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!

Caprese Pasta Salad

I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on the recipe front, and I totally apologize for that! But I'm back and just in time for Memorial Day Weekend! I'm hoping to get up a few different ideas throughout this week that you can bring to/make for any upcoming picnics and parties you might be attending over the long weekend. Starting it off with this super easy caprese pasta salad.

Here's What You'll Need:

-One 10 oz bag of penne (I used Modern Table Meals' mixed lentil penne)
-16 oz fresh mozzarella (I used two Buf Creamery containers), cut into cubes
-2 medium tomatoes, chopped
-10 basil leaves, chopped
-1/2 cup balsamic vinnegar
-2 tbsp olive oil
-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Cook your pasta according to the instructions. Let cool until it reaches around room temperature, or you can just toss it in the fridge.
2) In a large bowl, mix together the tomato, penne, basil, and mozzarella.
3) Drizzle with the balsamic and olive oil and top with salt and pepper.
4) Enjoy!

I told you it was easy! And it's sure to be a crowd pleaser! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Greek Pasta Salad with Teff Penne

I feel like I always start out posts by saying so and so is one of my favorite foods. Maybe I have a million favorite foods. I don't know. But Greek salads literally are one of my favorite foods. I think I told this story in a previous Greek salad related post, but I will go to this one specific diner by me just for the Greek salad. They are just SO good and so refreshing. 

I had the pleasure of trying Gabriella's Kitchen Skinnypasta this week. I started out by trying their super food teff penne, and for some reason a Greek salad pasta salad just felt right. So I did it, and it was BOMB. I had it for lunch, but it could also be a great side, especially for the (hopefully soon) upcoming spring and summer picnics and parties. 

Here's What You'll Need:

-One 7 oz package of Gabriella's Kitchen Skinnypasta Superfood Teff Penne
-1 large tomato, chopped
-1 cucumber, cubed
-1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
-1/4 cup feta cheese
-1/4 cup garbanzo beans
-1/8 cup red onion, chopped
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 tsp oregano 

Instructions:

1) Cook the pasta according to directions - about 90 seconds to 2 minutes in boiling water.
2) Strain the pasta, and run cold water over it. 
3) Make the dressing by mix together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and oregano.
4) Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl with the pasta.
5) Top everything with the dressing.
6) Split between two bowls, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below and what occasion(s) you used it for!

Also, a nice benefit for my readers is that you can use the code allroadsleadtohealthy to get 25% off your order over on Gabriella's Kitchen's website! The code is only valid for the first 50 people to use it, so don't wait around if you're interested in trying it. They have a number of different kinds of pasta - gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, high in protein, super food, etc. All are super delicious and easy to make!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If you read my last entry (for vegan cauliflower fried rice), you'd know by now that I am a sucker for carbs. I love potatoes, rice, pasta, you name it. My greatest weakness of all of these is probably French fries.

They are a vehicle for delicious sauces and they are pretty darn delicious on their own. An embarrassing story (that my sister loves to tell) is that I used to eat plates of French fries as a meal when I was in elementary school. I always look at my mom with the 'what were you thinking' look as she tells the story. But really, she's the greatest mom around and wanted to do whatever made me happy, which unfortunately, was eating plates of French fries.

So yeah, French fries, I can't get enough. I've recently started making the switch over to sweet potato fries when I go to out eat (if they're an option). Honestly, not much healthier. However, that's why I'm bringing you this post today. I wanted to turn one of my favorite foods into an easy, healthy version to make at home and enjoy guilt-free.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 giant sweet potato - if you look at that picture up there, my sweet potato was literally the length of my cutting board (or 2 medium sized sweet potatoes)
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
-1/2 tsp chili powder (if you do not like spicy, skip the chili power or use 1/4 tsp because they will have a kick)

Instructions:

1) Preheat your over to 400 degrees F.
2) Cut your sweet potato into fry-like strips. I prefer thinner fries, so mine were probably about 1/4"x1/4"x3".
3) Throw the potato pieces in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container. Add the olive oil, pepper, salt, and chili powder. Close the container or bag tightly and mix it all around.
4) Lay the fries on a baking sheet so that they are one layer and aren't on top of each other.
5) Put the baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes.
6) Take the fries out, flip them, and place them back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until they reach your level of desired crispiness.
7) Remove the fries from the oven. I find that they're a little bit better/crisp if you let them sit for couple of minutes.
8) Serve and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to sign up for e-mail updates on new recipes.