Mediterranean flavors in a cold pasta salad. You can add cheese as well and experiment with your own combination of vegetables

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that I turn to Nora Roberts for comfort reading and comfort eating. There is a soothing formula to her trilogies. In times of crisis (hello, pandemic…) I know what I’m going to get and that her characters are never going to let me down.The trilogies that I enjoy most feature food pretty prominently. There is almost always a member of the team who is either a professional cook or someone who cooks elaborately to think, relax, or strategize. This specific pasta comes from "Stars of Fortune" and is so simple to make that you could easily enjoy it any time the fancy strikes.Full disclosure, in the book it’s penne and black olives, but I went with what I had and thought would be delicious. Please feel free to do the same. “Pasta with Tomatoes and Olives” is as open-ended a direction as you would like it to be.Note: I used my air fryer’s dehydration setting to roast my tomatoes, but you could do them in the oven just as effectively. Or, buy a jar of sun dried. Or, use them fresh. There’s no wrong way to do this.

This salad screams summer with fresh sweet corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market. It won't last long in your fridge once you taste it but it will keep for several days (especially if you avoid salting the vegetables when you add your dressing). Use as a stand alone salad or pair with fish or chicken, great as a salsa for fish tacos. This fresh, healthy salad will help with these hot, hot days! Enjoy!

This is my go to for a hearty pasta salad when I'm craving one that's not made with a creamy base. The tuna packs it with protein and I use whole grain pasta to up the nutrition and to make it a bit more filling. A serving of this with some fresh fruit will keep you full until dinnertime.

You can never have too many one pan dinners in your repertoire. Obviously, they're easier to clean up, which is great if your family is like ours and you don't have a dishwasher. They're also usually easier to whip up in the first place, which makes them ideal for busy weeknights. This chicken and rice is a perfect example of such a dish. It comes together in about 15 minutes (20 if you include the prep). It cooks in one pan and is a meal all on its own. And, most important of all, it's delicious.

I like to have a salad with every meal. This is quick and easy. You can substitute and add any types of veggies you prefer. But this is my everyday salad!

I love that you can eat this salad both hot and cold, yum!

A popular and delicious family favorite! You can also use skewers to grill the kebabs, either under a pre-heated grill (2-3 minutes on each side) or on a barbeque. They go very well with my Turkish Red Cabbage Salad:https://cookpad.wasmer.app/us/recipes/11054244-turkish-red-cabbage-salad#nikicuisine #mycookbook

This salad is like summer on a plate. I used two types of tomatoes for variety, buy you can stick with just one. The toasted, almost burnt bread soaks up the dressing without getting too soggy, and the citrus zest adds a real pop.

A dear friend sent us two big packages of dry noodles and I want to turn them into something delicious! You can use pasta if you like.

Lazy way , use your favorite jars of Alfredo sauce. For a 1 lbs of fettuccine pasta use two jars. Vegetables can also be added in. This is a quick easy Peezy recipe.

Penne Primavera is a very versatile dish. Here is my family recipe. Although we make it with penne you can use any pasta. I serve the pasta in a small amount in regards to the vegetables, but you can make it as you like it.