So I’m still figuring out how I’m going to do this and it’s probably going to be a learning process so bear with me. Also, the one thing this blog will probably teach you about LorY is that actual recipes, you know with measuring and sizes, aren’t really her forte. Most of her cooking is done by sight, taste, and smell but I’ll give rough estimates if I can. Also, for recipes like this, this entry would describe the pasta salad as a whole and another entry would detail the creation of the pesto. So here goes.
Today’s lunch featured a tri-color rotini pasta salad with a chervil-lime vinaigrette. First off, I love tri-color rotini even if I can’t quite determine why, so this dish was already a winner. Also, being summer, she’s really trying to pull off cold dishes. So far, we’ve worked on mostly sides like potato salad, 3 bean salad, cucumbers in white wine vinegar, and black bean salad.
As far as I can tell, you take roughly two cups of tri-color rotini and cook until al dente. Just follow the recipes on the box, it’s not that hard.
Add about a quarter of a cucumber (chopped), some bean sprouts (an eighth of a cup maybe), a handful of black olives, a half-cup of chopped celery, and a bit of red onion (a quarter of a small one), and that should provide the basis for the salad. However, the kicker here was the handful of cremini mushrooms that came out of nowhere — definitely an inspiration that needs to be touted.
A half cup of chopped chicken adds some protein to the dish but this is one that could very easily be vegetarian if need be.
Cover it all and mix it in a splash or two (a few tablespoons) of cilantro-lime vinaigrette and some of the chervil pesto (to your liking) and refrigerate. Open it up a couple of hours later, once the flavors set, and enjoy a nice refreshing cold salad on a hot summer’s day.
If I were going to add anything to this dish, it might be some cannellini (white) beans for protein but that’s just me. Also, if you’re wondering why, if I’m just the eater, I’m making suggestions, it’s because that’s how we work. I may even post some of my own recipes on here once the site really gets going.
