Quick & Easy - Island BBQ Macaroni Salad

I recently discovered Hawaiian BBQ.  Well, I have known of it for a long time but I hadn't had the chance to try it until late last year.  Once I had my first Loco Moco, I was hooked...on the macaroni salad.  This dish is possibly one of the simplest things ever - it's pasta mixed with mayo; maybe with a little bit of shredded vegetables.  I know it is nothing special but for some reason I really like eating it, especially when I mix it together with the rice.

As much as I like Hawaiian BBQ, I don't like to get it very often because (1) there isn't a L&L or Ohno close by & (2) it's kind of overpriced for what it really is.  So to satisfy my craving, I have been attempting to do "Island BBQ" nights @ home.  It took a long time but I finally found a recipe on how to make the macaroni salad.  I probably could have done it by instinct but I can't risk messing up my favorite thing about the whole dinner plate.

It is really quite simple...
     2 cups of macaroni (aka elbow pasta)
     0.5 cups shredded carrots
     0.75 cup of mayonnaise
     Salt & pepper to taste

Really...
     Cook macaroni for 1 minute longer than package instructions
     Drain the macaroni and let it sit in the colander for 10 minutes to drain & cool
     Stir in the shredded carrots
     Add in the mayonnaise & mix until well coated
     Season with salt & pepper
     Eat warm or refrigerate until cold

Makes 3 cups

It turned out pretty well.  By cooking the macaroni for a little bit longer, the pasta was a little bit fluffier & starchier which made the salad bind together a bit more.  The original recipe that I got said to add some really finely grated onion into the mix but I found that too overpowering and bitter so I left it out.  Instead of using store bought mayo, I made one by hand so it was a little bit healthier, it didn't have all the preservatives, & the thinner consistency meant I got to use less dressing to coat the whole salad.  The overall effect was different from what I'd get @ a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant but it hit the spot.  I served it with a bit of white rice & teriyaki marinated chicken breast to complete the meal.

To make 1 cup of mayonnaise, combine 1 egg yolk, a pinch of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 tablespoon vinegar, 0.5 tablespoon lemon juice, & 0.5 teaspoon mustard in a bowl.  Slowly whip in 0.75 cup of neutral oil (i.e. canola) beginning with drops & then in a slow stream.  Keep in mind, when whipped by hand, the mayo won't come out as stiff as jarred mayonnaise.  You could also pour in the oil with the rest of the ingredients & whip using an immersion (stick) blender, that will give a final product that had much more body & more resembles store bought mayo.