A few dozens of batches of chunky cheesecake brownies later, I decided to balance things out and offer you a healthy salad recipe. Now, I’ve tried salads that were very healthy yet bland and others that were smothered in cheese and jam-packed with calories (Ever had a Taco Bell salad?). Since I don’t want to sway towards neither of those extremes, I look for the golden mean.

To me throwing in a few cherry tomatoes over two leaves of iceberg lettuce doesn’t count as salad. I’m more of the put all the vegetables from the fridge in a serving bowl and eat it type. That’s why I love this salad. It could work as a side dish for your favourite meats or as a meal on its own. It’s great on a summer night when you don’t really feel like cooking or there’s no one to cook for – grab a beer or a glass of wine and enjoy this quick and easy Greek Pasta Salad.

Ingredients

• 200g whole-wheat farfalle, rotini or other small pasta
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 400g chickpeas from a can, rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 120g Kalamata olives, quartered and pitted
• 50g feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

Start by combining the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Let that stand while you prepare the pasta. Cook the pasta until tender – about 8-10 minutes or according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add the pasta to the bowl, together with the remaining ingredients. Mix gently. Makes for 4 servings, about 500 calories each.

Remarks

We’ve all heard that the Mediterranean diet is supposedly the healthiest in the world. And many think Greek salad is the king of kings at salad bars. But as much as I like a serving or two of Greek salad as an appetizer, it seems to lack something.

Enter pasta! Pasta is so versatile that it could make even its worst enemy fall in love with it given the right circumstances. If you like to experiment, try pasta varieties made of rice, corn, quinoa or a combination of those.

When you add the olive oil, your salad instantly becomes healthier for your heart. However, be careful with the extra virgin olive oil you pick. There was yet another olive oil scandal a few months ago when leading Italian brands turned out to be fake. Ironically, some of the bottles which delivered a product that was neither extra virgin nor Italian even had the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) stamp.

Chickpeas deliver extra protein and that way feed your muscle and prevent muscle loss. As for Kalamata olives, feel free to use any kind of olives you like. I personally like Kalamata but I often use black olives, Spanish or Turkish, because they have a stronger flavor. Oh, and I love using fresh oregano but if you prefer it dried, feel free to use that instead.