Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I have fresh basil to use so I decided to make our favorite pasta salad.

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 Whenever I toast nuts in the oven I burn them so this time I tried it on my stove.  It worked great and took only a few minutes.  Don't forget to stir often.

 Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. package garden Rotini pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 red onion finely chopped
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 Tbsp. basil pesto
a small jar artichoke hearts, chopped
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup Feta cheese

    Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain. Pour cold water onto cooked pasta noodles to cool.  Combine the cherry tomatoes, onion, Parmesan, basil, pesto, dressing, and artichoke hearts together.  Once the noodles are cool add the dressing and stir to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Sprinkle on Feta and pine nuts when serving.

Chicken, Kale, Quinoa Soup

One day we had people coming over I had completely forgotten about.  It was a Sunday and I don't go to the store on Sunday so I had to come up with something I already had.  We had chicken, kale, carrots from our garden, and some home made chicken broth.  I looked around and found a recipe with a of the things I had and we created magic.

Chicken, Kale, Quinoa Soup

Adapted from here

1 chicken breast (cooked any way you want but shredded or cut up small)
4 carrots (diced)
1 medium chopped onion
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. crushed garlic
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup quinoa (uncooked and rinsed)
1 tsp. thyme
a bunch of kale cut up small (about a cup)

    First cook the chicken breast then shred it or cut it up small.  Then in a saucepan heat up a couple of tbsp of olive oil.  When hot, add carrots and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  When they are almost done add the garlic and cook for one more minute.  Place all of this in a large pot.  Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and quinoa.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium or medium low.  Add the kale and the thyme and cook for 5 more minutes.  Add the chicken to the pot.  Discard the bay leaves or make it a game to find them.  We always thought we got a wish if we found one.

     We ate our soup with fresh, hot rolls.  I also think that Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top could be amazing.

Basil Cubes

Have a bunch of basil?  I do.  My neighbor grew a ton and has given me a whole pot!  So I've been making Basil Cubes.  Its really simple.  Just pull all the leaves off the stem and place them in a blender or food processor. Blend while pouring in water slowly until the desired consistency.  Pour into ice cube trays.  When frozen place them in a bag.  When cooking just add a basil cube.  Tastes so fresh!