Glazed Summer Sausage

This is my go-to recipe for when my husband gets together with his friends, and last night (remember, the one where I made my awesome pasta salad?... I should really work on being less humble) was no exception.  It is so incredibly easy to make, but first I must clarify something.

For this recipe, you can use a summer sausage or a salami.  I've discovered that they are basically the same thing, but you don't want either of them if they are very 'hard' in description or texture.  They won't bake well and become all caramelized and delicious.  Hebrew National makes a good salami that I found at Trader Joe's when we were living in Bethesda.  Again, the important quality of the salami or summer sausage is that it isn't hard or dry. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the salami/summer sausage three-quarters of the way through. Each slice should be between an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick, depending on your preference.  I probably go with about a sixth of an inch slices most of the time.

Place the sliced salami/summer sausage on a foil lined baking sheet with raised edges (so the glaze doesn't spill over).

The Glaze:

1 Cup apricot jam

1/3 Cup dijon mustard

1/3 Cup brown sugar

Stir the three ingredients together. Carefully spoon the glaze over the salami/summer sausage, using your fingers to get it in between each slice.

Bake for 1 hour.  If you have time, you can baste the salami/summer sausage every twenty minutes while it's in the oven.  Allow to cool before serving with water crackers and cheddar cheese.

The Best Pasta Salad

Yesterday, my husband and I had some of his fellow medical student friends over to my parent's house to have dinner and hang out.  Because there was going to be about 15 of us total, we decided to just order pizza from a local place called Y Not.  It's close by, quick, and delish.  

However, I still wanted to have some other things on hand to snack on before the pizza arrived.  So I made a Glazed Summer Sausage, and a big batch of pasta salad inspired by this Pioneer Woman recipe. I must assert, though, mine is better!  I'm finished being humble now... here's how you make it.

The Dressing:

2/3 Cup of mayonnaise (or veganaise if you have it)

3 tsp white sugar

2 Tbs sweet and spicy pickle juice (plus more if needed to thin out the dressing)

1 Tbs red wine vinegar 

Whisk all the ingredients together.  Give it a taste.  Add sugar or pickle juice if it is 'missing' something.

Chop one purple/red onion

Chop up six of the sweet and spicy pickle spears (the same ones that you used the juice from in the dressing).  I used a brand called Famous Daves Signature Spicy Pickle Spears, and they were outstanding! I think it makes all the difference in the world to use yummy, flavorful pickles and pickle juice in this recipe.

Dice up two green bell peppers.  You could use any color you like, but I like the green ones in this salad.

Doesn't that look pretty? Pickles and onions and green pepper... yum.

 Next you toss it all together with cooked pasta that has had time to cool down.  I used Dreamfields Penne to up the nutritional value of this dish a little bit.  I probably used about 16 oz, which is slightly more than one box.  It is all about preference, though... You might want more veggies or more pasta or more dressing.  This ratio was pretty spot on for me (and our guests)! Enjoy!