Recipes for Wellness

This hearty fall salad brings out the fruit and nut fan in all of us.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size 1 cup)

Preparation:

Sprinkle lemon juice on the apple slices. Mix the lettuce, cranberries, apple, walnuts, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Toss with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, to lightly cover the salad and serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 Granny Smith apple, rinsed and sliced thinly (with skin)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 bag mixed lettuce greens (or your favorite lettuce) (about 5 cups), rinsed
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• ¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
• 1/3 cup low-fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 138
• Fat: 7 grams (20% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 41 milligrams

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation:

In a medium nonstick pan over high heat, cook and stir the pine nuts until they begin to brown lightly and smell toasted, but not burnt. Set the pine nuts aside in another dish. Return the pan to the burner over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup water. As it begins to boil, add a small handful of the spinach. Cook and stir just until it begins to wilt. Then push it to the side of the pan, and add another 1/4 cup water and handful of spinach. Continue until all the spinach has been cooked, adding the raisins with the last handful of spinach. Sprinkle with nutmeg and salt. Cook and stir until all the spinach is wilted and the raisins are warm. Remove from heat. Press out excess water. Place 1 cup spinach and raisins in a serving bowl. Top with pine nuts.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp pine nuts
• 2 bags (10 oz each) leaf baby spinach, rinsed
• 2/3 cup golden seedless raisins
• 1/8 tsp tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp tsp salt

Nutritional Information per Serving (1 Cup spinach and raisins):

• Calories: 76
• Fat: 3 grams
• Cholesterol: 13 grams
• Sodium: 130 milligrams

If pomegranate seeds are unavailable, you may substitute dried cranberries, cherries, currants or raisins.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation:

Combine the orange juice and ginger in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook; stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the oil, honey, salt and cinnamon if using. Stir until well combined.

Meanwhile, grate the butternut squash by hand or in a food processor. Transfer the squash to a large bowl and stir in pomegranate seeds. Add the warm dressing to the squash and toss to combine everything. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Or cover and refrigerate the salad for up to several hours; bring to room temperature before serving.)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 butternut squash (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled and seeded
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds* (about 1 pomegranate)
• *If pomegranate seeds are unavailable, you may substitute dried cranberries, cherries, currants or raisins.

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 239
• Fat: 11 grams
• Carbohydrates: 37 grams
• Protein: 3 grams
• Sodium: 154 milligrams
• Fiber: 5 grams

Tangy and tasty treat.

Yield: Six ½-cup servings

Preparation:

Mix up and serve as a side to chicken, pork or fish dishes. Flavor improves overnight.

Ingredients:

• Two containers of fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt (strawberry is good)
• One Granny Smith apple, diced
• ½ cup walnut pieces
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup grapes (green seedless cut in half)
• Pint of blueberries

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 200
• Fat: 7.5 grams (33% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 2.3 milligrams
• Sodium: 34 milligrams

Who knew brown rice could make such a tasty salad ingredient?

Yield: 8 ½-cup servings

Preparation:

Place rice in a 2-quart pot. Add water and salt. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer with lid on until all water is absorbed (15 to 20 minutes). Don't stir the grain while it is cooking. Test for doneness by tilting the pan to one side, making sure all of the water has been absorbed. Remove lid and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Dry-toast pine nuts in skillet or 300-degree oven until they begin to change color and give off aroma.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, mint and parsley in a large bowl. Add raisins and toasted pine nuts and toss. Using a fork, add cooked warm rice a little at a time. Crumble feta over the top. Toss well. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of brown rice
• 1¾ cup water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 183
• Fat: 9 grams (14% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 6 milligrams
• Sodium: 221 milligrams

This soup is wonderfully sweet and full of strawberry flavor.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 cup)

Preparation:

Wash, hull and halve the strawberries. Peel and core the apples, then dice them. Add the diced apples to the container of a blender or food processor and puree. Strain through a fine sieve. In similar fashion, puree and strain the strawberries. Pour the puree into a medium-size bowl, and stir in the orange juice, red wine and yogurt. Add the apple puree, mixing thoroughly to combine. Sweeten with fructose, if desired, and chill thoroughly. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Ingredients:

• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• Liquid fructose, to taste (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 226
• Fat: 1 gram (4% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 1 milligram
• Sodium: 51 milligrams

Try this cool salmon, pasta and fresh vegetable salad - a meal in itself!

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Preparation:

Cook pasta according to package; drain pasta and set aside in strainer. Open cans of salmon, cover with can lid and run under water faucet for 1 minute. In large salad bowl combine pasta, salmon, tomatoes, spinach & chopped walnuts.

Cook pasta according to package; drain pasta and set aside in strainer. Open cans of salmon, cover with can lid and run under water faucet for 1 minute. In large salad bowl combine pasta, salmon, tomatoes, spinach & chopped walnuts.

Prepare vinaigrette: In blender or food processor combine citrus juices, raspberries, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, whirl until well blended; add canola oil slowly until well blended. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss. Refrigerate salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces whole wheat pasta (penne, bowtie, etc.)
• Three 6-7 ounce cans of Wild Alaska Pink Salmon (sockeye salmon) flaked
• 8 cups fresh whole spinach leaf (10 ounce bag)
• 2 cups halved grape/cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Homemade Raspberry Citrus Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• ½ cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 4 tbsp fresh oregano or basil or 4 tsp dried oregano or basil leaves
• 2 garlic minced garlic cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ground black pepper

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• 252 Calories
• 12 grams Total Fat
• 1 grams Saturated Fat
• 0 grams Trans Fat
• 23 milligrams Cholesterol
• 235 milligrams Sodium
• 25 grams Carbohydrates
• 4 grams Fiber
• Sugars 1 gram
• Protein 15

This chilled tomato soup is a classic — and chock full of healthy garden-fresh vegetables.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1-1/4 cup)

Preparation:

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, chopped
• ½ cup cucumber, seeded, chopped
• ½ cup green pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp basil, dried
• ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 52
• Fat: <1 gram (0% of calories)
• Fat: <1 gram (0% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 41 milligrams

A panzanella is a summery northern Italian bread and tomato salad. Though it typically calls for day-old bread to soak up the tomato juices and still hold its shape, grilling or toasting the bread will yield similar (and more flavorful) results. While this recipe is a great starting point, let your imagination run wild and experiment with different vegetable combinations.

Yield: Approximately 8, 1-cup servings

Preparation:

Prepare charcoal grill with hot coals, or preheat gas grill to high.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper and ¼ cup olive oil. Set aside.

Place the tomato and basil in a large bowl, sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and toss together. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush one side of the onion, zucchini and pepper slices with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Roughly chop the grilled vegetables into ½-inch chunks. Add them to the tomato mixture.

Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden (The pieces should not be as crispy as croutons.) Roughly chop the bread into ½-inch chunks. Add them to the tomato mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together.

Serve warm.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 red onion, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices
• ½ of a baguette, sliced into ½-inch thick slices

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 184
• Fat: 14 grams
• Carbohydrates: 13 grams
• Protein: 3 grams
• Sodium: 234 milligrams

When grilled, watermelon gains a slight smoky flavor, but maintains its crisp texture and sweet taste. Eaten alone or added to a salad, grilling watermelon adds a new twist to a summertime classic. To reduce sodium and fat in this dish, leave off the feta cheese crumbles.

Yield: approximately 4, 1-cup servings

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Quarter the watermelon and then cut quarters into 1-inch-thick slices. Brush each slice with honey and place on the grill. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until slightly browned.

Place watermelon slices on a plate for cooling. Remove rind and cut watermelon into bite-size chunks. Place chunks in a serving bowl and top with the honey-citrus syrup. Top with feta cheese crumbles.

You can experiment by adding herbs, such as mint or basil, as well as adding toasted nuts, such as almonds or pecans, and substituting a mixture of ricotta cheese and honey for the feta cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 three-to-four pound watermelon, sliced
• Some honey for brushing watermelon slices
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of half a lemon
• Juice of 1 large navel orange
• 3 Tbsp mild honey, such as clover honey
• 2 teaspoons water
• A pinch of sea salt
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 170
• Fat: 4.2 grams
• Carbohydrates: 31 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Sodium: 251 milligrams

You can skip the mayo with this healthy chicken salad. This meal in itself combines carbohydrates, fiber, vegetables and protein into a well-balanced meal that will keep you feeling full long after you’ve enjoyed it.

Yield: 6 servings

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and add lentils. Cover and simmer until lentils are just tender, for approximately 20 minutes. Drain and cool in the refrigerator.

Mix remaining ingredients and lentils into a bowl. Serve on top of lettuce or in a whole-wheat pita pocket for an on-the-go lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups water
• 1/3 cup dry lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup green onions, chopped
• 2 cups diced cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced cucumber
• ¼ cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 oz chopped pimento
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste, if desired

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 119
• Fat: 1g
• Saturated Fat: 0
• Cholesterol: 20mg
• Sodium: 40mg
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 13g

This is a simple, quick recipe that can be used as a side dish.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation:

Place ingredients in a small bowl. Mix and place in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweet peas
• 1½ Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1½ Tbsp sweet relish (or more; flavor to taste)
• Diced onions – add to your liking
• ½ teaspoon ketchup

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 116
• Fat: 2.3 grams (18% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 1 milligram
• Sodium: 97 milligrams

This red bean salsa salad is refreshing and can be made in advance!

Yield: 6 servings (serving size ½ cup)

Preparation:

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to blend flavors. If desired, garnish with lime slices.

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5-oz. can red beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Lime slices (optional)

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 60
• Fat: 1 gram (15% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 210 milligrams

Lots of energy in this tasty soup.

Yield: 8 servings

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients into a large pot; bring to a rolling boil. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 4, 14-oz. cans of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 packages of frozen, chopped spinach
• 2 packages of firm tofu, cut into cubes
• Salt-free seasoning blend to taste

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 88
• Fat: 3.8 grams (6% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 124 milligrams

Filled with a variety of vegetables and perfectly seasoned this easy to prepare soup makes a wonderful meal.

Yield: 17 cups (serving size 1 cup)

Preparation:

In a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onions, celery, carrots and peppers, and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently for about seven minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for one minute or until incorporated. Gradually stir in stock, potatoes, mustard, marjoram and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in corn and simmer for two minutes more or until the potatoes and corn are tender. Transfer two cups of the vegetables and liquid to a food processor or blender, and add ½ cup cheese. Puree for about one minute or until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Repeat with two more cups of vegetables and liquid, and the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return all of the puree to the pot, along with the green chilies. Heat, stirring, for about five minutes or until hot. (Do not boil or the chowder may curdle.) Taste and adjust seasonings with Tabasco®, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups chopped onions
• ¾ cup diced celery, including leaves (1 large stalk)
• ¾ cup diced carrots (1 medium)
• ¾ cup diced red bell pepper (1 small)
• ¾ cup diced green bell pepper (1 small)
• ¼ cup all-purpose white flour
• 9½ cups defatted chicken stock, homemade or canned
• 6½ cups peeled, cubed potatoes (4 large)
• 2½ teaspoons dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup coarsely chopped reduced-fat sharp cheddar
• 1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
• ¾ teaspoon Tabasco® or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 130
• Fat: 2 grams (14% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 4 milligrams
• Sodium: 86 milligrams

A delicious and colorful variation on this cool salad could include yellow summer squash, as well.

Yield: 4 first-course servings

Preparation:

Using a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife, slice zucchini into paper-thin rounds. Overlap zucchini disks in one layer on a plate; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the zucchini.

Make stacks of mint leaves and cut crosswise into very thin slivers. Repeat with basil leaves. Sprinkle mint & basil over zucchini. Let stand 10 minutes to soften zucchini and allow flavors to develop.

Make stacks of mint leaves and cut crosswise into very thin slivers. Repeat with basil leaves. Sprinkle mint & basil over zucchini. Let stand 10 minutes to soften zucchini and allow flavors to develop.

Just before serving, use a vegetable peeler to shave strips of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (1 pound)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves
• ¼ loosely packed basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 ounce piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Nutritional Data Per Serving

• Calories: 136
• Fat: 11 grams (17% of calories)
• Cholesterol: 10 milligrams
• Sodium: 248 milligrams