Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad

This salad is perfect for a hot summer day. It combines cool cucumbers, nutrient-rich garbanzo beans and other fabulous stuff! It's also super-easy and quick. For extra protein, you could easily add grilled chicken, tuna or even shrimp to this recipe.

Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad

Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped cucumbers (I used Persian cucumbers)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup green olives, roughly chopped (you could use black too)
Small handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions
Combine beans, cucumbers, red onion, olives, parsley and feta in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Pour wet ingredients over chopped ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

Simple Pasta and Veggie Salad

Perfect for a crowd (I doubled the recipe below to make a huge batch), this salad stimulates the taste buds--tangy, crunchy and savory. It was simple to make and also gave us great leftovers. I'd recommend adding grilled chicken breast to a leftover batch for a filling lunch or supper. The original recipe was from Southern Living, but I created my own variation.

Simple Pasta and Veggie Salad

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5-2 cups diced red, yellow and orange bell peppers
• 8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled 

Preparation

• Prepare pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.
• Whisk together mayonnaise and next four ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and peppers, and stir to coat. Cover and chill three hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Variation of a recipe from Southern Living , September 2011 

Creamy Cucumber Salad

This year my husband and I planted our first garden. This recipe is a result of an overabundance of cucumbers from said garden. When I created this recipe I was looking for something simple, pretty and light, as well as something that would showcase the cool, crisp flavor of the vegetable. Creamy Cucumber Salad looks beautiful displayed on a bold platter, garnished with a little fresh dill.

Ingredients
2 large cucumbers, sliced (any variety, but I used English)
1/2 cup fat free or light sour cream
1/2 cup light salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip)
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. all-purpose seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine sour cream, salad dressing, vinegar, dill, all-purpose seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing until smooth . Add liquid mixture to sliced cucumbers . Toss well . Serve chilled