Bowl of crunch!

   Looking for a healthy and delicious lunch/dinner idea? You came to the right place. I've got the perfect pasta salad, which is healthy, fresh and satisfying. Yes, pasta can be healthy and it doesn't have to be a taboo if you are on a diet. Just make sure it's whole grain and that it's accompanied by buckets of fresh veggies and fat-free yogurt instead of mayo. I was just playing with some of my favorite ingredients and what I've got is a bowl of crunchy flavorful goodness that will satisfy any hungry dieter (and we dieters are always hungry!). Here is the recipe (serves 6-8):

Salad:

*  1 lb whole grain rotini pasta
*  1 red bell pepper
*  1 green pepper
*  2 zucchini
*  1/2 red onion
*  4-5 medium pickles
*  1/4 cup chopped  black olives
*  1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing:

*  3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
*  2 tbsp fat-free mayo
*  2 tbsp Dijon mustard
*  1 tbsp soy sauce
*  1 tbsp lime juice
*  1 tsp seasoned salt
*  black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta, toss in cold water, drain and let it cool.
2. Finely dice all the vegetables, combine in a bowl, add pasta and mix everything together.
3. Combine all the ingredients of the dressing, add to salad, mix everything together and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

   It's fresh, light, crunchy, and delicious. Cilantro is just a perfect addition to this salad and gives it an exotic and interesting accent. If you are not a fan of cilantro you can definitely substitute it with parsley and I'm sure it's going to be delicious as well.

Enjoy,
Magda.