Is it Summer yet?

Perhaps it’s the rainy weather here, but I’m ready for summer to begin. It’s the time of the year when watermelon constitutes as a meal, evenings are spent shucking corn on the porch, and sprinkles top every ice cream imaginable. I even ran to the store today to get fresh berries. I’m thinking of trying to make gluten-free/dairy-free strawberry cheesecake. Any tested and liked recipes out there?

To count down the final days of spring, I’m sharing a few of my Mediterranean-inspired salads. First up on the list is one of my favorites:

Greek Pasta Salad

Yield: 4 servings*        Prep Time: 10 minutes        Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 package of whole wheat or gluten free pasta of your choice (approx. 4 servings)
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
½ green bell pepper seeded and diced
2 tomatoes on the vine seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1/8 cup chopped parsley
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil**
A large dollop of plain yogurt (about 1/4 cup)***
2 garlic cloves minced
Juice of 2 small lemons
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
A pinch of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, chop all the veggies, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and add everything to the bowl.
2. Rinse and drain the pasta with cold water. Add the pasta to the bowl and mix everything together.
3. Put all of the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and seal with lid. Shake the contents until everything is blended together. Serve the dressing on the side or mix the salad with 1/2 of the dressing before plating. Enjoy!

Tips:

*This is a great make-ahead pasta salad. I usually double the recipe and divide the salad into wide mouth mason jars. I keep the dressing on the side and add it to the salad just before eating it.
** Look for an organic unfiltered olive oil. Trader Joes makes a wonderful organic Greek extra virgin olive oil that I can’t live without.
***I used Silk non-dairy plain yogurt. It’s the only plain non-dairy yogurt that I’ve found that isn’t too sweet.