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.

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!

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!