My Meatless Monday Recipe On Tuesday

Here's a quick and tasty MEATLESS pasta salad recipe I found at PBS Food. Make a batch on Monday and have it for lunch all week (perfect to pack and take to the office). Or serve it as a side with grilled chicken or hamburgers. Think picnics. Yes, summer is coming. It's that season right after spring, which officially begins next week. Salad went together fast (always my favorite). Try substituting tri-color rotini pasta for more color. DE-licious!

GREEK CHICK PEA PASTA SALAD

The Ingredients.

1 cup dry elbow macaroni

¾ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 6-oz jar quartered artichoke hearts

½ cup chopped olives

1 tsp dried oregano

4 sundried tomatoes, chopped

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp black pepper

pinch of sea salt

The Directions.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, artichoke hearts (with oil from the jar), olives, sundried tomatoes, oregano, feta and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Add the cooled macaroni and toss again.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for up to five days.

Yield: 4 servings

For Meatless Monday: A CORNY Salad

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, Rhubarb and Venison, posted by one of my personal blogging heroes, Beth. She writes with great style and enthusiasm, as well as humor, always a winning combination! Love the idea of pairing the sunny flavor of fresh sweet corn with garden tomatoes. I served it with grilled Morningstar Farms veggie burgers, topped off with thick slices of red onion, on whole wheat buns.
Corn and Tomato Salad
The Ingredients.
6 ears of corn, shucked
Pint of cherry tomatoes (feel free to halve)
A generous spoonful of pesto
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Chopped scallions or green onions
Olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
The Directions.
Boil the corn for 5-8 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the ears into a large bowl. Once the corn has cooled, add the rest of the ingredients, seasoning to taste. Sooooo good!

Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Summer is sizzling! It's so hot farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs. It's so hot cows are giving evaporated milk. It's so hot potatoes cook underground and all you have to do to eat dinner is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper. It's so hot ... well, you get the picture!

Weather like this begs for cold suppers. With a little planning, you can prepare the pasta for this salad at a time of day when the kitchen is coolest (usually in the morning), and finish putting it together just before serving.

Orzo and Chickpea Salad
1 ½ cups whole wheat orzo
1 cup quartered cherry or halved grape tomatoes

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 ½ cups (15 ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried basil OR 1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR ½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. When the orzo has finished cooking, drain off the cooking water, refresh the pasta with cold water, and drain well. Toss together with the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives and chiffonade of fresh basil. Add dressing and feta and toss lightly.

NOTE: I meant to toss some broccoli flowerets in with the boiling orzo for about 2 minutes but I forgot. It would have added color and texture and big-time nutrition.

Simple Summer Salad

There's nothing like a cold summer salad on a hot night, a salad that tastes good and is easy to make. This recipe fills the bill nicely and goes with just about everything. And it doesn't contain mayonnaise so no need to worry about it spoiling in warm weather. We served it with grilled hot Italian sausages today, but it's also great with chicken, steak or barbecued ribs. You can toss it together in a few minutes and then refrigerate before serving.

GARBANZO BEAN & TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1 can black olives, drained (I prefer to use pitted Kalamata olives but I don't always have them on hand)
1 medium onion, sliced thin 
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 oz. Feta cheese
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions: 
Mix olive oil and vinegar, add oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine garbanzo beans, olives, onion, tomatoes and feta.  Shake dressing and pour over vegetables. Toss and refrigerate before serving. 

NOTE: The yellow onion has a very mild flavor, while the white is a bit more zesty and is used in many Latin American dishes. The red onion adds color and zest to any salad or entrée.

Summer Pasta for Meatless Monday

This recipe arrived in my email a few days ago from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table. She got the recipe from The Very Best of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com (Rodale, 2010). Copyright © 2010 by Martha Rose Shulman. Whew! I think I gave all the right people credit. It's a great little recipe and I heartily suggest you make it, soon, while the local gardens are bursting with home-grown tomatoes and gorgeous fresh basil! This dish will only be as good as the tomatoes you use. Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, would also work. The addition of my favorite chickpeas makes this colorful and festive one-dish meal perfect for Meatless Monday or any day!

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
4 servings
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled if desired and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound fusilli or farfalle
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, vinegar, basil, and oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, or longer. Stir in the chickpeas. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite, following the directions on the package but checking 1 to 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Drain, toss with the tomatoes and chickpeas, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.

Advance Preparation: You can make the sauce a few hours before you cook the pasta.
Variations: Add 1/4 to 1/2 pound broccoli florets or green beans. Before adding the pasta to the boiling water, blanch the broccoli for 3 minutes, green beans for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain. Return the water to a boil and proceed with the recipe. Toss the vegetables with the pasta along with the tomatoes and chickpeas. A can of white cannellini beans can stand in for the chickpeas.

My beautiful salad, with pears and walnuts and feta cheese ...

I love the sweetness of the pear in this salad. You could substitute Stilton or Roquefort for the feta cheese. I also like to add thinly sliced red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, black olives and croutons.
PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD
WITH OIL & VINEGAR DRESSING
3 Tbsp. Carapelli (or whatever brand you prefer) extra light olive oil
3 Tbsp. Alessi (or whatever brand you prefer) Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
Shake well and pour over 1 bag romaine. Add chopped walnuts, crumbled feta cheese, and thinly sliced pear and toss well.