Light and Healthy--August 3, 2017

With the end of summer comes an abundance of fruit and vegetables! This was a perfect opportunity to share light and healthy recipes before heading into fall and all the holidays coming up. 

Anna made a tasty Cucumber Watermelon Salad. The red onion was macerated in lime juice and oil and paired perfectly with the fresh mint. The feta was also a surprising element to this dish.

 Marie baked a French Meringue Dessert. The fresh berries were a sweet addition to this light meringue. The meringue also keeps well in a covered container.

I made Curried Chicken Salad. Full of flavor from the curry powder and sweetness from the apples and cranberries, this is a refreshing salad. I like to serve it on romaine lettuce.

Jan cooked Zucchini-Veggie Mix. It's similar to ratatouille, and it is a 40-year-old recipe. Her husband even likes it and he isn't fond of zucchini! It's a great blend of summer veggies!

  Margaret made Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. She used her sister's tabbouleh recipe with quinoa and made a light dressing to go with!

Sue S. cooked a Veggie Cobbler. It's a Paula Deen recipe, and it's very easy to make! She used lots of fresh veggies from her garden to make this dish.

Trudy brought Angel Strawberry Dessert. A quick and easy dessert to make the calls for pre-made angel food cake, pudding, jello, and even ice cream. Many good ingredients to beat the summer heat!

Sue R. made Cuban Avocado and Pineapple Salad. This had a lime dressing with avocado, pineapple, and red onions. A delicious blend of sweet and flavorful ingredients.

Margene brought Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing. A light and refreshing salad with pasta, spinach, and mandarin oranges that she has been making for a few years now. Make it a meal by adding cooked chicken!

Rose Mary brought a Spinach Salad with and tons of awesome add-ins to customize a salad (and a variety of dressings, too).

There were many great recipes shared and more to try next time! Getting hungry? Join us September 7 at 6:30pm at Franklin Public Library. The theme is Taste of Home! Taste of Home shares recipes submitted by home-cooks that are tested by experts. For recipes, visit www.tasteofhome.com! All you have to do to join is cook a dish from the monthly theme, and bring the dish and the recipe to the meeting! It's as easy as pie! See you soon!

Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing

The "Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing" recipe by Tiffany can be found at Creme de la Crumb.

Submitted by Margene McLoughlin

Tiffany. "Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing." Creme de la Crumb, www.lecremedelacrumb.com/mandarin-pasta-spinach-salad-with-teriyaki-dressing/ . Accessed 31 August 2017.

Cuban Avocado and Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 1-1/2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Salad 

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced chunks
• 1 medium avocado, cut into chunks

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients for the dressing.
2. Place lettuce, onion, pineapple, and avocado in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss gently to coat.

Submitted by Sue Richichi

Angel Strawberry Dessert

Ingredients:

• 5 cups angel food cake torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 (3 oz.) package strawberry jello
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen, sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Place angel food cake in 9x9x2 inch baking pan.
2. Combine pudding and milk. Add ice cream. Beat until well blended and smooth. Spoon over cake pieces. Refrigerate while preparing strawberry layer.
3. Stir 3/4 cup boiling water into jello until dissolved. Add frozen berries, breaking up with a fork. As berries thaw, jello thickens. When partially thick, spoon over pudding to cover. Do not stir mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Submitted by Trudy Cleaver

Veggie Cobbler

The "Veggie Cobbler" recipe can be found in Paula Deen Cuts the Fat by Paula Deen.

Submitted by Sue Stoecker

Deen, Paula. "Veggie Cobbler." Paula Deen Cuts the Fat. Thunderbolt: Paula Deen Ventures, 2015. Print.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package. Cool. 
2. Mix oil and lemon juice and add to cooled quinoa. Add chopped vegetables. Mix and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Salt and pepper can be added if desired.

Submitted by Margaret Herrick

Zucchini-Veggie Mix

Ingredients:

• 4 large beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1/2 very large sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a saucepan. Cook until soft. Can be eaten warm or cold. Store in refrigerator.  

Submitted by Jan Luepke

Curried Chicken Salad

The "Curried Chicken Salad" recipe can be found in The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor by Gina Homolka. Sarah adapted it slightly by using rotisserie chicken for a quick fix. She likes to serve this chicken salad on hearty romaine leaves.

Submitted by Sarah Bublitz

Homolka, Gina. "Curried Chicken Salad."The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor. New York: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2014. 132. Print.

French Meringue Dessert

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• Assorted berries

Directions:

1. Beat egg whites until frothy. Then add 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar. Add the sugar gradually. Beat until stiff peaks form.
2. Bake at 325℉ in a well buttered 9x13 glass dish for 20 minutes. Cool. Serve with assorted berries and ice cream.

Submitted by Marie Weber

Refreshing Cucumber Watermelon Salad

The "Refreshing Cucumber Watermelon Salad" recipe by kateroo can be found at allrecipes.

Submitted by Anna Restivo

Kateroo. "Refreshing Cucumber Watermelon Salad." allrecipes, www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222728/refreshing-cucumber-watermelon-salad/ . Accessed 31 August 2017.