Good to Be Back

Well, I've been gone, a while, from the blog-o-sphere. I'm back, but I won't make any promises on how "back " I am. Though I've recently organized all my recipes, so that's inspired me to get back on here. I need a hobby and a creative writing outlet, so I've missed this.
Here's one of my new favorite recipes. So favorite that I'll probably wear it out soon.

Pasta Salad with Chicken, Raisins, and Almonds - from Everyday Food

Serves 4 - Prep Time: 15 min - Total Time: 25 Min

This recipe works well using leftover or rotisserie chicken. Yougur and lemon create a tart, creamy sauce without adding a lot of fat.

Ingredients:
- coarse salt and ground pepper
- 8 ounces whole-wheat penne rigate (or other short pasta)
- 2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional - but they are great!)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a large pot of boiling slated water, coo pasta until al dent. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
2. In a large bowl, stir together pasta, chicken, yogurt, raisins, parsley, almonds, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Thin sauce with pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate, up to 1 day.)

per serv: 484 cal; 9.9 g fat (2.3 g sat fat); 56.4 g protein; 41.3 g carb; 7.8 g fiber

What I Was Looking For

Cool Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado

This was great and easy. Shortcuts to making it even easier would be to use frozen corn and pre-squeezed lime juice. I think you could substitute black beans for the pinto beans, if you prefer. This will probably make one of my future meal plans. I served it with tortilla chips.

Not What I Was Looking For

So when I started looking for an easy salad with grilled chicken I wasn't planning on making this, Roasted-Vegetable Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken. But I am certainly glad I did.

This took a little more time than I wanted, with all the chopping, but if you want to make something ahead of time, or have someone helping in the kitchen, this is great. I made it in the morning to avoid heating-up my kitchen in the late afternoon. I left it in the fridge and heated before we were ready to eat.

This is a great meal to make ahead, for entertaining, and for leftovers, it' makes a lot. I hope you like it as much as we did!