I don’t know about you, but I tend to consider watermelon a complete food group in the summer. It’s my absolute favorite and for good reason too. There is nothing like snacking on cold, refreshing watermelon on a hot summer day, period.

I remember the summers I was pregnant with both of my boys and how much watermelon I ate, it could possibly have been record breaking.

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Years ago, I discovered this Green Bean Salad with Feta recipe in a Southern Living magazine and made it pretty much every time there was a family get together or pot luck. I was obsessed with it and it became my signature recipe (at least in my mind). I love green beans, more so in a salad form than any other way. Especially in the summertime.

I decided to turn my beloved Green Bean Salad into this Lemony Green Bean Pasta Salad, making it more of a meal. I don’t know about you, but I appreciate pasta salads during the summer because it means not having to really cook if you aren’t in the mood for anything too heavy. This green bean pasta salad is simple but filled with so much flavor. It includes veggies, walnuts, feta and whole wheat pasta so it is filling and substantial in the best way possible. I made the switch to whole wheat pasta over 10 years ago and it’s all my family eats now, but feel free to use your favorite type of pasta.

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I’m pretty obsessed with grilling all the veggies right now. I have been loving experimenting with different veggies on the grill from this cauliflower to this grilled broccoli I made a couple of summers ago.

A few years ago, I picked up a simple little grilling basket/wok at Target. Since then, I’ve been grilling vegetables in it like crazy. I normally stick to peppers and onions or some kind of squash medley, but this grilled cauliflower is definitely one of my favorites.

Before throwing it on the grill I added sliced Vidalia onion to it and seasoned it up with some dried oregano, salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. During this time I made sure I was preheating my grill basket. Preheating your grill basket is like preheating your wok on your stove, it ensures your vegetables will get a good char and stay a bit more crisp. I just started doing this recently and love the results.

We loved how the grilled cauliflower turned out!

Honestly, we could have eaten just as is. It was delicious and a side dish that I will definitely be making again. But since I had some leftover quinoa in the refrigerator begging to be turned into a salad, I went that route. Using up some odds and ends in the fridge, this Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad recipe was born.

It was light, fresh but still substantial enough to stand as a vegetarian meal (I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day!). We served it along some typical barbecue fare: grilled steaks, chicken sausages, corn, potatoes, a tomato and basil salad. It really worked well as part of our meal and would be a great addition to barbecue or picnic this summer.

Enjoy!

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This recipe was created in partnership with Sabra in honor of National Hummus Day which is May 13.

I don’t know about you, but I would be totally okay with sitting down to a plate of these Mediterranean Nachos for an unofficial meal any night of the week. They would particularly be welcomed on a Friday or Saturday night, when I tend to lose my steam for putting together a real meal.

I like snacky food, I always have and I always will. There is not an appetizer plate I can resist and these “nachos” are officially on that list. The best part is how easy they are to put together (would I ever steer you to something complicated?) and how quickly they disappear once they are served.

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Click here to Pin this Mediterranean Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas recipe!

If I’m going to eat a salad a day successfully each week, I tend to pick my “salad of the week” and just go with it to keep things on the easy side. This particular Mediterranean Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas was my salad of the week a couple of weeks ago and I’m ready for it to make a comeback this week. It’s so good.

I am in love with farro and it’s versatility. You can add it to soups like this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili or make an incredible grain salad like this Harvest Farro Salad. Either way it’s always a great addition because it’s such a hearty grain, filled with protein and fiber. It makes you feel good when you eat it.

My advice is to cook up a batch (it takes a bit of time, similar to brown rice) and store it in the fridge ready to go for salads like this one, or if you’re into meal prep, prep your salads (minus the oil and vinegar) in containers and they will be ready to go when you are (I love these containers for salads to help me with meal prep).

Arugula is in season right now, and if it’s warm enough where you are living right now, so are fresh herbs. My littlest son and I recently got our our container herb garden back in business and I am loving being able to step outside and snip a few leaves to add to whatever I’m cooking. One herb I absolutely adore but I don’t think  gets a lot of love is fresh oregano. Add it to anything Greek, or anything that includes roasted peppers and you will be blown away by the flavor. I added some fresh oregano leaves to the top of my Mediterranean Farro Salad and in seconds this salad was elevated with fresh flavor. Fresh herbs tend to do that.

So much fun with this kid. <3

There is a lot more seasonal inspiration where this came from. Look below the recipe to see what’s in season for May and what my #EatSeasonal friends cooked up for this month.

Mediterranean Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas

Yield: 1 salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1/2 cup cooked farro
• 1 oz crumbled feta (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/3 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 2 sweet cherry peppers
• a few splashes of balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• fresh herbs, for garnish (I used fresh oregano leaves from my container garden)

 

Directions:

1. Arrange ingredients into a large bowl or plate and drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information (calculated from My Fitness Pal):  460 calories / 18g fat / 11g fiber / 16g protein

Love whole grain salads like I do? Check out these 12 Healthy Whole Grain Salad Recipes including farro, quinoa, wheat berries and brown rice!

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Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower and Tempeh Power Salad {vegan} by Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Halloumi Salad with Beets and Blackberries by Kitchen Confidante

Spring Farro Salad with Feta, Lemon, and Mint by Flavor the Moments

Spiralized Zucchini, Quinoa and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers by Foodie Crush

Chocolate Rhubarb Pavlova by Suitcase Foodist

Radish and Asparagus Breakfast Bowls by Food for My Family

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Beer-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers with Spring Quinoa Salad by Floating Kitchen

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Like this healthy pesto pasta with turkey recipe? Pin it here!

I love connecting with other moms in the same “season” as me. With having 2 kids ages 12 and 9 along with a toddler age 3, I sometimes feel like I’m straddling in between two different worlds off motherhood. If you have kids in the older elementary school/middle school age that are active in sports and other activities, then you probably understand what I mean when I say weeknights have become quite the juggling act between homework, dinnertime and practices. I absolutely love that my kids are involved in sports and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

I find that most moms sitting at their kids’ practices usually have dinner on their mind and it always comes up in conversation. We are all trying to figure out how to get everyone fed in the easiest, healthiest way possible and get to where we need to go. That is the reality we are in and I have a feeling this season will fly by, just like the others have (until I have to do it all over again with the little guy!).

 

A photo posted by Aggie Goodman (@aggieskitchen) on Oct 27, 2016 at 2:02pm PDT

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We have been lucky to know a few people with hens over the years, one being a friend who once came over with an incredible box. This box full of eggs. Apparently his hens were happy hens.

More recently, we got these from a neighbor…they have been supplying us with a good amount of fresh eggs for the last few years and I am ever so grateful!

How gorgeous are those eggs??

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I find it hard to believe that this is the first zoodle recipe I’m posting here on the blog considering I’ve been enjoying spiralized zucchini (along with the rest of the internet) for quite a while now. If you ever want to really clean up your eating and bulk up on vegetables, start experimenting with your spiralizer – there are a ton of ways to enjoy veggies this way, the ideas are seriously endless.

Today’s recipe is from my friend Gina’s new cookbook, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow. You may already be familiar with her blog, Skinnytaste, and first cookbook The Skinnytaste Cookbook. We are big fans of Gina’s recipes in my house – my kids are constantly asking me to make this Loaded Baked Potato Soup and my husband absolutely loves this Slow Cooker Turkey Picadillo. Her recipes really are exactly how I like to cook – simple, flavorful and filled with real ingredients.

PURCHASE: Skinnytaste Fast and Slow

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What’s great about having a food blog is you basically have a food diary that documents what you’ve eaten over the years and if you’re lucky, a little story behind it. For example, I stumbled across this recipe for Greek Salad & Hummus Pita Pizza in my blog archives recently and was instantly brought back to a season that I remember eating these very very often. These pita “pizzas” are so incredibly light and delicious I really wanted to share them again with you, in case you are looking for new ideas for lunch or light dinners. ‘Tis the season for light dinners right?

Since I’ve been in a bit of a lunchtime rut these last few months, I know what I’ll be having this week. 🙂

If you haven’t already and have a minute, would you mind filling out my first ever Reader Survey? It’s my way of getting to know you a little better. Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to complete it, I’ve loved reading through your answers and I appreciate you so much!!

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