The Freshman Cook: Southwestern “Cactus Needle” Pasta Salad / #CookoutWeek

Noah Baker
Noah Baker
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Welcome to #CookoutWeek!

This is the beginning of a fun week full of recipes for cookouts and summer meals. Read all about it below, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! It is huge! Good Luck!

But first, I want to share with you a salad I love to make and enjoy in the summer when it is hot. This salad is cool and refreshing and it is a great dish for serving a group of family and friends!
I call this dish Southwestern “Cactus Needle” Pasta Salad, not because I used cactus needles, of course, but because I made this salad with little tiny pieces of pasta called “Fideo”, and they remind me of cactus needles. This pasta salad also includes little chunks of Chayote, which is a mexican squash, veggies such as tomatoes, onions, and roasted corn, and a homemade dressing that brings all these flavors together perfectly! This salad goes well with any entree, from a delicious steak to a tasty grilled hot dog! 
Southwestern Cactus Needle Pasta Salad (printable recipe at end of page)

3 1/2 ounces Fideo Pasta (1/2 of a bag)

1 medium sized Chayote
1 red and 1 orange Mini Pepper
1 large Green Onion
1/2 cup Roasted Corn
15 Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 cup cooked Black Beans
1 Avocado
5 ounces Queso Fresco

Dressing
2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 cup Minced Garlic
pinch of Chipotle Chili Powder
1/4 Lime

Boil the pasta according to package directions. It should boil for approx. 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
This is what a Chayote looks like. This one is rather large, and a smaller one would be acceptable for this recipe. Place the Chayote in a pan covered with water. Turn heat to medium high. If it boils, that is fine. A Chayote this large takes about 20-25 minutes to soften. A smaller one will take less. Check for tenderness every 5-10 minutes. Once it is tender, remove from heat and use a peeler to remove the outer skin. It should come off easily. Set aside to cool.
While the Chayote is cooking and cooling, chop the peppers.
Chop the onion, and slice tomatoes in half.
Roast the corn. It is easy to pan roast corn. Melt butter in a frying pan, with the heat on medium high. Add the corn. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the pan around covering the corn with butter. Let corn cook for a few minutes, then turn corn over as it begins to brown. Remove from heat when you are happy with the  color.
Make dressing by mixing together the mayo and sour cream. Add in the minced garlic. I buy mine from Target, already minced, in a jar. It is amazing! Add in the chipotle powder. Whisk together. Add the juice from the lime. When I need to add fresh juice, I use a garlic press. I have arthritis, and I can’t press on the fruit anymore to get all the juice. The garlic press works so well. I roll the fruit to make it tender, then I cut the fruit to fit the press, and do it several times with more fruit if needed. So easy! Whisk everything together and refrigerate.
Now that the Chayote is cooled, remove the seed from the middle, and throw away. 
Slice the Chayote and the chop into bite size pieces. 
Start putting everything together by filling the bowl with the pasta, vegetables, beans, and the chopped Chayote. Hold back the avocado and cheese, and mix in the dressing. 
When you are ready to serve, add the avocado and crumble the cheese over the salad. 
Enjoy the salad!
Thank you for stopping by today! Keep scrolling down the page for a copy of my recipe and read about all the other recipes and the giveaway.! Don’t forget to enter!


#CookoutWeek 2018 is here! During the next week, I am joining over 50 of my blogger friends to celebrate summer by posting delicious cookout-themed recipes. If you love grilling, frozen treats, picnics, berries, s’mores, campfire meals, and other summer goodies… you are in the right place! This week, we are also hosting a HUGE giveaway thanks to our generous #CookoutWeek sponsors. Enter below to win. Here’s what one lucky person will receive:

Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill from blog hosts The PinterTest Kitchen. This grill has 280 square inches of cooking space over porcelain-coated grates and two 12-inch side shelves for extra prep space.

 A Red KitchenAid Mixer and 5 Flavored Butters from our friends at Chef Shamy. Make the World a Butter Place® with Chef Shamy! The winner will receive Garlic Butter, Cinnamon Brown Sugar Honey Butter, Vanilla Bean Honey Butter, Strawberry Honey Butter, and French Onion Butter with Asiago Cheese to use in your favorite cookout recipes. And if you just can’t wait, use 10BUTTER10 starting today to get 10% off your Chef Shamy butter order on Amazon. These butters contain no oil, and the savory butters are perfect for keto recipes.

 A Duck Product Pack from our friends at Maple Leaf Farms consisting of 2 pkgs All Natural Boneless Duck Breasts (7.5 oz), 2 pkgs Fully Cooked Roast Half Ducks w/Orange Sauce (14 oz), 1 pkg Duck Bacon (12 oz), and 1 pkg All Natural Duck Legs (16 oz). Maple Leaf Farms is celebrating its 60th anniversary raising White Pekin ducks on local, family-owned farms.

 Butter-flavored Organic Coconut Oil from our friends at Barlean’s. This dairy free option offers all the healthy benefits of organic coconut oil, with the rich taste of butter. It’s great on toast, popcorn, baked potatoes, or cooked vegetables. You can also substitute it 1:1 for butter in baking, cooking, and frying, and of course it is perfect as a butter substitute for all your favorite cookout recipes. 

 24 Cartons of Vinegar Shots from our friends at Vermont Village. You’ll receive 12 cartons of turmeric flavor and 12 cartons of cranberry flavor. Each carton contains 12 individual, 1 fluid ounce vinegar shot pouches! This raw, organic apple cider vinegar has rich flavors from whole foods and is sweetened naturally with honey. 

That’s a prize pack worth over $750! To enter, follow our sponsors and bloggers on social media by entering your information below: a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Here’s a full list of the bloggers participating in #CookoutWeek 2018!  
You can find yummy recipes by checking out any of the links below:

  1. Boil the pasta according to package directions. It should boil for approx. 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
  2. This is what a Chayote looks like. This one is rather large, and a smaller one would be acceptable for this recipe. Place the Chayote in a pan covered with water. Turn heat to medium high. If it boils, that is fine. A Chayote this large takes about 20-25 minutes to soften. A smaller one will take less. Check for tenderness every 5-10 minutes. Once it is tender, remove from heat and use a peeler to remove the outer skin. It should come off easily. Set aside to cool.
  3. While the Chayote is cooking and cooling, chop the peppers.
  4. Chop the onion, and slice tomatoes in half.
  5. Roast the corn. It is easy to pan roast corn. Melt butter in a frying pan, with the heat on medium high. Add the corn. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the pan around covering the corn with butter. Let corn cook for a few minutes, then turn corn over as it begins to brown. Remove from heat when you are happy with the  color.
  6. Make dressing by mixing together the mayo and sour cream. Add in the minced garlic. I buy mine from Target, already minced, in a jar. It is amazing! Add in the chipotle powder. Whisk together. Add the juice from the lime. When I need to add fresh juice, I use a garlic press. I have arthritis, and I can’t press on the fruit anymore to get all the juice. The garlic press works so well. I roll the fruit to make it tender, then I cut the fruit to fit the press, and do it several times with more fruit if needed. So easy! Whisk everything together and refrigerate.
  7. Now that the Chayote is cooled, remove the seed from the middle, and throw away.
  8. Slice the Chayote and the chop into bite size pieces.
  9. Start putting everything together by filling the bowl with the pasta, vegetables, beans, and the chopped Chayote. Hold back the avocado and cheese, and mix in the dressing. 
  10. When you are ready to serve, add the avocado and crumble the cheese over the salad. 
  11. Enjoy the salad!
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Noah Baker

Hi! I’m Noah Baker

Noah Baker is a California-born food blogger behind "FreshmanCook," whose culinary journey began in his tiny apartment kitchen experimenting with recipes that blend innovative techniques and personal passion. After leaving his graphic design career, Noah transformed his love for cooking into a vibrant online platform that celebrates accessible, creative cuisine, capturing food lovers' attention with his stunning photography and approachable recipes. When he's not crafting mouthwatering dishes or styling food for his blog, Noah lives in a cozy apartment with his rescue dog, Basil.

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