I still remember that the very first week I started losing weight, I made myself a giant batch of a particular pasta salad and ate it for lunch every day that week. I guess it seemed easier than figuring out what to eat, and how many calories in my lunch, five different times.
In honor of that first week -- maybe this will be my last week! -- I am returning to that same pasta salad. I figure this to be approximately eight servings at 275-300 calories each; each serving is a "heaping cup" or 180 grams.
- 8 ounces dry whole wheat elbow macaroni
- 4 ounces your favorite expensive salami (I like the herb-coated kind), diced small
- 4 ounces mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, diced small
- 2 large yellow bell peppers, sliced thinly
- About 16 or 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 5 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Oregano, unless you have the herb-coated salami
Low-carb version: Halve the pasta and use Dreamfield's brand low GI pasta; double the salami and cheese. It's very nice.
You can certainly stretch it by adding more pasta, up to a pound, but it won't be nearly so vegetabley if you do. You'll probably also need to add a couple extra tablespoons of oil.
This is my lunch today, along with a few sections of grapefruit.
I would want balsamic vinegar, olives, and hot peppers in it too! At least the vinegar and peppers are basically calorie neutral...
Posted by: Christy P | 12 November 2008 at 01:34 PM
Odd as it sounds, the olive oil/herb/salt flavor gives the pasta salad exactly the right balance (in my opinion). Celery has just a little bit of a bite to it, and of course the tomatoes have some acid. I really don't think that vinegar would make it any better.
Olives, though, sound good. Perhaps swapping the mozzarella out for feta would be good in that case.
Posted by: bearing | 12 November 2008 at 01:57 PM
It goes without saying it should be decent olive oil, of course.
Posted by: bearing | 12 November 2008 at 01:57 PM