Summer Salads... Healthy style if you please!

broEmily and I were heading off to a Memorial Day BBQ and decided we needed to make a big batch of salads to bring with us.  When I think of summer, I think of potato salad, chips, corn on the cob, and tons of fattening mayo to go around.  We decided to trim down some of these recipes.  Our little cousin, Jessica (8 years old), was there to assist with the cooking.  Before we even began, she told us she hates potato salad, pasta salad, and broccoli salad.  So, not only did we have the goal of making them healthy, we had to make them kid approved!  I believe we accomplished just that.


Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:
3 stems broccoli
5 oz shredded or finely sliced carrots (my guess is about 1 cup)
2/3 cup raisons
8 slices (turkey) bacon
3/4 cup (fat free) mayo
6 T sugar (or sugar replacement)
3 T white vinegar

Cut broccoli into small chunk.  Mix with Carrots and Raisins. Jessica does this all by hand.

Mix together mayo, sugar, and vinegar.  This makes the dressing. Pour all over the broccoli.  I refrigerated several hours, until well chilled.  Just before serving, I broke up the bacon and tossed it in the bowl, then mixed.  This one got amazing reviews.  We will call it.... FOOD!

Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, cut in half, then quartered

1 medium dill pickle, finely diced 

3/4 cup (fat free) mayo

3 T mayo

1 1/2 t lemon juice

1 1/2 t vinegar

1/4 t sugar (or sugar replacement)

1 t dill

salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water for approximately 20 minutes.  They should be done when you poke them with a fork with little resistance.  Be careful not to cook for too long.  You may end up with mashed potato salad.

Mix together all other ingredients.  Then, gently fold the dressing into the potatoes.  To Emily and I, this tastes like normal potato salad.  Others thought that it was more mustard-y than they were used to.  So, Emmy and I would give this a "FOOD!!!", others may give it a "FLOP!!!".  You are going to have to decide.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 14 oz box of pasta (We use the high fiber type, Rotini shape)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 oz (turkey) pepperoni - cut into tiny pieces
1 cup (light) Italian dressing
1/2 can artichoke hearts, diced
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup vinegar

Boil pasta in salted water for 7 to 8 minutes. Drain.  Mix dressing of Italian dressing, vinegar, and lemon juice.  (Depending on the brand of Italian dressing you use, you may need to add more or less vinegar and lemon juice.)  Fold pasta, veggies, pepperonis together with dressing.  Refrigerate until well chilled.  Emmy and I love this one (FOOD!!!)  It tastes great the next day. 

Raspberry Brownies

Ingredients:
So, for these we cheat.... We use brownies mixes.  There are a few great mixes out there that are minimal guilt.  All you add is a container of yogurt.  We added caramel yogurt.
12 oz Raspberries (reserve some for decoration)
1/4 brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)
2 t each corn starch and water

We baked the brownies in an 8X8 pan.  Then, once cooled, topped with reserved raspberries in a fancy fashion.

In a small sauce pan, crush remaining raspberries.  Cook on medium heat until reduced by at least half and taking on a syrupy consistency.  Slowly add brown sugar until sweetened to your liking.  (I have some of the flavor syrups you use to make Italian soda.  I snuck some french vanilla flavoring in, just for fun.) In a separate dish, mix corn starch and water together, then add to the raspberry syrup.  This will thicken it.  As soon as you have a thickened consistency, pour over the brownies.

These were ok the day they were made. Nothing spectacular.  I covered them with plastic wrap and tried one today (the next day).  They are so good!  FOOD, FOOD, FOOD.  There is something about a cold brownie.  :)

Kate sampled all of the salads with me today.  She says: a real summertime treat. They're typical cold salads to bring to a potluck.  The broccoli salad had a nice and sweet sauce that wasn't overly sweet. The potato salad had a nice mustard base and the skin on potatoes added a good hearty texture sure to fill.  The pasta salad was a delight. I like the addition of the artichoke hearts. A nice spin to the traditional pasta salad.  The raspberry topped brownie was fantastic! And the tartness of the raspberries nicely complemented the bold chocolate brownies and made the whole dessert not terribly sweet, as some brownies can be.  Kate says: Edible AND delicious!