One of our favorite meals we've recently discovered is Greek Tortellini Salad from relishrelish.com. It's already incorporated into our core of meals. Below is my paper and recipe. Enjoy!
I’m not a typical college student. In fact many of my peers graduated from elementary school when I graduated high school. Not only is my age a difference but I am married as well. I married at the age of 20 thinking marrying your love wasn’t going to change anything but it did. As the wife, I’ve taken on the more traditional role of providing meals for my family. Otherwise it would be nothing but Taco Bell, Easy Mac and pizza from my husband Dan.
This role of providing for my family is one I take pride in. I try to incorporate “healthy” foods and let some junk slide in every once in awhile. It’s a precarious balance because too much hippie food and my husband will go on a destructive binge at the nearest fast food “restaurant”.
One of my favorite discoveries was a recipe called “Greek Tortellini Salad” which I found from relishrelish.com for which the recipe is attached.
Tuesday night I prepared Greek Tortellini Salad. Later that evening my husband had to be dropped at school so he could drive 3 hours to take an exam to rank up for the Navy. Dinner had to be quick so we could spend some time together before he had to leave for his overnight adventure.
While packing his overnight bag, I boiled the eggs on the stove. I had to thumb through my Better Homes and Gardening cook book to remember how long to boil the eggs: 15 minutes. Being rushed for time, I only boiled them for about 10 minutes. Using my mom’s trick of bathing the boiled eggs in cold water, the shells peeled easily and I moved on to boiling the tortellini.
While that was going, I turned the oven to broil, I took out my whole grain pita bread, drizzled it olive oil (always too much, I have yet to master the art of the drizzle) and slapped some bottled chopped garlic across along with a dash of dried oregano.
A few minutes later, everything was done and slapped together on dinner plates. It’s a big strange eating salad off of a dinner plate but so is eating a “salad” for dinner instead of as a side.
I didn’t have time to make Greek dressing so I used some bottled Italian that I had already. It would have to do. When I brought the plates out, Dan perked right up since this is one of his favorites.
Looking at the salad, it’s not very pretty. I could have arranged the egg slices more symmetrically like in fancy restaurants instead of being haphazardly placed on the bed of spinach. The feta is broken up into nice little chunks like stars in a sky. While also not visually appealing, it is guaranteed to get feta in every bite.
The recipe calls for red onion slices but red onion is too strong for my taste beds just yet and I’m not a fan of eating raw onions so no substitutions were made or missed.
The egg and feta balance each other out nicely without trying to compete with each other. The sharpness of the feta complements the otherwise bland hardboiled egg. The yellow of the egg isn’t as firm and crumbly as it could be but it is cooked enough to prevent illness so I don’t mind too much. The tortellini offers a balance of texture that the feta and cheese can’t do justice.
Raw spinach on its own is too much to handle for me. Within this meal however the spinach is the heart of the salad. It is the basis, without it, the meal loses its leg. It stays nice and crisp except for a few pieces the tortellinis manage to wilt. The tortellini is supposed to be chilled after heating but of course being pressed for time, I threw it immediately on the salad.
When I remember that I am eating a salad I turn to my slice of pita bread. It is warm and the fragrance of garlic makes me close my eyes savor the moment. It is crusty on top but yet still chewy in the middle. Parts of the top are a little too crusty but my oven isn’t perfect so I don’t mind at all. After my slice of pita bread, I go back to my salad, refreshed and wanting more again.
The tortellini is a refrigerated pre-made bought from the grocery store kind. I have never made my own pasta so for now; this is good enough for me. It is tri-colored cheese tortellini vs. plain colored. Despite the color difference, I don’t notice a flavor difference but I’m sure there is a health difference.
Before I’m done with my plate, I look over to Dan and he’s already gobbled the salad down and is finishing his pita bread. I am purely amazed. He used to be such a picky eater and here he is eating and enjoying foods he previously hated. Before trying this meal, he stayed away from everything spinach and only ate American cheese which isn’t even a real cheese. It’s a processed cheese like product.
I ask him how dinner was and he gives me a caveman sound like of approval. I guess that means it was good. Despite the flaws I saw after the finished product, it was still a success. We ate a relatively healthy meal that wasn’t too processed that was cheap, easy to make and quick to prepare. My hope for our family future is that our children will love eating and preparing nutritious foods in a way I didn’t get to experience growing up.
Greek Tortellini Salad with Eggs and Feta V* LC* (From relishrelish.com)
Prep and cook time: 20 minutes Chill time: 30 minutes
1 9-ounce package fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion , chopped
4 large eggs , hardboiled, peeled and quartered
per serving: 382 calories; 12 grams protein; 22 grams total fat; 2 grams fiber; 7 grams saturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 43 mgs cholesterol; 457 mgs sodium
[1] In a large pot of boiling water, cook tortellini, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
*The V and LC stands for Vegetarian and Low Calorie.
