Weight Loss Goddess

What You Need:

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice

1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix (sugar free if you are counting calories)

1/4 C orange flavored instant breakfast crystals

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (16 oz.) can fruit cocktail, drained

2 bananas, sliced

1 pear, cut into chunks

1 apple, cut into chunks

1 C fresh strawberries, sliced

How to Make It:

Place the pineapple juice into a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle the pudding mix and the breakfast crystals into the juice.

Whisk until the powders are completely dissolved.

Place all the fruit into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

Fold the pudding mixture into the fruit well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled through.

Serves:  8

Use any type of fruit you like in this fun salad.  Peaches, apricots or kiwi all taste great and have loads of vitamins.  You can also substitute your favorite yogurt in place of the pudding.

What You Need:

1 medium pink grapefruit, cut into segments

1 medium orange, cut into segments

1 medium pear, sliced

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C orange juice

2 T rice wine vinegar

1 T honey

How to Make It:

Place the grapefruit, orange and pear into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice and vinegar.

Add the honey to mixture and whisk until all the ingredients are combined well.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat just before serving.

Serves:  4

Arugula is a leaf vegetable that closely resembles lettuce.  It has a rich peppery taste, and is mostly used in salad. 

Arugula can be cooked and used with pasta or meats in many dishes.  It can be found in the salad green section of many grocery stores. Try this salad for a change, and see how you like it.

What You Need:

2 C frozen cranberries, thawed

4 oranges

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

1 small red onion, chopped

1/4 C sugar

2 T lemon juice

1 t fresh ginger, grated

1 (5 oz.) pkg. baby arugula

1/4 C fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 T walnut oil

How to Make It:

Coarsely chop the cranberries either by hand or in a blender.

Place them in a mixing bowl.

Peel the oranges and cut into section over the bowl so the juice flows in with cranberries.

Place the orange sections in the mixing bowl.

Add the celery and onion and toss the ingredients to combine.

Sprinkle the sugar into the mixing bowl.

Pour the lemon juice over the sugar and gently mix both into the mixture.

Add the ginger and mix to incorporate.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour until chilled through.

Place the arugula into a salad bowl.

Add the mint and walnut oil.

Toss to coat the arugula well.

Top the arugula with the cranberry orange mixture just before serving.

Serves:  8

What You Need:

1 T red wine vinegar

1/8 t salt

1/8 t pepper

2 T olive oil

3 T fresh tarragon, chopped and divided

6 C baby spinach

2 C fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half

1/4 C blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 C almonds, slivered

How to Make It:

Pour the vinegar into a small mixing blow.

Add the salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is completely dissolved.

Slow add the oil and whisking while pouring it into the bowl.

Fold in 2 T of the tarragon.

Place the spinach into a salad bowl.

Add the cherries and toss to combine.

Pour the dressing into the bowl and toss the salad to lightly coat.

Sprinkle the cheese over the salad.

Top with the almonds and serve immediately.

Serves:  4

This fruity salad goes well with both pork and chicken. Better yet, make it the main course by adding 2 C of chopped chicken, turkey, or pork, and some finely chopped hard boiled egg.

What You Need:

6 T olive oil

1/4 C orange juice

1/4 C white balsamic vinegar

1/4 C fresh cilantro, minced

2 T honey

1/2 t chili sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t salt

2 large apples cut into wedges

1 (5 oz.) pkg. spring mix salad greens

1 C walnut halves

1/2 C blue cheese, crumbled

How to Make It:

Place the olive oil into a mixing bowl.

Add the orange juice and the vinegar.

Whisk well to combine the ingredients.

Gently stir in the cilantro.

Whisk the honey and chili sauce into the mixture well.

Add the garlic and the salt and mix to completely combine the ingredients.

Pour 1/4 C of the mixture into a sealed plastic bag.

Add the apples to the bag.

Seal and turn to coat the apples well.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cover the remaining dressing and refrigerate until ready to use on the salad.

Drain the apples from the marinade but save the marinade to use for basting.

Thread the apples onto 6 soaked wooden skewers.

Place the apples over medium heat on the grill.

Cover and cook 6 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn and continue cooking an additional 6 minutes or until the apples are tender.

Place the greens into a large salad bowl.

Add the walnuts and cheese and toss to combine well.

Add the apples to the salad.

Pour the refrigerated dressing over the salad and toss.

Serves:  4

The best apple to use in this recipe would be one that is crispy with a sweet tart flavor.  Fuji, Golden Delicious or Gala work very well. Apples are very healthy foods.  They are fat free and contain no sodium or cholesterol. 

Another type of fruit salad is a citrus salad. Oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes all make great fruit salad ingredients. Add some additional toppings or elements and who knows you may even have the kids begging for more.

These types of salads can have a little bite so add some whipped topping or a brown sugar or honey based dressing to keep those lips from puckering up too much.

Exotic fruit salads are making a place on the table these days. Even less known fruits such as pomegranate, papaya, star fruit and kiwi are showing up more and more in local supermarkets. These tasty treats can make a fruit salad stand out both in presentation and taste. And a single kiwi has more Vitamin C than 3 oranges.

Fruit salads are easy to make. With the many varieties of fruit available like grapes, cherries, apricots and of course all those berries you can make this type of salad a constant at the table.

A fruit salad can be made simple with canned fruits, extravagant with fresh fruits or even fun with dried fruits. No matter which way you decide to go, fruit salads are sure to be hit with everyone, especially once the weather starts to get warmer. They even make a great substitute for dessert if you are watching your weight.

When we think of a salad the first thing that comes to mind is usually lettuce. Although lettuce makes a great salad, it’s not always a necessity. Salads can be made up of just about anything these days,  and now that fresh produce is so easy to get all year round, fruit is a great way to change things up a bit.

Fruit salads consist of, you guessed it, fruit. Of course they can include lettuce if you like, but the main component is fruit. Think of all the different types of fruit we have to choose from. Now imagine all the different ways of using those fruits in luscious salads.

Traditional fruit salads are quick and easy to prepare. For instance if you have a couple cans of fruit cocktail in the cabinet just drain them, dump them in a salad bowl and add a few little extras. Extras can consist of whipped topping, marshmallows, nuts or even a sprinkle of coconut.

You can go even farther and healthier by adding fresh fruits to your fruit salads. Berries aren’t the only fruits that work well. Peaches, pears, oranges or, well just about any fruit can make a fruit salad that’s fit for any occasion.

Traditional fruit salads can be used as a side dish or even as a dessert on any menu. Basic fresh fruit salads can be the perfect addition to any breakfast or can be used to please that hungry stomach at snack time.

Pasta salads are a great take along for a potluck dinner or family picnic.  These salads are simple to make but taste great.  Shrimp works well in a salad of this type, for example, a  shrimp Caesar salad with fusili.  Orzo or couscous make wonderful bases for picnic style salads as well, for example, in Tabbouleh.

Orzo and couscous are a type of pasta that resembles rice grains, but are of wheat also.  These types of pasta can be used to create warm or cold salads that will stretch to feed a crowd.  They are dense and filling, without a lot of calories.

Pasta salads can be quite healthy also.  Use whole wheat pasta, add fresh vegetables, and a low calorie or low fat dressing, and you have a whole meal.  It will taste so good no one will even realize just how healthy it is. 

Pasta salads are easy to make and the possibilities are endless.  Start with your favorite pasta as the base line.  Add your favorite vegetables, nuts or other favorite ingredients and a dressing.  Before you know it you will have a salad that everybody wants the recipe for. 

Pasta salad is a dish that anyone can create. There are plenty of pasta salad recipes that we already know and love. Mix up the menu a bit and add pasta salad as a side dish or main dish every once in a while, and see how tasty and how much fun eating healthy can be.

In recent years, pasta salads have taken center stage on salad bars everywhere.  People are bringing them to potluck dinners, creating them for family reunions, and ordering them in their favorite restaurants.

Why not create your own pasta salad for the dinner table at home? Pasta is versatile, easy to make, even better, a pasta salad can be really delicious, and can also be fun for the whole family.

Pasta comes in many shapes, sizes and colors these days. From angel hair pasta to spaghetti and elbow macaroni to tiny shells, pasta has claimed its place on the grocery shelves. Pasta comes in so many different varieties it might be hard to decide which one to use.

One favorite pasta salad that has been around for years at picnics and family reunions is macaroni salad.  It can be made in many different varieties.  With a little mayonnaise, mustard, dill, sweet pickles and even hard boiled eggs you can make macaroni salad in no time.  Add onion or even cubes of cheese to give it your own personal touch.

Tired of those mashed potatoes or rice dishes every night?  Why not make a pasta salad in their place.  Pasta salads make great side dishes.  They go well with pork, beef, chicken and fish.  Everyone will enjoy the change.

When making pasta salad, remember to cool the pasta before adding any vegetables or dressings.   Fresh or frozen vegetables can be added to these great creations.  For the dressings most pasta salads are made with Italian or Ranch dressing but you can always use your favorite to see how it tastes.