BBQ Tofu, Bean, Tomato & Corn Salad w/ BBQ Yogurt Dressing

I'm back!

I didn't intend to take such a long absence from this blog, but my summer ended up being entirely taken over by working on my PhD dissertation, and I didn't have time to even go outside many days let alone create and photograph recipes or write blog posts.  Now that I've handed it in (one step down!) I'm hoping to have a little more time for blogging!

Needless to say, most of my meals this summer consisted of quick and easy dishes, which included a lot of salads!

This bbq tofu salad was a little more time consuming because of the steps involved in preparing the tofu (pressing the water out, marinating it, and baking it), but it's worth it!  I follow Oh My Veggies' recipe for baked barbecue tofu which is my favourite way to eat tofu.  She calls it 'tofu for tofu haters' and I agree; I used to think I hated tofu until I tried it this way, so if you think you hate it too, give this a chance!

With the addition of fresh corn, tomatoes, cucumber, black beans, two types of lettuce, and sprouts, this salad has lots of crunch, flavour, and protein.  For the dressing, I whisked together some low-fat plain yogurt with a bit of bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, and a couple spices for an easy, creamy, and light dressing that complemented the tofu.

And as with most salads, feel free to add in whatever else you like!  Avocado would have been great, I just couldn't find any ripe ones in time; mushrooms would work well too.

I'm hoping to share some of the other easy meals I was enjoying over the summer in a recap post later this week, then I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about fall recipes (which I admit I'm pretty excited about)!

BBQ Tofu, Bean, Tomato & Corn Salad with BBQ Yogurt Dressing

Inspired by Vegetarian Times and Delish Knowledge

Makes about 4 main course servings

Ingredients:

For the Tofu:

1 (12-14oz) package of extra-firm tofu

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

For the Salad:

2 cobs of fresh corn or around 1 cup of thawed frozen corn kernels

1 (540mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Half to one cucumber, chopped (I used about 3/4 of one but it depends on its size)

1 ripe avocado, chopped (I couldn’t find a ripe one in time so it’s not included in pictures)

1 red pepper, chopped (I've added this in later versions but it's not pictured here)

1 head of romaine or iceberg lettuce, or your desired greens 

Handful of alfalfa sprouts, if desired

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1.5 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (start with 1.5 and add more to taste if needed)

Directions:

Prepare baked barbecue tofu following directions from Oh My Veggies (be sure to allow enough time to press the tofu, marinate it, and bake it).

If using fresh corn, cook according to your liking if desired (I boil the cobs of corn in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, rinse with cold water, then slice off the kernels).  Prepare other salad ingredients.  

Whisk all ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl, taste, and adjust any amounts to your liking. I sometimes add more yogurt or throw some mustard in.  You can add a bit of water to thin it out if necessary.

Toss together all ingredients with the dressing and serve.

Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken, Spinach, & Tomatoes

I don’t buy chicken that often anymore because it’s so expensive (and the cheaper stuff scares me a little) and now that I know I like tofu, I’m more likely to buy it for much cheaper.   When I saw some of the “good” chicken on sale the other day I impulsively threw it in my basket, then got home and had a hard time actually thinking of something to make with it!

In the end I decided to go with pasta because I've been thinking about this sundried tomato pesto dish from Oh She Glows that I made last summer and really loved, and chicken and sundried tomatoes go together much better than any other proteins I could think of.

But since I did my grocery shopping at a small market instead of a grocery store, they didn't have any of the ingredients I needed to make my own pesto.  They did, however, sell prepared sundried tomato pesto, so I went with that instead, which made this dish even easier!

They also sold this whole wheat fettucine with flax and chia, which cooked in only 3 minutes and was delicious. In the past I used Catelli's sundried tomato and basil spaghettini, which also goes great with sundried tomato pesto!

In addition to the pesto and chicken, I decided to add more sundried tomatoes, some sauteed grape tomatoes (cherry tomatoes would have also worked), and a bunch of spinach for added nutrition, though you could easily leave the spinach out if you're not fond of it.

All the flavours came together perfectly in a nice light-feeling summer meal.  If you have the time to make your own sundried tomato pesto (and/or you want a lighter version than the storebought heavy-on-the-oil type), I still recommend Oh She Glows' version, though I was happy that the few minutes I saved not making my own pesto meant a few more minutes to sit outside and relax after dinner before going back to schoolwork!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Chicken, Tomatoes, & Spinach

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

85g (3oz) sundried tomatoes – dry in a bag (not oil packed)*

1 (341g or 12oz) package of whole wheat pasta – I used fettucine

2 teaspoons olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto**

5 oz baby spinach (I used a spinach/arugula mixture)

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Season chicken breasts, if desired (I used salt, pepper, and dried basil) and cook however you prefer.  I saute mine in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, let rest, then slice.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add sundried tomatoes and blanch for 2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon, let dry, and thinly slice.  Use the same boiling water to add your pasta and cook according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water then drain pasta.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and grape tomatoes and sautee until softened, about 5 minutes.

Toss together the pasta, reserved cooking water, pesto, chicken slices, garlic & tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes.  Stir in the spinach so it gets slightly wilted.  Season the dish with salt and pepper if desired.

Serve hot, topped with parmesan cheese.

Notes:
*I used dried sundried tomatoes to add to the pasta because there was already so much oil in the pesto I used, but you can use oil-packed sundried tomatoes if you prefer.
**I used storebought pesto, but you could easily make your own, lighter version, in which case you might want to use more than 1/2 cup.  Use your own judgment and preferences to determine how much pesto to add.

Spring Vegetable Minestrone with White Beans & Pesto

After a tease of summer-like weather last weekend, we've been making up for it all week here with rain, rain, and more rain.  Just in time for the long weekend!

For us Canadians, this May long weekend is sort of the unofficial kickoff to summer, but almost invariably ends up being cold and rainy.  So while soup isn't the type of recipe you would normally kick off a late May long weekend with, it's pretty appropriate for this wet and rainy spring weather we've been experiencing!

This is not a traditional minestrone soup, using asparagus and yellow peppers for some bright spring flavour along with the tomatoes, white beans for protein, no pasta, and with pesto and parmesan added in at the end for a boost of richness and flavour.

I realize now that my pictures don't really do this soup justice with the way I slightly overcooked my asparagus and then pretty much covered the whole bowl in pesto, but I do love pesto!  This was the perfect type of comfort spring food that's needed this time of year as we patiently wait for summer to kick in for good - hopefully not that long now!

Spring Vegetable Minestrone Soup with White Beans and Pesto

Adapted from Food & Drink Magazine

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small yellow onions, peeled and diced

2 cups finely chopped yellow bell peppers, (about 1-1/2 peppers; red or orange would also work)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 (540mL) can cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

6 cups vegetable broth (I use low-sodium broth)

1-1/2 cups chopped asparagus (half inch pieces; woody ends of asparagus removed)

Salt and pepper

For Topping:

~1 tablespoon prepared pesto per serving

Grated parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh basil, parsley, or green onion (optional)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add onions and peppers and sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add tomato paste and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring often.  Add grape tomatoes and sauté for another minute.  Add white beans and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer 10 minutes.  Add asparagus and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender (I did 10 minutes and my asparagus was a little overdone).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide among bowls and serve warm, topped with pesto, parmesan cheese, and herbs, if desired.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Summer Salad with Chicken, Corn, Tomato, Avocado, & Feta

It's been another stressful week with my schoolwork not going at all how I want it to, and with the summer rapidly flying by, my boyfriend and I decided we needed to take a little road trip this week to get away and clear our minds (and enjoy the summer!).  So we took a short overnight trip across the border to Michigan, where we did some shopping and exploring and later went out for dinner and a few drinks.  We both love Michigan craft beer so it was nice to be able to enjoy some of it on tap for a change!

Of course, after overindulging in beer and some not-so-healthy food, we both wanted something light and nutritious for dinner the day we returned.  And because all I could think about was stuffing my face with a bowl full of vegetables, it didn't take long for me to run over to the market and grab everything I needed for a big fresh summer salad.  It hit the spot perfectly!

This salad celebrates fresh summer produce and includes pretty much all of my favourite things to eat.  I started with a bed of romaine and spinach as the base, which I topped with sliced chicken breast, a mix of local cherry and grape tomatoes, fresh corn, crisp cucumber, creamy cubes of ripe avocado, and a bunch of crumbled feta.  And because I wanted to keep things as simple as possible, I tossed it all in a storebought light balsamic vinaigrette.

I feel a little silly posting this salad because it really doesn't require a recipe - I didn't measure any of the ingredients and just threw everything in the bowl in what looked like good proportions to me.  But we both loved the combination of ingredients in this salad so much that I had to share it with you guys!

I wrote out a rough guide to what I did anyway, but really you can just use any amounts you like - and the more the better!

I also feel a little silly because last summer I shared this summertime chickpea chopped salad (which I also loved) and it's super similar to this one, but I can't help it, I love summer salads!  And fresh veggies like tomatoes and corn won't taste this good for much longer, so it's best to eat as much of them as you can while they're around - enjoy!

Summer Salad with Chicken, Corn, Feta, Tomato, Cucumber & Avocado

Serves 2-3 as a main course

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced or shredded

2 ears of fresh corn

Desired amount of greens – I used about 6 large romaine leaves plus 4 big handfuls of baby spinach

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

Half to one English cucumber, peeled if desired, and chopped

Desired amount of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved – I used about half a pint

Crumbled feta cheese – adjust amount to your own liking – I like lots!

Salad dressing – I used a storebought light balsamic vinaigrette, but any vinaigrette or light Italian, ranch, or yogurt dressing would work

Directions:

Cook corn however you like to eat it – i.e. roasted, grilled, or boiled.  I cooked mine in a large pot of boiling water for 6 minutes.  Once cooled slightly, use a large knife to slice off the corn kernels (a bundt pan works well for this).  I cooked my chicken breasts on the stovetop at the same time as the corn.  Meanwhile, prepare all other salad ingredients.  Toss everything together in a large bowl to combine and adjust any ingredient amounts according to your own liking.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat (I added my dressing to individual servings).  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Chickpea Sauce, Broccoli, & Tomato

I got back from my little vacation up north almost a week ago now and somehow I still haven’t cooked a meal for myself yet.  Usually I’m dying to get back to cooking my own meals when I return from a trip, but this time I’ve been too busy to go grocery shopping or plan a meal and have therefore been eating a lot of peanut butter and jam sandwiches (thankfully I froze some fresh blueberry chia jam before I left) over the last week!  But seeing as I used up the last of my frozen bread today, I think tonight I’ll finally force myself to go shopping and make some food to get me through the rest of the week!

One of my go-to meals when I need an inexpensive and healthy meal that will give me leftovers for lunches through the week is this chickpea pasta.  A sauce that’s made out of chickpeas may sound a little weird, but it tastes so good!  I want to say it tastes like a white wine cream sauce but I’m sure someone who regularly eats cream sauces will disagree, so I’ll just say that it’s hard to guess it’s a chickpea sauce (unless you’re looking closely at the texture, which is of course a little chunkier than a cream sauce).  

I’ve adapted this Cooking Light recipe over several meals to my own liking, so that in my version I eliminate the raw garlic as I don’t think it’s needed, add cooked onion to the sauce for more flavour, use vegetable broth instead of chicken (not just to make it vegetarian but because I think it tastes better in this dish), and I add broccoli and increase the amount of veggies.  I also like to use whole wheat pasta and have tried shells, rotini, and linguine – they all work.  Feel free to use whatever vegetables you want too – mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, leafy greens – they’d all be great if you want to boost the nutrients even more.  

With the protein in the chickpea sauce, this makes a great vegetarian meal that will fill you up to power you through the rest of the work day, which, along with coffee, I will definitely be needing this week!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli, Tomato, & Chickpea Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (540mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-3/4 cups vegetable broth
375g (one box) uncooked whole wheat pasta (any type works)
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Grated parmesan cheese for topping
Salt and pepper for extra seasoning

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and stir for another minute. Add salt, red pepper flakes, chickpeas, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. During the last few minutes of cooking, place broccoli in a steamer and set covered over the boiling water until bright green. Drain broccoli and pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Place chickpea mixture in a food processor. Add lemon juice and reserved pasta water and blend until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Combine chickpea sauce, pasta, broccoli, and tomatoes in a saucepan or large bowl and toss to combine. Serve warm, topped with grated parmesan cheese.  Season again with salt and pepper if needed.

Greek Quinoa Wraps with Tzatziki

A couple of months ago, I made these Southwestern quinoa wraps with chipotle yogurt dressing and absolutely loved them – Even better, Ryan (who is usually skeptical of quinoa) loved them, which made them an even bigger success!   

I knew this was something I’d want to repeat often for a healthy, protein-filled lunch, so I started thinking of other versions that I could make to change things up a little.  Since I loved this Greek quinoa with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta (which I’ve talked about in my summer quinoa recipe roundup), I decided to use it in a wrap combined with an easy tzatziki sauce.

I already knew the quinoa on its own was delicious, but combined with a cool and creamy yogurt sauce, crisp lettuce, and a whole wheat tortilla wrap, it’s even better – plus its more filling this way, making it a great healthy option for lunch or dinner.

I don’t recommend making the wraps too far ahead of time because the tzatziki could make the wraps soggy, but I found that making a wrap in the morning and eating it for lunch was still fine – just make sure you lay the lettuce down first before the sauce to protect the tortilla from getting soggy!

I hope you all have a great weekend!  I’ll be back on Monday for a great giveaway for my Ontario readers, so be sure to stop back then!  And now that it’s official Fall, I’ll have plenty of fall recipes coming your way soon!

Greek Quinoa Wraps with Tzatziki

Quinoa component adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Makes about 6 wraps

Ingredients:

For the tzatziki:

1 medium English cucumber

1-1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

For the Quinoa:

2 cups water

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 cup chopped peeled cucumber

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/4 cup pre-sliced kalamata olives

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Optional: Add red onions for more crunch (I just don't like red onions), or chickpeas for more bulk

For the Wraps:

6 twelve grain or whole wheat tortillas

Romaine lettuce

Tzatziki (above)

Greek quinoa (above)

Directions:

Prepare the tzatziki:

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Grate the flesh into a strainer, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 20 minutes.  Use your hands or a paper towel to squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the cucumber.

Add the cucumber to the yogurt.  If you have time, you can strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth for a couple of hours first to drain out some of the water and thicken it, but I don’t bother.  Add lemon juice, mix everything together, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the quinoa:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.  Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to let cool.

Meanwhile, mix the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and feta together in a medium bowl.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper for the dressing.

Add the cucumber mixture to the quinoa and toss together.  Drizzle the dressing overtop, and mix to coat.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Prepare wraps:

Lay a lettuce leaf in the center of each wrap.  Top with tzatziki sauce and quinoa, wrap, and serve.

Healthy Summertime Chickpea Chopped Salad

Remember when I told you about the stay-cation I took a couple weeks ago where I ate at restaurants every night and drank lots of beer and then swore I'd only eat salad for the next week?  Well I stayed true to my word and this is what I ate for pretty much the whole week.  I would have loved this even if I hadn't overeaten the previous week, and I would have kept eating it forever if I hadn't needed to try other recipes - it was so good!

I don't think I've ever actually had a chopped salad before, but I'd seen them on a couple of blogs lately - like this chicken chickpea version from Ambitious Kitchen and this chicken and blueberry version from How Sweet It Is - and started craving one so bad!  I actually had to research what exactly a chopped salad is before I went ahead and made my own version, and apparently it just means that all the ingredients are chopped to about the same size.  You'd think I'd have figured that out by the name 'chopped salad', but I had to be sure!

So I decided to go ahead and make a healthy vegetarian version with chickpeas as my main protein; lots of summery ingredients like corn, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and red pepper; some olives and fat-free feta thrown in for added flavour; and I tossed it all in a light vinaigrette.

I loved how with the lettuce being the same size as the other ingredients, you don't end up with huge pieces of lettuce and nothing else.  Every bite was full of ingredients and every bite was different - I loved the bites with creamy avocado, I loved the bites with sweet corn, I loved the bites with salty olives, I loved the bites with nutty chickpeas ... you get the idea - I loved every bite!

You can easily change this up to include any ingredients you like, or change the dressing to give it a completely different look and taste.  If you prefer creamier dressings, it would probably be great with a ranch dressing, or try a bbq dressing like Monique from Ambitious Kitchen used in her version.  The possibilities are endless - I think I could eat this for every meal over these last few weeks of summer and not get sick of it!

Healthy Summertime Chickpea Chopped Salad

Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen

Serving size will vary, but I’d guess this serves around 6 as a side dish or 3 as a main dish

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 a large cucumber, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

2 ears of corn, cooked and kernels removed (about 1 to 1.5 cups)

1 ripe avocado, diced
1/4 to 1/3 cup pitted sliced kalamata olives, if desired

1/3 to 1/2 cup light feta cheese (I used fat-free)

Desired amount of your favourite salad dressing.  I used the following:

For the Dressing:

1 lime, juice and zest

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

*Please note that all amounts are approximate and can be adjusted to your liking!

Directions:

Wash the lettuce and dry well.  Stack a few leaves of lettuce on top of each other, cut into about 5 pieces lengthwise, then chop into small pieces across the width.  Repeat with remaining lettuce so you have small, 1/2-inch sized pieces of lettuce. 

Transfer lettuce to a large bowl.  Top with chickpeas, grape tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, corn, avocado, olives, and feta.  Keep ingredients separate if desired for serving, or you can toss them all together if you prefer.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss with salad to combine or leave separate to mix into individual servings.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

A couple days ago I promised to share a recipe for the second salad I’ve been enjoying all summer (the first being the tomato, corn, and edamame salad that I love for its simplicity and bright flavours). This recipe for a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has a few more ingredients than the other one, but it’s still so easy and quick to throw together, which makes it perfect for those summer evenings when you’re craving fresh summer flavours and don’t feel like slaving over a hot stove all night.

The ingredients in this salad all blend so well together to create a Mediterranean taste that I absolutely love. I think part of the reason I love this so much is because I put a ton of feta in it, and cheese always makes anything better, but I use the reduced fat kind to convince myself that this is still a super healthy salad. Feel free to reduce the feta amount slightly if you don’t want it to be too overwhelming, but I love having the taste of feta in every bite. I’d also guess that red onion would go really well with these ingredients but I despise red onion so I can’t test that theory out for you. Go ahead and add it in though if you’re an onion fan!

I serve this with some bruschetta and am satisfied eating it as a complete meal, but I think it would also be a great side dish or potluck dish! It’s even better the next day as the Mediterranean flavours all meld together. I can’t decide if I like this or the corn salad better - they’re both great and will definitely be summer staples for me for a while!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Cooking With My Kid

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 can (20 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 1/2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the first six ingredients together in a large bowl. Adjust amounts of each if necessary.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil, then add to salad and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley leaves.

Easy Tomato, Corn & Edamame Salad

Yesterday, it was cool enough that I had to wear jeans for the first time in months. I even saw people wearing jackets outside, and though I was in a t-shirt, I secretly wished I had a jacket on too. This was very distressing to me - Fall is just around the corner and I am not ready for it yet! Okay, maybe a little tiny part of me is excited for fall leaves, cozy sweaters, and baking with apples and pumpkins, but the rest of me is not ready to give up on sunshine, summer dresses, and summer vegetables!

That's why I've been making this tomato, corn and edamame salad a lot lately, because it's like summer in a bowl and I need to savour every bite of summer while I still can! I rarely make the same recipe twice in a month because I have so many recipes I'm always dying to try, but I can't even count the number of times I've eaten this in the last month, which says a lot about how delicious it is!

It also says a bit about how lazy I am, because this is probably one of the easiest salads to throw together. All you have to do is cook the corn (make sure it's fresh!), and toss it with some sliced cherry or grape tomatoes and cooked edamame. The frozen edamame that I buy comes in little bags that you just have to throw into the microwave for a couple minutes to steam, and then they're done! Then I whip together a super simple vinaigrette of lime juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. That's it!

I love the way the fresh, sweet flavours of the corn and tomato really shine through in this salad. The simple dressing brings forth the flavours rather than hiding them, and the addition of edamame makes this a complete (though light) meal for me. Edamame (soybeans) is as complete a protein as meat, and contains a lot of amino acids, folate, potassium, and other nutrients. The only problem with edamame is that it can be hard to find in a grocery store (at least according to my experience). Surprisingly, the only big store I've been able to find it in (in my area) is Walmart, but it should also be available in most health food stores. If you can't find it, or if you simply don't like it, I've also made this salad with frozen lima beans instead and it tastes great that way too. Though I usually eat this as a light meal in itself, many people would probably prefer it as a side dish, which is where I've classified it in the recipe index.

Later this week I'll share a recipe for my other favourite summer salad, so stay tuned!

Easy Tomato, Corn and Edamame Salad

Serves about 2-3 as a main course, or 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

2 cobs of corn

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

8 oz frozen shelled edamame

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime) -- or replace with white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Husk the corn then cook them in a large pot of boiling water about 5-6 minutes. Let cool, then slice off the corn kernels with a large knife, holding the cob upright over a bowl.

Cook the edamame according to package directions and let cool.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice and olive oil and toss with salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lemony Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Well, I finally did it, I finally start a food blog! This is something I've been wanting to do for at least a year now, but never worked up the motivation to actually start. Any time my friends suggested it to me, I'd quickly list off all the same excuses I'd been giving to myself: I don't have the time, my photos aren't good enough, I don't want cooking to become a chore just to give me blog material, I don't have anything interesting to add to the hundreds of food blogs already out there, and most importantly, I don't even know how to start a blog.

Yet at the same time, I was always dreaming of what my blog would look like, what I would call it, what recipes I would post, etc. I don't know what finally changed my mind, but one day I decided to just start researching this blog thing - how hard could it really be? Turns out it is ridiculously easy (as long as you don't get into all the weird html code stuff, which I am staying far away from), and within about 30 seconds you could have your own blog up and running on Blogger.

I started playing around with the template, and pretty soon I realized I wanted to give this a real try. I had already come up with responses to all my previous excuses: I'm already taking the time to cook and photograph my food, so posting them online will be the least time consuming part of the process, if I start a blog then I will be forced to improve my photography and cooking, it would give me a fun hobby to help me avoid schoolwork, and it would be the best way to share my favourite recipes with family and friends. So, after a minor debate between the go-getter and the procrastinator sides of myself, the latter lost (which rarely happens), and this blog was born.

For my first post, I thought I'd choose a recipe that is simple, fast, healthy, and summery, and this pasta fits the bill perfectly. Even though there are a few different components to assemble, it doesn't take much time at all, and the end result is summer in a bowl (or plate, depending on how you like to serve your pasta). Zucchinis and tomatoes are all over the farmers markets lately, and this dish is a great way to highlight them. The star, however, is the tangy lemon yogurt sauce - I'm not ashamed to admit that I licked my bowl clean afterwards.

Here's the recipe!

Lemony Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Slightly adapated from Ezra Pound Cake, who adapted it from Jillian Michaels' The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces (227g) fettucine (or pasta of choice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium or 2 large zucchini
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

Directions

Prepare the tomatoes, garlic, and zucchini. To prepare the zucchini, slice into thin strips, about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide. I found it easiest to slice the zucchini in half down the middle first, then slice each half lengthwise into very thin strips, then slice each strip in half lengthwise.

In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of the cooking water.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the zucchini and cook until just wilted and somewhat see-through, gently stirring occasionally.

Push the zucchini aside to clear a spot on the bottom of the pan and add the garlic. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until just golden. Mix in with the zucchini.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Transfer both the zucchini mixture and the pasta to the bowl with the yogurt sauce, and toss gently until completely coated. If necessary, add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to thin the sauce.

Divide among four bowls to serve, and sprinkle the top with parmesan, and extra salt and pepper if desired.