This salad goes very nicely with any kind of meat. Make it for your next barbecue. You will love it! Here is what you need to do for this:

12 oz. cooked tri-color pasta
1 cup sliced ripe olives
3 carrots – cut into strips
4 celery stalks – chopped
½ bell pepper – cut into strips
1 cup poppy seed dressing

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
• Add poppy seed dressing.
• Toss until everything is coated well.
• Serve and enjoy!

½ cup salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 183.19; FAT 1.75 grs (sat 0.14; mono 0.67; poly 0.5); PROTEIN 5.8 grs ; FIBER 2.11 grs; CARBS 35.55 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 1.77 mg; SODIUM 108.93 mg; CALCIUM 38.87 mg

Print the Tri-Color Pasta Salad Recipe Here

Mache is also known as lamb lettuce, corn lettuce, Swiss lettuce and field lettuce. It is very delicate in taste and grows in little clusters with short stems. It goes wonderfully with avocados, mushrooms, sprouts and red onion. Go ahead and replace the honey in this recipe for agave and keep it vegan! This is what you are going to need for this recipe:

Serves four

2 small oranges – peeled
2 scallions – chopped
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. honey or agave
1 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS vegetable or Canola oil
¼ tsp. sesame oil
4 cups washed Mache or baby spinach
1 TBS toasted sesame seeds
1 handful of alfalfa sprouts
1 small ripe avocado (or ½ large)

Separate the orange wedges, making sure you have no white on them. Place the oranges in a sieve, over a bowl.

Add the scallions, ginger, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar to the orange juice rendered from the oranges. Mix well. Slowly whisk in the oils. Set aside.

In a bowl mix together the mache, alfalfa sprouts and sesame seeds. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss well. Place the orange segments and the avocado in the bowl. Toss carefully so as not to mash the avocado or the oranges. Serve and enjoy!

CALORIES 172.67; FAT 10.77 grs (sat 1.25; mono 5.88; poly 2.53); PROTEIN 2.53 grs ; FIBER 4.56 grs; CARBS 18.85 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 1.95 mg; SODIUM 261.25 mg; CALCIUM 65.61 mg

Print the Mache Salad with Oranges and Avocado Recipe Here

This salad is fresh and loaded with flavor. It takes a little work but it is well worth it. I used my soy ginger vinaigrette to dress it but you can use any Asian style store bought salad dressing.

Serves six

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 whole skinless/boneless chicken breast – cut into strips
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
pinch of Chinese Five Spice Powder
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 scallions – chopped (white, light green and dark green)
4 garlic cloves – peeled and smashed
½ TBS finely minced fresh ginger
1 TBS cornstarch
4 TBS peanut or vegetable oil

Place the chicken strips in a bowl.

Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, Chinese five spice powder, honey and sesame oil. Add the scallions, garlic cloves and ginger. Mix well. Pour over the chicken and make sure to coat completely. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After the chicken is marinated – remove the strips from the marinade and place them in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and make sure it is coated well. Heat a skillet with the oil until it is very hot – almost smoking. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook in batches until it is cooked through. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

FOR THE SALAD:
6 Wonton wrappers
4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced Romaine lettuce
1 large carrot – peeled and julienne
1 cup julienne snow peas
2 TBS sliced almonds
1 TBS toasted sesame seeds
Dressing of choice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the wontons into thin strips. Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray. Place the strips on the sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly and place in the oven. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until browned and crisp.

Place the cabbage, lettuce, carrots, snow peas, almonds and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Toss to mix well. Add dressing of choice and toss to coat well – I used soy ginger vinaigrette. Place some of the salad on a plate and top with the chicken and wonton strips. Serve and enjoy!

1/8 cup dressing – CALORIES 144.69; FAT 13.64 grs (sat 1.31; mono 7.53; poly 4.44); PROTEIN 0.55 grs ; FIBER 0.12 grs; CARBS 5.44 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.22 mg; SODIUM 339.60 mg; CALCIUM 5.05 mg

Print the Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe Here
Print the Soy Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe Here

Traditionally, Russian dressing is made from yogurt or sour cream. However, this is a perfectly acceptable way to make it. You can use this as a salad dressing or as a sandwich spread. Here is what you need for this:

Makes about 1/2 cup
3 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS ketchup
1 tsp. relish or finely chopped pickles
½ tsp. prepared Horseradish
½ tsp. finely chopped white onion

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Refrigerate for about 2 weeks in a covered container.

2 TBS – CALORIES 50.38; FAT 3.82 grs (sat 0.61; mono 1.02; poly 1.99); PROTEIN 0.25 grs ; FIBER 0.09 grs; CARBS 4.18 grs; CHOLESTEROL 3.11 mg; IRON 0.06 mg; SODIUM 138.96 mg; CALCIUM 5.08 mg

Print the Russian Dressing Recipe Here

This salad is full of bold and delicious flavors. Although, typically, the chips are added to the salad, I do not like that they get soggy. Therefore, I serve the chips on the sides so everyone can mix it as they please. Here is what you need for this:

Serves eight

FOR THE BEEF:
2 pounds ground beef
4 TBS olive oil
2 medium white onions – chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS dry oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne
3 large tomatoes – peeled and finely chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Heat a large skillet with 2 TBS olive oil. Add the beef and allow it to brown. Season it with salt and pepper. Once it is browned, drain the meat. Wipe down the skillet and add some more oil. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Return the meat to the pan and mix. Add the cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne. Mix well. Add the tomatoes and cilantro. Add the water and mix well. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes and set aside.

FOR THE CORN SALSA:
1 medium white onion – finely chopped
1 – 15oz. can yellow corn kernels – drained
2 tomatoes – peeled and finely chopped
4 radishes – finely chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 small cucumber – seeded and chopped
1 small chili pepper – seeded, membrane removed and minced (opt)
½ lime – juiced
1 tsp. salt

Place all but the lime and salt in a bowl. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Mix well and set aside.

ASSEMBLING THE SALAD:
1 large iceberg lettuce – finely sliced
1 cup creamy cilantro dressing
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup sliced ripe olives
Tortilla Chips

Place some lettuce in a plate. Top with some of the beef. Top the beef with some corn salsa. Drizzle some creamy cilantro dressing on the corn. Top with some cheddar cheese and olives.
Arrange some tortilla chips on the sides of the salad. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

Salad with 12 tortilla chips no dressing – CALORIES 651.33; FAT 37.78 grs (sat 11.57; mono 18.09; poly 4.82); PROTEIN 36.85 grs ; FIBER 5.82 grs; CARBS 43.31 grs; CHOLESTEROL 107.20 mg; IRON 5.3 mg; SODIUM 1330.21 mg; CALCIUM 225.97 mg

2 TBS dressing – CALORIES 53.88; FAT 4.98 grs (sat 1.06; mono 1.43; poly 1.92); PROTEIN 0.28 grs ; FIBER 0.10 grs; CARBS 1.52 grs; CHOLESTEROL 6.87 mg; IRON 0.14 mg; SODIUM 241.69 mg; CALCIUM 13.14 mg

Print the Creamy Cilantro Dressing Recipe Here

Print the Creamy Cilantro Dressing Recipe Here

This salad dressing is great with any salad but goes especially well with Tex-Mex styles. I will use it for a tortilla chip salad but you can use it with whatever you want. Here is what you need for this:

Makes about 2 cups

¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ TBS lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ TBS cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until creamy. This will keep in the fridge for 4 days.
Serve in your favorite salad and enjoy!

2 TBS dressing – CALORIES 53.88; FAT 4.98 grs (sat 1.06; mono 1.43; poly 1.92); PROTEIN 0.28 grs ; FIBER 0.10 grs; CARBS 1.52 grs; CHOLESTEROL 6.87 mg; IRON 0.14 mg; SODIUM 241.69 mg; CALCIUM 13.14 mg

Print the Creamy Cilantro Dressing Recipe Here

Between the garbanzo beans aka chickpeas and the kidney beans this salad packs quite a bit of protein and fiber. Add the vegetables and you have a really healthy salad. You can use canned beans for this if you want to speed up the process. Simply drain and rinse them before you add them to your salad. The soy ginger vinaigrette that I use for this complements the ingredients beautifully. However, you could dress this with whatever you like. Here is what you need for this:

Serves four

2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can red kidney beans
½ cup finely sliced red onion
½ cup sliced red bell pepper
2 celery stalks – finely chopped
1 medium carrot – finely sliced
Soy ginger vinaigrette dressing

If cooking your beans at home – wash them thoroughly, making sure to pick out debris and little rocks, and place in individual bowls. Cover with hot water and soak overnight. Rinse out re-hydrated beans and cook in salted water until fully cooked through and tender. Your best bet is to use a pressure cooker. The beans will cook a lot faster.

If using canned beans – drain and rinse both kinds of beans. Place them in a bowl and mix with all the other ingredients. Pour soy ginger vinaigrette on mixed salad and toss to coat well. Serve and enjoy!

Salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 274.38; FAT 1.92 grs (sat 0.23; mono 0.35; poly 0.91); PROTEIN 14.18 grs ; FIBER 12.20 grs; CARBS 51.67 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 3.76 mg; SODIUM 387.19 mg; CALCIUM 87.41 mg

Print the Kidney Bean & Garbanzo Salad Recipe Here

This is a great salad dressing for any Asian type salad. I would recommend using a low sodium type of soy sauce for this salad dressing. Otherwise the soy sauce might overpower the salad. Another great choice would be Tamari. Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce that is darker in color and has a deeper flavor than soy sauce. It is not always easy to find but if you do, you will be pleased with the subtle differences it offers compared to regular soy sauce. Here is what you need for this:

Makes about one and a half cups of dressing

2 large garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with ¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 TBS honey
¼ cup soy sauce
2 scallions – white and light green parts finely chopped
1 – inch piece fresh ginger – peeled and finely grated
¼ cup sesame oil
½ cup canola oil

Place the mashed garlic in a bowl. Add the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, scallions, ginger and sesame oil. Whisk to mix well. Slowly add the canola oil – in a thin stream – whisking constantly until you have an emulsified dressing. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Mix dressing well before each use. Allow dressing to reach room temperature before using.

1/8 cup dressing – CALORIES 144.69; FAT 13.64 grs (sat 1.31; mono 7.53; poly 4.44); PROTEIN 0.55 grs ; FIBER 0.12 grs; CARBS 5.44 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.22 mg; SODIUM 339.60 mg; CALCIUM 5.05 mg

Print the Soy Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Serves four

3 cups cooked quinoa – cold
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 2 medium ripe, red tomatoes chopped
½ small red onion – finely sliced
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
2 TBS capers – drained
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix the quinoa with the tomatoes, onion, parsley, thyme and capers.
In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to salad and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

CALORIES 308.05; FAT 16.40 grs (sat 1.91; mono 9.9; poly 1.53); PROTEIN 7.06 grs ; FIBER 5.27 grs; CARBS 34.69 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 2.89 mg; SODIUM 433.89 mg; CALCIUM 44.9 mg

Print the Quinoa Salad Recipe Here

Lentils are so nutritious I try and feed them to my family at least 3 times a month. This little legume comes in red, green and brown and can be used for stews, soups and salads. Lentils are loaded in protein, being the third-highest level of a plant based protein – after soybeans and hemp. They are also a good source of iron. They are nutty in flavor and are the only bean you do not need to soak overnight. This salad can be made as a side or as a light vegetarian meal.

Serves four

4 cups cooked brown lentils
3 scallions – chopped (whites, light green and dark green parts)
3 TBS chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper – cored, seeded and diced
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to coat. Serve and enjoy!

Salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 255.48; FAT 1.6 grs (sat 0.23; mono 0.59; poly 0.49); PROTEIN 18.86 grs ; FIBER 16.99 grs; CARBS 44.45 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 7.3 mg; SODIUM 953.7 mg; CALCIUM 60.52 mg

FOR THE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:
This is basically a vinaigrette dressing with oregano. I only make it when I make Greek salad but it is great on any salad you like. I always add a little sugar to this to complement the red wine vinegar.
Makes about one and a half cups of dressing
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
½ TBS dried oregano leaves
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until emulsified. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Mix well before using.

1/8 cup dressing – CALORIES 83.47; FAT 13.61 grs (sat 1.0; mono 8.6; poly 3.8); PROTEIN 0.03 grs ; FIBER 0.08 grs; CARBS 6.1 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.09 mg; SODIUM 0.27 mg; CALCIUM 0.92 mg

Print the Lentil & Sun Dried Tomato Salad Recipe Here