Arugula Greek Pasta Salad

    Wanting an unconventional side for Thanksgiving? Maybe something that isn't too heavy... or maybe you just want to be like me and make this on Sunday and eat it for lunch all week. Basically, I can give you a million reasons you want to make this pasta salad.  

   This recipe was born out of indecision, I was craving a Greek salad and my Mother-in-law's pasta salad and could not make up my mind on what I wanted to make. Then it hit me, combine them and this little baby was born. I love, love, love a strong vinaigrette, hence my obsessive love of Greek Salad You could easily tone down the bite of vinegar or tang of lemon. I grew up eating Greek salad and loving all things vinegary and tart. If that's not for you, cut back on the lemon juice and vinegar and I'm sure it will be more your speed.

   I'll probably be taking this a few places this holiday season. I've taken it a couple of places over the summer and it was always a major hit! It truly is something I would normally post in the summer, but I thought this one holds up year round. And I know I can't be the only one who needs something a little lighter to go with the heaviness of the sides, covered in bacon, cheese, butter and cream. I love all the indulgent foods we eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but sometimes you've got to have something that has a brighter and lighter flavor and feel. That's why I love taking this and other non-traditional recipes places every year.

Arugula Greek Pasta Salad


1 19 oz bag frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 cup arugula, roughly chopped (or baby kale)
1/2 a cucumber, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower rice
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Greek Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
 juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Prepare pasta by package directions. While water is coming to a boil and pasta is cooking, prep, cut and chop your veggies. Rinse and quarter tomatoes, rinse and chop arugula, drain and chop olives, cut cucumber into chunks, dice onion. Place all veggies, cheese and cauliflower rice in a large bowl and set aside. Once pasta is cooked, strain and rinse with cold water until pasta has cooled some, add to the bowl of vegetables and start dressing. IF you use a blender or food processor add all ingredients and blend. If you are doing it by hand, whisk together everything but olive oil until all combined, then stream in olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly. add about half dressing and toss everything together. Taste, if you you need more dressing stir in and taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I think I'll make up some of this for lunches next week!

Happy eating!

XOXO,
Ashley

Hot Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprout Salad

Talk about quick and easy! 

Oh and because it's a salad made of brussels sprouts, it nullifies the bacon, making it totally healthy!

      I have the tendency to plan two week menus for all three meals and only wind up following them about half the time. I'm easily distracted and hate following plans, even if I wrote the plan. Especially, if I wrote the plan! This salad was born out of one of my fits of rebellion. Rebellion can taste so gooood! I won't lie, when my husband set his eyes on this bowl of a goodness, he was less than impressed. He wasn't sure how this was going to fill him up for the evening or if this even classified as a meal. Once he ate it, he was a believer. 

      I had a heavy labor intensive dinner planned, the kids had eaten a huge late afternoon snack, and I just didn't have the time or energy of dealing with the the cooking and blah, blah, So I made this dude up and shoved it in my face! It makes a great light dinner or a side dish. Toss a fried egg on top and call it brunch! Whenever you have it, it's delicious and for little effort! Seriously this is the meal I can get behind!

 Hot Bacon Brussels Sprouts Salad
serves 2

4 cups shredded brussels sprouts
4 strips of bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic dressing*
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

Start by shredding your brussels sprouts. I used the slicing blade on my food processor, but you could easily use a mandolin or a box grater. Then, heat a large skillet to medium high heat. While it heats up, cut your bacon into medium sized pieces. Once the pan is hot, start cooking your bacon, stirring often. While bacon is cooking, whisk together garlic, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and honey.  Slowly stream in olive oil, while whisking constantly. It should take about 4- minutes for the bacon to cook. Once the bacon is cooked through, scoop it out onto a plate and set aside. Over  medium heat stir in the vinaigrette. Add in sprouts, tossing to coat, cook until just softened, but still has a bite. Toss with bacon and serve.

*I actually used raspberry balsamic this time, but I've make it regular balsamic usually. Both are delicious! I think red wine vinegar would be amazing too.

It's the perfect lunch or dinner on the fly!

xoxo,
Ashley

Summer Spinach Salad

I love salad. My husband doesn't believe this is a square meal. I don't care, he has to eat what I fix him. :)

Poor guy is so mistreated.

I need to talk to you about this salad! Every year just before spring, when the chill is starting to fade and I can't wait to lock my boots and sweaters away for a few months, I start dreaming of salad. This one is a combination of salad I adore from a certain sandwich cafe/coffee house/bakery, that we all know, and a salad my mom made every summer and still makes. Her salad has turkey or chicken and this one would be amazing with it but I wanted to go meatless with this one. I am not a vegetarian, have never professed to be one and honesty I love bacon too much to be one but I feel like my family could use a little less meat in our diet. Mom's salad also had these crunchy, caramelized pecans that have always been my favorite. This time I chose almonds because that is what my man loves. I combined my favorite two salads in the universe (other than caprese but I can't mess with perfection) and came out with this beauty and there was no need to turn on the stove. I have eaten it multiple times since. 

I actually photographed this a couple of months back and I feel that I need to finally rish and share it with you while summer produce is still in season.I mean, holy guacamole, how is it almost "back to school" time already! Sorry, back on topic, this is the perfect sweaty day supper. So, make it, quick!

The best thing about salads like this, you can change ingredients in our take them out and come up with something new each time. I have left tomato out every time I have made this since. It just wasn't my thing. My husband prefers it without avocado, but he is clearly insane!

The dressing is super easy and so delicious. Just toss everything into a blender or food processor and you're done. I love it and my husband loves it, that is no small feet let me tell you. He is not a vinegar fan normally but he loves apples, which is how I convinced him to try it. 

This dressing is super versatile, swap out the apple with another fruit and change up the vinegar or even just leave out the vinegar for citrus juice and you have something totally new. 

Summer Spinach Salad:

For the Caramelized Almonds:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup almonds

In a heavy bottomed skillet, I prefer an iron skillet, heat the sugar over medium high heat. Stirring constantly, until the sugar hes melted and is golden brown color, then toss in your nuts. Allow them to cool on a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper until they have hardened and are cool enough to touch. Roughly chop before topping the salad.

For the Dressing:
1/2  green apple, cored and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
*1 teaspoon of honey
salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Place apple, vinegar, honey and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until the apple has broken down and all the contents are smooth. Turn on low and pour oil in a thin stream through the opening in the top of the lid. Once all oil is incorporated you should have an emulsified dressing. Taste and make tweaks to the taste.

For the Salad:

2 cups baby spinach
1 mango, diced
4-5 strawberries, diced
**1/2 tomato, diced
1/2 green apple, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
caramelized almonds

Toss you lettuce in a large bowl, layer on all of your toppings and dress with dressing. Serve immediately.

*Feel free to add more or leave it out all together. I knew my guys would prefer a little more sweetness.
**Like I said before, I left the tomato out after this but I included it in the ingredients since it can been seen in pictures.

It's calling your name!