Chilled Summer Salad

I like to blog not only because I love to cook but it also helps me to know a lot of new things and inspires me to try out ingredients that I never thought of buying. Zuchini is one such vegetable that I see each time on the fridge section of the Hypermarket where I do my vegetable shopping these days but never thought of reaching and picking them. I always thought these are some fancy vegetables that are used in continental dishes unless one day I saw this month’s theme for NCR. So yesterday, while picking groceries I finally walked that few steps to these dark green vegetables and put a couple of them in my basket. Hubby gave me a wired look when he saw these and asked the obvious question what are you going to do with these? I was as clueless as him so decided to give him a ‘Wait and watch’ kind of smile.

Once home I googled and my ever trusted Wikipedia told me that The zucchini has a delicate flavor and requires little more than quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs. And I got my clue….Salad, which fits the NCR requirement perfectly. So with some more summer veggies I created this refreshing summer salad. Before I get into anymore blabbering let me thank you once again for inspiring me to bring these crunchy zucchinis home, which I am going to do again and again.

The salad I created had more vegetables than pasta and tossed everything in a mildly flavoured white sauce. The bite from the pasta, the crunch of the vegetables, the sweetness of the baby corn mingled brilliantly with the sauce and this makes for a very light refreshing meal. We had this for dinner with some cold coffee and immediately after finishing the meal Hubby enquired when am going to make it next…guess that only means good. I am going to make this again and again as this is

1. healthy
2. Tasty
3. real quick

 AND

4. Hubby has fallen in love with it (you know those times when I eye that perfect silver ear ring or so badly want another set of hand block printed curtains)

  

Here is how I did it

Chilled Summer Salad

Ingrediants:

Pasta: 1 cup: any small variety will do; I used penne

Zucchini: 1 medium

Carrot: 1 medium

Potato: 1 small

Cauliflower: 1/3 cup: separated in small florets

Beans: 6-7

Capsicum: 1 medium

Babycorn: 6-7

Onion: ½ of a small one

Garlic: 2 fat cloves

Tomato: 1 small

For the Sauce:

Olive oil: 1 tsp

Flour: 1 tbsp

Milk: ½ cup

English mustard: ½ tsp

Grated Cheese: 2 tsp

Seasoning:

Salt

Pepper

Chilli flakes

Oregano

Olive Oil: 1 tsp

Method:

Boil a big pan full of water with salt and put the pasta in it. Cook as per the time given in the packet.

In the mean time slice all the vegetables (Potato, carrot, beans. Cauli flower, zucchini, baby corn, capsicum) in small pieces and keep everything separate.

Microwave potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower for 5 minutes.

Also chop the onion and garlic.

Heat 1 tsp oil and add the flour. Stir continuously till the raw smell is gone (approx. 2 minutes).

In a steady stream add the milk while stirring the flour continuously. Try to avoid formation of any lumps. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low till it thickens a little. The consistency would not be very thick but it should be able to coat the back of a spoon. If you need extra water to make it thin use the water from the boiled veggies. Finally stir in the grated cheese and Keep the sauce aside.

Once the pasta is done, drain the water and keep aside.

Now heat one tsp of oil and add the chopped garlic and onion. Fry for a minute and add zucchini, capsicum and baby corn. Add a pinch of salt and cook for another minute. Take it off from the stove.

In a big bowl put everything together and give it a good mix. Check the seasoning.

Serve immediately or after chilling for 30 minutes.

 Am sending this to Sizzling Summer at Nithu's Spicytasty.com


Also sending this to two events associated with Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
 Priya's Healing Foods- Onion started by Siri of Siri"s Corner


CWS: Peppers this month hosted at Padma of Padma's Recipes.

also to Vegetable Marathon: Carrot at Seduce your tastebuds.



















and also to No Croutons Required this time hosted at Tinned tomatoes.

Tips:

This morning I had the left over salad mixed with a chopped boiled egg and it tasted excellent.

Other veggies that will work well in this would be green peas, salad greens, broccoli, cabbages etc.

Homemade crumbled cottage cheese will also taste great in this.