Ribbon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Summer is the best time for salads but keep them healthy by not adding too many high caloric, high fat foods.  Dr. Oz tells us that if we consume five different colors of food every day we can avoid many diseases.  A salad of many colors is fun to craft, can impress guests with your artistic prowess, and is delightful to eat! Use nuts (not the sugar-coated kind) instead of croutons and omit the cheese.

 I used a spinach base for this salad, then added cucumbers, tomatoes, cooked barley, left-over smoked salmon, craisins, left-over sweet potatoes, asparagus, raw almonds, and green onions.  SO many possibilities for veggies to go with this salad! Try shredded carrots, chopped avocado, celery, quinoa, black beans, fresh corn, chick peas, etc.  If you noticed, I used two different left-overs in this salad. Your family will love this salad, especially if you add ingredients they like!

Once I presented my beautiful salad to my audience (favorite guinea pig/husband) Don, I tossed and dressed the salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.  He loved it!

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsps. crushed garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper

Add ingredients to a cruet and shake well.  Drizzle over salad and toss with salad tongs. When dressing salads, just use enough to minimally coat ingredients.

Sweet Potato Salad

Paint outside the box with sweet potato salad!  I use Vegenaise instead of mayo and have created a bright, sweet and tangy summer salad great for picnics and beach outings. Absolutely NO cholesterol in this recipe!

Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, cubed, cooked sweet potatoes.  (approx. 4 lbs.)
3/4 cup Vegenaise
1 tbsp. deli mustard
4 chopped celery stalks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup, diced fresh pineapple
2 scallions, sliced
2 tsps. curry powder
1-2 tsp. grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp. fresh chopped herbs, e.g. parsley, dill, tarragon
salt/pepper to taste
1/4 cup chives 

Instructions:
Boil sweet potatoes.  Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.  Mix potatoes, curry, and Vegenaise.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Refrigerate approx. 2 hrs. before serving.  Top with chives.