JBug's Kitchen Antics: Lovin' Greek Pasta Salad

In case you haven't noticed, our menu this week includes a fair number of flavors from the sunny Isles of Greece, and for good reason. We're having a heat wave with highs in the mid to upper 70's and sunny skies predicted over the next several days.

Naturally it makes us laugh uproariously because a year ago we'd have done the happy dance and been singing hallelujah for a "low" anywhere near those temperatures in our former desert oasis. It's not as though we need more proof that the present is a gift you give yourself, huh. I mean really, who wants to live in the past anyway?

Big Guy took the boat out looking for crab yesterday afternoon and in case he got skunked I had to come up with something for dinner that could hold indefinitely. The result, a pasta salad made from veggie colored/flavored radiatore courtesy of Trader Joe's along with diced cucumber, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onion, kalamata olives and feta cheese too. I threw in some baby spinach for color and dressed the salad with an herbed up red wine vinaigrette rather than our usual mayonnaise based dressing and Bob's your uncle.

Along with some minty lamb patties courtesy of Rachael Ray and sampled in our kitchen previously, dinner was ready whenever we were. Incidentally about the lamb patties, this time I used fresh parsley along with cilantro and mint and added dry basil because I didn't have any fresh. Oh, and I tighted them all up a bit with an egg and a quarter cup of panko crumbs too. Delicious!

Big Guy said "you can make this all again, anytime" and that's the best possible compliment, eclipsed only by "you look skinny in those jeans". I don't think I've ever heard him say that one but I can always dream can't I?

Love’n Things Greek Pasta Salad from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from myrecipes.com

6 ounces dry pasta – I used multi-colored radiator but any short pasta will do

1 small cucumber, diced

2 ripe tomatoes cut into wedges

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in halves

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 handfuls fresh baby spinach, stems removed

Zest of half a lemon

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse under cold water. Drain well. Toss together with remaining ingredients and refrigerate until just before serving.

Vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Dash red pepper flakes

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Place all above ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended. Pour over salad just before serving and toss to combine. Makes 6 servings.

A year ago - Sausage Sweet Potato Cottage Pie