food (food) | greek pasta salad

I find that my best creations are made when I have random items in my fridge that need to be used.  I had mini heirloom tomatoes and if I didn't use them they were going to get tossed.  So I quickly put my thinking cap on and put together this easy pasta salad with items that I already had at home.  This version of the salad is gluten-free, but you can easily swap out the brown rice pasta for your favorite short noodle.

What you'll need:

• (2) lemons
• 1/2 red onion (sliced)
• 2 cups of cooked and cooled pasta
• 1 package of turkey pepperoni 
• 1 package of grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber (cubed)
• 2 green peppers (sliced)
• 1 cup of sliced kalamata olives + 2 tbsp of the olive juice
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 2 tbsp of EVOO
• 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large glass bowl add juice from lemons, red wine vinegar and red onion.  Leave out at room temperature for 15 minutes.  This will cut the bitterness of the onion.
2. Add all remaining ingredients (minus salt and pepper) into bowl.
3. Mix with onions and vinegar until everything is evenly coated.
4. The pepperoni and feta are both fairly salty, but use salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve or store in fridge.

This recipe makes about 8 (1 cup) servings and is a great salad to bring for lunch the next day. I personally think the way I made it lacks some protein, but this salad would be served great with some cubed grilled chicken or as a side to grilled salmon.