Hello moms and families! As you know, the gorgeous season of Autumn has rolled through, which means it has become a bit chillier, scarves are getting thicker, and leaves are turning into fascinating shades of red, orange, brown, and yellow. What better way to mark the transition of Summer to Fall than with colorful bursts of vegetables and squash in your everyday meals?
Arugula, Baby Spinach, Fresh Vine Tomatoes, Cilantro (Garnish), Penne, Lemon Pepper Vinagarette
One of the easiest and cost-efficient ways to add color to your meals and secretly include vegetables into your kids’ diet in a fun way is with pasta dishes! Whether it be mac-and-cheese with broccoli, zucchini, and tomatoes or simple pasta salads with a variety of seasonal vegetables, there’s no end to how many ways you can spruce up a dish.
For simple pasta salad dishes that are healthy, hearty, and heaps of fun (as shown above), jazz it up in a million different ways depending on what flavors and foods you and your family enjoy most. As a busy-bee on a budget with classes and work to juggle through, I am always on the lookout for inexpensive alternatives to good food.
Pasta such as elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, and spaghetti are go-to staple pantry items that are always laying around somewhere in the kitchen. Boil in salted water for 10-15 minutes depending on how al-dente you prefer, let it chill in the fridge for a while, and add to your heart’s (I mean, stomach’s) content!
Examples of Combinations:
Pasta: Penne, Rotini, Linguini
Vegetables: Broccoli, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Spinach, Corn, Cucumber
Meats: Chicken breast, Roasted turkey, Pepperoni
Cheeses: Feta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Pepper jack
Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette
Ingredients: juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 tsp olive oil, salt, black pepper
What to do: add ingredients to a bowl and whisk (add salt/pepper to taste)
