How are you on this beautiful Monday night?!!
I've been sporting a seriously sore throat the past couple of days. I think the warm weather paired with the freezing cold air conditioning temps of my office is wreaking havoc on my bod. All I can say is thank goodness for green smoothies ~ they feel like heaven in my throat ;-)
Other than my throat, I'm feeling pretty excited. It's a short work week here in Canada because we're all off on Friday to celebrate Canada Day! With Canada Day (& Independence Day for all you Americans) comes some of my favourite things: outdoor get togethers with friends, bonfires, a few mouthwatering bevies and lots of delicious food!! Picnic and barbecue season has officially begun my friends ~ woot woot!!!
Derek & I are having my grandparents over for brunch on Friday and then we're heading to our friend, Jeff's, to chill around the pool and have a potluck barbecue with all of our buds on Saturday. Being the token vegetarian in the group, I have been put in charge of "vegetables". I'm not sure if that means everyone else is bringing meat, but being the sole vegetarian of the group, I tend to get the same responsibility at every get together! As always, I'm up for the challenge and I'm planning to bring some veggie kabobs, the best bruschetta known to man (recipe coming) and a protein packed pasta salad.
I like to add some beans to my pasta salad to add a healthy dose of fiber and protein. This salad is super easy to whip together and can be customized to use your fave beans and veggies. This is the type of recipe I like to make when I have some veggies that need to get used up at the end of the week because I HATE letting any produce go bad!
Protein Packed Pasta Salad
Makes a large salad to satisfy a crowd
This is a great salad for a family dinner or potluck with friends. It also keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days and is a great salad to take to work for lunch!
3 1/2 c. small shell pasta (I used brown rice pasta)
3 c. chopped veggies (I used green beans, tomatoes, yellow pepper, zucchini, carrots and baby spinach)
14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. Amazing Dressing
Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Combine the pasta, veggies and kidney beans in a large mixing bowl.
Add your dressing and mix well to coat.
Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least one hour before serving.
Enjoy!
I don't know about you, but I am loving how easy my recipes have been lately?! I haven't been intentionally trying to keep my recipes so simple, but I absolutely love making a delicious dinner while still being able to get outside and enjoy some of this beautiful summer weather. Quick and easy seem to be my ongoing themes!
What is your favourite dish to take to a potluck?
Have a great evening ~ I hope the sun is still shining in your neck of the woods :-)
Andrea
Yikes-- I hope your throat feels better soon! This pasta salad looks like a great summer dish!
ReplyDeleteIs it weird that I have never been to a potluck? I guess I have made things to take for a friend's for dinner, but it was just a 4 person thing. Does that count as a potluck? Haha!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am totally loving that salad! Pasta salad is one of my favorite things!
YUM! This sounds delish! Must try this weekend, or even tomorrow (we're going on a pincic)!! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious! We always bring our habanero-pear guacamole to potlucks--the pear really cuts the habanero leaving the taste but not the heat of the pepper :)
ReplyDeleteYour pasta salad looks divine! I love all the colors!!! My go to for picnics is a caprese salad.
ReplyDeleteEνerуone lοves ωhat you guys are uρ too.
ReplyDeleteThіѕ tyρе οf clever woгk and reportіng!
Keеp up the grеat ωoгκs
guys І've added you guys to my own blogroll.
Take a look at my blog post - http://www.tastyjuicingrecipes.com/
Amazing blog! Is уour thеme cuѕtom made oг did
ReplyDeleteyou download it from somеωheгe?
Α theme like yours ωith a fеw simple adjustemеnts would гeаlly makе my
blog jumρ οut. Plеаse let me
know where yοu got your theme. Thankѕ a lot
my ωeb blog ... http://agrowiki.nubip.edu.ua/wiki/index.php/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%87:DinoAdam
Нighly descriptive post, I enjoyed that a lot.
ReplyDeleteWill thеre be а part 2?
Fеel frеe to surf to mу homeρage; www.virtualworldsedu.info
Hey thегe, Ι think your blog might be hаvіng browser compаtіbilіtу issuеs.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ӏ look аt your websіte in Chrome, it lookѕ
fіne but when οpеnіng in Internet Εxplorer,
it has sοme ovеrlаpping. I just ωantеd
to give you а quick heаdѕ up!
Otheг then that, great blog!
Feel fгee to suгf to mу wеbsіte - juicing recipe book review