Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

As I may have mentioned, I'm a baseball mom. This means many of my waking hours are spent on a ball field in the spring, summer and fall months, but especially in the summer. Last Saturday I was at the diamond for 12 hours straight.

This doesn't leave much time for cooking and a mom can only stomach so many hot dogs and pork chop sandwiches for lunch and dinner.

Enter the summer salad. If it can be made ahead and holds up for a few days in the fridge, I am all over it. Last season, Amy's Chickpea Salad was my go-to meal. 

This year, it's going to be this yummy spin on pasta salad, thanks to my latest issue of Cooking Light magazine, which features simple summer dinners. I made some changes to the original recipe to help it keep longer in the fridge and to use what I had on hand. I also prefer to double the recipe, so that I can feed a crowd. Let me know how you make it your own!

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

Inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta, fusilli or your favorite shape

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and finely chopped

2 cups of skinless, shredded boneless chicken breast (make it even easier and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

5 ounces of arugula, spinach, baby kale or baby chard (or a mixture of these)

1/2 a pint of grape tomatoes

Cook pasta until al dente. Do not add any salt or oil to the water. Set aside 1/4 cup pasta liquid before draining the pasta. 

Place sliced shallot and garlic in a small bowl. Pour pasta water on top and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine hot pasta and Brie cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, vinegar, shallot mixture, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt.

In a separate bowl, toss greens with olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add greens to pasta mixture. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately or chill. Holds up well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Andrea's faves - and a couple of "fails"

One of the very best things about blogging with two fellow mom friends is trying their recipes and learning how they manage to feed their own families day in and day out.

There are many dishes from Erin and Amy that I've made multiple times since the three of us began collaborating a year ago. Today I'm sharing the ones I make most often.

I'd love to know which recipes got you into the kitchen this past year. Tell us!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

P.S. These round-up posts are a nice break: Even us blogging mommas like to get out of cooking once in awhile!

My favorites from Erin:

• Lemon Buttermilk Cake. If my metabolism would allow it, I'd eat this cake every day. I love it with fresh berries.

• Corn soufflé casserole. This is comfort food on steroids. Easy and so delicious I've made this for many meals and visiting relatives.

• Berry vinaigrette. I eat a salad for lunch almost every day. This dressing turns the dish into a treat.

My favorites from Amy:

• Chick Pea Salad. Even my boys enjoy this salad. It's crunchy, hearty and healthy all in one bowl. Also great to take to parties and potlucks.

• Tomato-Avocado Quinoa Salad. Hands down this is my absolute favorite way to eat quinoa.

From the HDHH archives:
As a PTO mom, I sometimes use the blog as an auction item to raise money for my boys' school. The winning bidder chooses a menu from HDHH that I prepare and deliver to them. Since I'm cooking these meals anyway, I make a double batch for my own family. This opens my eyes to dishes that appeal to others – and to more of Erin's awesome cooking.

• Brownie Pudding Cake. This cake is deadly – in a good, chocolately way. After I made it once, it was requested again a week later. We served it for Christmas dessert, too.

• Make Ahead Chicken Pot Pie. The option to prep this meal in advance brings some much-needed flexibility into a crazy day. The taste of this dish is heavenly and perfect for a cool day, or when you need some down-home cooking. 

Cooking fails:

Lest you think us bringers of hot dinner are the perfect home cooks, I'm going to come clean and share two "fails." Oh yes, we do mess things up sometimes. Just like everyone else.

• The first time I made Erin's Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coffee Cake, I started a fire in my oven when I attempted to caramelize the topping under the broiler. So I tried again and just skipped that step. The cake turned out perfectly and I didn't need to dismantle the smoke alarm! 

• Ever since writing the blog, I've been trying to be more adventurous with my cooking, especially on the vegetarian front. A few weeks before Thanksgiving I whipped up this vegan Thanksgiving Loaf shared by sister-in-law, thinking it could be a potential HDHH candidate. Well, it smelled delicious, but the taste and texture were a bit off. I'll have to give it another go-round soon.