Wonderful salads for your health

Garden Pasta With Bocconcini

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (preferably mixed colors)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

Kosher salt
8 ounces campanelle or fusilli pasta (about 4 cups)
1 small zucchini
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup halved bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the dressing: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil; add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and place in a blender with the cherry tomatoes, vinegar and basil; puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes less than the label directs). Drain and rinse under cool water; shake off the excess. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and toss with the dressing.

Shave the zucchini into strips with a vegetable peeler or mandoline; halve the strips crosswise and add to the pasta. Add the tomatoes, bocconcini, pine nuts and basil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 6 hours. (Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Photograph by Yunhee Kim

Corn and Pasta Salad With Homemade Ranch Dressing

Total time:30min
Prep:20 min
Cook:10min

Servings:6

Ingredients:

4 ounces gemelli pasta
1 small garlic clove
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 scallion, minced
2 small ears fresh corn
8 ounces grape tomatoes, preferably mixed heirloom, halved
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 cups baby arugula
2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp in the microwave, and crumbled

Directions

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic clove on a cutting board; sprinkle with salt. Using the blade of a chef's knife, press down onto garlic, smashing it to make a paste. Add the garlic paste to a large bowl with the sour cream, buttermilk, cider vinegar and scallion; season with salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing until smooth and reserve.

Cut the kernels from the corn (breaking sheets of kernels into about 2-inch pieces, if desired). Add the corn, tomatoes, onion and arugula to bowl with dressing; gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with the bacon.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories 148; Total Fat 3g (Sat Fat 1.5g, Mono Fat 0.4g, Poly Fat 0.3g) ; Protein 6g; Carb 25g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 9.5mg; Sodium 159mg

Farro Salad With Grilled Eggplant, Tomatoes and Onion

Total Time:1 hr 35 min
Prep:20 min
Inactive:1 hr 0 min
Cook 15 min
servings:4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups farro
3 Japanese (baby) eggplants, halved
1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thickly sliced
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and sliced in 1/2
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions:

Cook farro in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and place in a large bowl.

Heat grill to high. While the farro is cooking, brush the eggplants and onion slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Remove from the grill and cut into 1-inch dice. Add the eggplant and onions to the farro along with the tomatoes and dill. Pour Sherry Vinegar over the farro mixture and stir to combine. Garnish with additional dill. Best served at room temperature.

Sherry Vinaigrette:

1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk together the shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and dill in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.

Grilled Steak and Papaya Salad

Total time:1 hr 35 min

Prep:15 min
Inactive:1 hr 10 min
Cook:10 min

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Thai bird chile, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Papaya Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

Place garlic, chile, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and oil in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Place beef in a small baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remove the beef from the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Grill meat until charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Papaya Dressing:

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 Thai bird chiles, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 large red romaine lettuce leaves, cut into strips
1 bunch watercress
1 large green papaya, peeled and thinly shredded
2 carrots, peeled and thinly shredded
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, chiles, mint, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce. Set aside. In another bowl, toss the lettuce leaves and watercress together and then arrange the mixture on a platter.

Combine the papaya and carrots in a medium bowl. Evenly distribute the papaya mixture over the lettuce. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the steak on top and drizzle steak with some more dressing. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Per Serving: Calories: 486 ;Total Fat: 20grams; Saturated Fat: 5 grams; Protein: 37 grams; Total carbohydrates: 46 grams; Sugar: 34 grams; Fiber: 5.5 grams; Cholesterol:90 milligrams; Sodium: 1505 milligrams

source:http://www.foodnetwork.com/