Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

This tasty, tangy, colorful Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect side dish to bring to your next party or potluck.

I love making this easy, flavorful, refreshing salad, especially in the summer. It is the perfect excuse to take full advantage of summer's bounty without spending much time in the kitchen. Your family or guests will devour this dish, as it has garden fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy champagne honey lemon vinaigrette (featuring Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard), bringing this dish from great to extraordinary. To make this pasta salad heartier, add some leftover protein, like chicken or shrimp, for an easy, refreshing summer meal. This recipe is best made the day before the event, as the flavors intensify, but making it the day of, earlier in the day, would be perfectly fine.

So grab some vegetables from your garden or your favorite farmer’s market, and make this delightful Greek pasta salad today. You will not be disappointed.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe. Thank you for visiting. Come back and revisit us for more delicious recipes, cooking tips, and entertaining ideas.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta

• 1 cup coarsely chopped seedless cucumbers

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (can use cherry tomatoes cut in half if you'd prefer)

• 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

• 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

• Champagne Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (below)

• Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for champagne honey vinaigrette

• 1 Lemon, (zest, and juice)

• 1/2 tsp thyme

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 Salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup Olive oil

• 1/4 cup White wine vinegar

Preparation

Chop the onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place them in a large bowl.  Season with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside. Whisk all ingredients of vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  Drain Pasta.  

Add the drained orzo to the salad.  Then add Cherchies® Pretty Peppers and lightly season with pepper. Right before serving, add the vinaigrette.

Next add the Feta cheese and mix to combine.  Add more dressing to taste.  Serve immediately. (*The flavors intensify if made a day ahead).

Tangy, refreshing Lemon Greek Salad.  Enjoy!

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Pretty Pepper Hummus Recipe

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Pretty Pepper Hummus Recipe

Cook Time:  5 minutes  
Difficulty:  Easy

There's something seriously satisfying about making things from scratch, especially when it's easy and you can control the ingredients. Take, for example, hummus; why buy it when you can make it homemade? Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender, and in minutes, you have a delicious homemade healthy snack or spread.

It's kind of a funny story how this recipe came to be. I love those "aha!" moments. Our daughter had been on a hummus kick and came home from school craving hummus, funny kid! My initial thought was, "What did you do with my once picky daughter?" Of course, I didn't have hummus on hand to meet the needs of a hungry teenager, but I remembered a can of chickpeas and a jar of tahini tucked away in my pantry for when I wanted to make hummus someday;) Then it dawned on me I had a jar of our Pretty Peppers in my pantry. Aha! Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, our favorite! Why didn't I think of this before? I researched various hummus recipes from my cookbooks (yes, I still use cookbooks) and came up with this delicious recipe. My daughter was thrilled and gave it a thumbs up!

So, if you're looking for a fabulous tasty, creamy hummus recipe, grab a jar of our Pretty Peppers (one of our original products from 1980) and make this recipe today! It is the perfect dip for vegetables, crackers, or as a spread on sandwiches and delicious addition to charcuterie platters. You won't be disappointed:)

Comment below and let us know if you tried this easy recipe. Thank you for visiting. Please come back again.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/3 cup Tahini

• 1 teaspoon (tsp-more to taste) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) olive oil

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) chopped parsley (optional for garnish)

• 1 additional Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Pretty Peppers ((optional for garnish)

Preparation
Add all the ingredients, except the Pretty Peppers to a food processor or blender and mix until the hummus is smooth. Next, add the Pretty Peppers to the food processor and pulse a couple of times in order to obtain small bits.  If you like your hummus without bits, run the food processor or blender for a couple of minutes until hummus is completely smooth.  

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Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with some Pretty Peppers and chopped parsley.  Serve with vegetables, crackers, or crostini, or spread on sandwiches in lieu of mayonnaise.  Enjoy!

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Hot Pepper Cream Cheese Recipe

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Pretty Hot Pepper Cream Cheese Recipe

I'm sure many of you have heard of serving hot pepper jelly over cream cheese as an easy appetizer.  How about sweet and spicy Pretty Hot Peppers over cream cheese?  Easy, elegant, and only two ingredients (three if you count the crackers).  Like it sweeter?  Try our Pretty Peppers.

My children hate peppers, I try to disguise them as best as possible when I'm cooking, but they LOVE LOVE LOVE Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers and/or Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, especially served this way as an appetizer. They're perfect in eggs, casseroles, salads, crab cakes, dips, and so much more.  You need to try them too!  

Can't decide?  Try them both:)

Ingredients:  

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers or spice things up with Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers
• Crackers

Preparation

Spread cream cheese onto a plate.  Spoon the Pretty Hot Peppers or Pretty Peppers over top the cream cheese.  Or, be daring and dollop one half of the cream cheese with Pretty Peppers and the other half with Pretty Hot Peppers and let your guests decide:)  Enjoy!

Serve with crackers.  Easy Peasy...done! 

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Pretty Cream Cheese Recipe

Pretty Cream Cheese Recipe

Many of you have heard of serving hot pepper jelly over cream cheese as an easy appetizer.  But what about sweet tangy Pretty Peppers over cream cheese?  With only two ingredients (three if you count the crackers), entertaining is easy and elegant.

Our children hate peppers, and when I am cooking, I try my best to disguise them, but they LOVE LOVE LOVE Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, served this way as an appetizer. Go figure!

Not only are these tasty ruby peppers a fabulous appetizer, they are also perfect in eggs, casseroles, salads, dips, and so much more.   (Check out our recipes for our Pretty Peppers).

So, what are you waiting for? You need to try this easy appetizer recipe today.

Comment below and share your favorite Pretty or Pretty Hot Pepper recipe.

As always, thank you for visiting!

Ingredients:  

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers

• Crackers

Preparation

Spread cream cheese onto a plate.  In honor of Valentine's Day, I shaped the cream cheese into a heart and spooned the Pretty Peppers over the top.  

Serve with crackers.  Easy Peasy...done! 

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Or try it with our new spicier Pretty Hot Peppers, or be daring and dollop one half of the cream cheese with Pretty Peppers and the other half with Pretty Hot Peppers and let your guests decide:)  Enjoy!

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