Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Summer Leftovers= Healthy Summer Picnic


Salads have the unfortunate reputation of being wimpy, unsubstantial, and unfulfilling. However, if you think of salads as a kind of uncooked casserole, a dish where you can throw together whatever looks good, the potential for salad opens up wide. My husband and I went on a picnic a couple of days ago, and the salads we fixed up from bits of leftovers in the fridge made a very substantial (and healthy,of course) meal. The really great part of salad-making is that you can use up all the bits of food that wouldn't have been enough of a meal on their own, and they end up playing an important of the meal. Don't over-think it...if the food is fresh, it will usually end up tasting great. It may look different every time, but that's kind of the idea.
I've listed the ingredients I used in my salads below, and included a link to the recipe I used for the hummus (not my recipe, and so good I don't care one bit!)

Pasta Salad
: roasted chicken,pepperjack cheese, black olives, heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, organic pasta
Fruit Salad: peaches, frozen cherries, my leftover raspberry yogurt from breakfast, agave, almond extract, chopped walnuts
Hummus: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-and-roasted-eggplant-hummus-recipe/index.html

Fruit Salad

Rx: This salad is a great way to make the most of any nutritious bit of produce you may have lying around in the fridge. Raw foods are amazing detoxifiers and tend to be easier on the digestive system as they still have many of their enzymes intact. Fruit also provides the body with lots of good carbs that it needs. The more colors you have in here, the wider the variety of nutrients you are going to get. The addition of a yogurt dressing also gives you the benefit of live probiotics. Very healthy, and very tasty!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 C chopped mixed fresh fruit
1/3 C yogurt, any variety or flavor you like, just make sure it has live cultures
Honey or agave nectar, to taste
½ tsp almond extract
1/3 C chopped nuts, any variety you like

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the fruit, yogurt, almond extract and honey and mix thoroughly with a large spoon or flexible spatula. Garnish the top with the chopped nuts. Allow it to cool in the fridge before serving.


Pasta Salad

Rx: This salad is a great way to make the most of any nutritious bit of produce you may have lying around in the fridge. Raw foods are amazing detoxifiers and tend to be easier on the digestive system as they still have many of their enzymes intact. The more colors you have in here, the wider the variety of nutrients you are going to get. Some great raw additions are peppers, onion, carrots (peeled or chopped), tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, zucchini, and avocado. Just have fun with this and put in whatever you can find!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 C cooked short pasta, such as macaroni or spiral (can substitute with any good-quality gluten-free variety), cooled
1 C chopped cooked meat (I prefer chicken, or you can leave out for vegetarian)
2 C chopped mixed veggies and cured or pickled foods, such as olives, artichokes, or cucumber pickles
¾ C chopped cheese (for vegan, substitute with avocado)
1/2 – ¾ C Vegenaise
1 tsp coarse mustard
1 tsp agave
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly with a large spoon or flexible spatula. Allow it to cool in the fridge before serving.

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