Veggie's and Pasta Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I'm getting back into the swing of things now that it is inevitable that fall is on its way.  I have been a little lazy and haven't been trying any new dishes but today I'm ready to go with a very nice pasta salad using orzo pasta.  

I like orzo for a lot of reasons one being it cooks quickly and its small enough for you to take a nice size mouthful of pasta and veggies without looking messy.  Actually this recipe was so good most veggies would work being added.  The dressing is so delicious you can't help but enjoy it.  Happy Cooking!

6/15/15

The ingredients:

2 cups dried orzo cooked according to directions
1 T olive oil

For the dressing:

2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 T lemon juice
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The salad:

1/2 finely sliced seeded and skinned cucumber(scoop out the seeds with a small spoon)
2 carrots sliced and diced
1 cup corn kernels
2 T finely chopped chives
1/2 lb. green beans broke in pieces and steamed and cooled
2 T dried parsley
3 T fresh or dried basil (optional)
5 oz. goat cheese(optional) IMO: FYI:  I added a little feta but soon realized this salad did not need any cheese. Salad dressing was perfect taste.
Fresh basil garnish(optional)

Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and set aside tossing with 1 T olive oil. Cool
Drain and cool green beans

Prepare salad dressing and veggies.

When the pasta and beans are cool add cucumber, corn and carrots as well as the chives, parsley and basil if using.

Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss to mix.  Taste.  Place scoop or two or three over a bed of Bibb lettuce.  Chill if desired until serving.

8/26/14 original

3/22/15

Another one of my favorite Salads!! Asian Pasta Salad

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall I love this easy to make salad with an Asian Flair.

6/27/23

I added (1) tablespoon of paprika to this salad today and it definitely enhanced the flavor.  Note: I was looking for a dressing such as a “sesame ginger” but used an Asian dressing that I thought was too sweet. The paprika balanced the flavor better imo.

               Before adding paprika.   5/26/2023 updated 

Yesterday I stopped by at at food specialty store on my way to visit some friends..I couldn't resist buying one of their specialty pastas and also a small amount of an appealing pasta salad they had already prepared.. It was really good and today I couldn't wait to try to duplicate it.. I added my touch to it and decided to try what I thought might be the type of salad dressing that they used..Here is my version of that salad.  Both my hubby and I loved it..I made enough for two generous servings and that was our dinner tonight...Delightful! 

Asian Pasta Salad

I thought the asparagus was a nice touch! 4/4/18

Tossed and ready for the asparagus

1 roasted red pepper chopped ( roasted while pasta was cooking)

2 large scallions(green included)sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp. Dried cilantro

¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes

½ tsp. Sugar

8 oz. Orecchiette pasta (or  small pasta of choice)

½ bottle Asian Ginger Vinaigrette( store bought) Brand name  All natural Cookwell & Co.

 1 cup roasted asparagus (roasted with some olive oil, salt and pepper)(stems removed) optional

8 oz. Small cooked shrimp

Cook pasta according to directions.  Rinse and drain well.  Roast asparagus and red pepper with slight amount of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss pasta, chopped roasted red pepper, scallions, red pepper flakes, sugar and cilantro with Asian Ginger Vinaigrette.. Add shrimp.. Top with  Roasted Asparagus!  Delightful!!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

9/2/12
1/4/13

Spaghetti salad

Summertime, summertime sweet sweet summertime.

Here's another easy summer salad that you can prep all ingredients the night before and toss the next day.  Once it's made it will keep for several days if you make the whole recipe.  I halved it because there are only two of us.  Enjoy!

This is an Easy cold salad that is similar to an antipasto salad but has grated Italian cheese.  Spaghetti twirling I can get into. Yummy!!

• 1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti, halved 
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 cup (5 oz) thin salami slices, cut into small pieces (or pepperoni)
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 2 green onions sliced (scallions)
• 1/2 cup black olives, thinly sliced
• 1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing (I used my own homemade dressing) olive oil, wine vinegar, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder)
• 1 cup grated Italian cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika(I forgot paprika)
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain. Add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool.
2. In a large bowl add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, sliced scallion , and olives.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Italian cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve!

BLT Pasta Salad

Here we are the July 4th week-end is quickly approaching and other than a few traditional favorites we plan on spending a quiet week-end.

The children and grandchildren have plans so hubby and I will relax and may go to a movie.

I have wanted to make a salad something like this for a while.  I thought what better time than summer, correct.  Light dressing and since I had some bacon(thick style) stored in the freezer I let it thaw overnight and today's light dinner was this salad.

Enjoy!

1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing(you can use light or low calorie if you desire)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I used half cherry and half quartered)
8 oz. cooked penne pasta
10 slices cooked bacon(I baked mine until crispy) and broke in pieces but crumbling the bacon might be a better choice
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce (washed thoroughly and patted dry)
salt and pepper if needed

In a small bowl mix ranch dressing and sour cream.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain all water thoroughly.

Mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes and penne with dressing.  Add bacon and serve or chill until ready to serve.  

Have a safe week-end.

7-4-16

6/26/18

Stir Fry Veggies, Radiatore and Chicken with Orange Ginger Dressing A nice Picnic Salad!

I am forever mesmerized with colorful salads.  Not only are they healthy for you but you can add almost any vegetable raw or slightly steamed to a cold pasta and create a splendid dish!

If you want to keep it light in carbs I recommend using the smaller pasta size**(Radiatore, small shells) or **half the usual amount of pasta and load up on the veggies..

Here is a basic recipe. **Note: I suggest you double the veggies and use 1/2 the pasta for lower calories.  There are some light Asian dressings you can use or you can make this dressing which works out wonderful.

1 box- 16 oz. small pasta cooked, rinsed , drained and cooled
1 pkg.  16 oz. frozen stir fry veggies
1 cup cooked chicken cubed
salt and pepper to taste
Asian dressing (All recipes.com)optional
Light in calories dressing of choice (not all bottled dressing are created equal)  Check back of bottle.


Spray skillet with cooking spray, add chicken and stir fry veggies.  Stir fry until crisp and chicken is thoroughly cooked.. Add cooled pasta and toss with dressing.  Refrigerate.

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root (I use ginger powder)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup water
  
  
  Note:  For less calories cut down to 1/4 cup soy sauce and only add 1 T honey
  
  
   In a medium bowl or  larger, combine the garlic, ginger, olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and water. Whisk well,  heat bowl in the microwave for 1 minute just to dissolve the honey. Let cool, and whisk again before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

7/7/15

Antipasto Summer Salad!

Note:  You can always substitute turkey, chicken or all veggies in these salads for the healthier version. Also try using lemon or orange juice and olive oil for a refreshing summer taste.  It is a nice touch for a different salad dressing!


In the next few weeks I will be posting some easy summer salads.  They are in no particular order, only recipes that I have found to be wonderful and easy to make. I'll try to mix them up a bit for your enjoyment. Here's hoping you enjoy them and that they will make your time in the kitchen a bit easier.



When I think of pasta salads I immediately think of summer.  I started this day with craving some Italian salami and what better way to enjoy it but in some great pasta salad.



My all time favorite sandwich is a freshly thin sliced piled high salami sandwich on fresh Italian bread with cubed aged provolone on the side.  I seldom eat sandwiches but while I am typing this my mouth is salivating while I write..Yummy!  OOPs..I got off track now back to the pasta salad.

Link: Homemade Italian Salad Dressing 
The original recipe passed on from my Mom!

This is a very easy salad to make and it can handle many add ins, such as hot peppers, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pieces, provolone cheese, diced peppers ,carrots, diced celery,olives, turkey cubes, fresh broccoli florets and just about any other add in you would like.  You also can use bottled Italian dressing and toss it easily.  I use basic red wine vinegar and olive oil, parsley and a few other herbs and toss and allow to set a bit to enhance the flavor.  When serving you can add a bit for of the dressing to keep it moist.

Note:  If you would like a healthier version of this salad eliminate the salami and replace it with oven roasted turkey and use a light cheese and light Italian salad dressing.

8 oz. pasta of choice( cooked , drained and rinsed)
1- 1/4 in. slice Genoa salami (cut in small pieces)approx. 1/2 lb. or less
1- 1/4 in. slice provolone cheese ( cut in cubes) 1/4 lb.
1/2  cup red, orange or green bell pepper (I used orange in this salad)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 cup red onion diced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
several green olives
several black olives
approx. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
approx. 1/2 cup plus a bit more olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

From my kitchen to yours,

6/9/14

Italian Pesto Salad

Easy Salads for a healthier lifestyle.  

To keep us healthy and give us energy including lots of good protein is a good idea.  I have found that including some protein in every meal (yes 3 times a day) helps to keep the body going and keep your metabolism running properly. 

Whether you use this recipe the way I have written it or adding some healthy olive oil to it I am sure you'll find it enjoyable. 

Italian Pesto Salad

8 oz elbow macaroni( I used tri color for some color)

1 -7 oz. Jar basil pesto sauce( I used fresh basil pesto)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ tsp. Kosher salt

2- 15 oz. cans cannellini beans rinsed and drained

(3 cups baby arugula)

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shaved

¼ cup pine nuts

Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

In a large bowl stir together pesto, vinegar and salt.

Add beans, cooked macaroni, arugula, half the cheese and half the pine nuts

Toss well. Serve at once or cover and chill up to 6 hours. Top with remaining cheese and nuts.

Note: I am adding the Bibb lettuce just before serving.

8/29/14

2/15/16

3/22/17

Salad Lovers! Orzo Salad with Vegetables: Most visited

This salad is one of my most requested.  Light and easy to do.  I highly recommend it!

Happy Baking and Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

I RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR SALADS AND HERE 'S  Another ONE !

8 Oz. UNCOOKED ORZO PASTA

1 LB. ASPARAGUS CUT INTO PIECES

1 CUP FROZEN PEAS THAWED

3 OZ. PECORINO ROMANO CHEESE OR PARMESAN GRATED

1/2 TSP. SALT

3 TABLESPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE

2 TABLESPOONS LIGHT OLIVE OIL

1/2 CUP THINLY SLICED FRESH BASIL

COOK ORZO ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS..WHEN THERE IS 3 MINUTES LEFT OF COOKING TIME..ADD ASPARAGUS..COOK 1 MINUTE THEN ADD PEAS FOR FINAL 2 MINUTES..DRAIN

COMBINE SALT, LEMON JUICE AND OLIVE OIL; WHISK TOGETHER. TOSS ORZO, ASPARAGUS AND PEAS WITH LEMON JUICE MIXTURE..STIR IN GRATED CHEESE AND BASIL. SERVE WARM OR ROOM TEMPERATURE..

Note:  One of my foodie friends roasted the asparagus and said it was great doing it like that. So you choose roast the asparagus or do as the above suggests.





6/7/12

Chobani yogurt with Tortellini! A great summer cold salad

Hi everyone!

These last few weeks have finally felt like summer.  Hot days and humid nights and whether you have air conditioning or not the last thing you want to do it cook, correct?

Well even it you like to bake and cook like I do there are days you look for easy one two three recipes.  Simple meals that require a few ingredients to make a quick light meal.

Chobani is challenging everyone to create a #madewithchobani recipe for these hot summer days so with that bit of inspiration I decided to try my hand at creating a salad which would be easy, healthy and simple to make.

Did you know that Chobani yogurt has 40% less sugar than regular yogurt?  Yes and it tastes fabulous! Check out more recipes on their page Chobani Recipes

I just happened to have Chobani's Lemon blended yogurt right in my refrigerator so I immediately thought of a few ingredients I had handy and combined them to make a delightful light summer cold pasta salad.

Here's my simple recipe:

1- 9 oz. refrigerated tri-color cheese tortellini
1-5.3 oz. Chobani Lemon Blended yogurt
1-handful of fresh chives chopped or use green onion if you like
pinch of salt and pepper
grated Italian cheese
1/4 cup milk to thin 
1/2 cup chopped veggies (optional) carrots, celery, peppers)

Bring a pot of water to a boil adding a bit of salt.  When water is at a rapid boil toss in tortellini and stir cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from stove, drain.  Do not rinse.  Allow tortellini to cool to touch(I placed mine in refrigerator for a quick cool).  Set aside

yogurt, chives, pinch of salt and 1/4 cup milk to thin

In a medium bowl add Chobani lemon yogurt(Note: I think you could use unflavored too but I love lemon so that is why I decided to try my recipe with the lemon blended yogurt).

Add chopped chives, pinch of salt and pepper, milk and of course some grated Italian cheese.  Toss tortellini with yogurt mix making sure to cover each and every tortellini with this great dressing.

Refrigerate until completely cold and serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.  Any lettuce will do fine.

I added a touch of Balsamic vinegar to this dish to add a little sweetness.

Enjoy this simple yet healthy recipe and check out more greek yogurt recipes from Chobani.

Tri colored pasta salads

To this salad I added red onion, green onion, green pepper, celery and tomato but feel free to add what ever veggies you would like. Anything goes! 

Very colorful! Add some bottled
Ranch dressing and it's oh so good! Chill!

It's summer and it seems there is always some place to go or someone coming to visit or maybe you just want to make something for your family to have along with some chicken or grilled burgers. I used one package of Tri colored pasta and changed ingredients and dressing to spruce them up..Hopefully they'll help you out as well when you are either having guests visit or are going to a barbecue or picnic too..Enjoy!

Happy Baking and Summer Cooking!

M.J

  Tri Color Pasta and Veggies

Half package of Tri Color Pasta cooked, rinsed and drained
1 cup broccoli florets ( cook along with pasta adding the broccoli the last minute of cooking time)
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1/8 tsp. crushed pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup chopped  carrots shredded
1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup black olives sliced (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino Romano)

If you like cook whole package of pasta..drain and rinse.  Separate into two bowls..the first bowl will be for this recipe..
Salad Dressing:  Whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, pepper flakes in large bowl..add olive oil and continue to whisk..Add pasta, broccoli, carrots, basil, red pepper, olives, onions and cheese..Mix well.  Chill

Note: If you are making two salads this other option is:   Maybe you'd like to toss some bottled  Ranch Dressing to make it a creamy salad.   It's up to you!!!!!

From my kitchen to yours,

Healthy Tuna, red peppers,zucchini and pasta

 I don't make New Year's Resolutions but I am going to try with all my might to get back to basics and cut back a little on the fat and carbs in my daily meals.

  My blog is about my liking to bake and cook and I'll be posting all types of recipes but I will continue to post some healthy options for those of us who are trying to lose a few pounds (me) or just want to put a healthy lifestyle on the top of our 2015 list.  Goals are good so my goal is to try some new recipes and share them with you while losing a few pounds.  Summer isn't that far away and I'd sure like my clothes not to tug and pull. LOL

I'm going to try some WW recipes too!  I have tried some and they seem to incorporate a healthy lifestyle well into your busy daily schedule using basic foods which I am all for.  I like basic ingredients and don't like to have to run around looking for ingredients I do not have or that are not easily found.

Join me and we'll give each other encouragement on the way.

Remember though there are going to be days temptation will be surrounding us so just make the portions a bit smaller and we'll do just fine.

 I have been browsing thru magazines trying to find some new light salad recipes that we might enjoy.   I haven't tried this one yet but reading the ingredients brought it quickly to my attention.  Give it a try, I'm going to!

1 lb. orecchiete or medium size pasta of choice
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
1 zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped pitted olives
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1- 5 oz. can oil packed tuna drained (healthier option tuna packed in water)
2 to 4 T extra virgin olive oil (2 T use with oil packed tuna, 4 T if using tuna packed in water)
1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
Combine peppers, zucchini, olives, parsley, tuna and olive oil in a large bowl.  Drain pasta add to bowl and toss, adding pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to create a loose sauce. Top with cheese