Mediterranean Zoodle Salad

Tribe, dog pound, cavalier, sly man - all words that mean something entirely different to people who call Cleveland, Ohio home.  #IYKYK 🤣  Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the great Lake Erie and some of the most frustrated sports fans in the country. 😅  As a Cleveland native, the city will always hold a special place in my heart.  

Cleveland is also home to the Westside market - the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market, dating back all the way to 1912.  Inside the market, shoppers can browse 100s of different vendors offering meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, dairy, flowers, ready-to-eat foods, spices and nuts.  It's more than a grocery store - its an experience.  😅

I remember going to the Westside market as a kid and I got to visit it again with my kids recently.  Honestly, my memories of the market were really different from the market that I experienced last month.  I'm not sure if that's because of the renovations that the market has undergone or because I was probably 10 years old, the last time I visited. 😂

It's hard not to get overwhelmed when I walk in an environment with so much culinary inspiration.🤣  There were meat vendors and fish vendors and cheese mongers.  The bread stands, the homemade pasta vendor, the fruits and vegetables displays- all amazing.  And of course, the plethora of drool worthy bakery stands were nearly impossible to pass by without buying at least one treat. 😋  ​

My kids treated me to the yummiest Westside market meal for dinner.  We collected some homemade pasta and sauce, some chicken and smoked gouda ravioli, fresh sugar snap peas, a giant slice of baklava and an amazing chocolate bomb for dessert.  

Browsing the rows of fresh vegetables at the market has inspired me to make some new vegetarian inspired meals this week.   (Oh, and the fact that I really overindulged in meals, wine and sweets while I was traveling.😂)  Mediterranean Zoodle Salad is one of my new favorites.  It's easy to make and it's delicious.  And if you don't have a spiralizer to make your own zoodles - you can buy them pre-sliced in the grocery store.  

Mediterranean Zoodle Salad
2 zucchini
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese 
3 oz diced sun dried tomatoes
1 cup sliced black olives 
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
2 Tablespoons fresh mint

Dressing
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Use a spiralizer to "zoodle" the zucchini.  

Add the avocados, artichokes, tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes and mint.  

Whisk together dressing ingredients. 

Drizzle with dressing just before serving.  

Ciao!

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