Lemony Cucumber + Feta Pasta Salad

According to the calendar summer hasn’t even started yet, but we have already had our fair share of 95 degrees days. It’s days like these that a salad for dinner feels like the best option — for both your sweaty body and your vegetable-craving soul.

When we aren’t making this Italian Chopped Salad this summer, we will be making this cucumber and feta pasta salad. It’s light, refreshing, and really hits the spot on those hot summer nights. Pair it with some grilled chicken and string lights and you’ve got yourself a summer night’s dream.

Lemony Cucumber + Feta Pasta Salad

Makes 6 servings as a side dish

• 8 ounces of bowtie pasta, prepared according to package directions

• 1 large cucumber, diced

• 4 ounce block of feta, diced

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon maple syrup

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Optional Additions:

• fresh herbs for topping (mint, cilantro, parsley)

• Hazelnuts for topping

• chickpeas

Making The Vinaigrette: Meanwhile, In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey, if using.Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified.

Making the Pasta: Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain (do not rinse) and then while the pasta is still hot drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the pasta and then toss together in a bowl. This will allow the noodles to soak up as much flavor from the vinaigrette as possible.

Bringing it all Together: Allow the pasta to come to room temperature on the counter and then add in the cucumbers and feta. If you’re adding chickpeas this would be a good time to add in as well. Allow the pasta salad to chill for at least an hour before serving. Serve the pasta salad up in individual bowls and then top with the herbs and hazelnuts. Enjoy!

Will keep in the fridge for 3 days. If the pasta is seeming a bit dry after it has been in the fridge overnight just drizzle it with a little extra olive oil and toss it together.

Springy Green Bucatini

I had bucatini for the first time a few weeks ago and fell head over heels. Like, what have I been doing with my life? One might think that a pasta is a pasta is a pasta is a pasta, but this bucatini will prove you wrong. The thicker texture and straw-like interior of the noodles is so fun and brings an arguably superior experience to this pasta dish. After discovering these magical noodles I knew I needed to use them in a version of this super green pasta dish I had been making on repeat. Now, I’m not going back.

The sauce for this dish was born out of a desire to enjoy a bowl of pasta, but also get a LOT of veggies in at once. I happened to have some kale in the fridge, a bunch of peas in the freezer, + some broccoli just begging to be used. To round this pasta dish out I would recommend adding in some protein — salmon, chicken, etc. When you think pasta you probably think heavy and indulgent, but this version will make you think differently. The sauce is bright and refreshing and the perfect dinner for these spring nights.

Springy Green Bucatini

Serves 6

• 1 lb bucatini pasta

• 6 large leaves of kale

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

• A handful of basil

• A few leaves of mint

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 a lemon, the zest and juice

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for topping

• 1 cup broccoli, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• hazelnuts, optional but add a nice crunch

• protein of choice

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boilding, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.

Add the kale to the pasta water. After about a minute, remove the kale using a pair of tongs. Remove 1/4 cup of the pasta water as well.

While the pasta is cooking, add the kale, garlic, half of the peas, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan, and the 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

When there are just a few minutes left of the pasta’s cooking time, throw the brocooli and remaining oeas into the pan to cook. Drain the pasta and veggies in a colander and return them to the pot. Toss the pasta and veggies with the sauce. Serve topped with shredded parmesan and hazelnuts.

Veggieful Cold Noodle Bowl with a Mango Peanut Sauce

Cold noodle bowls are a great option as the temperatures begin to rise and you want something quick and refreshing for dinner. My goal with these bowls is to always balance the noodle content with veggies so that it doesn’t solely become a carb focused meal. Although I personally love kale, any greens could be swapped out to work for this bowl. The same goes for the sweet potatoes and cucumbers. You could use peppers or shredded carrots if you prefer. The real star of this bowl is the mango peanut sauce so if you can whip that up, the possibilities are endless. It’s not super sweet, but it’s incredibly delicious. It pairs perfectly with the veggies and noodles to create a really satiating dish that is easily adaptable with whatever you’ve got in your fridge.

Veggieful Cold Noodle Bowl with a Mango Peanut Sauce

Makes 4 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped

• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced

• 1 small cucumber, sliced

• 1 avocado, quartered

• 8 ounces of rice noodles or buckwheat noodles

• 2 tablespoosn olive oil, divided

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Protein of choice (tofu, chicken, chickpeas, etc.)

Mango peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup frozen mango, thawed 

• 1/3 cup peanut butter 

• 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar

• 1 tbs olive oil 

• 1 tablespoon cilantro 

• Salt 

Make the Noodles: First, cook your noodles of choice according the the package directions and then run the noodles under cold water to ensure that they don’t continue cooking. Set aside.

Roast the Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with 1 of the tablespoons of olive oil and then transfer to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender — about 25-35 minutes.

Prep the Kale: Toss the chopped and destemmed kale in a large bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on top of the kale. With your hands, begin massaging the kale for a few minutes until the kale feels more tender. This only takes about 2-3 minutes.

Make the sauce: Because I despise cutting mangos and it can be tricky to ensure they are perfectly ripe at the exact moment you need them, I love to use frozen. Prior to making the peanut sauce I would recommend taking the mango out of the freezer and allowing it to thawTo make the mango suace go ahead and Combine all mango peanut sauce ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth.

Assemble the bowl: Place the noodles, about 2-3 tablespoons of the mango peanut sauce (depending how saucy you like it), sweet potatoes, cucumber, avocado, and protein of choice in a bowl.

Herby Yogurt Plate + How I Approach Building A Balanced Plate

With nourish being my word for 2024 I’ve been striving to find sustainable ways to hone in on that. For me, the key to be sustainable when it comes to nutrition is balance.

Let me preface first by saying, I don’t have it all figured out. Believe me, if I did, you’d be the first to know, but I’m taking what I’ve learned and seeking a way of eating that fuels me to live the life I want to live.

A little background, when it comes to nutrition, I’ve been on both extremes. I’ve lived a life where my whole life revolved around “healthy” eating (low-carb, limited calories, etc.) and I’ve lived another (more recent life) where I was focused more on indulgence (if I want it, I eat it.) In those extremes I learned a lot of what I didn’t want. In my “healthy” extreme I learned that I didn’t want to feel like I was starving all the time. In my indulgent extreme I learned that my body aches when I don’t prioritize protein and reach for ice cream consistently. Both of those are really valuable lessons! With what I’ve learned, I’ve begun to move forward and try to strive for balance. I’ve moved towards a way of eating that makes me feel really, really good and doesn’t leave me starving.

This yogurt plate feels like the perfect example of balance to me. Here are a few things I considered when building this yogurt a plate that I hope you find helpful.

How I approach Building a Balanced Plate

When I’m building my plate there are four things I’m always looking for.

Protein - I strive for 20g-30g per meal, but if that sounds too advanced to calculate/track just focus on making sure that you have protein present (chicken, yogurt, tuna, steak, legumes, tofu, etc.). This should be about 25% of your plate.

Fat - Fat helps increase satiety and leave you walking away feeling more satisfied with your meal than if you didn’t have any fat. The most common way that I add a little fat to a plate is to drizzle olive oil on the vegetables and then sprinkle with a little salt. Another way is using olive oil or coconut oil to roast veggies. Although fat is important, you don’t need a lot of it to feel the satiety benefits. Aim for about 1 Tablespoon with your meal. Also, ensure that you’re not using canola oil, vegetable oil, or other processed oils that are actually more harmful than beneficial. Olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil are all good options. I also enjoy using nuts or seeds to add some fat — pumpkin seeds have been a recent favorite.

Carb - Carbs get a bad reputation. I could probably write an entire blog post about this, but for now just know that it’s okay to have carbs — especially if they’re complex carbs and paired with a protein and fat. When they’re paired with that protein and fat then the body won’t process them as quickly which means that they are more likely to keep you fuller longer. The carbs I strive to add to my plate are whole grains (oats, brown rice, farro, quinoa, whole wheat bread, etc.) as they are more nutrition dense than things such as (white rice, white bread, etc.) and they are metabolized more slowly in your body so you won’t get that blood sugar crash that the less nutrient dense options will give you. Although carbs are valuable, you don’t want to mainly consume carbs. You’ve got to leave room for the protein, fat, and veggies. Carbs should be about 25% or less of your plate.

Veggies - Last, but certainly not least is veggies. I generally try to make about 50% of my plate consist of veggies. They have lots of nutrients that are important, but also lots of fiber that will help keep you fuller longer. I get it though, veggies can get boring. One of my favorite ways to get out of a rut with veggies is to go to a new grocery store and see if I can find some fun options that inspire me. Some of my top current vegetables are purple sweet potatoes and watermelon radishes.

BONUS: (But also super important!) The last thing I look for when building a plate is flavor opportunities. I am always seeking ways to make a balanced and nourshing meal taste really great. For this particular plate pictured above i knew I wanted to use some yogurt so I started adding herbs and garlic to bring the yogurt to life. Other things i like to add to increase the nutrition and also flavor or a plate like this is to add kimchi, hot sauce, saurkraut, pickles, a drizzle of kefir, etc. These additions will keep your meals more interesting and make you more excited to keep eating healthy.

Your Turn

I hope you now feel empowered to build a plate that feels balanced and nourishing! Below I’ll share the recipe for the herby yogurt I used to build the plate pictured. Again, I don’t have all the answers, but this is how I’m seeking to find balance as I strive to nourish my body and live a vibrant life. This formula has been helpful to give me a little struture while still maintaining freedom to get creative and enjoy food.

What’s on the plate pictured?

• Herby yogurt (Recipe below)

• Chicken meatballs

• Watermelon radishes

• Cucumbers

• Tomatoes

• Farro

• A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt

Herby Yogurt

Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt — I really like this brand

• 2 green onions, chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped finely (or use 2 teaspoons dried instead)

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread onto a plate using a spatula or spoon and top with your favorite protein, carb, veggies, and fat. Enjoy!