Pasta Salad

Tomorrow is the first day of June.  I find this hard to believe.  I'm pretty sure it was just yesterday that I was posting about soup and how much I love soup and how one winter we ate soup almost every day for a month because it's so wonderful and amazing and delicious.

Now Memorial Day is over and we've hit 90-plus degrees and I want nothing to do with soup.  (Yeah, so I'm fickle.  You know you don't want soup either.)  Now I want salads.  Giant pasta salads.  Salads bursting with fresh vegetables out of the garden and tasty stuff like couscous and quinoa and lentils and barley.  When it got too hot to cook (yes, that does happen in Michigan), my mom always used to make a giant vat of pasta salad, and we'd eat it on the pool deck with fruit and popsicles and other munchies that didn't require the use of an oven.  You don't need a pool to enjoy pasta salad, though.  In fact, it doesn't even have to be summer yet.  I've made two big batches already, and they were just as delicious as I remember.  And much better than soup.

This recipe is great because you can change it based on what's in your refrigerator or garden.  I've listed the typical ingredients that I use, but feel free to add whatever you like.  In addition to veggies like cucumber or avocado, consider adding chopped pepperoni or grated mozzarella.  Be creative!  For the dressing, I usually use regular or "zesty" Italian dressing from a bottle.  Don't use any of the creamy versions.  I've also tried using Good Seasons Italian dressing from a packet; it worked, but the flavor wasn't quite as strong as I like.  Set any remaining dressing out on the table so people can add a bit more if they like.

Another trick I use is adding the broccoli and carrots to the boiling pasta water for a few seconds.  Blanching these crunchier vegetables makes them a little less, well, crunchy.  Just be sure not to overcook them; the last thing you want is a bunch of soggy, nasty broccoli mixed into your beautiful salad.  About 60 seconds for the carrots and 30 seconds for the broccoli is plenty.

Pasta Salad
Time:  30 minutes
Serves:  8+

1 package (12-16 oz.) tri-color rotini (my favorite) or another bite-size pasta (like farfalle or small shells)
3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces (I peel the "trunk" and cut it up too)
1-2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
1 large tomato, diced (or 3/4 to 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved)
1/2 cup black olives (about half a can)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup (8 oz.) bottled Italian dressing, plus more to taste

Boil pasta in a large pot according to package directions.  One minute before pasta is done, add carrots to pot.  Thirty seconds later, add broccoli.  (Vegetables should be just barely tender-crisp and very bright in color--don't overcook!)  Drain immediately; toss with a few ice cubes to cool.  Add remaining ingredients;  refrigerate until chilled.  Toss before serving.

Tip:  If making salad in advance, add tomatoes just before serving, as they tend to lose their freshness more quickly than the other vegetables.

Garden Fresh Couscous Salad

This morning as I was browsing Pinterest, trying my hardest to ignore the mountains of laundry and dirty dishes piling up around me (okay, not quite, but I was definitely avoiding packing for this weekend's camping trip), I ran across a "recipe" for bacon-wrapped corn on the cob.  Then (okay, maybe there were a few dirty dishes waiting for me) I found one for deep-fried corn.  I started searching for the most ridiculous corn recipes I could find (who needs clean laundry, anyway?).  Chocolate fans will be disappointed to learn that my search for "chocolate-covered corn" did not result in tips for dipping whole ears in chocolate, but I did find chocolate-covered caramel corn and chocolate-covered corn dogs.

Seriously, people?  Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.  Bacon is delicious.  Chocolate is delicious.  Deep-fat frying is fattening and, well, delicious.  But why ruin a perfectly good ear of corn with that stuff when you can turn it into this wonderfully fresh and flavorful couscous salad?

This is one of my favorite summer salads, and it's perfect for a picnic or Memorial Day cookout (you can even pair it with your bacon-wrapped bacon).  The fresh corn (please don't use canned or frozen unless you absolutely must) is my favorite part, but the feta, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and couscous certainly don't hurt, either.  Toss it with a light vinaigrette, and you can almost eat this stuff as a meal in itself (and sometimes I do).

The best part is that almost all of the ingredients are frequently available in the co-op.  Corn is only $0.16 an ear this week at Meijer--the best price I've seen yet this season.  I have used both regular and whole-wheat couscous with equally delicious results.  If you can't find it in the co-op, it's okay to buy the less expensive couscous mixes--just leave out the seasoning packet.  I usually buy my feta from Aldi, but next time I'd like to get it from George's International Market (on the corner of Broadway and Taylor).  I can't remember the exact price, but I saw it there once for something like $2/lb. for a large block.  Fresh parsley is under $1 for a bunch at Meijer or Kroger, and it keeps for quite a while in the fridge (put it in an unsealed zip-top bag along with a damp paper towel).  Don't bother with dried parsley; it's not worth it.

Garden Fresh Couscous Salad (original recipe found here)
Time:  30-40 minutes
Serves:  8-9 (this makes a big batch, and it's best to eat it within 2-3 days)

3 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or bigger tomatoes, diced)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 T. minced fresh parsley
3 T. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Wrap ears of corn in a single layer of plastic wrap; microwave on high for about 5 minutes.  Remove from microwave (wear oven mitts!) and slit plastic open; allow to cool.  (You can also boil the corn, but I find microwaving is the easiest and fastest cooking method.)

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, onion and parsley. Cut corn kernels from the cobs (if they are still too hot to handle, run cold water over them; pat dry). Add to cucumber mixture. Stir in couscous.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Pour over couscous mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Asian Chicken Salad

I have been on a huge Asian cooking kick lately.  It all started when my husband and his friends discovered Mahnin Asian Restaurant on Calhoun--a little hole-in-the-wall Thai/Burmese place featuring all sorts of delicious and authentic (and cheap!) dishes.  Right across the street is an Asian market called, oddly enough, Asian Market.  (It's right on the corner of Calhoun and Pontiac, across from Finders Keepers.)  Stepping inside that place is like entering another world.  You can buy anything from fresh Thai basil and lemongrass to shrimp the size of lobsters.  It takes five minutes to pick one bottle of fish sauce out of the zillion they carry.  You have to step around fifty-pound bags of rice and piles of cooking equipment and Asian candy to get anywhere.  The air is full of unusual incense.  English is definitely not the most prevalent language.

I was hooked.  It's probably the biggest Asian market in that area (there are at least six or seven others within a mile down Calhoun), with a huge selection and very reasonable prices (at least half what you would pay at Meijer or Kroger).  If you're at all interested in Asian cooking, or even if you need to restock your soy sauce supply, I would definitely recommend checking it out.  And then stop into Mahnin for a glorious plate of Pad Thai or Pad Kra Pao (my husband's favorite).

So far most of the Asian recipes I've been trying at home have called for lots of unusual ingredients--items that you could never find at the co-op.  This salad is less authentic, but it still has a fresh, Asian-inspired flavor, and you can customize it to fit whatever you have on hand.  You can certainly substitute a ready-made Asian vinaigrette for the dressing, but I had all the ingredients on hand to make this one and I liked the end result.  I think the most essential ingredient in the dressing is sesame oil; it's $1.99 for a 7 oz. bottle at the Asian markets (more like $6 at Kroger).

I haven't included amounts for any of the salad ingredients--just prepare as much as you need.  I served everything in separate dishes, so everyone could build their own salad as desired.

Asian Chicken Salad
Time:  15-30 minutes

Vinaigrette (makes about 1/2 cup)
3 T. unseasoned rice or wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey (brown sugar would also work)
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger (optional)

Thoroughly whisk together all ingredients.

Salad
Romaine lettuce or spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
Cooked chicken, cooled and cut into strips (I used the Brakebush grilled chicken breasts; breaded chicken tenders might be good too)
Canned mandarin orange slices, drained
Carrots, grated or cut into matchsticks
Green onions, thinly sliced
Bean sprouts, rinsed well (optional--I had some on hand I needed to use up)
Chow mein noodles

Be creative!  Other ingredient options could include thinly sliced red onion, canned water chestnuts, shredded napa cabbage (in place of lettuce/spinach), sliced almonds, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced mushrooms.