Living La Vida Holoka


Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

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This Kale Caesar Pasta Salad is a perfect dish to meal prep and enjoy all week.  It’s a creamy, comforting twist on classic Caesar salad!


I decided to give my Instagram profile a makeover this past weekend. I gave my highlight icons a new color scheme, updated my profile info, and went through my saved stories.  While I was doing that, I came across a kale Caesar pasta salad recipe that I had made.  I never shared the step-by-step on Instagram or shared it on my blog.  That little weekend Instagram makeover was so worth it, even just for the reminder that this pasta salad existed!  I knew I had to work it into my Monday meal prep.

Monday meal prep has become an ongoing routine for me.  It gives me a chance to clean out the fridge and use some of the ingredients that I have on hand to create new meals for the week.  When I planned my meals for this week, I worked this recipe onto our menu.  We’re big fans of pasta salads!  They’re one of those dishes that seems to get better the longer it sits.  I knew that eating this salad all week definitely wouldn’t be a problem!


Pasta salads might seem like a summertime barbecue type thing, but trust me – you can work them into your menu all year long. 

I mean, it’s pasta!

Take this pasta salad, for instance.  It’s delicious on its own, but so good when you add grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp to it.  It can go from a side to a main meal just like that!

Massage the kale (yes, you read that right) for an even better salad!

 
If you’re not a big fan of kale, you can swap in some baby spinach instead.  If you don’t mind the taste and texture of kale, I definitely recommend it in this salad.  Kale holds up pretty well with all of that dressing.  Even after being massaged!  I know.  Weird.  It’s hard enough to get a massage for myself around here, but the kale manages to get one!

Massaging the kale leaves gives it a softer texture and also makes it taste less bitter.  You don’t have to put on soft music, light candles, or massage the kale for a 90 minute session.  Just add a little lemon juice and olive oil.  Then, work it into the kale leaves just until they soften.

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Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/2 box bow tie pasta
  • 10 oz. jar roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small bunch fresh kale, cleaned with stems removed
  • 1 - 15 oz. bottle light Caesar salad dressing
  • 1/2 cup or more shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta as directed. Once al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to cool completely and then pour pasta into a large bowl.
  2. Mix in the roasted red peppers, red onion, and grape tomatoes.
  3. Massage the kale with lemon juice and olive oil, then add to the salad.
  4. Pour the Caesar salad dressing onto the salad and stir well.
  5. Last, mix in the shredded Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

I started with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, but found that I wanted more so I ended up using about 3/4 cup. The amount of cheese is up to you, but start with 1/2 cup and work from there!

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So easy to make and you’ll have pasta salad for days!  I love Caesar salad and the addition of pasta just takes it to a satisfying and comforting new level!

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If you liked this pasta salad recipe, you might enjoy these as well:

Celebrate National Pizza Day with these 10 Pizza Recipes

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Celebrate the BEST FOODIE HOLIDAY EVER with these 10 pizza recipes! I’ve got everything from pizza pies to pizza inspired dishes to get your National Pizza Day party started!


I usually don’t blog on the weekend, but when a foodie holiday this important comes around, it deserves to be celebrated!  You know my love for pizza goes beyond just a regular slice of pie.  Although there’s nothing better than a crisp crust, perfectly seasoned tomato sauce, and melty mozzarella, pizza flavors can be transformed into so many dishes!  We may have celebrated early since Friday night is our dedicated pizza night, but there’s always room for another slice!  Get ready to celebrate National Pizza Day with these 10 pizza recipes!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

When I worked a 9-5:30 office job, there was a place next door that had the best chicken Caesar salad pizza.  When I left that job, I left missing a couple of my coworkers and this pizza.  So I decided to recreate my own version at home on the grill!  Grab the recipe for this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza and combine pizza and salad in every tasty bite!

Air Fryer Zucchini Parm Flatbread Pizza

You know how much I love my air fryer. Right? Well, have you tried making pizza in an air fryer? Game changer!  This Air Fryer Zucchini Parm Flatbread Pizza is so crunchy!  It’s a quick and easy lunch or dinner to whip up when the craving for pizza strikes!

Grilled Shrimp Bruschetta Pizza

Grilled pizza is the best pizza. Don’t @ me. There’s nothing better than firing up the grill and infusing that smokey taste into pizza dough. This Grilled Shrimp Bruschetta Pizza tastes like summertime!  It’s full of fresh, grilled flavor and topped with succulent shrimp!

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Doing the low carb thing?  You can still enjoy all the flavors of pizza!  Just stuff sauce and cheese in a Zucchini Pizza Boat!  Bake them up and top with your favorite pizza toppings!  Super easy and pizza-rific!

Loaded Veggie Potato Puffs

Get your potato puff on with this Loaded Veggie Potato Puffs recipe!  Take everyone’s favorite puffy potato appetizer and load ’em up with sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings!  This is such a fun dish to share…or not!

Pizza Inspired Side Salad

If you want a lighter pizza-inspired dish, try my Pizza Inspired Side Salad.  It’s a mixed green salad topped with fresh mozzarella, mini pepperoni, and olives, tomatoes, and homemade croutons!

Grilled Steak Fajita Pizza

If haven’t convinced you yet that you need to be throwing pizza on the grill, let me try one more time! I absolutely loved this fusion of Mexican flavors and pizza in this Grilled Steak Fajita Pizza recipe. Serve it with icy margaritas to really get your pizza fiesta going!

Easy Pull-Apart Pizza Bake

Don’t you just love a good pull-apart recipe? This Easy Pull-Apart Pizza Bake is so much fun and all you need is refrigerated biscuits, sauce, and cheese!

Pizza Stuffed Popovers

This popover recipe came out more muffins, but they were still a lot of fun to eat! No need for a popover pan, just bake these Pizza Stuffed Popovers in a muffin tin and pop them in your mouth!

Pepperoni Pizza Breakfast Scramble

I’m definitely not against having pizza in the morning. But if need a reason to justify having pizza with your morning coffee or OJ, make this Pepperoni Pizza Breakfast Scramble instead!

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What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

So Fresh and So Green Quinoa Salad

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Ditch the line at the deli counter and make this simple, colorful, and super flavorful So Fresh and So Green Quinoa Salad at home instead!


Do you ever just really want a salad?

A couple weeks ago, I hit up the deli counter at the supermarket for some salads.  I took home a small container of a baby spinach and feta quinoa salad that totally rocked my taste buds!  It was fresh, healthy, and packed with flavor!  So I snapped a shot of the label and worked off of the ingredient list to try and make my own version.  

My version came pretty close.

This superfood makes a super salad!

 
Over the past year, quinoa has become a pretty big staple in our home. It’s become the base for many side dishes and salads and taken the place of grains like rice.  Not only is quinoa super healthy for you, but it’s a great foundation for building an awesome salad!  This salad starts with rainbow quinoa.  Rainbow quinoa isn’t much different than regular quinoa.  I just like the extra color and nuttiness to it.  If you like regular quinoa, go with it! 

Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled, I mixed in baby spinach, feta cheese, corn, cilantro, green onion, and red bell peppers.  I roasted the bell peppers over the flame on my stove.  If you’re not doing this already, I highly recommend starting. Char the skin, let it cool, then peel it off.  Roasting peppers gives them an amazing flavor!  Finally, this dish gets finished off with a homemade lime and garlic dressing with a slight kick of chili paste!

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So Fresh and So Green Quinoa Salad

So Fresh and So Green Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup rainbow quinoa, cooked according to package
  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted and diced
  • 1 - 8.5 oz can sweet corn, drained
  • Approx. 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • For the dressing:
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 garlic clove, mashed
  • 1 tbsp. mild chili paste

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, bell peppers, corn, spinach leaves, feta, green onions, and cilantro together.
  2. Add the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and chili paste to a mason jar. Screw on the lid and give the jar a good shake until all of the ingredients are combined.
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to coat evenly.
  4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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I was having trouble finding a name for this recipe. The store simply calls it “Baby Spinach and Feta Quinoa Salad,” but it’s so much more than that! Thankfully, Outkast’s “So Fresh and So Clean” got stuck in my head and inspired the new name for this recipe. This salad is seriously “so fresh and so green!” So there you go!

I can’t describe how good this salad is to you. You just have to trust me on this and make a batch for yourself. It’s packed with flavor and all sorts of ingredients. It’s not too spicy, but if you’re not a fan of spicy foods just cut out the chili paste or drop it (like it’s hot) down to a teaspoon, or even half a teaspoon, and work from there.


This version is so much cheaper than the supermarket’s and probably a tad fresher than the deli case (I mean, let’s not go there, but I’ll just leave you with that).  It’s a colorful feast for your eyes and a super healthy side dish!

What’s your favorite quinoa salad recipe?

 

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If you like this quinoa salad recipe, you might enjoy these as well:

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chicken

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This post has been sponsored by Social Native and Success.  This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

If you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal or holiday side with lots of fall flavor and crunch, this Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chicken is it!


With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been trying my best to eat wholesome meals and keep healthier snacks in the house. It’s not always easy to make better choices.  Especially with leftover Halloween candy (we didn’t get ANY trick-or-treaters this year) and heavier holiday dishes being tested in our kitchen.

Thankfully, my efforts to eat better before I gorge myself on our holiday feast has allowed me to eat the seasonal fruits and veggies that I enjoy so much. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – I love fall produce! 

Currently, I’m all about fresh Brussels sprouts.  My mom got me into Brussels sprouts when I was younger.  She used to buy the frozen kind that comes in a light sauce.  No one else in the house ate them besides us and I never really understood why.  I just love these little cabbages!  


Once upon a time, Brussels sprouts got a pretty bad rap.  So I’m so happy to see them standing out in more recipes these days – like this recipe! I made this Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad for the first time last year.  It was easy to put together and it’s full of so many great fall flavors.  It’s a quick weeknight meal that’s filling and made with wholesome ingredients.

A Quick and Easy Weeknight Meal or Holiday Side Dish!

 
Quinoa is also one of those foods that I’ve come to truly love.  It’s delicious on its own, but I like using it to bulk up my salads.  Not only does quinoa keep you full and satisfied, but it’s a great source of protein and antioxidants.  Use it in place of rice in your dishes!

I would even go so far to say that if you ditch the chicken, you could probably pass this salad off as a holiday side!  It’s quick, easy, and all you would have to cook is the quinoa and bacon! 

Want to really make things easy on yourself?  Use Success’s Quinoa Boil-in-Bag.  Just drop the bag in boiling water and you’ll have cooked quinoa in minutes!  Plus, it’s just enough quinoa needed to make this salad!

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Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chicken

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chicken

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh Brussels sprouts, grated
  • 1 bag of Success Quinoa Boil-in-Bag, or 1 1/2 cups tricolor quinoa
  • 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup pecan pieces
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • Crumbled herb & garlic goat cheese, or cheese of your choice
  • Optional: Cranberry Pear balsamic dressing

Instructions

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to package. Once the quinoa is cooked, allow it to cool.
  2. While the quinoa is cooking, heat a skillet and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Drain bacon on a paper towel.
  3. Wipe out the pan and add the chicken tenders. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.
  4. In a large bowl, add the shaved Brussels sprouts, quinoa, bacon, onions, pecans, and cranberries. Mix to combine ingredients.
  5. Top with chicken and crumbled goat cheese.
  6. Serve with your favorite fall dressing!
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This was another one of those recipes that I wasn’t sure if my husband would enjoy. Turns out, he thought it was “really, really good.”  I mean, what’s not to like about a big salad made with a bunch of fall flavors like shaved Brussels sprouts, quinoa, cranberries, and pecans? 

We topped our salad with a Cranberry Pear White Balsamic from a local artisan oil and balsamic vinegar shop.  Drizzle it with your favorite dressing and enjoy a truly delicious and filling fall salad!

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If you like this recipe, you might enjoy these as well:


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