Remember my Passover seder post? I told you about an artichoke and white bean salad made for us by my aunt's friend. I loved it, and have been itching to try it out ever since. But you know me, I hate to simply follow a recipe exactly how it should be. Instead of making this same dish, I used it as inspiration for my own unique artichoke and white bean salad instead.I was recently invited to a "girls night" at my friend's sister's home, and of course I offered to make something for the table. This was the perfect opportunity to make the salad I had been itching to create for quite some time. I scoured the kitchen for any ingredients that I thought would fare well and used my best judgment to develop what turned out to be a real winner. When I first started this blog, you probably noticed I didn't do much of my own recipe development. I was still a little hesitant in the kitchen and tended to stick to recipes from other blogs because I wasn't yet sure how to think out of the box. Lately, I've grown more confident in the kitchen and enjoy putting my own ideas to the test instead of simply following someone else's directions. It makes me proud when something I thought of all on my own is enjoyed and praised by others and it shows me that I really do have what it takes to develop recipes of my own! While I'll always love browsing through my fellow bloggers' recipes and try the ones that look good to me, I can now join their ranks with my very own recipes to offer those who are in the position I was when I first started.
White Bean and Artichoke Salad(This makes a pretty decent amount — good for dinner parties or large gatherings. Adjust according to your own preference)1 30 oz. can of artichoke hearts in olive oil1 15 oz. can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped1/2 red onion, chopped1 cup grape tomatoes, halved1 celery stalk, chopped1 tbsp garlic, minced1 tbsp crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese2 tbsp red wine vinegar2 tbsp lemon juiceblack pepperoreganobasilMix the artichoke hearts, beans, cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, celery, garlic and feta together in a large bowl. The olive oil from the artichokes serves at the base of your dressing. Add in the red wine vinegar and lemon juice and continue to mix everything together. Sprinkle the black pepper, oregano and basil to taste.
