Easy pasta and bean salad

I made this pasta salad entirely out of food I already had in the pantry and fridge -- and it took no more than 15 minutes to make. The recipe below is pretty mild, so if you want more flavor, boost the amount of seasonings. Or, make up your own dish with whatever you have in cans or in the freezer, waiting to be eaten (I don't care for black olives, but if you do, I bet they'd be great in this). Also, experiment with different ways of serving it: this recipe goes well over chopped green leaf or romaine.

Easy pasta and bean salad

1 box whole wheat pasta shells
1/2 bag frozen petite peas
2 carrots, diced
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 T sesame seeds
dried basil, black pepper and sea salt to taste
olive oil

In a large pot, cook pasta al dente according to directions, with salt and olive oil added to the water. Drain and set aside. In the same pot you used to cook the pasta, sauté in olive oil the carrots and peas, add lemon and balsamic, beans, sesame, and spices. After a few minutes, add the pasta. Stir constantly for about a minute or until the pasta begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool. Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Cherry Blossom Festival

Finally, after years of living in the D.C. area, I made it to the city's cherry blossom parade and Japanese street festival. The parade reminded me of the one on the Fourth of July (there were some familiar balloons), but who doesn't like watching the colorful floats and listening to the bands as they march past? It also gave me a chance to use my new camera. It was quite an upgrade, so I'm still getting used to the differences. But already I love the improvement in picture color and clarity.

(Photos by H. Farrell)

More cherry blossoms photos

Images from the Tidal Basin during the cherry blossom peak blooming time...

(Photos by H. Farrell)