Rosemary Bread

Want a tasty bread to have on your sandwiches during the week? This is the answer to all of your desires. I love this bread and so does kiddo. But warning, once you make this it may not last more than an hour or so. People will eat this bread up and there will be no leftovers. I found this recipe online years ago and it turns out perfect every time.



Here is what you need:

Rosemary Bread

Ingredients
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
What you do:

1.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Fall is in the air here. The temps have cooled down and I am constantly wanting warm comforting foods. I don't remember where I got this recipe from, I am sure just googling around on the internet. This is always a hit when I make it. We never have leftovers because everyone eats every last bite.

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup



What you need:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

*I used only chicken broth because I never have veggie broth on hand. When I cook my chicken breasts I put them in a skillet with about 1/4 cup of water, cover the skillet and cook them one medium heat until they are done. You can tell they are done when you can shred them apart with 2 forks.

What you do:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

This makes 6 servings

On a side note, we are moving! We have bought our first house so if I am MIA that is why. I cannot wait to cook in my new kitchen.

Fresh Italian Salad

This is one the lightest and freshest salads you will ever put in your mouth. Now depending on your child they may or may not eat it and you may have to omit some things. For Kiddo I have to omit lettuce on his and add pasta instead. Kiddo does not like lettuce. Honestly it is one of the few things he will not eat despite my begging. Your child may eat lettuce and not like the onions, so go ahead and leave them out in that case. Be sure to put them in for yourself though. You won't want to miss one taste in this salad. All of the ingredients work together in perfect harmony.



What you need:

1 bunch of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped in large pieces

1/2 red onion sliced thin

1 can of canellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 jar of kalamata olives, drained and rinsed

The juice of 2 lemons

3 tblsp Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese (as much as you want shredded on the salad)

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

What you do:

Mix everything up, dress the salad with the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Eat it! I promise you will love this salad. It is full of good things that taste good and are good for you.

This post has been linked up to Melt in Your Mouth Mondays

http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/melt-in-your-mouth-monday-26/#comment-29997

Southern Potato Salad

This is such a simple potato salad recipe. My Grandma has been making this recipe for years and it is the best. I have tried many others but this is the potato salad I always come back to. Honestly I could put my head in this bowl and not come up for air until the bowl is empty.

What you need:

1 bag of potatoes (I like Idaho potatoes)

1-1/2 onion (I used red because that is what I had but you can use yellow or whatever you have on hand)chop it finely or in larger pieces, whatever you prefer.

1-1/2 cup of pickles chopped (dill pickles)

1/2 cup of mayo (add more if you like, but start with 1/2 cup and add more later)

1/4 cup of mustard (like the mayo start with this and add more later)

1/4 cup pickle juice (dill pickle juice)

6 eggs

salt and paprika to taste


What you do:

Peel and chop your potatoes. Place them in a large pot of water, put your eggs in too. Add a few generous pinches of kosher salt to your water. *Potatoes really soak in salt* Cover and boil for about 15-20 mins or until your potatoes are fork tender.



Remove the pot from the stove and drain the eggs and potatoes. Place them in a large bowl. Peel and chop your hardboiled eggs. Add your mayo, mustard, pickles, pickle juice and onions.



Mix it all together well, add more mayo, mustard and salt if you would like. Be sure to taste it before adding more of anything. By the way I like to add a little more pickle juice to mine, I love the taste of pickles.

Now sprinkle the top of your potato salad with paprika and enjoy!



This would make a great side for your 4th of July celebration. I know it will be at mine.

Fried Rice in a Burrito

Ahhhhhh...Mexican Food, we love it. We love to cook it and we love to eat it. I am always on the look out for a new Mexican dish to make. This is one I have been making for years now. It is pretty easy but it also has my Aunt Net's fried rice in it. This fried rice is a cherished family dish. Many have attempted it and only a few have mastered it. I am lucky to be one of those few who can make it just like my Aunt Net did. (BTW Aunt Net stands for Aunt Jeanette, my sister and I could not say Jeanette when we were little. Thus, the name Aunt Net was born.) I could eat this rice all by itself, with a little salsa on top or in a yummy burrito like I did in this recipe.

What you need:

Fried Rice (Long Grain white rice to cook which will make the fried rice)

Black Beans

Corn

1 bell pepper sliced

1 onion sliced

garlic salt

cumin

chili powder

chicken broth

steak strips

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

salsa

tortillas

canola oil

What you do:

First you want to start your rice. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, heat it for a minute or so and then add 1 cup of rice. Cook the rice in the oil until it starts to toast. You want it a nice golden brown but don't burn it. Once your rice is toasted add 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 large teaspoons of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder (more if you like heat) 2 tsp of garlic salt and 2 large tablespoons of salsa. Stir and cover your rice. Let it cook on med to low heat until done, about 30-40mins or as long as the package says. VERY IMPORTANT do not buy instant rice, it will not be the same. Add more chicken broth if it requires more liquid.

While your rice is cooking....

In another skillet add 2 tablespoons of canola oil, heat and then add your strips of onion, bell pepper and your steak strips. Season with garlic salt, cumin and chili powder. I just add a sprinkling of each then add more if I want later.

Drain and rinse your black beans and corn, set aside.

Once your rice and steak mixture are done it is time to build your fajitas.

You know how.....

Put your tortilla on your plate, add your beans and corn.



Ok now pile on your rice, steak, onions, peppers, cheese and sour cream.



Looks great doesn't it?

Now cut it in half and eat it up!



Wonderful! I hope you all will enjoy my Aunt Net's rice as much as I do. It is a real staple around our house and doesn't stick around long.

Greek Pasta Salad~Kiddo's Favorite

Its no secret around here, Kiddo loves cucumbers and tomatoes. They are his all time favorite veggies. But don't tell him that because he will tell you, 'no they are fruits because their seeds are inside.' My little wealth of knowledge he is...he loves correcting you and being right about everything. I wonder where he gets that from? *wink wink*

Here is what you need to make the salad:

1/2 a box of pasta cooked and drained (I used whole wheat rotini)

1/2 cup of olive oil

garlic salt and pepper to taste

3 chicken breasts cooked and diced. (It doesn't matter how you cook them. I coated mine with olive oil and garlic sauce. Then I grilled them until the juices ran clear on med/low heat.)

3 tomatoes cut into large pieces

1-2 cucumbers cut in large pieces

1 container of feta cheese

What you do:

Combine everything in a large bowl and toss to coat with the olive oil. Season to taste with the garlic salt and pepper.



Voila! There you have it, a simple and tasty pasta salad for a hot summer day.

*If you want it to be vegetarian you could leave out the chicken or leave it out and add some white cannellini beans in place of the chicken.

Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe Skillet: Make Over

I got the inspiration for this meal from Mommy's Kitchen.

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2011/04/sloppy-joe-skillet-potluck-sunday.html

I had every intention of making it just like Tina did but when I went to Publix I could not find the Bisquick or the Manwich. My local Publix recently rearranged the entire store and I am still having a hard time getting used to it. Well, I say recently but actually it was months ago. I'm just not very good with remembering where things are. Since I could not find those 2 key ingredients I came up with my own recipe, I hope you like it. My entire family loved it, there was not one bite left.



Sloppy Joe Skillet Make Over

What you need for the filling:

1 lb of ground beef (turkey would be fine too)

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 of a 15oz can of Italian diced tomatoes. (only use the tomatoes, NOT the juice)

1-2 tblsp of worsteshire sauce (to taste)

2 tsp of garlic salt

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of paprika

2 tsp of mustard (dry or regular mustard, either is good)

1 small onion diced

1/2 bell pepper diced

2 cups of shredded cheddar

What you do to make the filling:

Heat a large skillet. I used a cast iron skillet which I would recommend because I love mine. If you don't have on then be sure to use one you can not only use on your stove top but be sure you can put it in your oven too. AKA no plastic handles.

Spray your skillet with non stick spray and saute' your onions and bell pepper for about 5 minutes. Add your ground beef and cook until there is no more pink. Be sure to break your meat up with a spatula while you are cooking it.

Next the rest of the ingredients. Mix it well and let it simmer for about 20mins on medium low heat. After 20mins you can add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese to it if you would like; I like so I definitley do it.

Meanwhile make the topping, you can use canned biscuits but I prefer homemade. They are so easy and so good.

What you need for the biscuits:

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 cups of self rising flour

1 cup of buttermilk

What you do to make the biscuits:

Put your 2 cups of self rising flour in a large bowl. Cut your butter into cubes and put them in the bowl. 'Cut' the butter into the flour with oyour hands. Just incorporate it, keep mashing the butter with your fingers until the pieces are pea sized. Now add the 1 cup of buttermilk and mix it until moist. Dump your mixture on a floured counter top. Knead it a few times then flatten it out with your hands and cut your biscuits out with either a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass. I use the glass.

Turn off the stove top with your meat mixture and place your biscuits on top of the mixture. Put the whole skillet in the oven and bake it on 350 for about 30mins or until your biscuits are golden on top. Brush the top of your biscuits with some melted butter once it is all done and enjoy!

Cowboy Potato and Sausage Skillet

Y-U-M-M-Y!!! Yep, that about sums up what this dinner was. I was inspired by Kiddo and I's new found activity of watching 'Dr. Quinn' reruns together. I started watching 'Dr. Quinn' when the show premiered in 1993, I was 11 years old, and I never missed and episode. When Kiddo was a baby I started humming the little song Brian plays on his flute for baby Katie when she is born to him at bedtime and I still do. It has been so wonderful for me to share this show with him and watch all of them again. He loves the cowboys, Indians and action of the show. Well I love those things too but of course the love story is my fav. and lets face it Sully ain't to bad too look at either. ;)

Ok back on track, the recipe. I got the idea from a recipe I found online for a sweet kielbasa bake and tweaked it to my liking.

What you need:

1 package of smoked beef sausage

6 potatos peeled and cubed (I used the mini potatoes and left the skins on)

garlic salt

the sauce:

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 tblsp. honey

1 tsp of onion powder

3 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Whisk all of this ingredients together to make the sauce.

What you do:

Cut your sausage in 4 pieces then score the top (slit it with a knife but don't cut all the way through)

Now put your sausage and potatoes in a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic salt then pour the sauce you made over the sausage and potatoes. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20mins, uncover and bake for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender.

Now pop on an episode of 'Dr. Quinn', or your favorite cowboy show, and eat it up!

Easy Weeknight Beef Stroganoff

I got this recipe from one of my old Kraft Food and Family magazines. It is simple and tasty. My whole family ate it up, actually they were circling the kitchen like vultures while it was cooking. *wink*

What you need:

1 can of beef broth

1/4 cup of water

1/2 tub of cream cheese (I used a bit more than that, pretty much the whole container)

1 small jar of sliced mushrooms drained (I omitted this and used peas instead)

2 cups of egg noodles

*The recipe asks for frozen prepared meatballs but I made my own.

My meatballs:

1lb of ground beef, 1 tsp of sage, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp garlic salt and 1 tsp of onion powder. I combined all of these and formed the meatballs.


What you do:

Cook your egg noodles until done, drain and set aside.



Put your pot back on the stove, spray with non stick spray and cook your meatballs.



Be sure they are browned on all sides and done all the way through. You can take one out and slice it to ensure they are done. Remove your meatballs from the pot, drain the drippings and return your noodles and meatballs to the pot. Add your broth, water, cream cheese and your peas (or mushrooms) cook for about 15 mins stirring until smooth.



This is super yummy, super creamy and super comforting!

Chicken and Dumplings

Fall is here officially and weather wise. Here in the south the weather has definitley cooled off which means soups and stews. I love cooking warm yummy meals that make your kitchen smell great and your tummy feel full of love. I found this chicken and dumpling recipe on foodtv.com, it is one of Paula's recipes and is so delicious.

What you need:

1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1-2 tsp sage, cumin, garlic salt and onion powder combined (this is what I used)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
*I added a handful of frozen peas*

**I used a pack of chicken tenderloins, therefore I cut this recipe in half.

Dumplings what you need:

*I used a different recipe for my dumplings*

•1 cup flour
•2 tsp baking powder
•1/2 tsp salt
•1/2 cup milk

What you do:

Mix your dumplings together and set aside.



Put your chicken, celery, seasonings, bay leaves, onion, bullion and 4 cups of water in a large pot. Boil for about 40 mins or until chicken is tender and pulls apart.

Add the cream of celery soup to the pot and simmer on med/low, you can add the peas now too.



Scoop your dumplings out by heaping teaspoons and put them in the pot. Cover your pot, be sure to do this. You want them to cook from the steam, not boiling. Boiled dumplings are gummy. Steamed dumplings are yummy. Cook for about 15-20mins until dumplings are done. (you can insert a tooth pick to make sure it comes out clean.)

Enjoy! This is a tummy pleaser for sure.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Tonight is pizza night at my house! Are we ordering in? Heck no! Not calling Dominos tonight. I have a yummy homemade pizza dough recipe I am making, again. I orginially found this recipe on www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com and she got it from www.thepioneerwoman.com, both are favorite websites of mine. So without further rambling from me, here is the recipe.

What you need:

1 t yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
4 C flour
1 t salt
1/3 C olive oil

What you do:

Add your yeast to your warm water and set it aside.

Combine the flour, salt and olive oil until well combined. *Be sure to add the olive oil slowly while mixing. You can use an electric mixer for this.

Now add the water/yeast mixture slowly and combine.

You can either let this rise for 2 hours or you can put it in the fridge and let it rise all day. Super easy!

When you are ready to make your pizzas punch your dough down, divide it in 2 halves. Let it rest for about 5 mins then spread it out on your pizza stone or cookie sheet. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!



We topped ours with hamburger, cheese, sauce and black olives. Tonight I will be adding turkey pepperoni to the toppings.

Autumn Casserole

I love fall! It is my second favorite season. As you might already know summer is my favorite season, but fall runs a close second. One of my favorite things about fall is the flavors. I love cooking fall foods. Apples, pumpkins, brown sugar, pears....you name it, I love it.



*Just a cute pic I like. I use it in a siggy for myself every year.*

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. I am honestly not sure where it came from, but it is always a hit at our house this time of year.

What you need:

1 package of Turkey Kielbasa (smoked sausage)

2 granny smith apples peeled and cut into large chunks

1/2 onion sliced

1 large can of canned yams (cut in big chunks)

handful of raisins (I like the golden raisins for this)


What you do:

mix everything in a non stick spray coated baking dish and sprinkle the top w/ cinnamon

Bake for about 30mins on 375 until everything is heated through and the apples start to brown.

Enjoy!!!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

When cooler weather starts coming I start thinking about soups and stews. One of my favorite soups is Loaded Baked Potato Soup. It is very tasty and sticks to your ribs. I think I started out making this with a recipe, not sure where I got it from. But I have modified it and have basically made it my own after many years.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

What you need:

9 baking potatoes (bake them ahead of time until they are done, peel them and cut them in chunks)

Cook 1/2 a package of bacon (I use turkey bacon)

Shred 1 cup of cheddar cheese

2 cups of milk

1 cup of chicken broth

Garlic salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Cook your bacon in a large pot. Then add the rest of your ingredients to the large pot with the bacon. Cook for about 20-30mins on medium heat. You may want to mash a few of the potatoes with your spoon while they are cooking in the soup. Add a little more broth if needed until the soup is to your desired thickness.
Serve topped with a spoon of sour cream.

*I make some killer cheddar biscuits to go along with this dinner.

Enjoy!

Linking up to Potluck Sunday on Mommy's Kitchen.

Our Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole

My son loves tuna fish! Have I said that before, I know I must have. Well let me say it again, my son loves tuna fish! I cannot say it enough because believe me according to him I can never feed it to him enough.

A few evenings ago I was in search of something easy to make for dinner and decided to whip up a tuna noodle casserole. Of course he had to get in the kitchen with me because it was tuna fish. This was kinda a 'clean out the pantry' meal too. The next day was shopping day and I was making what I could with what I had.

So here is our recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Boil about 3/4 box of pasta...we used a few kinds of pasta as you can see:

I had several boxes of 'already used some' pasta left in them.

While your pasta is cooking:

Shred about 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese



Melt 2 tblsp of butter in a pan with 2 tblsp of flour...cook for about 2 mins or so.

Add 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of chicken broth, stir till smooth.



Add cheese and stir until smooth.



*If you need to add more liquid go ahead, I added a bit more chicken broth so that it stayed smooth and creamy. You don't want the cheese sauce to be watery but you don't want it to be too creamy.

Add salt and pepper to taste (I like adding garlic salt)

Drain your cooked pasta.

Mix the pasta, cheese sauce, 2 cans of tuna fish (drained) and 1 can of green beans in a large bowl until everything is coated with the cheese sauce. Pour into a greased baking dish.
*You could easily use peas in this instead of green beans.



Crumbled crackers on top, we used French Onion Sun Chips because that is what we had on hand.



Bake on 375 for about 30-35 mins.



Yummy!

*This was great in my sons thermos for lunch the next day. Did I mention he loves tuna fish? ;)

I'm linking up to Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday! Come on over and bring a dish for the potluck.

Rice, Ham and Pea Skillet

My cupboards are bare! Does that ever happen to you? It is pay week and I desperately need to go grocery shopping, so dinner tonight was me scrapping things together.

I was googling for a recipe and came across a Rice, Ham and Pea Skillet. Now we don't eat pork so I altered the recipe a bit and added turkey ham instead. Other than that I followed the recipe and it turned out yummy!

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•3 tablespoons butter, divided
•1 1/2 cups frozen peas (green, or English peas), about 10 ounces
•1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
•1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
•3 to 4 cups chicken broth
•2 to 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
In a heavy skillet, saute the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until onion is tender. Add ham and rice; cook over low heat until rice just begins to turn golden brown; add 3 cups chicken broth. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat for 20 minutes. Add frozen peas and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until rice is tender, adding more chicken broth if necessary. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and the Parmesan cheese.
Rice and ham skillet recipe serves 4.

Friday Product Review-Whole Grain Helpers

Welcome to my Friday Product Review! Do you have a product review you have recently done on your blog? Link it up to my Linky Tools at the bottom of this post.

This week I will be reviewing the new Whole Grain Helpers from Hamburger Helper. The Whole Grain Helper Meals are: Cheeseburger Macaroni, Honey Mustard Chicken, Lemon and Herb Chicken and Stroganoff. Two of these are orginial Hamburger Helpers: Cheeseburger Macaroni and Stroganoff. The difference seems to be the Whole Grain Helpers have whole grain pastas in them.

This is the ingredient label for the Classic Cheeseburger Macaroni:




This is the product information for the Whole Grain Helper version of Cheeseburger Macaroni:



Product Details:
100% whole wheat pasta and naturally flavored cheesy sauce mix. No artificial flavors, artificial preservatives or MSG. Add hamburger. 100% whole grain pasta at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving. Skillet prep. Makes about 1 cup servings. Provides at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving. 48 grams recommended daily. No artificial flavors. No artificial preservatives. No MSG. Whole grains are good for you. In fact, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage Americans to eat more whole grain - at least 3 servings a day. Whole Grain Helper provides the great taste your family will love, with the goodness of whole grains. One pound. One pan. One tasty meal.

Ingredients:
Pasta (Whole Wheat Flour), Corn Starch, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Add), Salt, Sugar, Ricotta Cheese (Dried) (Whey, Milkfat, Lactic Acid, Salt), Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Onion (Dried), Tomato (Dried), Dextrose, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Garlic (Dried), Citric Acid, Paprika, Mono and Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Nonfat Milk, Whey, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Rosemary Extract (Preservative), Colored with Paprika, Annatto and Turmeric Extract.

Warnings:
Contains wheat, milk; may contain egg and soy ingredients.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 0.25 cup
Servings Per Container: 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 cup prepared
Calories 90 310
Calories from Fat 5 120


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Fat .5 g (1%) 13 g (20%)
Saturated Fat 0 g (0%) 5 g (27%)
Trans Fat 0 g 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg (0%) 60 mg (21%)
Sodium 570 mg (24%) 670 mg (28%)
Total Carbohydrate 19 g (6%) 24 g (8%)
Dietary Fiber 2 g (10%) 2 g (10%)
Sugars 1 g 6 g
Protein 3 g 23 g


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vitamin A 0% 4%
Calcium 0% 10%
Iron 4% 10%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Calories: 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less than 2400mg 2400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
Dietary Fiber 25g 30g


_________________________

We have actually tried both of these products. The classic version is very salt to me and heavy. The whole grain version was tasty though, but not something I would typically buy. But a big plus for me is, other than the fact it is whole grain, there are no food dyes in the Whole Grain Helper Version. It may not be the best product out there but it certainly is a step in the right direction!

So there it is, your Friday Product Review. Now its time to link up one of your own reviews.

Orzo Salad with Dill, Chickpeas and Lemon

I have had this recipe for awhile now. I got it from a fellow boardie on my Kids Eating Healthy message board and it is wonderful. Please note that the picture is not mine, as many times as I have made this pasta salad I still do not have a picture of it. Maybe that is because it is always gone so fast.

This recipe is from Cooking Light, as is the picture.



1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions *I tend to omit this
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic *If I do not have this on hand I have used garlic salt.
***I like to add cucumber to mine.



Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta, onions, cheese, dill, and chickpeas in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.


We love it, so easy, quick and great for a hot summer day!



I am linking this up to Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Lynn over at The Life of a Foodie and Her Family. ( www.punkaroonie.blogspot.com ) The first time I made it I followed her recipe to a T, it was super good! The second time we had it my Grandma made it, she bought a different kind of dressing by accident, and dang that was even better!

So here is my recipe take on Lynn's Antipasto Pasta Salad:

3/4 box of multicolored rotini pasta cooked and drained

3 large tomatoes chopped into large pieces

1 package of fresh mozzarella (you can get the chunks and dice them, I found the mozz. pearls at Publix and sprinkled them in)

1 can of black olives, drained

1/2 pack of pepperoni ( I used turkey pepperoni by Hormel )

6 slices of salami chopped large ( I used the beef cotto salami by Oscar Meyer )

Croutons (I make my own with half a loaf of french bread. I coat them in olive oil, garlic salt and italian seasoning. Then I bake them on 380 for about 10-20mins)

2 handfuls of parmesan cheese ( I like the Sargento grated parmesan )

3/4 jar of Maries Creamy Italian Garlic Dressing

***I do add diced onions and green pepper, but not to the bowls for my son and husband. They are not onion and pepper lovers like me.

Toss the entire salad together and voila!

My husband and son like to call this 'The Man's Pasta Salad' because it is loaded with meats. My son also loves tomatoes and black olives, so this one is a keeper. We had it again tonight, 3rd time this month. We are in love with this pasta salad!

I'm linking this up to Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday.



Head on over and play along!