A Few Recipes From the Wallsburg Retreat

Won Ton Chicken Salad

1 head lettuce

2-4 green onions chopped

2 T roasted sesame seeds (350 for 10 minutes)

2 T Sunflower seeds

1-2 Chicken Breasts (I like using a rotisserie chicken)

1 Can sliced water chestnuts

Sliced or slivered almonds

1/2 package of wonton skins, fried

Dressing:

2 T Sugar

2 t. salt

2 t. accent

3/4 t. pepper

1/2 C. salad oil

1/4 c. vinegar (I use rice vinegar)

1 t. sesame oil (do not leave out

Macaroni Grape Pasta Salad

1 package pasta (mini bowtie or saladroni are favorites)

1 lg can pineapples (save the juice)

1 can mandarin oranges

2 cups red grapes sliced in half

2 cups chicken (cooked and cubed or shredded)

Boil noodles, rinse off in cold water.  Add in fruit and chicken.

Stir together:

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Pineapple juice

Whisk together and pour over noodle mixture.  Tastes better if sits in fridge overnight.

Tri-color Pasta Salad

1 can tuna

1 pkg colored rotini noodles

1 green pepper chopped

1/2 red onion chopped or sliced very fine

1-2 tomatoes chopped

1 small can sliced olives

1 small bottle Kraft Catalina Dressing

2-3 tbsp any balsamic vinegar salad dressing (optional)

Boil the noodles, rinse off in cold water.  Chop up the rest, throw it all together, pour the dressing and stir.  It tastes better if you make it the night before. Taste it again the next morning and add more salad dressing if it needs more flavor.

Layered Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

3 cups sliced strawberries, 5 whole strawberries for garnish

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla instant pudding

3 cups thawed cool whip, divided

2 + cups pound cake cubes (one inch)

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Combine strawberries and sugar.  Beat cream cheese with mixer until

creamy.  Gradually beat in milk.  Add pudding mix; mix well.  Blend in

2 cups cool whip.  Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture into a 2 1/2

quart trifle bowl.  Top with cake squares, strawberries and remaining

cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate 4 hours.  Melt chocolate.  Drizzle

half over dessert.  Dip 5 whole strawberries in remaining melted

chocolate (refrigerate for 30 min).  Garnish dessert with cool whip

and dipped strawberries.

Chocolate Skor Trifle

1 chocolate cake mix

1 large chocolate instant pudding mix

1/2 bag skor or toffee bits

1 sm or med cool whip, thawed

1 tsp almond extract

Bake chocolate cake as directed on box; allow to cool.  Mix pudding according to package directions.  Add almond extract to cool whip.  Then cut cake into cubes. Layer ingredients in trifle bowl as follows: chocolate cake, pudding, cool whip, sprinkle toffee bits.  Repeat as needed.

Strawberry-Banana Trifle

Cake:

2 bananas, peeled

3 egg whites

2 Tbsp. oil

1 box white cake mix.

Filling and Fruit:

2 boxes (3oz.each) cook-and-serve vanilla or banana pudding mix. (I used cheesecake, instant, made according to pkg directions)

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

2 cups sliced strawberries, plus more for garnish

1 cup heavy cream, whipped with

1 Tbsp.sugar.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13 x 9 baking pan with non-stick foil. Set aside.

2. Cake:  In a blender, combine 1 1/3 cups water, the bananas, egg whites and oil.  Blend

until smooth, about 1 minute.  Place cake mix in a large bowl and add mixture from blender. With an electric mixture, beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to high and beat 2 minutes.  Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 33 - 35 minutes.

3. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 min., then using foil, lift cake from pan and cool

completely.

4. Filling and Fruit: Meanwhile, cook pudding mix with milk for 15 to 20 min. over medium heat, until thickened and bubbly.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. Trim edges from cooled cake.  Cut in half, then cut one half into cubes (about 20).  Place in a Trifle dish or bowl and press slightly to compress.  Spoon 2 cups pudding over cake.  Top with sliced banana and 1 cup of the sliced strawberries.  Cut second cake half into cubes and continue layering cake, pudding, banana, and strawberries.  Top with heavy cream.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.  

Red Velvet Trifle

1 recipe of your favorite red velvet cake, baked and cooled

1 large carton heavy whipping cream

Powdered sugar

Coconut extract

Toasted coconut

After red velvet cake has completely cooled, slice off edges and disgard.  Then cut cake into 1-inch cubes.  Layer 1/3 of cake in bottom of trifle dish.  Beat whipping cream, about 2 tsp coconut extract, and ½ cup powdered sugar until creamy.  Layer 1/3 over cake cubes. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Repeat 2 more times for a 3-layer trifle.