Tortellini Salad

I'm back.

School became very time consuming for a while. My speech class required alot of time in research and rehearsal. But, it paid off with an A.

Of course, the anatomy class took lots of time, too. I still have a final exam to take this Tuesday. Then I'm done with school for a few weeks.

I have one class this summer, it only meets one day a week. I'll have to find some other things to occupy my time and not get too lazy!

Here's one of my favorite summer pasta salad recipes.

TORTELLINI SALAD

1 (16 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I added an orange pepper, too)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half


Cook tortellini as label directs. Drain and cool by running cold water over. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper and pesto. Combine green and yellow peppers, tomato, artichokes and tortellini in a large bowl. Pour dressing in; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Artichoke Chicken

You know that yummy artichoke dip you usually only get at a party or potluck? Somebody, somewhere, said "Let's put that on top of chicken!".

ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 pinch garlic pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

In small bowl, mix together artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a baking dish, and cover each piece evenly with artichoke mixture. Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on top.

Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Notes:

- I'm sure it would be fine to use garlic powder if you don't have garlic pepper, but I wouldn't recommend garlic salt, the artichoke hearts are already quite salty.

- I almost always pound the chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap, they cook more evenly that way.

Summer Side Dish

Here's a great summer side dish to take along or serve at an outdoor gathering. Sorry I don't have a picture with this, it turns out really pretty with the green, yellow and red of the peppers and tomatoes.

TORTELLINI SALAD

1 (16 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half


Cook tortellini as label directs. Drain and cool by running cold water over it. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper and pesto. Combine green and yellow peppers, tomato, artichokes and tortellini in a large bowl. Pour dressing in; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.