Summer Salad Recipe

 

Happy Tuesday, My Lovelies!  How's your week progressing so far?  I cooked a few dishes over the weekend, and I want to share this salad recipe with you.

When I was waiting to check out at one of our local libraries last week, I noticed the above diabetic cookbook in the new books section.  I picked it up and started looking through it, and I thought that several of the recipes sounded very good.  I checked it out, brought it home, and our youngest daughter must have been very bored because she looked through it, too, and selected recipes to try.  The book is entitled The Easy Diabetes Cookbook by Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN.  More about the author later.

The first recipe I tried was the Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese.  My family loves goat cheese, and the recipe is meant to rest for a couple of hours before serving, meaning I could prepare it earlier in the day.  Plus, it's been very hot here lately, and I like to restrict the use of the stove and oven.  The link above is for a similar recipe on her blog.  

I took a photo of the salad while in the mixing bowl, but I forgot to take one when I plated it.

I'm an idiot!  I often forget to take photos because I'm easily distracted, especially at mealtime!  

Mediterranean Pasta Salad With Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) box of chickpea penne pasta, cooked, rinsed, and drained

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 red onion sliced into thin strips

1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup oil packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup broccoli florets

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 T dried Italian spices (or oregano)

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t black pepper

4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup shaved parmesan

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients except the pasta and make sure that all the ingredients are coated with the olive oil.

Add the pasta and gently stir to combine.

Let the Mediterranean Veggie Pasta Salad sit for at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator to marinate.

Cook's Note:  I was very skeptical about the chickpea pasta, but it was a huge hit with everyone.

Not only is Mary Ellen a registered dietician, she was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young child.  I am now following her blog, and she has written many helpful posts for diabetics as well as good information for living a healthy lifestyle in general.  Everyone can benefit from reading it.

Here is a link to her website, and here is a link to her blog.  She also offers several FREE DOWNLOADS that are brilliant!

I ordered this recipe book for us.  I'll be using it for almost every meal this week, and I hope my copy comes in soon because since it's a new book; I can't renew it at the library.

IndieBound Affiliate Link

What are you cooking for supper tonight?  Or do you call it dinner?  I'm cooking Grain-free Parmesan Chicken from the cookbook!  

Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill