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
Boil the pasta till al dente and drain. Toss the pasta with the oil, cheese, salami, and vegetables. Salt and pepper and oregano to taste. Best at room temperature.
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.
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