Broccoli and Bean Salad

Haha, chicken, I speared you! Yup, gotta check to make sure the meat's cooked before we dig in.

The broccoli salad was inspired by something I saw in the deli counter at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I'm not sure what exactly is in their version, but mine is as follows:

• 3 cups broccoli, crown broken into bite sized pieces and stem peeled and cubed
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 cups whole wheat pasta (leftovers, in this case)
  
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup cooked mixed beans
• 3 tablespoons (to taste) garlic balsamic vinaigrette (homemade)
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and put in the carrots. After a minute, put in the broccoli. Boil for a minute to a minute and a half, depending how you like your vegetables. Drain and toss with the other ingredients. The beauty of this salad is that it's good warm, cold, or anywhere in between.