Tuscan Tortellini Salad

Summer Salad……… Tuscan Tortellini Salad.

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

Summer salads are the best……cool, fresh veggies, in yummy, light dressings….makes my mouth water at the thought.

Pasta salads are some of my favs. I really like tortellini for summer pasta salads. Filled with cheese, or meats they are little packets bursting with flavor.

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

I like to use Barilla’s Cheese & Spinach tortellini, egg pasta folded around creamy Ricotta cheese and tender spinach, and pinched into a distinctive ring shape. And they are cute!!!

Tortellini……Italian………Tuscan……..I feel a flavor profile coming together.

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, and sopressata.
Sopressata is similar to hard salami, and it can also be spicy!
Tim and I had sopressata on a pizza in Las Vegas at Wolf Gang Pucks restaurant. It was spicy and delicious.

Tuscan Tortellini Salad

I think the bocconcini mozzarella balls are the cutest little things. Bocconcini means little bites in Italian…….too cute!

A simple vinaigrette of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar…….I have been using this lately as it doesn’t discolor dishes like regular balsamic does…….a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.

Tuscan Tortellini Salad
This salad is easy to make and can be kept for several days…….in my opinion, it was even better the next day. The flavors melded together soon nicely.

Pair the Tuscan Tortellini Salad with grilled meat, or add a nice loaf of your favorite Italian bread, and a glass of your favorite beverage and you have a summer salad thats sure to please……..

 

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

Alcohol free Pomegranate Moscato Sangria. That right no alcohol……..

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

As a recovering alcoholic, I miss certain types of drinks in certain situations. I always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal, a margarita with Mexican food, and Sangria on a warm summer evening.

Stopping my use of alcohol was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I could not have succeed without the help of my wonderful husband. Tim has helped me to achieve and maintain my sobriety for the last 6 1/2 years.

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

In search of a non-alcoholic version of popular drinks, or mocktails as they are commonly referred. I came across a company that makes alcohol free wines. Sangria was back!

FRE is America’s #1 alcohol-removed wine brand.
Fre Wines are produced by Sutter Home Winery, one of America’s most trusted wine brands. Originally founded in the late 1800’s, Sutter Home Winery was purchased by the Trinchero Family in 1947. Today, Sutter Home is one of the few remaining family-owned and operated wineries in Napa Valley.

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

Summer time is the perfect time for Sangria. Fruity and refreshing or at least my Pomegranate Moscato Sangria is…….

I really winged it on this recipe. After finding the FRE Moscato I went to ……you guessed it, my favorite place on earth…….the grocery store!!

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

I spent a long time in the produce section, gazing at fruits……what did I want? Well……I kinda bought some of everything. I didn’t use it all, but I had a large variety to chose from. The cool thing about Sangria is you can make it your own using different fruits and wines…….so go crazy.

In the produce section I came across pomegranates, the little red seeds, also called arils, would make a pretty addition to my sangria. Pomegranates can be intimidating, especially the peeling and seeding. I came across a blog post at Simply Recipes that is perfect. It shows step by step how to cut and seed the pomegranate.

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

A mixture of oranges, lemons, limes, and fresh pineapple….yummy! I picked up pomegranate juice for the extra flavor and color.

Making sangria is really fairly simple. First, cut your fruit and place it in a decorative pitcher……..it must look pretty after all!

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

Top the fruit with the wine, and I added the pomegranate juice at this point. Let the mixture set in the frig for a couple of hours. Gives the fruit a chance to soak up the flavor of the wine, and for the wine to absorb the flavor of the fruit.

To serve, I found some really nice big wine goblets……bonus, they were plastic. You know summer time, outdoors, glass, cement…….not good. The gal at the store started to get paper to wrap them until she discovered they were plastic…..lol.

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

Ice, the wine fruit mixture, and then the other friend of non-drinkers Sparkling White Grape Juice. Welch’s has a variety of these tasty, bubbly drinks. Perfect for the non-drinker to celebrate and enjoy.
Top the Pomegranate Moscato Sangria with a splash of the sparkling white grape juice and garnish with fruit…….beautiful!

Pomegranate Moscato Sangria

For your next summer get together, or just because it’s summer, make pitcher of
Pomegranate Moscato Sangria and enjoy!

 

Minestrone Salad

Soup turned salad……..Minestrone Salad.

Minestrone Salad

Thick Italian minestrone is a combination of vegetables, pasta, beans, and tomatoes. Perfect for a snowy winter warm up.

But, it’s summer….and, its hot. I really don’t want soup. But the flavors of Minestrone sound really good…..lets try a salad!!

Minestrone Salad

Since there is no set recipe for minestrone…..according to Wikipedia. so add what you like. It’s usually made from in season vegetables. But, to be true minestrone according to cookbook author Angelo Pellegrini,minestrone must have beans.

Minestrone Salad

Well far be it from me to make an untrue minestrone, so we have beans. Two kinds…..dark red kidney, and white kidney or cannellini, as they are commonly referred too.

Fingerling potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and carrot, celery, and onions, are added to al dente gemelli pasta and the beans. Any small pasta will do, I just like the twisted look of the gemelli.

Minestrone Salad

Instead of a “salad dressing” I used sundries tomato pesto. It has the right flavor for minestrone and it gives the Minestrone Salad the tomatoey look of the soup.

Minestrone Salad
Top with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Cool minestrone……

Minestrone Salad can be a main dish salad, served with a crusty loaf of bread, or as a side dish for your favorite meat.