Springtime Pasta Salad

Yum

The weather is warming up, we are grilling outdoors more and I'm in the mood for summer.

Summer is "salad season".  Actually every season is salad season for those people trying to eat healthy.  I try, I really try. Fresh foods are our daily goal and we've been doing a great job of cutting out the processed foods.  Yea!

Summer reminds me of farmers markets with their abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.  So this does spur me on to eat a lot more light and fresh salads.  

A sub-category of salads is Pasta Salads.  Hurray for pasta! I really like my pasta salads.  You can use all types of different pasta shapes and then you can customize what goes in it! Make a theme of it....are you feeling Greek today? How about a Greek pasta salad.  Or maybe you feel a little Mediterranean or even straight up American.  You can tailor a pasta salad by the veggie or ingredients you use to fit your theme.

Today, I'm feel Springy.  Fresh and light.  So I created a Springtime Pasta Salad loaded with asparagus, artichoke hearts and more.  It is the perfect as a side dish to a picnic, BBQ, or pot-luck.  

It's made with a vinaigrette so it keeps really well, and since there is "no mayo" you don't have to worry about the temperature.  

The 4th of July is coming up soon....keep this in mind.

Enjoy!




Springtime Pasta Salad

1/2 lb tri-color rotini pasta

1/2 bunch of asparagus
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1 c cherry tomatoes halved or quartered if large
1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped

1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled (more for sprinkling)
1/2 package dry, Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper 

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Cook al dente. During the last 1 minute of cooking add the asparagus to the water with the pasta. Allow to cook 1 minute and remove with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Drain pasta. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Cut asparagus in 1 inch pieces and add to a large bowl.

Add red and orange bell peppers, tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts and feta cheese to the bowl. Add cooled pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the dried salad dressing mix and cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

In a small mason jar add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Set aside.

When ready to serve toss the pasta salad with enough dressing to coat well. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Beefy Quesadillas

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Hi there!  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend.  You know, Saturday is National Tortilla Day.  Since I have some leftover ground beef from our Memorial Day cookout, I was inspired to combine the beef and tortillas into a wonderful lunch of Beefy Quesadillas!  Oh yeah...so good.

I love Mexican food and these Beefy Quesadillas were simple to make and really hit the spot for a light lunch.

It's really just burrito filling that I made quesadilla style instead.  Packed with seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, a little green chilies, and some hot sauce.   Oh boy, these were good!  Serve them with a plop of sour cream or some salsa and you are set.  Lunch is served!

A perfect way to use up any leftover ground beef and so get your Mexican craving on!

Enjoy!



Beefy Quesadillas

serves 2

1/2 lb. ground beef or sirloin
1/4 c refried beans
4-6 dashes of hot sauce
1 Tbls. of chopped green chilies (from a 4 oz can)
2 Tbls taco seasoning
4 8 inch flour tortillas
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add 1/4 c water, the taco seasoning, and the green chilies, and bring to a low boil until a sauce forms and most of the water has evaporated.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, add the refried beans and the hot sauce.  Heat over low heat until warm, stirring to combine.  

Heat a clean skillet over medium heat.  On a board place one tortilla flat and spread half of the refried beans on the bottom from the middle out to the edges.  Layer on the meat mixture and then the cheese.  Place in the skillet and cover with a lid.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip and cook the other side 2-3 minutes until brown.  Remove from the pan and cut with a pizza cutter or knife and serve with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.

Happy Memorial Day! A Cooking Class at Vom Foss

It's Memorial Weekend and I hope that everyone is have a fun filled holiday!

We'll be spending time with friends, planning a big cookout with lots of food and fun around the pool! It's so nice to have an extra day or two off from work to relax and enjoy the start of summer.

I wanted to tell you about something special that I did last weekend.

On the spur of the moment I decided to attend a "No-Cook Sauces" class down in San Diego, taught by one of my favorite chefs, Phillis Carey.  The class was held at Vom Fass.  If you don't know about Vom Fass, please read on. They are a specialty store with roots in Germany that specialize in fruit vinegars, exquisite oils, selected wines, outstanding liqueurs and unique spirits. All from the very best producers from all over Europe. "Vom Fass' or "from the cask" carries the most unique items I've seen in a long time. I was like a kid in a candy store! Beautiful casks line the walls that hold specialty oils and vinegars that are there for your tasting. They offer you a selection of varied size bottles to chose from for your purchase and they are filled directly from the casks. This store is a dream!

Today Phillis was there to share with us some Cool No-Cook Sauces using the oils and vinegars from Vom Fass. So MGG and I drove down to the class and decided to make a quick overnight getaway for ourselves! Why not turn this in to a relaxing weekend. Since the class was only 1 hour, he dropped me off and he went exploring in Hillcrest and I went to class. 

First up, a Raspberry Balsamic Champagne Spritzer that was to die for! Then came the sauces which were an Argentine Chimichurri Sauce served over thinly sliced beef on a toasted crostini, and an Italian Salsa Verde severed over cooked shrimp. She also made a Papaya/Mango Poppy Seed Ginger Sauce served as dressing on a mango salad (HEAVEN!) and a Red Currant Raspberry Sauce served over fresh fruit. (I'll be serving this fruit salad at my Memorial Day cookout, so stayed turned for that recipe!)

Needless to say, the class was perfect, the food heavenly, and I spent A LOT of money in that store! A big shout out to Phillis Carey. She is such a wonderful chef.  I've been following her for years. She used to teach at a local Gelson's Cooking School, and then at the Westlake Culinary Institute, but sadly both locations have closed their doors. She's based out of Carlsbad and teaches all over the San Diego area, so I'm so glad I got to go down and take another class of hers. If you are in the San Diego area, look her up at http://phillis-carey.blogspot.com and take a class. You won't believe how much you will learn from her!

Enjoy the holiday weekend!