PENNE PASTA SALAD

 Having a great sunny day today, my husband and I decided that we'll have a cook out in the back yard. While he was cooking the marinated chicken on the barbecue I was busy in the kitchen making this delectable but easy pasta salad which I know he'll help himself for seconds. This recipe is for two but there is plenty to around.

1/2 lb.  Penne pasta
1/2  of fresh green, red & orange pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
7-10 Black olives sliced
1 Small bunch of broccoli fleurettes, trimmed1/4 Cup of  grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil and vinegar
* salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and add cleaned broccoli fleurettes at the last 5 minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl combine peppers, garlic, cheese and olives. Toss all with oil and vinegar. Drain pasta and immediately and pour over the vegetables, mix well. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to eat. Enjoy.

CELERY ROOT

Celery Root Salad

1/2 of celery root - peel and finely shred
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 clove of crushed garlic

Mix all together in a bowl until well blended. Serve cold as a side dish. Garnish as desired.


Celery root is the bulbous part of celery which can be found at supermarkets. It doesn't look very appetising but it is very tasty and healthy.

SHRIMP SALAD

Shrimp Salad

1 bunch of arugala washed and torn into pieces
10 to 20 medium size shrimp, boiled and devined
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 small wedge of brie cheese, cut into chunks

1 yellow pepper, cut in to long thin strips.
Toss all together and drizzle with mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper are optional. Arugala has slightly peppery taste. Open up a bottle of white wine and enjoy.

RADISH LEAF SALAD

This is the season to buy delicious radishes. I am not much of a radish fan but my husband likes them in his salad. The last bunch of radishes I bought from the farm had very healthy looking leaves. I did not want to throw them away. After careful washing (they tend to have sand in them) and drying, I sauteed the clean leaves with chopped garlic and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil for about 2 minutes. They retained their beautiful color. A delicious surprise for the taste buds, crispy with a hint of sweet spice and made great side dish for the grilled steak. It's worth trying....

PURPLE POTATO SALAD

Purple Potato Salad

6 Large purple potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 hard cooked eggs, chopped

In a covered pan cook potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. In a very large bowl combine celery, onion, mustard, mayonnaise vinegar, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and eggs. Toss lightly to mix and cover and chill overnight.