Winter Salads

I find it really hard to eat salad in the winter, but these are 2 I've had recently that are really good. It's a great way to Eat More Veggies :-)

Winter Orange Salad adapted from Women's Day magazine
5 oz baby spinach or other lettuce of your choice
2 large naval oranges, supremed (how-to video on what this is)
1/4 cup sweet or red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted and sliced green olives, optional variations*

Dressing:
Squeeze the leftover membranes of the oranges into a medium size bowl.
Add 1 Tbs olive oil, 2 tsp honey, 1 Tbs white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk until incorporated.

Toss all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and serve.

This is great served next to a nice piece of pan seared halibut or salmon.
*variations can include grapefruit and avocado instead of orange and olives. Or omit the olives and do just the orange or grapefruit.

Kale and Root Veggie Salad adapted from this recipe here 5 oz pkg baby kale or 1 bunch regular kale

1/2 cup pecans

2 Tbs pure maple syrup

1 Tbs canola oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup rutabaga, grated raw (don't know what a rutabaga is?...click here)

1/2 cup turnip, grated raw

1/2 cup carrot, grated raw

2 green onions, white parts only, sliced thin

Dressing:
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbs olive oil*
1 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tsp agave nectar or honey

If using a bunch of regular kale instead of baby kale, remove ribs and slice as thinly as possible. In a large bowl, massage it with 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let sit 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stir together in a medium bowl the pecans, maple syrup, canola oil, salt and cayenne. Pour pecans out onto baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool in pan. IF NOTHING ELSE...MAKE THESE PECANS!! I just used leftovers on top of a baked sweet potato. SOO yummy.

Toss the kale, grated veggies, and pecans in a large serving bowl. Whisk all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad. Toss well and serve immediately. *If using regular kale, lessen the oil in the dressing to 1 1/2 tsp.

-picture is from VegetarianTimes.com

Dinner on the Table in 5 minutes...yes, please!!

We all need a dinner in our arsenal of recipes that is faster than fast. This is your new favorite quick dinner. This so happens to be vegan, but top with a little Parmesan if you wish for a vegetarian dinner and join in on the "Meatless Mondays."

Tomato, White Bean and Spinach Soup
1 24oz jar of pasta sauce
1 6oz bag baby spinach, you can tear it up as you toss it in, or leave whole
1 15oz can Great Northern or Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 quart low salt or unsalted vegetable broth or stock (or use chicken broth or stock if you prefer)
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional

Put all ingredients in a large pot and simmer 3-5 minutes on medium heat until spinach is wilted. Seriously...you're done. Super healthy, super fast, super yummy, super veggies, super done. 

Other additions if you've got the time...
a chunk of bread on the side
leftover cut-up chicken or browned pan sausage
cooked small pasta
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup heavy cream
Grilled cheese sandwiches