Summer Zucchini "Pasta" Salad

Can you even believe we are just a couple of days away from the first day of summer? I am beyond excited for the summer heat, beach days (minus this pretty unfortunate sunburn I'm rocking right now), and of course my favorite, picnics. There is so much fresh, local, and delicious produce filling up the farmer's markets and grocery stores, and I honestly couldn't be happier.

So in celebration of summer and all of the delicious goods I picked up this weekend, I decided to throw together a pasta salad with a twist. I wanted to keep it light and fresh, so I swapped out the noodles for some raw zucchini ribbons, added in some other tasty flavors, and finished it all off with Stella Cheese's new mozzarella.

The verdict - you NEED this in your life. It's so fresh and summery, plus this Stella Mozzarella is insanely delicious. This is the perfect side dish (or main dish if ya ask me) for your 4th of July picnics coming up in a couple of weeks. Or feel free to just make it as a quick, week night dinner. It's super easy to throw together, so it's the perfect way to end a long, hectic day.

Need another reason to try this one out? Yeah, I didn't think so, but I'll give you one anyway. You can use the $1 off coupon here when you pick up Stella mozzarella at your local store. So let's get to it!

Here's What You'll Need:

-2 zucchinis, spiralized using the ribbon blade
-1 tomato, cubed
-8 oz ball of Stella fresh mozzarella, cubed
-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
-1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp dried oregano
-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini ribbons, tomato, Stella mozzarella, and olives.
2) Drizzle on the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
3) Plate the "pasta" salad, top with the oregano, and serve.
4) Enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don't forget to snag your $1 off coupon for Stella's fresh mozzarella here. Be sure to check out their Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram pages for other recipe ideas using their delicious cheese!

Ginger Soy Turkey Stuffed Peppers Over Zoodles with a Rice Wine Vinaigrette

I had ground turkey sitting in my fridge that I needed to use, but I didn't want to do the standard tacos. I feel like this happens to me more often than it should. I'll buy it thinking oh this will be easy, and then I don't want tacos.

So it was brainstorming time, and stuffed peppers popped into my mind. But, like I said, I just wasn't in the mood for Mexican. So why not go more of an Asian route? My Sriracha Ginger Turkey Meatballs are one of my favorite recipes, so I knew that I could definitely come up with something delicious. And what better way to pair it than with a fresh, raw zucchini salad.

Here's What You'll Need:

-3 bell peppers, cut in half and seeded
-1 lb lean ground turkey
-2 green onions, chopped
-1/4 cup Tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)
-2 tbsp sriracha (if you don't like the heat just use one)
-1 tsp ginger, shaved
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 zucchinis, spiralized
-1 tsp olive oil

For the dressing:

-3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-2 tbsp Tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1 tsp spicy brown mustard
-1 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce
-1/4 tsp pure cane sugar

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2) Heat up the tsp olive oil in a large pan on the stove top, and add in the garlic. Cook for about a minute.
3) Add in the ground turkey and cook fully until it is no longer pink.
4) Add in the scallions, soy sauce, sriracha, and ginger, and continue to cook for another minute or so.
5) Place the bell pepper halves on a baking sheet, and fill each with the turkey mixture, using it all.
6) Pop the peppers into the oven, and cook for 30 minutes.
7) Mix together the dressing ingredients, and toss the zoodles in it. Split the zoodles between 3 plates, and top each with 2 bell pepper halves.
8) Enjoy!

You can easily use this dressing on any salad. I used on spiralized cucumber with some raw bell pepper and shrimp. I also want to try the peppers using lentils or faux meat, so let me know if you give it a try! I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!

Spiralized Zucchini & Bell Pepper Asian Salad with Grilled Salmon

Sometimes you pick the ingredients, but sometimes they pick you. That was the case with this light lunch. I really wanted some grilled salmon. One thing led to another and I had Asian- marinated salmon and  spiralized zucchini and bell pepper in front of me. I threw the salmon on the grill, whipped up a simple Asian vinaigrette, and had myself a yummy salad.

Here's what you'll need:

For the marinade:
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tbsp sesame oil
-1 tsp sriracha
-2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce if you prefer)
-1/8 tsp ginger powder (if you have fresh ginger, feel free to use it instead)
-1/2 clove of garlic
-1/4 tsp sesame seeds

For the dressing:
-1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1/2 tsp light agave nectar
-1 clove of garlic
-sriracha to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

-1/2 lb of salmon (cut into 2 1/4 pieces)
-1 zucchini, spiralized
-1 red bell pepper, spiralized

Instructions:

1) Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag. Marinade the salmon in the bag or bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2) Once fully marinated, grill the salmon for about 4-5 minutes per side.
3) Mix together the dressing ingredients.
4) Separate the spiralized zucchini and pepper into two bowls (half of each per bowl). Split the dressing between the two bowls and mix.
6) Top each bowl with a piece of salmon, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to subscribe!