Easy Artichoke Pasta Salad & Paper Cranes

 Bowtie pasta & origami paper cranes.  Sometimes, when your mind is in overdrive, you need something to keep your hands occupied.  In my case, pasta salad and a project called 1000 Paper Cranes for Japan on Flickr in order to show support to the people of Japan after the earthquake & tsunami.

The week following the tragedy, I taught ESL classes and Canadian Culture to a group of 15 year old boys who came from Japan 2 days after the tsunami.  The experience was phenomenal and the boys definitely uhheld the stoicism of Japan everyday in their classes and in everything they did.  They taught me how to fold origami paper cranes and we enjoyed laughing and learning about each other.  It was an experience that was unlike anything I`ve ever done and by the end of the classes, it was hard not to cry when saying goodbye.

I still have paper cranes that they made for me that sit on my desk and looking at them bring me back to the simplicity that we all yearn for in life.  As the weather gets warmer, pasta salad is that basic classicality of eating. It's that simplicity that we all crave in an otherwise hectic and frustrating world when nothing seems to be going right and you'd much rather wait it out under the covers until spring finally leaks in through the window.

It`s fast, easy, tasty and comfort food all in one.  This one, with added artichoke and sun dried tomatoes just gives you that boost of salty, pickled deliciousness.   Yep. I'm in love with a pasta salad.  Which is good, because my love life is not as exciting.

So I give you pasta salad and paper cranes.
Learn how to fold a paper crane here.

Easy Artichoke Pasta Salad

(Adapted from Sunny Anderson's Food Network Quick Artichoke Salad recipe)

• 2 cans drained and quartered artichoke hearts
• 1/2 pound cooked wholewheat bowtie pasta
• 1/2 cup pitted and thinly sliced black olives
• 6 finely roughly chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 3 pieces roasted red peppers, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion (finely chopped) 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
• cilantro sprigs to garnish
• pinch of salt & pepper

Add all to bowl, toss and refridgerate for approx 1 hr until ready to eat!

**Following day, add a little more balsalmic vinegar to taste.  Your salad will taste even better after marinating.