Store Cupboard Pasta Salad

 

Good Morning!

I can't believe we're already half way through May! It only feels like two minutes ago that I was trying to think of all the different lunches to eat in April.

One of my favourite lunches to make is really easy. Pasta salad. The best bit is the basic thing is all store cupboard ingredients. Of course you can jazz it up by adding fresh stuff but you can whip up a pretty darn tasty lunch in mere minutes with the help of a few jars.

You will need:

• Cold cooked pasta (deliberately cooking too much when you make your spag bol is a great tip)!
• A jar of pesto (I'm using red because that's what was open, but the traditional green basil pesto is delicious)!

Other things you may want to use:

• A jar of chargrilled peppers
• A jar of sundried tomatoes
• Fresh cherry tomatoes
• A pepper
• Herbs (basil and chives are really good)
• Spinach (or other salad leaves)
• Spring onions
• Cheese
• Maybe a meat?
• Anything else you like!

 

The Ingredients

I've gone for a very red themed pasta this time round. Because I'm using red pesto I haven't used the sundried tomatoes but if I was using green pesto I totally would!

Oh, and yes, that is my incredibly old iPod charging up there.

 

Chuck in the ingredients!

First, stir a generous spoonful of the pesto into your cold pasta.

Then chuck in everything else! It's really that easy.

Chop everything up into nice bite-sized pieces. I recommend doing this with the cherry toms too. I know they look prettier whole but trying to spear a cherry tomato with a fork is quite tricky!

The last thing to go in should be any herbs and salad you want to include as you don't want to bruise them by stiring them round too much. I've gone for chives and because of this I haven't used any onion. That would be a bit overwhelming!

As you can see, my chives are almost flowering. If the flowers had been open I would have definitely thrown a few of those in. Not only do they look super pretty in a salad, they are scrummy!

 

All that is left to do is eat it!

It is great as a packed lunch to take to work and also would make a lovely addition to a picnic or possibly as a buffet option at one of the many summer BBQs I'm sure we'll all be hosting this summer here in bonny Britain (I jest of course... We'll maybe manage one BBQ which will be conducted under an umbrella)!

 

I'd love to know about any other simple lunch recipes. I'm always on the lookout for faff-free foods.

 

Pip pip, Charlotte xx

 

Summer time...

It only takes a hint of sunshine to make Britain go crazy. Today has been the first properly lovely day in ages and people were out in shorts and t-shirts and sandals.

Photos of beer gardens are popping up all over twitter.

My boy was probably attempting to catch skin cancer by sitting out in the back garden.

Even I got into the spirit walking home without my jacket. (I am almost always cold).

There was one crazy girl though, walking through town though in a full on parka with the furry lined hood up at lunch time. There's always one.

 

The only downside to the sunny weather is not being able to enjoy it to the full. Today I watched the sunny weather from my desk while day dreaming about picnics and trips to the beach. Imagining going to a theme park and purposefully going on the water rides to cool down. Thinking about star gazing and not having to be totally freezing. Planning the perfect BBQ. Just because I am trapped inside doesn't mean I can't plan how I would spend my time in the sun if only I were free.

Yesterday, I bought a maxi dress. I also bought suncream because it was on offer and when you're as pale a me you need to stock up on factor 50 when it's on a good deal. I am also on the look out for a straw hat. Because you know, those are cool right?

The weatherman tells me this nice warm spell is meant to last over the weekend. Make the most of it because I can only conclude that, by doing the above shopping, I have jinxed summer and we will all have to put up with rain and probably snow flurries. I can only apologise.

Toodle pip, Charlotte xx