Orange-Cranberry Salad

I love adding fruit to my salads, especially during the late-summer and fall! This salad is both sweet and savory, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of romaine

• 2 cup of fresh spinach

• 1/4 cup Mandarin oranges

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1 handful of slivered almonds

• 1 handful of pecans

• 1 TBSP goat cheese

• 1 TSP uncured bacon crumbles

• Poppyseed dressing OR Balsamic Vinegar + lemon juice

Directions:

Mix the chopped romaine and spinach leaves in a large bowl, add the mandarin oranges, cranberries, almonds and pecans and toss well. Top with crumbled goat cheese and uncured bacon bits. Dress with an organic poppyseed dressing OR make your own dressing using balsamic vinegar and a splash of lemon juice. This recipe will make 2 servings.

Strawberry-Poppyseed Salad

Whoever said fruit + veggies don't go together certainly hasn't tried my Strawberry-Poppyseed Salad! This salad is one of my favorites to make in the springtime and summer, as its unique combo is so refreshing on a warmer day! As always, I used all organic and fresh ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag or box of Spinach
• 1 head or bag of Romaine lettuce
• 1 container of fresh strawberries
• 1 container of blueberries
• 1 cup of pecans
• 1 can of mandarin oranges
• 1 1/2 cups of feta cheese

• Poppyseed Dressing (I use Annie's)

Directions:

1. Wash and toss the romaine and spinach together in a large bowl or container.
2. Mix in the cut-up strawberries, blueberries, and drain mandarin oranges.
3. Add pecans and sprinkle the feta cheese on top.
4. Drizzle on Poppyseed dressing and mix all ingredients together well. Store in refrigerator or wait to add dressing until right before eating and it may get a little soggy when sitting out. 

Smoked Mozzarella Pasta

I am not taking credit for this recipe as I got the idea from Whole Foods. I used to love getting some of their Smoked Mozzarella Pasta from the salad bar, but since changing my diet and lifestyle for lyme disease a lot of the ingredients don't mesh with me anymore. I wanted to come up with a healthier version of this pasta, so I got creative in the kitchen, because seriously that's what I do for fun!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box of organic penne (I used the 365 brand)
• 2-3 thick slices of mozzarella or 1/3 of a block of smoked mozzarella 
• 1 red pepper
• 1 cup of chopped spinach
• 3/4 cup of plan-based mayo (I used Earth's Balance)
• 1/4 cup of organic white wine vinegar
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove
• Olive oil
• Pink salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water and cook the penne pasta based on the box instructions. When pasta is done rinse noodles with cool water so they don't stick when refrigerated. 
2. Cut-up red bell pepper into small pieces or strips, chop up spinach. Cut mozzarella into small square pieces and set aside.
3. Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan on medium heat and add the red pepper and spinach, cover with lid. Let cook until tender, can remove the lid for 3-4 minutes and let finish cooking.
4. To make the sauce: in a bowl combine the 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 3/4 cup plant-based mayo, 1 tsp chili powder, fresh parsley, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes, stir well. Taste and if vinegar is too potent can add a little more of the plant-based mayo or some water to help lower the acidity. Add pink salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine the sauce, cooked vegetables and the noodles and stir in the mozzarella chunks. Can add additional red pepper flakes for more spice. 
6. Let the pasta salad cool and set in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but a few hours will do the trick. 

ITALIAN ORZO SALAD

This fresh pasta salad is the perfect side dish to any meal! I came up with this recipe using some of my family's favorite ingredients, and I try to use everything fresh and organic when possible.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of organic orzo pasta
• 2 cups of spinach
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 of a red onion diced
• 1 cup of feta cheese
• Italian seasoning (oregano)
• Balsamic vinegar or 365 brand Balsamic Vinegearette 

Recipe:

• Bring water to boil, and cook box of orzo
• Petite Dice 1/4 of a red onion 
• Cut up cucumber into small pieces
• Rip apart washed spinach and basil into small pieces (can also try cutting)
• When pasta is done cooking, rinse with cool water to avoid sticking. Add pasta to a large bowl, and combine with all of the ingredients. Add the dressing and cheese last. Chill before serving.