Fresh Green Bean Salad

To balance out all the baking I've been doing, we've been eating a lot of salads. Each week, I enjoy going to the farmer's market outside my office and finding fresh veggies to make a new salad with. I stumbled on this recipe on www.allrecipes.com/ for a two bean salad with cherry tomatoes, feta and a balsamic dressing and we were not disappointed. Unlike the other salad dressings we've made, the balsamic was sweet. This will be a regular staple in our summer salad rotation.

Ingredients

• 
  
  1/2 pound green beans
• 
  
  1/2 pound yellow beans
• 
  
  12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 
  
  1/2 brick of feta cheese
• 
  
  2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 
  
  1 tsp olive oil
• 
  
  1 clove garlic, minced
• 
  
  salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

• 
  
  Mix together the balsamic, oil, garlic and salt and pepper
• 
  
  Clean, trim and cut beans into bite-sized pieces
• 
  
  Mix vegetables together in a medium-sized bowl with dressing
• Crumble feta cheese on top

Recipe adapted from www.allrecipes.com 

Summer Couscous and Chickpea Salad

It's hot out. I mean steamy, sticky, humid hot and what am I looking for to cool down? A refreshing, cold, delicious salad. I love this time of year, but the thought of standing over a hot stove is the last thing I want to do and I just find that I always gravitate towards cold foods and healthy ones. This dish meets all those requirements and then some! This is my new go-to for the summer pot luck and I'm sure it will be yours, too!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked couscous
• 1 can chickpeas, rinse and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 field cucumber, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2-3 limes, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients with the olive oil and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold.

Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake