More Salads...

Blueberry-Gorgonzola Salad

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (5-oz.) package mixed salad greens

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1 cup glazed walnuts

3/4 cup sliced fresh chives (about 1-inch pieces)

3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

3/4 cup bottled raspberry-walnut vinaigrette

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves

Preparation

Toss together all ingredients in a large serving bowl.

Crisps, simple yet versatile!

Blueberry Crisp a la Mode

Yield: 8 servings

I absolutely love crisps! They are simple to make and extrememly versatile. You can basically make them in every season. I particulary love berries, but as we all know berries can be very expensive so I usually stick with blueberries, this way if I have extra I can make them in pancakes the next morning or add them to a salad.



Ingredients

6 cups blueberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup regular oats

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

2 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.



Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; spoon into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon, and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over the blueberry mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top each serving with 1/4 cup frozen yogurt.



Note: Topping may also be made in the food processor. Place 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon in a food processor, and pulse 2 times or until combined. Add butter; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.



Nutritional Information

Calories:288 (26% from fat)

Fat:8.3g (sat 4.8g,mono 2g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:4.2g

Carbohydrate:52g

Fiber:3.8g

Cholesterol:22mg

Iron:1.3mg

Sodium:96mg

Calcium:77mg

Making Use of Fruits in Season

Summer Strawberry Salad

The key to summer is salads, they are light and not overfilling. They are also very refreshing and easy to make when the temperature is 94 degrees out. Personally, I hate boring salads. The worst thing about a boring salad is when people expect you to eat it as a main course. I have been trying to change people's perceptions of salads. For those of you who don't know romaine letuuce has absolutely no nutritional content. This is why the only thing it is good for is complimenting sandwiches, burgers, and a good antipasto. There are three components to a healthy and filling salad. First, mix up your base! I love using a nice organic fresh spring mix or fresh spinach. Both add plenty of healthy nutrients and vitamins to your salad. Next, utilize the fruits that are in season. Summer is a perfect time to use strawberries or blueberries in a salad, they add a natural sweetness. Next, adding walnuts, almonds, or cashews can make all the difference. They add a dose of healthy fat and give the salad a variety of texture. I also love adding crumbled cheeses to my salads, but some people don't which is why I say its an option. However, if there is one thing that I learned from french cooking it is that fruit and cheese compliment one another very nicely.

Ingredients

1 Bag of Spring Mix or Spinach salad mix
1 Container of fresh strawberries (I reccomend Driscols or better fresh strawberries)
1 Container crumbled blue cheese
1 bag silvered almonds (sweetened or unsweetened depending on your preference)

Directions

This salad is super simple. First, quarter your strawberries. If you have extra time on your hands you can quarter your strawberries and put them in a medium sized bowl, add water and a little sugar (or 0 calorie sweetner) and let the strawberries soak for extra sweetness! After you are done with your strawberries simply toss all the ingredients together. This can be served with a vinagarette or there is a dressing on the bottom you can serve it with. If you want to make this salad more filling simply add grilled chicken.

Dressing
Ingredients


Dressing:

1 tablespoon sugar


2 tablespoons red wine vinegar


1 tablespoon water


1/8 teaspoon salt


1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Yields: 4 servings.

My Go-to Summer Dish

Cavatappi with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

This is a fantastic summer recipe! The greatest thing about it is that it incorporates all the great flavors of the season. Its also very light so you won't feel overfull after eating it. A great summer night dish or to bring to a picnic. Also, I found the easiest way to make this into a meal was to add garlic bread and a fresh greens salad with balsamic dressing. You also have a few options when it comes to adding protein to this dish; you can either add grilled shrimp or grilled chicken in addition to the bacon that is already in it. To make this dish vegetarian, simply subtract the bacon and use extra virgin olive oil to cook the veggies.

Prep Time: 20 minutes


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi

• 8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 cup prechopped red onion onion

• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

• 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

• 1 portabella mushroom

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

• 1 pint grape tomatoes

• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan; add oil to drippings. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes burst, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to tomato mixture; toss. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese, basil, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Mixed greens salad: Combine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Toss with 6 cups mixed salad greens.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

248

Fat:

8.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

12.8g

Carbohydrate:

32.6g

Fiber:

4g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

1.7mg

Sodium:

626mg

Calcium:

203mg