We are working on downsizing Thanksgiving for just two this year. We still want the traditional things we love.
Frog Eye Salad for Two
(Makes about 4 cups)
2/3 Cups dry acini de pepe pasta
1 TB oil
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 Cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 Cup pineapple juice (from cans see below)
1 TB Lemon juice
20 oz. Crushed pineapple
½ cup cool whip
¼ cup canned mandarin oranges, drained (I use the individual packages)
1 cup small marshmallows
1/4 cup shredded coconut, optional
In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add oil, ¼ salt and acini de pepe pasta. Cook until done about 11-15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water, use a small, holed strainer so the pasta does not fall through.
Drain cans of pineapple and measure juice. Set pineapple aside in refrigerator. In another saucepan, combine sugar, ¼ tea. salt, pineapple juice and egg. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat add lemon juice. Combine egg mixture and pasta. Refrigerate until chilled, at least two hours. Add remaining ingredients.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. * Acini de pepe pasta in found in the macaroni section of your grocery store.
Banana Cream Pie for Two
1 Cups Milk
½ Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoons Cornstarch
dash teaspoon salt
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
2 Egg yolks, in a small bowl
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Bananas, divided
2 Tablespoons orange or lemon juice
1 Baked and Cooled Pie Crust (in a 2 tart pans or 1 6-inch pie pan)
Sweetened whipped cream for topping
In a heavy saucepan heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and slice half a ripe banana into the hot milk. Let steep 30 minutes.
In another heavy saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, stir to combine. Put a strainer over this pan and pour the hot milk into the pan. Discard the heated bananas. Add the cream. Whisk this mixture over med. heat until thickened. Remove from heat; stir about 1/2 cup of hot mixture into the small bowl of egg yolks. Quickly mix together, and then immediately return the egg mixture to the hot milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Stir until butter is melted. Let pudding cool for 20 minutes. Slice 1 1/2 more bananas into 1 Tablespoon of orange juice, stir. This will prevent browning of the bananas. Pour ½ of the pudding into the cooled pie shell. Arrange the sliced bananas on top of the pudding. Pour the remaining pudding on top of the bananas. Smooth the pudding over the bananas, cover with waxed paper and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Slice and serve with sweetened whipped cream.
**BANANA PUDDING: Prepare pudding as directed above. Place vanilla wafers into the bottom of a large glass bowl or individual glass dishes make layers of vanilla wafers, then pudding, then bananas and then end with pudding. Cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the top of the pudding. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Just before serving top with sweetened whipped cream.
*The pudding alone is Gluten Free. You can make a Gluten Free pie crust.
Jan Olpin
Dairy Keen- Home of the Train
Email Jan@dairykeen.com