Roasted Vegetable Summer Salad

For my grandparent’s 65th Wedding Anniversary all the grandkids brought side dishes.  I decided it was high time to create a new pasta salad. 

I roasted up a whole bunch of veggies because, let’s face it, roasted veggies taste amazing.  And, I can actually eat them when they are roasted. 

Then, I tossed them in some pasta cooked in chicken broth, marinated with some olive oil, garlic, onion, and herbs. 

The result was a delicious salad – perfect served hot or cold. 

Roasted Vegetable Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 2 C chicken broth
• 2 1/2 C small shaped pasta
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 4 C water
• 1 C chopped broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 2 C baby carrots
• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 medium zucchini
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 4-6 oz. cherry tomatoes (optional)
• 1 can (~15 oz) Great White Northern Beans, rinsed & drained
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Olive oil

Directions

Place 2 1/2 C small pasta (we used rings, but small shells would work well too) in a large stockpot.  Add 2 C chicken broth (should be enough to nearly cover the pasta; if not, top off with water).  Sprinkle in up to 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and 1 tsp. minced onion.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Once the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid (about 3 minutes of boiling), add in the 4 C of water and continue cooking according to package directions.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, chop up your veggies.  Chop the bell peppers into 1-inch pieces, zucchini into quarters, and mushrooms into quarters.  Halve the cherry tomatoes, if using (I highly recommend doing so!).  Note – it the carrots are thick “baby carrots”, slice them in half lengthwise. 

Arrange the veggies on a large cookie sheet lined with a piece of foil coated lightly in olive oil.  Spritz with additional olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, basil and oregano. 

Roast at 450 for 30-45 minutes until crisp tender and nicely roasted.  Stir occasionally during this time and, if you are using frozen broccoli, you may need to remove the broccoli sooner than the other veggies. 

When pasta is ready and veggies are done, stir them together.  Mist lightly with olive oil to maintain moistness.  Season with additional salt, pepper, basil, & oregano.

Stir in white beans and garnish with dried parsley, if desired. 

Serve warm or chilled. 

This makes a great stand-alone salad, but would also be delicious with chicken either in the salad or along side it.  Grilled chicken would be even better!  Enjoy!

Tri-Color Pasta with Tri-Color Veggies

This is a great summer lunch or a good addition to a BBQ. 

The veggies are crisp-tender, tossed with basil (fresh would be awesome) and Parmesan cheese. 

Just add the pasta and you have lunch!

Tri-Color Pasta with Tri-Color Veggies

Ingredients

• Red, Orange & Yellow bell peppers, julienned
• 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 1 tsp. basil (dried)
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
• 6 oz. Tri-Color Pasta (we used rotini)
• splash of lemon juice
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by bringing a pot of water to a boil for your pasta.  When ready, add your pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, saute the julienned bell peppers and sliced bella mushrooms in a large skillet in 1 tsp. olive oil. 

When veggies are crisp-tender and the pasta is done, stir the veggies and pasta together.  At this point, remove the skillet from the heat.   

Stir in the basil and Parmesan cheese.

Season with a splash of lemon juice, salt & pepper. 

Serve warm or chilled.  

Feel free to toss in some diced chicken, or white beans for added protein! 

Taco Salad

For a quick and delicious dinner, go for a taco salad. 

Made entirely on the stove top, this is a great meal during the peak of summer.  Even the boys will enjoy this one!

Taco Salad – Mom

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
• Taco seasoning {make your own}
• 1 C tomato sauce
• Leafy Green Lettuce (of your choosing, add spinach)
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper (or other colors that you like), chopped
• 1 large tomato, sliced and diced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1 medium avocado, sliced (if desired)
• White or whole grain tortilla chips, crushed
• Catalina dressing {make your own}
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Begin by browning the ground beef or turkey; drain excess grease. 

Add the taco seasoning and the 1 C tomato sauce and heat until warmed. 

Meanwhile, prepare the salad bed by placing salad greens in 4-6 salad bowls. 

Add shredded carrots, diced yellow bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and avocado.  Like olives or black beans?  Add these to your salad too! 

Crush a handful of tortilla chips over the salad.  Then, spoon on 1-2 tablespoons of taco meat. 

Add shredded cheddar  cheese and top with salad dressing. 

Enjoy! 

Linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday 2

Roasted Potato & Green Bean Salad

Fresh garden green beans.
Delicious sweet potatoes.

Roasted to perfection.
Drizzled with a garlicy herb sauce. 

This unique potato salad is the perfect compliment to a summer BBQ!

Roasted Potato & Green Bean Salad – From How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 10 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 C olive oil
• 2 T grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 T fresh dill
• 1 tsp. parsley, dried

Directions

Prepare the potatoes and green beans.  Toss them into a large prep bowl. 

Using an olive oil mister, lightly mist the veggies with olive oil.  If you don’t have a mister, use about 2 tsp. olive oil.  Then, spread the veggies on a non-stick cookie sheet that has also been sprayed with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

Chop the top off of the garlic and place the garlic onto the baking sheet as well.  Make sure you oil the garlic too {just rub it inside the bowl or spray it lightly}, or you’ll have charcoal garlic!

Place the veggies into an oven heated to 450 degrees.  Roast the veggies for 15 minutes and then flip them over.  Continue baking for 20-25 additional minutes. 

When the veggies are tender and nicely roasted, remove them from the cookie sheet and place them into a large serving bowl. 

 

In a small bowl, mix together the 1/8 C olive oil, 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, roasted garlic {yep, pop out those cloves and place the whole head of garlic into the sauce}, pepper, dill and parsley.  Mix this sauce together.  Then, pour onto the potatoes. 

Stir to coat.  Serve warm and enjoy!

We served this alongside wild rice brats and it was a hit! 

Linked to: What’s On Your Plate? These Chicks Cooked, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, URS

Macaroni Salad

Do you need a quick and delicious salad for tomorrow's Memorial Day BBQ?

Frog Prince requested his mom's macaroni salad; he listed off the ingredients and I set to work. While the traditional macaroni salad has celery, we used green pepper in its place and I loved that switch.

This salad is easily made in 30 minutes and keeps well in the refrigerator. You might find that you'll need to add a bit more mayo the next day because the noodles will absorb the mayo as the salad sits - but the flavors mix wonderfully!

Macaroni Salad

14.5 oz box of macaroni (we used Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 C baby carrots, sliced
1 T minced onion
4 oz. frozen peas
1 C mayo (we used mayo made with olive oil)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 T cider vinegar
paprika
parsley
sea salt
black pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; be sure not to over cook the pasta so that the noodles become overly soft.

Add the frozen peas in the last minute of cooking. Then, drain.

While the pasta is cooking, chop up the veggies.

Allow the pasta and peas to cool down and then place in a large bowl.  As the pasta cools down, stir every few minutes to prevent the noodles from clumping together as they dry.

Add the chopped up veggies.

Stir to combine.

Add the minced onion, and stir these veggies in too. Alternatively, you can use fresh onion here.

Stir together the mayo, sugar, dry mustard, and cider vinegar until smooth and creamy.

Pour the mayo mixture over the pasta.  Do this in small batches.  Add a little, stir it in well and repeat.  This way, the creamy sauce gets all over the pasta and you can stir it in well.

Stir in the mayo mixture until the pasta and veggies are coated.

Then, season, to taste with parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  If desired, you can also add tuna fish or chicken (either canned or grilled chicken breast).

Enjoy!

Linked to: Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Tasty Tuesday, This Week's Craving, URS(2). 

Tomato Cucumber Pasta

This refreshing salad is the perfect compliment to a BBQ!

Tomato Cucumber Pasta - The Truax Family
{Warning... this feeds an army, and then some}  


Pasta
2 boxes (1 lb each) mini lasgana, cooked
3 cucumbers, quartered
2 pts. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 onions, diced
3 T Parsley, or 2 handfuls, fresh

Dressing
1 C white vinegar
1 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp, dry mustard
2 tsp. garlic salt

Prepare the pasta.  Place in a large serving container.

Make up the dressing.  Drizzle over the pasta until well coated.

Toss in the veggies.

Chill.

Serve cold.

You may wish to make this one day ahead of time, just stir occasionally.  If you do so, add the veggies fresh the day you serve it.

When I make it for a smaller gathering, I make a half recipe of both the pasta and dressing.

Enjoy!

Linked to: Ingredient Spotlight

Lunches

Sandwiches

Baked Veggie Sandwiches
Corn Dogs (baked)
Cheesy BBQ Open Sandwiches
Crockpot BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Crockpot Sloppy Joes {healthier}
Grilled Cheese Ideas
Mozzarella and Pepperoni Panini
Pan-Grilled Veggie Sandwiches
Toasted Sandwiches


Quesadillas


Homemade Tortillas
Garlic Chicken Quesadillas
Quesadillas
Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas
Veggie Quesadillas
Zucchini, Carrot and Black Bean Quesadillas


Salad


Chicken Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad