Veggie Teens

Meatless Monday: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

We love pasta salad because you can add just about any kind of vegetables and dressing to create an endless variety. This recipe is quickly becoming our new favorite.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Serves 4 as main course, 8 as side dish

Ingredients

Mediterranean Dressing
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon honey (or agave nectar)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Salad
1 12-ounce package rainbow rotini pasta (cooked according to directions)
3 ounces kalamata olives
1 14-ounce can of hearts of palm
1 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, quarted
8 ounces of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, diced
8 ounces banana wax peppers, sliced
4 ounces feta cheese

Directions

1. Place dressing ingredients into a jar or blender and mix until combined.
2. Refrigerate dressing at least 3 hours or overnight for for best flavor.
3. Toss all salad ingredients together.
4. Add Mediterranean Dressing to desired moistness and toss again. (Reserve extra dressing for a green salad.)

Meatless Monday: Tomato Bread Salad

Post by Owen May

Our garden has produced hundreds of little tomatoes so we're going to develop several tomato recipes to share with you.

This first one is a simple salad that uses stale French bread, fresh herbs, and a simple vinaigrette.

Tomato Bread Salad with Fresh Herbs

Serves 4 

Ingredients

Salad

8 cups of stale French bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon each of fresh thyme and rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Optional: 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed (or 4 sticks of string cheese chopped)

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place bread cubes in a large bowl; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss immediately.
2. Sprinkle herbs, salt, and pepper over the bread and toss again.
3. Put bread on a large baking sheet in a single layer. (You'll use the same bowl to toss the salad so leave any remaining herbs in the bowl.)
4. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, approximately 15 minutes. Watch closely and turn frequently to prevent burning.  
5. While croutons are baking, whisk dressing ingredients.
6. Cool bread then toss with tomatoes and dressing.
7. Optional: Add cubes of mozarella cheese if desired.