Greek pasta and spinach salad

Greek Pasta and Spinach Salad

When it's too hot to even think of cooking, I think cold salads. This is a quick and refreshing idea for a light meal on a hot day.

Salad ingredients might include:

feta cheese

tomatoes

cucumbers

good black olives- pitted

salad peppers

thinly sliced sweet onions

short, fat pasta

baby spinach leaves

diced, cold chicken breast

Here's a great way to cook chicken breasts:

use breasts with the bone in and the skin on

drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper

place them skin side up on a baking sheet - be sure to use one that has sides, not the flat kind

roast in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the juices run clear and a knife inserted into the thickest part of the meat slides out easily

cool for 1/2 hour

peel off the skin, tear the meat away from the bone and slice

The dressing is very light:

lemon zest (I used the entire lemon)

lemon juice (fresh is always best)

olive oil

a touch of sugar

dried oregano

Don't over dress the salad...... perfect for those super hot summer days!