Pasta Salad

I made this salad for dinner the other night, and was able to have leftovers in my lunch for the first two days of school. I love it because it's so versatile!

First, boil some water. Add salt (to flavor the pasta).

Next, cook the pasta per package instructions. I like to use rotini, but any pasta would work. Except orzo. Don't use that.

Now, chop some vegetables. This time, I used a couple of carrots, half a cucumber, some red onion, and a red bell pepper. Oh, and I also cut some mozarella into cubes. I sometimes throw in a diced tomato (if I'm making it to share...not a huge tomato fan). I would also throw in some sliced olives, but TJ doesn't like them.

After the pasta has cooked and cooled, mix all of the ingredients together.

Now, poor on some storebought Italian dressing. Or homemade. I happened to have this, and it works great. I don't have an exact measurement....just as much or as little as you like.

The best thing to do is to let it refrigerate for an hour or so, but I was starving so I served it up right away. I also chopped up a piece of lunchmeat to put in it. My mom has done grilled chicken...like I said, it's versatile.

Mmm. The perfect summer salad.

Salad Dressing

I've learned a few things about salad dressing recently and I have tried to change my habits. Did you know that reduced fat dressing is way worse for you than full fat dressing? That's because your body needs the fat in order to digest vegetables properly. It's also because reduced fat dressings are typically less natural. Also, they may use fats that aren't as good for you, such as vegetable or canola oil instead of the better-for-you olive oil (because it is more naturally derived). I personally love a good vinaigrette. It automatically has less calories than creamier varieties. After looking at a few different recipes on the internet, I came up with my own. There are huge benefits to making your own salad dressing, the first being that you know exactly what goes inside. So, here's what I came up with. This is a basic recipe, that can be altered to your tastes.... or the type of salad you're having!

Vinaigrette

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c olive oil (use extra virgin for a more fruity flavor, but really any kind will do)
couple dashes of salt
couple grinds of fresh pepper
1/2 tbsp honey or sugar
1/2 lime squeezed into dressing (or lemon or orange...any citrus really)
dash of garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)

*Mix it all together really well. It would work best to put this in an empty dressing bottle, or a mason jar with a lid so that you can shake it to emulsify the oil and vinegar.
*The honey or sugar are essential to cutting the vinegary bite.
*These measurements are approximate. Play with it until it tastes good to you!
*I also added a couple dashes of chili powder for my southwest-style salad. You could add things such as dry oregano, dry thyme, and dry basil for an easy italian dressing. You could also add a tablespoon of mayonnaise for a creamy version!