Easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
A charcuterie board has never been so fun to make! Everything you get in a traditional charcuterie board shaped into a festive Christmas tree!
It's simple to assemble, it just takes a little bit of chopping and some basic artistic planning.
This is a family friendly charcuterie board and it's adaptable to swapping out some of the things I've shown here for things you may already have. The idea is just to stick to that simple red, green, and white/yellow theme for those classic Christmas colors. Then of course just keep the "Christmas tree" shape as you go.
A delicious holiday project that may just become a new family tradition at each yearly holiday gathering!
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Easy Orzo Pasta Salad
This is the perfect thing to make year-round. It's a nutritious, well rounded, veggie-packed pasta salad.
You can make as is or toss in some cooked chicken or shrimp (just make a little bit of extra dressing). And if you want to make it even healthier you can use whole wheat pasta in place of the standard semolina based orzo.
This is brimming with fresh Mediterranean flavor and it is so easy to throw together. It's mostly just a bit of chopping, cooking orzo pasta and whisking a quick dressing.
We love it for lunch but it's always so welcomed at dinner too, and it's delicious paired with salmon or grilled chicken. It may likely soon be one of your favorite recipes to make with orzo!
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The Perfect Summer Pasta Salad
What would summer be without at least one cookout or picnic that includes a vibrant and perfectly enjoyable, cold pasta salad?
This will quickly become a new favorite because there is so much goodness and an abundance of fresh flavor. Each of the ingredients blend exceptionally well together, each one complimenting the other.
It has a harmonious blend of textures as well. There's a nice trio of crisp, soft, and chewy.
This makes a very hearty and satisfying side dish that pairs well with grilled chicken, beef or fish.
Just one thing to note - it does make a very large salad, or enough for a small crowd. The recipe will halve nicely for a family dinner.
Or just make the full recipe anyway and serve the leftovers the following day for lunch.
]]>So all you have to do is boil the pasta, chop the veggies, and toss everything together.
Easy Pasta Salad Recipe
This is a cold salad, which means it's perfect for summer. (But don't worry—I've made it year-round, and it's still delicious!) I also love that it can be made up to a day in advance, so if you are planning a summer get-together you can check this off the list a day ahead. It's actually even better when it's had time to rest in the fridge.
And let's not forget the main reason this is perfect for summer — all those colorful garden veggies (and some that are technically fruit). It's such a great way to use up the abundance of veggies in season from either your garden, the farmer's market, or the grocery store.
This classic side dish is one to keep in your back pocket for whenever you need a quick, colorful, tasty salad to serve with dinner, bring to a gathering, or have on hand in the fridge for lunch!
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The Best 7 Layer Bean Dip Recipe!
So what exactly are all of the layers in the layer bean dip? In this version, the layers included are seasoned refried beans, zesty guacamole, creamy sour cream, tangy cheese, rich olives, fresh sweet tomatoes, and flavorful green onions.
In other words, so much goodness to be piled over one crisp and crunchy tortilla chip!
Sure it may be a party food but I've been known to make it for lunch sometimes, or I'll make it for a snack and somehow it ends up being dinner because you don't know when to stop with this stuff!
And it's one of those foods everyone knows and loves. You can't go wrong with the classics. Make it for your Super Bowl party menu and watch it disappear before your eyes!
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How To Make Greek Salad
To make this simple salad all you need to do is chop up an assortment of fresh Mediterranean veggies and some olives, add a simple dressing and some feta and you'll have a delicious salad everyone will love in no time!
Here you can use Calamata olives or black olives - I prefer a blend of both but if you don't keep both on hand just go with what you like. Also, if you want to remove the harsh bite from the red onions, just rinse them under warm water (and drain) before adding to the salad.
And yes the avocado is optional - it's not so traditional but trust me it just makes the salad that much better. Just be sure not to use one that's very soft or it will just mash up when you toss the salad.
How to Make Greek Spaghetti
This is so easy to make! Here's all you need to do:
- Cook spaghetti
- Chop the fresh ingredients
- Saute the garlic in the olive oil (to remove the harsh bite)
- Toss it all together and tadahhhh dinners ready!
Easy Weeknight Dinner!
This is the perfect dish for busy weeknights, I really appreciated the fact that it came together so quickly. I also really appreciated the fact that it's packed with fresh tomatoes - tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients. And I loved that the hot pasta just cooked them ever so lightly.
Watch the Video!
[wprm-recipe-video]
Tender spaghetti noodles, an abundance of lightly sweet tomatoes, zesty olives, tangy feta, salty capers, lots of fresh herby flavor and garlicky, robust, extra-virgin olive oil - can't go wrong with this one can you?? Pretty sure that's a big NO!
More Greek Recipes You'll Love
- Greek Salad (with Avocado!)
- Greek Chicken Kebabs with Tzatziki
- Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Grilled Salmon with Greek Salsa
Garlicky Greek Spaghett
This Greek inspired spaghetti is loaded with so many fresh and flavorful ingredients! It's a breeze to throw together and it's so perfectly delicious! Plus, this is a dish that can be ready in about 20 minutes (prep your ingredients while the pasta cooks)! My kind of dinner.
- 12 oz . dry spaghetti
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic ((about 4 cloves))
- 1 1/2 lbs roma tomatoes (, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1/2 cup black olives (, sliced)
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives (, sliced)
- 5 oz . feta cheese (, crumbled)
- 3 Tbsp drained capers
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil ribbons
- Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water according to directions on package. When pasta is nearly finished heat olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute until just lightly golden, about 1 minute.
- Drain pasta and pour into a large serving bowl or mixing bowl. Pour olive oil and garlic mixture over pasta. Add in tomatoes, black olives, kalamata olives, feta, capers and parsley then toss to evenly coat while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in basil and serve.
- Recipe source: adapted from Food and Wine
Be sure to have ingredients chopped and ready so you can add them in while the pasta is hot.
Greek Seven Layer Dip
I love that this is such a delicious yet healthy appetizer or snack to serve at parties (double the recipe for a larger crowd and spread into a 13 by 9-inch dish). Usually party foods are always pretty indulgent but this one is loaded with good for you ingredients.
Part of what makes this a healthy dip are the garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) which are part of the pulse family.
What is a Pulse?
You may not have heard the term "pulses" much before but you're probably already eating the all the time. Pulses are any of the the following food items; beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils. Every 1/2 cup of cooked pulses delivers 9 grams of protein!
Pulses are so versatile and with just a few seasoning they become so delicious.
Not only are pulses so tasty, they are a healthy, sustainable food source. I’ve taken the pulse pledge this year and so should you!
Add More Pulses to Your Diet!
When you do, you commit to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks and join a global food movement.
Eating dry peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas helps reduce your carbon footprint – and it’s great for your health. All you have to do is visit PulsePledge.com and sign up!
Then start out your pledge with this amazing Seven Layer Greek Dip!
More Greek Recipes You'll Love
Greek Seven Layer Dip
Seven Layer Greek Dip is a fun Mediterranean spin on the classic version we're all used to! This dip begins with a layer of freshly made hummus then it's topped with a creamy, garlic-herb Greek yogurt layer then a layer of English cucumbers, grape tomatoes, black or kalamata olives, then finally it's finished with feta and red onions. Don't you just want to dive into all that goodness?
- 1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and 1/4 cup liquid from can reserved*
- 2 1/2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 small garlic cloves (, minced)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt (, or to taste)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/3 cups thick plain Greek yogurt (, such as Fage)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill
- 1 cup diced English cucumber
- 1 cup diced grape tomatoes or Roma tomatoes ((drain off excess liquid after cutting))
- 1/3 cup sliced black olives or kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 Tbsp chopped red onion (, rinsed and drained)
- Add drained garbanzo beans to a food processor along with tahini, lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt. Pulse for about 1 minute then with food processor running slowly pour olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the liquid from the chick peas into the food processor. Hummus should be somewhat thick, but add more of the liquid as needed 1 Tbsp at a time. Spread hummus into an even layer in an 11 by 7-inch or 8 by 8-inch baking dish (at this point chill through if you have time).
- In a medium mixing bowl stir together Greek yogurt with parsley, dill and remaining garlic. Dollop mixture over hummus layer in dish and spread into an even layer. Top with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta and onions. Serve with pita chips (serve immediately after sprinkling veggies over top for best results). Store in refrigerator.
- *I made a double batch of the hummus so I could save half for later. If you want to do this just double eveything from the garbanzo beans to the olive oil then only use half of it for the dip.
- Recipe source: Cooking Classy
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Such a Flavorful Grilled Salmon Recipe!
Before summer is officially over I decided I better get in a few more tasty meals featuring the best of the summer produce while it's still in season, and so here we are.
This salmon is unbelievably delicious and it's actually so easy to prepare! Yes it may require a bit of chopping and I definitely recommend chopping everything itty bitty - to give it more of a salsa fresca type feel rather than a salad, but the extra bit of chopping is so worth it in the end!
See How to Make This Salmon, Watch the Video!
My husband, my mom and myself couldn't get over how good this was (especially for how easy it was to make it)! I also love how it all comes together so well, the salsa goes perfectly with the salmon as well as the orzo.
Try the Greek Salsa on Chicken or Beef Too!
This salsa would also be delicious on chicken or beef if that's what you've got on hand but do try it at least once with the salmon because it is oh so good!
I think I'll have to squeeze this one it at least one or two more times before it starts too cold for grilling outside.
I just love all the freshness in these meal, and I can never get enough of those zesty Greek flavors!
More Salmon Recipes You'll Love!
- Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
- Grilled Lime Salmon with Avocado Mango Salsa
- Orange Glazed Salmon with Rosemary
- Salmon and Asparagus in Foil
- Teriyaki Salmon
Grilled Salmon with Avocado Greek Salsa and Orzo
Tender grilled salmon fillets are topped with a fresh, flavorful veggie packed salsa and served with a side of orzo. It's such a delicious, healthy dish that's sure to impress anyone!
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, (divided, plus more for brushing grill)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small Roma tomatoes, (diced (1 cup))
- 1/2 cucumber, (peeled and chopped (1 cup))
- 1/3 cup chopped red onions
- 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 garlic cloves, (minced (2 tsp))
- 1 medium avocado, (peeled and diced)
- 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) crumbled feta
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp finely minced fresh oregano
- Prepare orzo according to directions on package, drain (I recommend tossing with just a little olive oil).
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Preheat a grill to medium-high heat to about 400 degrees. Meanwhile chop ingredients for salsa.
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Brush both sides of the salmon fillets with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Brush clean grill grates lightly with olive oil then place salmon on grill (close lid) grill until cooked though, about 3 minutes per side.
- In a medium mixing bowl toss together tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, kalamata olives, garlic, avocado, feta, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, parsley and oregano. Season with salt to taste.
- Divide drained orzo among 4 plates then add a salmon fillet to each plate. Top each serving with plenty of the salsa, both over the salmon and the orzo. Serve immediately.