I just love cabbage, but not the usual salads made with cabbage, especially cole slaw.  I found this recipe and altered it slightly.  It is crisp, balanced and delicious.  Give me your feedback if you try it!

Ingredients:
¼ large head red cabbage, cored and shredded
1 to 2 ounces gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
⅓ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
Salt and black pepper

Instructions:  Put the cabbage, cheese, walnuts, cranberries, oil, and vinegar in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

I don’t care for anything made with mayonnaise, except perhaps aioli.  I decided to experiment with my own, mayo-free version of a chicken salad. 
  

Ingredients:
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
4 basil leaves
½ c vanilla yogurt –OR–½c sour cream and 3 T. honey
Salt to taste
1/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 c. chopped dried cherries or dried cranberries

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl.  Make sandwich with toasted bread or bagel; add dressed salad greens if desired.

Oh, blueberries and raspberries are abundant and beautiful right now.  Time to break out one of my favorite salads!  

Ingredients: 
1 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

Instructions:  In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the blueberries,   walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette. Top with feta cheese to serve.

Ingredients:
One 15.5-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 T. chopped parsley
1/4 cup diced shallot
2 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups (lightly packed) baby spinach leaves
1 T. chopped basil
 
Instructions
 
In a medium bowl combine the chickpeas, parsley and shallot. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Serve the chickpea salad over a bed of spinach leaves. Top with the yogurt sauce and a sprinkle of basil. 

Yogurt with Orange Essence:
 
In a small bowl, stir together 3 T. plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 tsp. orange zest, 1 T. orange juice and 1/2 tsp. honey.  Yield: about 1/2 cup

 

There is SO much zucchini on sale right now!  I love this simple salad that I'll serve tonight with my steak and corn cakes.   http://annacooks.weebly.com/1/post/2011/08/skirt-steak-with-corn-cakes-and-pomegranate-dollop.html

Ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one small tangerine (or really small orange)
1 T. honey
Pinch paprika
2 large zucchini, trimmed
3 large basil leaves, made chiffonade
1/3 cup pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup grated or shaved parmesan

Instructions:
Whisk oil, tangerine juice, paprika and honey together in a small bowl.  Set dressing aside.  Using vegetable peeler and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into thin ribbons Place ribbons in large bowl. Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add grated or shaved parmesan.

On Clean-out-the-Fridge Friday, I found a small piece of remaining smoked mozzarella cheese, a bit of grilled chicken, some cooked broccoli, about 1 T. each of pesto and crème fraiche, and some sautéed spinach in the fridge.  In the pantry, there was just a little bit of rigatoni pasta left, along with a bottle of roasted peppers.  This is just perfect for a rainbow pasta dish for Zoe, my one-year-old daughter. 

I cooked the pasta until done, cut the mozzarella into small cubes, and cut one of the roasted peppers into small strips.  I mixed the remaining ingredients together and chilled.  She loved almost all of it – she didn’t seem to care for the roasted peppers.