Red, White and Blue Pasta Salad

red, white, and blue pasta salad

This light and delicious "red, white, and blue" pasta salad which is perfect for the coming 4th of July picnic or meal is a breeze to assemble. I used store bought Italian dressing and canned white chicken breasts which I think is better than homemade because they're soft, juicy, and surprisingly flavorful. I love the crunch of the red peppers and the blueberries add a bit more sweetness to this refreshing pasta salad.

Red, White, and Blue Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked farfalle, cold or at room temperature

½ cup prepared Balsamic Italian dressing, plus more to taste

1 cup diced sweet red bell pepper

1 cup diced canned cooked chicken breast

1 cup diced or sliced celery

1 cup diced sharp Provolone

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

salt to taste

crumbled fresh (salty) farmer's white cheese or blue cheese

• In a large bowl, toss all ingredients except salt and farmer's cheese. Taste and adjust dressing and salt. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish top with crumbled farmer's cheese before serving.

And for dessert, why not blueberry Jello with strawberry sauce, cream, and fresh blueberries? It's easy to make but oh so yummy. Adding in fresh blueberries to the Jello makes it even better.

strawberry puree (with sugar), blueberry Jello,

fresh blueberries, and cream

Yogurt Panna Cotta And Blueberries

yummy yogurt panna cotta and blueberries

The past month I have been eating and drinking yogurt. I am also getting addicted to kefir either mixed with fruits and soy milk or salty with mint and club soda. I also love yogurt cheese which is good with flat breads and eggplant stew for a healthy dinner. Looking for other recipes to enjoy yogurt I saw one that appealed to me right away, panna cotta. I have a large container of blueberries which I thought will be good with the creamy dessert. The yogurt panna cotta is very very yummy, lighter than the regular recipe using all-cream but just as creamy and has a slight tang from the yogurt, just perfect with the blueberries. I put them in plastic tumblers instead of dessert plates which is easier to serve. They are great to bring to picnics or for backyard barbecues.

Yogurt Panna Cotta And Blueberries
1 envelope unflavored gelatin softened in 2 T water
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped
5 to 6 tablespoons sugar
2 cups non-fat or low-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
confectioner's sugar, optional

• In a medium saucepan, heat cream, sugar, and vanilla seeds to a simmer. Turn the heat off and stir in softened gelatin until it has dissolved. In a bowl, whisk yogurt until smooth. Gradually stir in cream mixture into the yogurt. Divide among 5 clear 10-ounce glass or plastic tumblers. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.
• In a small pan, heat 1 cup blueberries and the 3 tablespoons sugar until the berries are very soft and starting to burst. Transfer into a blender and blend until smooth. Cool slightly then pour on top of the cooled and already set yogurt mixture. Leave to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• To serve, top with chilled fresh blueberries and dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

blueberries: berry good with yogurt panna cotta