Whole Grain "Pasta" Salad
Recommended Grain: Larger delicate whole grains such as sorghum or couscous or hearty grains such as kamut or farro.
As a summer favorite, pasta salad very often finds itself served at many picnics and BBQs. To increase the nutrients and lower the calories of this traditional American fair the pasta can be substituted out for a whole grain. Adding a medley of other plant foods lends more vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals not to mention endless flavor combinations. This dish can be served as a side but it can also stand alone as very satisfying and healthy meal.
As a summer favorite, pasta salad very often finds itself served at many picnics and BBQs. To increase the nutrients and lower the calories of this traditional American fair the pasta can be substituted out for a whole grain. Adding a medley of other plant foods lends more vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals not to mention endless flavor combinations. This dish can be served as a side but it can also stand alone as very satisfying and healthy meal.
Whole Grain "Pasta" Salad
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Equipment:
Medium sauce pan Large mixing bowl Ingredients: 1 cup whole grain 1 cup stock 1/2 small red onion, or 2 scallions chopped 1 cup grape tomatoes halved 1/2 cup Italian dressing 1 cup green colored vegetable (broccoli, celery) 1 cup an additional color (bell peppers, cauliflower, corn) 1/2 cup avocado cubed 1/8 cup lightly packed fresh herbs (basil or cilantro) 1/8 cup pine nuts or walnuts (optional) |
Directions: Cook the whole grain according to the package's basic instructions. Replace at least one cup of water with vegetable. Halve the tomatoes and dice the vegetables into uniform sized cubes. Cube or shred the cheese if needed. Chop the herbs. After the whole grain has finished cooking transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. Add the vegetables, cheese, Italian dressing and herbs and stir to combined. If pine nuts or walnuts are on hand and you would like this dish to provide a complete protein profile add the them on top before serving.
*For a Greek style "pasta" salad follow the same recipe but substitute out the Italian dressing for Greek (with no HFCS), use feta cheese, cucumber, grape tomatoes and kalamata olives for the other ingredients.
*For a Greek style "pasta" salad follow the same recipe but substitute out the Italian dressing for Greek (with no HFCS), use feta cheese, cucumber, grape tomatoes and kalamata olives for the other ingredients.
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0 (as a meal) Amount Per Serving Calories 416 Total Fat 14 g Saturated Fat 3 g Monounsaturated Fat 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 5 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 10 mg Sodium 492 mg Potassium 350 mg Total Carbohydrate 62 g Dietary Fiber 16 g Sugars 11 g Protein 16 g Vitamin A 32 % Vitamin C 385 % Calcium 14 % Iron 19 % * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA |
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