Salad Alternatives

Greeny Beany Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. can mixed-bean medley
2 Tbs. mustard
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup cheese or grated, hard-cooked egg

Preparation:

Add mustard to the canned beans and mix well. Carefully stir in tomatoes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer a serving of beans to a small bowl. Sprinkle with cheese. Chevre or cheddar works well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 bag spinach leaves
1 red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Lightly toss together the mushrooms and strawberries. Mound a serving of fresh spinach on a salad place and layer on red onion, sliced into rings.

Pile on a serving of the strawberry/mushroom mixture. Combine remaining ingredients and mix with a whisk until they emulsify. This mixture will last about a week in the refrigerator. Drizzle dressing over salads.

Main Dish Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and cut into large dice
one 15-oz. can Mandarin oranges
1 cup seedless grapes (try a mixture of red and green)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Preparation:

Dump all the fruit and marshmallows into a bowl. Cover the fruit with vanilla (or plain) yogurt and squeeze the lime juice over the fruit. Mix gently and garnish with nuts.

* Serving suggestion: To make a fun treat for the kids, pile the fruit in an ice-cream cone and sprinkle with nuts.