Festive Holiday Vegetable Salad Recipes

FESTIVE HOLIDAY VEGETABLE SALAD

Steps:

• Place beans and each veggie in separate sealable plastic bags.
• Mix olive oil and lemon juice in jar, with lid.
• Shake to mix.
• Add honey, salt, and pepper to jar, and shake to mix.
• Pour 2 tbs of salad dressing into each bag.
• Seal bags and place in fridge for 2-4 hours.
• On a large serving platter, line up separate individual veggie groups vertically, placing the feta cheese and beans separately, in the same vertical fashion, in the middle of the platter.
• Sprinkle parsley on all.
• The result will be a beautifully presented, colorful vegetable platter.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit until cool, then drain and set aside.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives and 1/4 cup water and puree until completely smooth. Pour the pesto over top of the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.