Low Sodium/fat, fresh Summer Salads (you can eat them all year!)

California Zesty Salad

Small box of fun shaped pasta

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1 cup celery, diced

½ cup mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed

½ cup apples, finely chopped w/o skins

½ cup water chestnuts, drained and rinsed- cut into little slivers

2 TBL fresh parsley

¾ cup fat free plain yogurt

2 TBL pure honey

1 TBL orange juice

½ Tsp poppy seeds

½ Tsp dry mustard or mustard seeds

¼ Tsp black pepper

Lettuce leaves; preferably Romaine

Cook pasta, drain and rinse with cold water.  Put in a large bowl.  Add chicken, celery, oranges, apples, water chestnuts and parsley, mixing well.  Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together honey, yogurt, orange juice, poppy seeds, mustard and pepper.  This is the “dressing”.  Pour over chicken mixture and mix well.  Serve on top of lettuce. 

** I have made the following salad before and it is delicious.  You wouldn't think that the bacon would add to it but it truly does!  You will love it!

Spinach Salad with Fruit and Bacon

6 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup finely sliced , fresh mushrooms

1 very small, thinly sliced red onion (or 1 cup worth)

1 large can of drained and rinsed mandarin oranges

2 slices of thick bacon, fresh from butcher

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBL lemon juice

2.5 TBL pure honey

1 TBL white vinegar

½ Tsp black pepper

Toss spinach, mushrooms, onions and ½ of the oranges in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy.  Save the bacon drippings in the pan; you will use them and the pan again.  Put bacon in a blender.  Add rest of oranges and lemon juice to the bacon in the blender.  Mix until all are pureed .  Add this to pan with bacon drippings, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well over medium heat until well blended.

Drizzle this mixture over the spinach combination.  Serve right away.