Chick Pea Summer Salad

Want a cold side dish salad perfect for summer?

Here's what you'll need!

I found the recipe a few years ago on the side of the chick pea can.

It's easy, quick and everyone loves it as a side dish to summer

menu's.

Chick Pea Salad

One or two cans of Chick Peas. 

Adjust how many cans depending on how much you need.

One large cucumber or two small.

Cut and quartered.

I left the skin on the cucumbers after washing really well.

The skin helps to give the salad  some crunch and keeps the

cucumbers from getting soggy.

One red bell pepper chopped.

Three tablespoons canola or olive oil per can of chick peas used.

Two tablespoons red wine vinegar per can of chick peas used.

Salt, pepper, dried basil flakes and parsley.

Toss well and refrigerate.

Before serving you can top grated Parmesan 

or shredded cheese for added flavor.

Serve cold

and

Enjoy!!

Great to make ahead for a BBQ!

Hope you're all having a great summer.

***Enjoy the last week of June***

See you next time.

Summer is for Tomato Basil Salad

There is nothing better then a fresh cool salad in the summer.

This one is easy and quick and so good.

I'm calling it tomato basil since I used fresh basil from my garden of herbs.

To start,

I gathered my ingredients.

Fresh, Roma tomatoes about 2 or more depending on how many you have for dinner.

One cucumber, again this can be adjusted to your need.

Fresh baby Bella mushrooms and one green pepper.

Fresh basil shredded with my kitchen scissors 

and last, mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut into squares if you have a block of cheese.

I use fresh cheese when I can.

Pine nuts is also a very good addition added to the mix.

The dressing is one of my favorites called Super Fruits Balsamic Vinaigrette by, Walden Farms.

It is perfect for anyone eating gluten free and has no calories, fat, sugar or preservatives.

It taste great too. 

You know these calorie free dressing are not worth it if they taste bad, but I can say, this one is great.

Add a few sprigs of fresh basil after chopping and adding the peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and cucumbers.

Shredding with my kitchen scissors and toss through.

Once mixed, I place all in this pretty old Pyrex glass bowl.

At this point, you can mix the dressing throughout and toss

 or let each one add their own dressing.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese and enjoy!

So good when served with grilled Bratwurst or any main dish meat, pasta or rice.

It's a nice meal when the days are so hot you don't feel like eating much!!

I added a slice of gluten free bread baked from a mix by King Arthur brand.

It was easy, quick and very good toasted.

My little basil tip.

 When I pick fresh basil for cooking.

I cut a few stems and wash leaving the stems in place while in the fridge.

Shake off the moisture leaving a bit in place to store in a sandwich bag with a bit of the zip lock open for air flow. 

It lasts a few days and ready to use when needed.

Hope you might try this easy and quick summer salad.

Bon Appetit

See you next time~

Have a great weekend.

Be Blessed

Celestina Marie

Crazy Aunt Sherry's Pasta Salad

Let me begin by saying,

this has nothing to do with all my blog friends named Sherry.

It is just the title for this dish.

However if you are feeling a little crazy you can name it after yourself.

Anyway, this summer salad recipe was in my towns monthly

electric company magazine update.

Members or employees of the company send in their recipes and they are published.

This one looked good, so I tried it.

I used gluten free pasta to sub the bow tie pasta in this recipe

and my family could not tell the difference.

Crazy Aunt Sherry's Pasta Salad

1 16 oz. box bow tie pasta

1 red onion~ I used white

1 green bell pepper~ I used 2

2 Roma tomatoes~ I used 4

1 cucumber, again I used 1 and a half 

1 1/2 cups sugar~ I used less and it was fine, 3/4 cup

1/2 cup vegetable oil~I used canola oil

1 cup white vinegar~ I used half white and half wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons mustard~ 

the recipe did not say powdered or prepared mustard 

so I used prepared and mixed well.

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Cook pasta according to box directions, drain and set aside.

Chop or dice all veggies and set aside

For the Dressing

Mix the liquid and powder ingredients together well.

Add chopped veggies to the pasta.

Pour dressing over the mixture and mix well.

Can be served right away or best when refrigerated for a few hours or over night.

Will fill a 9" X 13" serving dish.

Delicious!!

and perfect for a summer picnic, BBQ or potluck.

As you can see, I altered it a bit for our own taste using more veggies and 

changed the vinegar, but it was so good just the same.

**Just a note**

if you add a lot more veggies you may have to adjust the dressing to

have enough to coat well.

I also think adding mushroom to this would be good as well.

Recipe courtesy of CoServ Electrical Company.

If you try it, enjoy and let me know what you think.

~Have a great start to August~

Celestina Marie

Summer Tomato Pepper Cheese Salad

Don't you love refreshing and cold salads in the summer?

This recipe is easy quick and makes the perfect cool light salad to

accompany a grilled dinner of chicken, pork or beef.

Start with the ingredients below~

2 average size green bell peppers

4 average size roma tomatoes

shredded mozzarella cheese about 1/4 cup

 salt and pepper to taste

garlic flakes, just judge with your tossing

and fresh or dried parsley also tossing to coat

Dressing is simply~

wine vinegar and olive oil

This salad is not exactly measured.

You can adjust to the size you need

by adding more of less of the ingredients.

Fresh garlic is best but dried spices work 

just as well.

 

Chop peppers and tomatoes

Add the cheese, garlic, salt, pepper

and parsley.

Top with a drizzle of olive oil to entire top of salad.

Follow with wine vinegar using a little less

and toss all to coat.

Look how pretty it looks in my vintage Fire King Bowl.

You can also vary the ingredients by adding,

cucumbers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms or black beans.

A little twist on the traditional lettuce salad and goes so well with outdoor grilling.

Let me know if you try this.

The Italian flavor compliments so many main dishes.

~Enjoy~

Celestina Marie