Chickpea & Roasted Carrot Pasta Salad

Hope you all had an awesome Fourth. Ours was super busy but also really fun. We spent most of Friday trying to recuperate from the holiday and loss of sleep. My brain still feels a little foggy while I'm trying to write this. So I apologize in advance for anything that doesn't quite make sense, blame it on the Founding Fathers.

We were invited over to a friends house for dinner before fireworks on Thursday and they asked us to bring a salad. I had made this recipe for dinner the night before and since I really didn't want to go grocery shopping I decided to try and morph it in to a salad. Well, the experiment was a success and now I am sharing it with all of you.

I love taking a recipe and making it my own. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Oh, and can I say, I think cumin might be my favorite spice. And roasted cumin seeds? Genius!

I know these pictures probably look pretty rookie but I (being the amateur photographer) was very pleased with my work. Photographing food is so hard!

Chickpea & Roasted Carrot Pasta Salad

Dressing: 2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1 1/2 tsp cumin) 1 teaspoon honey pinch of cayenne pepper 1/2 cup olive oil Salad: 2 cups chickpeas (15-oz can), rinsed and drained* 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and chopped 1 chicken breast, uncooked 1/2 lb your favorite pasta 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 Tablespoons coconut oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 cup cashew pieces heaping 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large serving bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients except the olive oil. While whisking constantly, pour the oil in as a steady stream until combined. Add chickpeas and toss well. Set aside. On a rimmed cookie sheet, toss the carrots, chicken breast, garlic, cumin, and oil until well-combined. Sprinkle evenly with the salt. Roast, until carrots are fork-tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the garlic from the pan and chop them into very small pieces. Shred the chicken. Add the garlic, chicken, carrots and any pan juices to the chickpeas and stir to combine. Cool slightly, then add the remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*You can also use dry chickpeas. Just soak them over night and simmer them for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before adding them.

Waldorf Salad

Brian and I went to California this summer to visit his family and while we were there we ate at the California Pizza Kitchen. I usually order something more substantial than a salad but a California summer + a pregnant me had me craving something light and cold. In walks the Waldorf Salad. And ever since I had it this summer I have been in love. Although the CPK version is a bit different than a traditional Waldorf Salad. Instead of mayo as dressing it uses a Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette. So. Good! It also adds grapes and candied walnuts, both highly recommended additions. And I also substituted chicken for the turkey, but either forms of protein work just fine here. I know I am supposed to be reviewing the salad below, but I just couldn't help sharing my favorite version of the salad. I did make the salad below, but I couldn't bring myself to cover it in mayo. I am an avid mayo eater, so that should tell you how good the Balsamic Vinaigrette is. But if you enjoy a classic Waldorf Salad then you can't go wrong with this recipe. I really can't rate the recipe below because I changed it a bit, but if you use my alterations you will make (and hopefully eat) a 5 star salad.

Waldorf Salad

Source: Disney Family

Ingredients:

2 cups diced apple

2 cups diced cooked turkey

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine apples, turkey, walnuts, celery, and cranberries. Bind with mayonnaise to taste. Mix well.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Brian and I really like this salad. Logan does not. Some kids might like it but Logan has done nothing but turn his nose up at it. I think the texture of the quinoa throws him off, because he has no problem with southwestern flavors. Brian suggested I double the dressing recipe and I agree. It makes it that much better. I also noticed that the salad tasted better the next day. All the flavors had a chance to soak in to the quinoa and marinate together. I love when a dish I make gets better with time. It makes me excited for leftovers! This salad is a nice, fresh, summer salad that is perfect to take on picnics or to barbecues. It's a nice healthy dish that tastes yummy, I give it 5 stars.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed if needed, check the package)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small dice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing Ingredients:
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional but highly recommended)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper (or use regular chile powder if you don't have Ancho)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Check the quinoa package to see if it needs to be rinsed (it often does) and rinse in a fine-mesh strainer if needed. Combine quinoa, water, and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.

Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. Let beans drain until they are quite dry (or pat dry with paper towels if you want to speed it up.)

Cut out the stem and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into very small dice (about the size of the black beans.) Slice the green onions into thin slices and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

When the quinoa is fairly cool, combine quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, and sliced green onion in a bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten all the ingredients. (You probably won't need all the dressing, but save the extra to stir into any leftover salad that's been in the fridge.) Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

This keeps very well in the fridge for several days. The salad absorbs the dressing when it's refrigerated, so it's best with a little more dressing stirred in when you're eating the leftover salad.