Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Here we are...Day 5 of Salad Week is here already! Today I made Mediterranean Pasta Salad using fresh garden cucumbers, tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. A simple, flavorful salad you can make in 30 minutes that goes well with just about anything else you decide to serve. 

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                          Yield: 8

Cook Time: 15 minutes                                          Serving: 1/2 cup

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c. Farfalle Pasta, dry (I used Barilla, but you can substitute any type of pasta you wish)
• 1/2 Cucumber, skin on, small dice
• 12 Grape Tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp. Red Onion, minced
• 1/4 c. Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano (or 1 tsp. Fresh Oregano, chopped)
• 3 tbsp. White Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and cool. 
2. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese, oregano and pasta to a bowl; then add in the vinegar and oil. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 152, Carbs 23.5g, Fat 4.8g, Protein 4.5g, Fiber 1.3g, Sugar 2.4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Did you miss any salad recipes this week? 

Which one was YOUR favorite?

Monday-Red Bliss Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Tuesday-Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette

Wednesday-Greek Farro Salad

Thursday-Corn Salad with Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

I'll be taking the next few days off for Memorial Day Weekend. 

Enjoy your time with family and friends! xo 

Corn Salad with Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

It's Day 4 of Salad Week and I brought you another vinaigrette-based salad to add to your summer salad repertoire. This time, I used some leftover corn on the cob I had after making too many ears (go figure!), mixed it with some grape tomatoes; then made this sweet and tangy honey-wasabi vinaigrette to give it an Asian flair. 

Corn typically is in season June-August; however, you will start to see some stores and local farmers markets carry the fresh ears in May. I prefer the Butter-Sugar or White Corn variety; as they are generally sweeter than the others. For this recipe, you can use corn that has been cut off of the cob or frozen corn that has been defrosted and drained. This refreshing salad is great, especially for those who don't like to eat corn on the cob (or can't like Gab with her braces!) and would go wonderfully with some of my Asian Pork Spareribs! 

Corn Salad with Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

Prep Time:  15 minutes                               Yield: 8

Cook Time: 15 minutes                                Serving: 1/2 cup

Total Time:  30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Corn Salad

• 4 Ears Corn on the Cob, cooked and cut from the husk (approximately 3 cups of kernels)
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 c. Grape Tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• Prepared Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

For the Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

• 1 tsp. Honey
• 1 tsp. Wasabi Paste
• 1 tsp. Ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Canola Oil
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

For the Corn Salad

1. Add the corn kernels, scallion, tomatoes and parsley to a bowl; then add the prepared Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette. 
2. Mix well, season with salt and pepper; then refrigerate until ready to serve. 

For the Honey-Wasabi Vinaigrette

1. Combine the honey, wasabi paste, ginger, vinegar, mustard and oil. Whisk well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 87 , Carbs 13.4g, Fat 4g, Protein 1.7g, Fiber 1.7g, Sugar 2.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Greek Farro Salad

Welcome to Day 3 of Salad Week! 

If you follow my blog regularly, you know that my mother was in from FL a couple of weeks ago. She doesn't come to NJ often and when she does, she doesn't get a chance to visit with her extended family often.  Heck, I live here and I don't see my aunts, uncles and cousins besides weddings and funerals much anymore either and the furthest one only lives an hour away! So this time, I arranged to have whomever can make it from our family come to my home for a get together. Nothing fancy, just some apps, drinks, dinner, salads and desserts. Just about everyone brought something too which is always helpful and a special thank you to my Mom and cousin Dawn for doing all of the dishes for me since that was also the day I cut my hand! 

I made some Penne with Vodka Sauce (in the cookbook), Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce (in honor of my family in MI that couldn't be here), Asian Chicken Wings (the kids favorite and also in the cookbook), a tossed salad, Homestyle Potato Salad (another one in the cookbook) and I also made this Greek Farro Salad. 

This salad was a total "everything but the kitchen sink" salad I threw together using the few olives, spinach and feta cheese I had left in the refrigerator and didn't want to throw away. It was delicious and my family really enjoyed it.  All in all, we had a BLAST! There was a TON of food left over, even after I sent some of it home with others (go figure) so I didn't have to cook for a couple of days afterward...bonus! 

Greek Farro Salad
Prep Time:  20 minutes                       Yield: 8
Cook Time: 10 minutes                       Serving: 1/4 c.
Total Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c. Farro
• 2 c. Water
• 1/4 c. Kalamata Olives, chopped
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1/4 c. Fresh Spinach, packed and torn into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/4 c. Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1 Lemon, zest and juice
• 3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions 

1. Place water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the farro, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until farro is cooked and the water is absorbed. Remove from the pot, place in a bowl and allow to cool. 
2. Add the olives, scallion, spinach, oregano, feta, lemon zest and juice and oil. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 156 , Carbs 19g, Fat 7.6g, Protein 4.4g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugar .3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!