Just In Time For Your First Summer Cookout

May has arrived bringing Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Graduation Season (yep, in only 3 weeks my first baby will walk across that stage and get his diploma) and of course, cookout/backyard barbecue season.  

Have you fired up the grill for the first time? Do you have plans for your first cookout, or maybe you've already been invited to one? Memorial Day is seen as the kickoff to summer, and it will be here before you know it. 

This recipe is sure to become your new go-to for a cookout take-along that everyone wants the recipe for. If you're hosting the gathering, you better really like every single person you invite, because after a plate of this, they are going to want to come back over and over. 

Mediterranean Pasta Salad is terrific for all your summer parties, picnics and outdoor suppers. It has to be made ahead to soak up all the flavor of the dressing, so you can assemble it totally last minute. It has some unique flavors you might have never though of for pasta salad, but I promise you will be blown away how well they play together. 

I am so excited for warm weather and all the fun outdoor activities that go with it. Pasta salad is always a hit no matter when or how you serve it, so I hope this one makes its way to your menu soon!

Why Add Dressing To Warm Pasta

When you mix the warm pasta with the Italian dressing, it acts like a sponge to soak up all that flavor. The longer it sits, the better the flavor. 

Do I Rinse The Pasta

No! Many pasta salad recipes call for rinsing under cold water and draining. Not this one! Simply drain and then leave warm. 

What Kind Of Veggies To Use

This recipe is great because the possibilities are endless when it comes to the vegetables to use. You could give it more of an Italian twist with black olives, red onion and cheese!

Where To Find Canned Artichokes and Hearts Of Palm

Both of these are normally on the canned vegetable aisle. In my store they are usually near the end of the selection, right next to each other. 

What Are Hearts Of Palm

If you've never had them, hearts of palm are a literally the inside of a palm tree. They have a slightly sweet, mild flavor. When canned, they are in a brine that is best rinsed off. They can be added to salads or eaten as is. My Hearts of Palm Salad is a delicious way to include them in your menu.

How To Store Leftover Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad will last 2-3 days in the fridge in a container with a tight fitting lid. You will want to stir every time you serve.

Best Tips

*Do not rinse pasta before adding dressing. You want the warm pasta to soak all the flavor up.

*Regular Italian dressing works fine too. I like the extra "zip" of the zesty.

*Sun-dried tomatoes can be found with the olives and pickles or on the canned tomato aisle.

*Any short-cut pasta would work: elbows, shells, rotini, etc.

 *Swap out the veggies for any you like. Some suggestions: Red onion, black olives, cherry tomatoes, green onions, sweet cherry peppers, red bell pepper, mushrooms.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

1 lb. mini penne, cooked and drained

1 (16 oz.) bottle zesty Italian dressing

1 envelope Italian dressing dry mix

1 English cucumber, diced

1 (10 oz.) jar green olives, drained

1 (8 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 (14 oz.) can whole artichokes, rinsed, drained and chopped

1 (14 oz.) can hearts of palm, rinsed, drained and chopped 

1 TBS dried parsley

In a medium bowl whisk together Italian dressing and dry Italian mix. When pasta is cooked and drained, add to a large bowl. Pour dressing over warm pasta and stir well. Chill for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Just before serving, add all veggies and stir well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. 

Inspired by South Your Mouth

17 Years

May 17, 2003, 4:30 pm...I walked down the aisle to a handsome man waiting for me, ready to spend the rest of my life with him. A man whom I had already been with for 6 years. See, May 17th has always been our anniversary. For those of you who have never heard the story, Adam and I were married 6 years to the day AND time of our first date. May 17, 1997 4:30 pm he picked me up for our first date; and 6 years later that is the exact minute I walked down the aisle on my daddy's arm to begin a life with that man I had fell in love with. 

So yes, today is our anniversary. With it being Sunday and having 2 kids and restaurants only slowly starting to open for dine in, we decided for a special meal at home. Can you say surf and turf? I am patiently waiting for supper, but it's getting hard knowing I have steak, shrimp and lobster in my future. Plus corn on the cob! I think the only person more excited than me might be the 15 year old. LOL That's right, our kids get to join us for our special anniversary dinner, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I decided today was the perfect day to share my hubby's absolute favorite salad I make for him. And if we weren't having such a huge meal already, I would definitely make it for him tonight. I actually made it part of our at-home Easter dinner this year, and he was thrilled.

Why is it his favorite? Easy. The hearts of palm. They are one of his favorite veggies, and all of us have grown to love them too. What are they? Literally, the heart of a palm tree. No joke! If you've never tasted them, I would say they are similar to an artichoke heart, which ironically are also in this salad. Both are sort of briny, and have an unique flavor. 

We love this topped with a sweet onion dressing, which I just buy in the bottle, but you could easily make a homemade version, or dress it with your favorite dressing. But I'm telling you the sweet dressing with the briny veggies make for a tasty flavor combo. 

This would make a terrific salad for all summer long! Perfect for backyard barbecues, or even a light supper on a hot night! I would add some fresh fruit and crusty bread and call it dinner! 

Happy Anniversary to my love. I've loved you for 23 years, and we've built a beautiful life together. I can't wait to see what the next 17 years bring! 

Hearts of Palm Salad

3 hearts of Romaine, chopped

1 (2.5 oz.) pouch real bacon bits

1 (15 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 (14 oz.) jar hearts of palm, drained

Sweet Onion Dressing

In a large bowl combine all veggies and bacon. Mix well. Serve with dressing on the side if you're serving it to a group. If just your family, add dressing to taste and mix well. Suggested mix ins: Feta cheese, chopped avocado, sliced mushrooms, nuts, dried cranberries.  

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Summer Salad...Hold The Mayo

I love summer. I love everything about summer. The sun. The heat. The water. The FOOD! I crave summer time foods year round (Yeah, I'm the girl that you will find making potato and macaroni salad while the snow falls!) but they never taste quite as good as they do in the backyard on a warm summer evening.

However, the one thing I find that most of our favorite summer dishes (especially the sides) have in common is mayo. Now, I love mayo. I eat it by the bucket loads...on sandwiches, in salads, from the jar with a spoon..okay that one might be pushing it; but it's probably my most used condiment. But during the hot summer days, sometimes mayo isn't your friend.

One, depending on the time of day, mayo can seem a little heavy. We like to eat later in the evenings during summer vacation, and a few times, salads with mayo have just seemed a little too much at that time of day. And two, this being the biggest issue, mayo and sunshine do NOT mix. If you're having any outdoor party or meal, those mayo filled salads must be kept chilled, and let's face it, that's not always practical.

So, I set out to make a delicious, summer quality salad/side dish that didn't have one ounce of mayo in it. Not one drop. I wanted something with a lot of veggies, but a light dressing that would could hold up to the heat and sunshine.

This is what I came up with. I was inspired by artichokes and olives because, well, if I'm being honest, I was just hungry for them. And the hearts of palm? If you've never had them they fall into that same category of salty, briny...mmm good. They are one of Mr. E's favorites, so I threw those in too. If you go to look for them, they are usually right next to the canned artichokes.

Feel free to add whatever veggies you love, pretty much anything would be delicious in here. In fact, I wanted to add zucchini too, and simply forgot it at the store, so it's definitely going in next time!

Summer salads are so tasty, and we all love the creamy mayo filled ones. But after you've eaten 100 lbs of those this summer, maybe something lighter could go on the menu too!

Quick Artichoke Salad

1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 (14 oz.) can hearts of palm, drained and sliced

1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, well drained

1/2 c. black olives, sliced

1/2 c. green olives, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

 2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS red wine vinegar

1 TBS lemon juice

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 TBS dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine and toss all veggies. In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar lemon juice and garlic powder. Pour over veggies. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Shared at Weekend Potluck

My Quest...

I have told you before that Mr. Everyday is a huge fan of hearts of palm, and I'm always looking for new ways to use them. Most recently I shared my Asparagus Salad that included them and was a huge hit for his birthday celebration. Well, since stumbling upon that recipe I have found myself scouring every source I have for more and more...almost to the point of obsession. I guess it's evidence to the fact that I've started to enjoy them just as much as he does! Plus, I have found that 95% of the recipes out there including them are salads, and in this extra hot summer, I can't get enough "meal" salads as I like to call them. Ones that are filled with light, fresh ingredients but are still filling enough when you're starving at the end of the day. We are big salad eaters all 12 months on the calendar, but especially this time of the year. But when I found this, not only was I excited because of the hearts of palm, but also because of the homemade dressing. One word: Horseradish. Are you a fan? Well, we love the stuff and I don't get to use it nearly enough. It's one of those condiments I always have in my fridge because when we do use it, or I cook with it, it seems to be in small amounts. This is an easy "assemble and eat" salad with a delicious creamy dressing, but it is also a stunner on a plate! Absolutely beautiful! Don't be surprised to see more recipes with hearts of palm on here...after all my quest is an ongoing one!

Hearts of Palm and Beet Salad with Horseradish Dressing Adapted from Cooks.com
 1 (10 oz) can hearts of palm, drained
1 (15 oz) can sliced beets ( non pickled), drained
Leaf Lettuce, washed and dried
1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning
Salt to taste
Dressing:
9 TBS heavy cream
3 TBS lemon juice
3 tsp prepared horseradish, or more to taste
3 TBS olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Arrange lettuce leaves on large dinner plates covering bottom. Arrange a layer of sliced beets around the plate. Slice hearts of palm into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange hearts of palm around beets and in center. Season with lemon pepper and salt. In a small bowl whisk together cream, lemon juice, horseradish, salt and pepper until frothy. Slowly add olive oil, one drop at a time, to the cream mixture, whisking continuously, until well combined. Drizzle salads with dressing and allow to sit 5 minutes for flavors to absorb. Serve extra dressing on side.

Makes 2 dinner or 4 side salads

Shared on The Country Cook Aug. 10, 2012
Shared on Lemon Sugar Aug. 11, 2012 
Shared on Make Ahead Meals Aug. 13, 2012

Salad at Very Good Recipes

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More From My Heart To His

I am so incredibly lucky to have the most amazing husband in the world. (Yes, I know other wives are saying,  "Nope, mine is". But I think we can all think that about our own and brag accordingly!) He is so supportive of everything I try to do or take on, succeed or fail. And he is always encouraging me when I don't think I can do something or have already done it and not had it turned out the way I envisioned it. So when I get the chance to show him, even in a small way, how much I appreciate him and everything he does for me and our family, I will jump at the chance. And what a better time to spoil him, and show him a little extra love than his birthday weekend?

I've told you before how much Adam loves hearts of palm. I also shared with you the first recipe I ever used them in, Hearts of Palm Salad, which he loved and I make whenever I can. But they are still something I'm always looking for new ways to use. So when I saw this salad on Pinterest I was excited because it used asparagus, but then when I read further and discovered it also considered hearts of palm I was thrilled! This absolutely screams of summer both in taste and color. The freshness and crispness of the veggies to the hint of lemon flavor, it's the perfect star for summer ingredients. Plus, there is no mayo or cream, so it travels very well. Which is exactly what I did with it~ I made it in the morning and took it with us to my in-laws for Adam's birthday celebration in the evening.

It's my job to make sure my man feels special and loved every day, and they always say the "way to a man's heart is through is stomach", so who am I to argue?

Asparagus Salad From Kayln's Kitchen
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, chopped
10 oz. can hearts of palm, drained
1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 1/2 TBS olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring salted water to boil. Cut asparagus into diagonal pieces. When water is boiling, cook asparagus 2-3 minutes. Drain well. While asparagus is cooking, combine lemon juice, vinegar and Dijon. Whisk in oil until well combined. After draining asparagus add to a large bowl. Mix 2 tsp of dressing with warm asparagus to marinate. Slice hearts of palm in half and then chop into "half moon" shapes. Combine tomatoes, green onions and hearts of palm with asparagus. Pour remaining dressing over top. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until serving.

Shared on The Country Cook July 27, 2012
Shared on Addicted to Recipes July 29, 2012 
Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen July 30, 2012 
Shared on Make Ahead Meals July 30, 2012

Asparagus at Very Good Recipes
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