Cranberry Pesto Pasta Salad

After devouring the leftovers that my mom shared with me, from a delightful lunch she'd just been to, I created THIS recipe!

Mine is certainly a much healthier pasta salad, and still very tasty!

Cranberry Pesto Pasta Salad

2 c celery, chopped (most of a bunch of celery), include the leaves in the middle!

1/2 c garbanzo beans (used to be a cheese stick, but we don't eat cheese any more)

1 red apple, chopped

1 c walnuts, broken up pieces or whole

1/2 c freeze dried cranberries or raisins, unsweetened (Whole Foods carries cranberries), OR 1/4 c Craisins (I prefer less because of the sugar), OR while I haven't, you could try fresh berries and/or grapes! 

1 jar pesto (or this EASY HOMEMADE PESTO!)

1 box pasta, whole wheat, prepared

While pasta is cooking, chop other ingredients.

Drain pasta and mix in all ingredients.

Chill for a while, and enjoy!

This salad is great for hot days, picnics, and parties!

It is also surprisingly yummy when quickly heated in the microwave :)

BONUS TIP #1: avoid rinsing cooked pasta to retain vitamins which are otherwise washed away!

BONUS TIP #2: re-heat only as much food as you think you'll need, since foods should only be reheated ONE TIME (FOOD SAFETY!).  Single serving dishes are also great because they heat through quickly.  

For more on FOOD SAFETY click on either of the links Some Like It Hot! or We Gotta Chill!

COMING SOON: Benefits of Cranberries

We Gotta Chill!

This could be the start to some sort of chocolaty relaxation post...

Instead, it's about CHILLING foods properly!

There are 4 C's (C-sound actually :) for keeping foods safe to eat!

CLEAN, SEPARATE, CHILL, and COOK

We've discussed the importance of cooking to proper temperatures, and here is a link to that post: SOME LIKE IT HOT!

We work so hard to prepare food for our families and ourselves!  Why waste that effort with unnecessary illness?

CHILLING -- Cold temperatures SLOW the growth of illness-causing bacteria!

1. Refrigerate LEFTOVERS and other perishable foods within 2 hours.

2. In summer, when it's really hot, cut time to 1 HOUR!

3. Your frig should be NO warmer than 40 degrees, and your freezer should be 0 degrees or colder.

4. Make sure your frig isn't TOO STUFFED.  Air must circulate in there to keep things cool (therefore SLOWING BACTERIAL GROWTH!).

5. Store food in SHALLOW containers, so they'll chill FASTER.

6. THAW frozen food one of 3 SAFE ways: 1) in the frig, 2) in a sealed plastic bag in cold water (change water every 30 min), or 3) in the microwave.  NEVER OUT on COUNTER!

7. Always MARINATE in frig.

8. Know WHEN to throw food away -- OFTEN you can't tell by SMELL or LOOK if your leftovers or other refrigerated foods have gone bad (HARMFUL BACTERIA has begun growing).

Here is a chart of various food items from foodsafety.gov : STORAGE TIMES for the FRIG and FREEZER

COMMENTS: Have you ever had the 24-hour flu?  MOST cases are from food-borne illness!

Some Like it HOT!

...and they are the smart and healthy ones!

Do you OWN and/or USE a food thermometer?
It could be the ONE kitchen tool that saves your life!

3000 Americans DIE each year from foodborne illness!  Another 128,000 are hospitalized, and 1 out of every 6 Americans become sick each year because of bacteria in food!  That's an estimated 48 million cases!

The "24-hour" flu is more often than not a case of food POISONING!  The various bacteria take different amounts of time to become symptomatic, so it's sometimes hard to pinpoint a cause.

OFTEN we cannot even tell from look, smell, or even taste!

SO it's best to play it smart and USE your food thermometer!

1. Limit time your food is in the DANGER zone: 40-140 degrees (this includes preparation, cooking, and eating time)
Food is NO LONGER SAFE if it's been in the zone for over 2 hrs (only 1 hour between 90-140 degrees)
2. Measure in the CENTER and THICKEST part of the meat, casserole, and leftovers -- careful not to touch bone, or bottom of pan.
3. Wash thermometer with HOT, SOAPY water after EACH measurement!
4. Heat leftovers to 165 degrees

While you can AVOID THE MAJORITY OF FOOD BORNE ILLNESS by eating a plant based diet, you can share these temperatures with your meat eating friends:

Chicken, turkey to 165 degrees
Ground beef to 160 degrees
Steaks, roasts, chops, pork, and ham to at least 145 degrees

Here is another food safety post about keeping foods COLD: WE GOTTA CHILL!

PLUS, watch for more related posts! And for a website all about FOOD SAFETY, click here.

BONUS TIP

Leftovers should only be warmed up ONE time!  What doesn't get eaten should be discarded.  So reheat only as much as you really think will be eaten, so nothing goes to WASTE!

COMMENTS: Have you ever had food poisoning?  Did it change how you look at food safety?