Rotini Garden Vegetable Salad

Summer is well on its way, and with it comes the thoughts of flaunting yourself. Unfortunately, winter comes packed with loads of festivity and good food which makes our minds and tongues happy, but our waist-lines, well...sad! So, before you head all out to show off that new skirt, but end up getting comments on your bulging love-handles, try gorging down salads through Spring to gear yourself up for a sizzling summer.

This fresh salad combines rotini pasta and garden vegetables, leaving you feeling both satisfied and light. And, adding whole grain pasta only goes further to make it completely guilt-free. Stick to your portion size of one cup of prepared salad (along-side garlic bread if you wish...although I can assure this itself is very filling), and you have conquered your 'What-do-I-have-for-lunch' moment! So, I will stop my jabber and share with you, this crisp, refreshing recipe.

 

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Whole Grain Rotini Pasta, Cooked
1/2 Cup Brocolli crowns, steamed (or boiled)
1/2 Cup Carrots, chopped into half inch cubes, steamed (or boiled)
1/4 Cup Red Onions, julienned
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Ground pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (This is optional. You could substitute with Oregano)
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Combine together pasta and veggies in a large bowl
- In a separate bowl, stir together olive oil, lemon juice, ground pepper, italian seasoning and salt to make the salad dressing
- Pour dressing over pasta and veggies and toss
- Refrigerate for about an hour

SERVES 2

Noteworthy Notes
1. You could add salt when you steam/boil your veggies. Feel free to add more colourful, fresh veggies if you have them on hand
2. You can serve this salad as a hot salad, too. Just skip the refrigeration part.

This salad is off to chill at Madhuri's 'Serve Me Some...Salads' event.

Gurl...what can I say? Devour!