Lemon Pasta Salad with Chicken.

Good Morning! Well, it's Monday alright! 

Why are Monday mornings so much harder than any other day of the week? It's not like I was out clubbing last night!! (Or for the last decade, for that matter!) I was home and in my jammie pants by 9pm. (Granted I do stay up late, but still...) I can not figure out why Monday's are different from any other day? Maybe it's just having the two days off from the crazy morning before school thing?? Whatever. He's at school, and mama has until 5pm today. (Thanks to Grandma!!) Can I get an Amen?

This weekend I made one of my, dare I say...WARM WEATHER favorites for a picnic at the beach. I got this recipe a few years back from my friend Mia. I was not even a huge lemon fan back then, (I am now) but this dish is so refreshing and yummy!! I gave you a sneak peek in yesterday's post. It is so easy and my family loves it. Wanna see?

Here it is...

 I just served it with sliced tomato and cucumber that I threw into another container for our picnic.

 I had a loaf of organic french bread from Whole Foods with it also. I am not a big bread person, but the boys ARE!

I had it for lunch yesterday also. And I broke out my "new to me" thrifty find chargers that I posted about here.

 Look at that fresh grated Parmesan Cheese. Mmm-mmm!

Here's the recipe...

Lemon Pasta with Chicken.

• 1lb. Pasta -(I used Fusili. I usually like Gemelli, but I could not find it in the store.)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• The Zest of 1 Lemon
• The juice of 1to 11/2 Lemons
• 1/2 cup Green Onion chopped
• 1/4 cup FRESH parsley chopped
• LOTS of shredded FRESH Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.
• 1 Rotisserie Chicken (Using only the breast meat) (I buy organic at Whole Foods. SO good!) If you would rather make your own chicken, use the cooked meat from 1 whole breast. (2 boneless halves.)

Bring lots of salted water to a boil in a 4 to 6 quart pan. I actually use half chicken broth, half water for extra flavor. (I do this a lot with grains too.) Boil until al dente. Chop onions and parsley and put in large bowl. Add olive oil, and lemon zest and juice. 

Drain pasta but do not rinse. Let pasta cool almost completely before tossing with green onion, parsley, lemon, and olive oil. While pasta cools, dice or shred chicken. Make sure that it has cooled a bit also. Add to large bowl. 

Once the pasta is cool, I just dump it in on top of all of the ingredients, and toss gently. Great a generous amount of Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta and give it a toss. (I like a lot of cheese, but add to suit yourself.)

That's it. Super easy and YUMMY!!

Hope you all have a great day! I am going to take advantage of my RARE extra time today. I am hitting the antique stores before I head to the gym for a hard workout! Then I get to come home and clean, clean, clean! Whoo-hoo! Every girl's dream, right? ;-) 

Actually, I kind of like it. I always feel amazing when it's done, and then I sit for 5 minutes and take it all in with a satisfied grin before it gets destroyed by my little hurricane. (Oh, AND the big one too!-Actually more the big guy!)

See you tomorrow!

xo

-Lisa

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Today's Creative Blog

Meatless Meal. Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesean.

Hey Everyone! Hope you are having a great day! 

Since we try to limit the amount of animal protein we eat here at Casa Budget Design Girl, I thought I would share one of our favorite recipes. This is a recipe that I got from my sister, and so far, everyone that we have served it to LOVES it! 

It is so deilsh!

Here is the recipe.

Chickpea Pasta With Almonds and Parmesean.

1T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic

7 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use organic.)

1/2 t. red pepper flakes (I use more like 1/4 t.)

Kosher salt

1 pound multigrain spaghetti or angel hair pasta 

1 15oz can Chickpeas (I use organic.) Drained and rinsed.

1 Cup flat leaf parsley

1/2 Cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Chopped almonds (or I have also used raw pecans) to taste for topping.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 t. salt and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and the parsley. 

Divide among individual bowls and top with parmesan and chopped nuts.

...Just serve it with a big salad and some bread, if you like. 

Bon Appetit! 

xo

-Lisa
Linking up to the following...
Stone Gable: On the Menu Monday