Salads & Sides
Grilled Zucchini, Pepper and Onion
July 20, 2011
by Optimum Wellness
0 Comments
It’s hot outside and the vegetables are wonderfully abundant. We love the simplicity of grilled veggies – they make an awesome side-dish to any meal or can become the star of a breakfast omelet or frittata. We also like to grill the veggies and chop them up into a salad, adding fresh herbs plus a little drizzle of olive oil and a bit of feta or chevre cheese.
Power Tower
July 19, 2011 by Optimum Wellness 0 Comments
Here’s an incredibly refreshing dish that makes a perfect summer snack, appetizer or side dish. With tomatoes and watermelon in great abundance this time of year you can have fun stacking these two antioxidant and flavor-packed fruits however you’d like. We used organic seedless watermelon along with a golden heirloom tomato. We alternated each slice [...]
Blueberry Soup
July 15, 2011 by Optimum Wellness 2 Comments
Here is a sample recipe from our cookbook. Enjoy! For an uncooked version of this soup, simply use fresh berries and ground cinnamon instead of the cinnamon stick – add all of the ingredients to a blender (including yogurt), puree and dig in!
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup water
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 [...]
Pasta Salad
May 3, 2011 by Optimum Wellness 0 Comments
For this quick and easy pasta salad, we used gluten free spiral pasta made from brown rice. They take a bit longer to cook (about 15-17 minutes) but their taste and texture are perfect for a pasta salad. After rinsing and draining the pasta, we added about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and tossed to [...]
Curried Butternut Sweet Potato Soup
February 8, 2011 by Optimum Wellness 1 CommentServes 6
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
Directions:
Steam or [...]
Curried Chicken Salad
February 8, 2011 by Optimum Wellness 1 Comment
Here is an easy and delicious curried chicken salad. If you don’t have chicken on hand, feel free to substitute tuna or salmon.
Warm Mache Salad
December 13, 2010 by Optimum Wellness 0 Comments
Also called lamb’s lettuce or corn salad, these beautiful, rosette-shaped, delicate greens often come in convenient bags or plastic shells. This salad is great served with a whole-grain or seeded baguette.
Serves 4:
2 cups broccoli (about 5 ounces)
1 cup asparagus spears (about 5 ounces), chopped in half
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea [...]
Stuffed Winter Squash
November 8, 2010 by Optimum Wellness 2 Comments
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 each winter squash
1 tablespoon olive oil, or butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 cups chopped spinach
2 cups cooked wild rice, or brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional
Directions:
1. We like to use acorn or Delicata squash for this dish. If using acorn [...]
Autumn Apple Salad with Pomegranate
October 14, 2010 by Optimum Wellness 0 Comments
Recipe by Victoria Abbott Riccardi
Featured in September-October 2010 Optimum Wellness Magazine
Serves 6
Fuji, Ginger Gold, and Pink Lady apples are good choices here because they resist browning.
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped (¼ cup)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. honey
12 cups mesclun salad mix
1 apple, thinly sliced
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (¾ cup)
1 cup pomegranate [...]
Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Pomegranate Seeds
October 12, 2010 by Optimum Wellness 0 Comments
Serves 4
4 cups cabbage, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
1 granny Smith apple, thinly sliced or chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
fresh mint or cilantro
1/4 cup pomegranate, seeds
Combine cabbage with carrots and apple. Transfer to a serving bowl, add sunflower seeds and mix gently. In a small bowl combine [...]
