberry juice, and 4 ounces of lemonade over a full glass of ice for the perfect sip!

Enjoy sipping this simply bright drink by the pool... But hurry up!

Summer will be gone before we know it.

Let me know how you enjoy this drink recipe, and comment below with how you're spending the last weeks of summer!

xoxo Elle

A Quick Shrimp Scampi

   If you're like me, and grew up on a mix of pastas and clean food, then you'll love this quick recipe for shrimp scampi that I threw together this evening!
   From prep to plating, it takes about 15-20 minutes, and serves 3-4 proper portions (or 2 large portions)... It was a hit in my household, and I hope it's a hit in yours!
   So, lets get started...

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 lb. of raw shrimp (if you do not like dealing with raw food, de-veined steamed shrimp from your market of choice is just fine)
• 3 garlic gloves, minced or sliced
• 1 tablespoon of butter (or to-taste)
• 2 tablespoons of white wine
• 1/2 of a lemon, squeezed
• Angel Hair pasta noodles, wheat or regular, about 8oc.
• Handful or chopped spinach & cilantro (to-taste), or a handful of chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper, to-taste
• Optional topping: Parmesan cheese (adds slight sharpness/creaminess), lemon juice, or lemon zest

*I minced my garlic, used wheat pasta, chose spinach & cilantro, and put lemon juice on top.*

Step 1:

• Start a pot of boiling water for your noodles.
• Take out a separate pan (I used my wok, but you can use a small/medium skillet) , and drizzle in the olive oil to heat up on med-high heat.
• While it heats, press any excess moisture out of the shrimp, then place them in the hot skillet.
• Without moving them around too much, let the shrimp cook for about a minute-minute and a half on each side (you will want a nice little seer going on).
• Season both sides with salt and pepper, to-taste.
• When the shrimp are properly cooked through, remove them from the pan into a separate bowl (I do not recommend Tupperware for this step), and set them aside.

Step 2:

• If you didn't cook your noodles before starting everything else, put the noodles in the boiling water and let them cook as directed on their packaging.
• In the skillet you used previously, add in your garlic and butter, and let saute (while consistently stirring) on medium heat until the garlic is more golden... Be careful not to burn your garlic! It is easy to do, and tastes horrid.
• Add in your wine, let it cook down, then squeeze in your lemon juice and stir the entire mix.
• After about a minute, take the skillet off the heat, and re-add in your shrimp. Fold everything together... You really want each shrimp slightly coated in the mixture.

Step 3:

• If you haven't already, drain your noodles and add back into their pan/bowl, or if you have space, place them into the skillet directly.
• Fork to combine all ingredients.
• Add any final seasoning or your topping of choice.
• ENJOY!

Tips:

• Salt your boiling water - it helps to not only prevent your noodles from sticking, but it is also the only chance  you'll have to flavor the actual pasta noodles.
• A tiny bit of lemon juice and EVOO - also helps to prevent noodles from sticking together.
• Do not stir your pasta, fork it.

I hope you all enjoy this simple, and delicious, recipe.

Tag me in your photos on Instagram (@ElleLeFleur) so I can see your creations!

xoxo Elle