Tossed Salad

My husbands family is moving out of the country and over the weekend we had a going away party for them.  I was in charge of making a salad.  I was so busy with work and house work, that I barely had time to make a salad, but I wanted to put my best foot forward.  I didn’t want to buy a bag of mixed greens, throw it in one of my pretty bowls with dressing and call it a day.  Instead, I wanted to make a hearty and tasty salad.  Sometimes making a recipe from inspiration in the grocery store is the best.  You can make salads in so many different ways: Caesar, Southwest, Cobb, etc.  With each salad it brings its own individuality with different cheeses, vegetables, meats, etc.  I was in the grocery store and I decided to pick some of my favorite vegetables and salad add-ins.  Food needs to look good and be colorful and the best way is to include different vegetables, cheeses and meats.  I love cherry tomatoes, they’re sweetness burst in your mouth. Colby jack cheese is marbled and adds a beautiful yellow spark to the salad.  Mushrooms act as sponges and absorb the flavors of the dressing.  Carrots add a beautiful orange color, as well as the pretty “trees”, as I called broccoli as a kid.

Ingredients:
8oz of Rotini
8oz of Baby Carrots
3 Broccoli Heads
10.5oz Cherry Tomatoes
8oz of Sliced Portobello Mushrooms
4oz of Colby Jack Cheese
8oz of Spring Salad Mix
8oz of salami
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of no slat organic seasoning (my fave is purchased at Costco)

Recipe:
In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add the Rotini and cook for 8 minutes until al dente. While the pasta is cooking throw the spring mix of greens in a large bowl.  Dice the carrots, broccoli, portobello mushrooms and Colby jack cheese and add to the salad.  Add the cherry tomatoes.  Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain and let it come to room temperature.  Once the pasta has cooled add 1 tablespoon of seasoning and fresh diced rosemary to the pasta and toss, making sure each noddle is coated.  Add 8oz of diced salami to the salad.  Add the pasta to the salad and toss.  Serve with your favorite healthy dressing!