Easy Greek Pasta Salad

My Easy Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with fresh veggies, tangy feta, and yummy pasta, all doused with a wonderful Greek vinaigrette.  The perfect summer side salad!

 

Easy Greek Pasta Salad

Summer is made for pasta salads.  They are great for backyard BBQ, picnics, potlucks, concerts in the park, you name it!  I love a good pasta salad, but I really enjoy that they are soooo easy to make.  Today I'm feeling Greek flavors.  Greek salad is a favorite so it is just natural to add those flavors to some pasta.  

This dish comes together in about 30 minutes and is easy to throw together.  Twirls of pasta is mixed with cool cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, and tangy feta.  Top this with a quick Greek vinaigrette and you have one heck of a tasty dish!  The result is a fresh, light, pasta salad that is full of flavor.  This will easily feed six and this basic recipe can be enhanced as you wish.  I'll leave some suggestions below.  

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• rotini pasta

• English cucumber

• Roma tomatoes

• feta cheese

• medium red onion

• red bell pepper

• parsley

• olive oil

• red wine vinegar

• lemon

• dried oregano

Substitutions and Variations

• Olives: Add green or black olives

• Beans:  Add garbanzo beans or gigante beans

• Tomatoes:  ripe and fresh are best.  Use what is in season. Cherry or grape tomatoes are always a good choice.

• Pasta: Use your favorite shape, even spaghetti will work

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Cook your pasta first:  you will want the pasta to cool down before adding it to the other ingredients and this will take a little time.

• Rinse your pasta after cooking?  There are 2 schools of thought on this.  One side says to rinse to stop the cooking process which helps keep the pasta al dente. Also it reduces the temperature of the pasta quickly, plus it removes some of the starch.  The other side says that pasta that is not rinsed will hold the sauce better.  I've done it both ways.  I will say rinsing is faster and since you are using an oil based dressing the ingredients get coated just as well.

• Tools:  I use this handy veggie chopper when I have to chop a gang of veggies.  It is so helpful and I love that the container catches and holds all the product.  Great for salads!

• I also have a set of melamine mixing bowls that I use ALL THE TIME!  The best part is you can mix in it then pop of the lid to store it in the frig, AND serve from it.  They are beautiful and practical.  Check them out.

More Pasta Salads to enjoy:

Avocado and Peach Spiral Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas

Summer Bounty Vegetable Pasta Salad

The BEST Broccoli Pasta Salad

Fresh Italian Pesto Pasta Salad

Springtime Pasta Salad

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Easy Greek Pasta Salad

serves 6

1/2 pound rotini pasta
1 English cucumber, small dice
3 Roma tomatoes, small dice
1/3 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 medium red onion, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/3 cup parsley, chopped

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil on the stove.  Add the pasta and cook according to the package direction until al dente.  Drain the pasta in a colander and allow to cool.  

In a large mixing bowl add all the vegetables, the cooled pasta, and the crumbled feta cheese.

In a small bowl or jar whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice oregano and salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat all the ingredients.  Salad may be served immediately but I suggest chilling the salad for 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to blend together.

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Sweet Potatoes

Fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon are combined for a zesty topper on tender grilled steaks and accompanied by luscious roasted sweet potato bites.

 

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Sweet Potatoes

It's Grilling season and that's a great way to make a meal in under 30 minutes! Today we're cooking up a meat and potatoes meal Gaucho style by making a wonderful grilled flank steak topped with a tangy Chimichurri sauce along with roasted sweet potatoes. Flank steak is a long, flat cut with a significant grain running through it, and is known for its bold flavor. It is a lean cut of meat and is tender when you cut it across the grain.  One of the best benefits of a flank stead is its size.  It will feed a crowd easily.  A very versatile cut of beef that can be cooked as a steak, or cut and used in tacos, fajitas, steak salad, or sandwiches.  It's flavor is really unmatched!

Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that is used as a condiment for grilled meat. It's filled with fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and a bit of heat. This vibrant green sauce is the perfect partner to the grilled flank steak. You don't want to skip this sauce as it makes the dish! Throw in a side dish of nutritious roasted sweet potatoes and you have one heck of a dinner! This dinner will be on the table in 30 minutes. Great for the weekend or a weeknight, and clean up is a breeze. But, the best part is the flavors. This combination is heavenly!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• fresh Italian parsley

• fresh cilantro - If you don't care for cilantro use more parsley

• olive oil

• yellow onion or shallot

• garlic

• fresh lemon

• red pepper flakes

• flank steak

• sweet potato

Substitutions and Variations

• Sauce: Chimichurri sauce can be made with only parsley.  Add more or less red pepper flakes to adjust the heat level.

• Choice of beef:  try your favorite steak instead of the flank steak.  It's great on New York steaks, Rib Eye or Sirloin.  

• Choice of protein:  Chimichurri sauce can be used on any grilled beef, chicken, pork or fish.

• Sweet Potatoes:  Make fries instead of cubes, or bake the sweet potatoes.  

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a food processor to make the sauce easily and quickly.

• Chimichurri sauce will keep for about 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

• Slicing the steak:  Flank steak is a tough cut of meat and to make it tender you must slice the meat across the grain.  So usually the grain runs along the longest length of the meat.  So you would place that horizontally and cut vertically through those grains in to slices.

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Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Sweet Potatoes

serves 4-6

1 cup fresh Italian parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 - 2 lb flank steak
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed into small bite sized pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare gas grill or charcoal for medium-high direct heat cooking.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, add parsley, cilantro, oil, onion, garlic, zest, and lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Place in a small serving dish.  

Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper and place on the baking sheet.  Spread out in a single layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle flank steak with salt & pepper to taste.  Grill about 6 min per side for medium or adjust time for desired doneness.  Remove to a cutting board and allow to stand 5 minutes.  Slice steak against the grain and serve with sauce.  Serve with sweet potatoes on the side.

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread

My Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread is so tender and moist and full of banana and chocolate flavor that this may become your favorite banana bread recipe!

 

Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread

It's been a while since I've actually made a banana bread.  I'm not sure why because I love them.  We usually get a slice every time we go to a coffee shop so I decided it was time to make a really special one.  This Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread is special since it has ricotta cheese in it.  Using ricotta cheese in place of milk give you a bread that is really tender and moist. Add in that bananas and chocolate are a match made in heaven and you have one great quick bread.

We eat this mainly for breakfast but I've also been known to eat this as a snack with hot tea or coffee, and I've even made French toast with leftovers....decadent!  With just 8 ingredients and one bowl, you can have a loaf of banana bread ready to enjoy for your breakfast or anytime you choose.  Making it in one bowl makes it quick and easy to pull together.  The hardest part is waiting the 50 minutes for it to bake!  Let me tell you there is nothing better than a warm piece of banana bread with big banana flavor and gooey chocolate inside.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• bananas

• ricotta cheese

• sugar or sugar substitute ( I often use King Arthur's Baking Sugar Alternative)

• eggs

• flour

• pure vanilla extract

• baking powder

• kosher salt

• chocolate chips

Substitutions and Variations

• Chocolate:  Use a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate or leave out the chocolate for regular banana bread

• Nuts:  Add in pecans

• Fruit:  Add in strawberries or blueberries instead of the chocolate

• For more whole grains:  use wheat flour for half of the amount of flour requested

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Pan size:  use a 9x5 loaf pan for the best results

• Testing for doneness:  the bread is done when a tooth pick that is stuck in the center of the loaf comes out clean

• Cooling the bread:  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it.  Place the removed bread on a cooling rack to continue to cool for about 15 more minutes before cutting.

• Storing:  Store your bread in a vented plastic bag.  If it is airtight the bread will become soggy.

• Do not overmix the batter:  As with muffins you want to stir the batter just until it comes together (barely all the flour is incorporated).  If you stir vigorously you will end up with a rubbery and dense product.  A thick and lumpy batter is a good batter!

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Chocolate Chip Ricotta Banana Bread

yield:  1 loaf


3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 cup  dark chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, ricotta, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined, do not overmix the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.