Salads: Light & Healthy Post-Holiday Meals

January starts the resolutions to lose weight, exercise and just plain eat right. We have eaten our way through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's and we want to get our lives back into balance health-wise. The next holiday is in February, but it's just a quaint, lacy, chocolate-stupor inducing day. We might send flowers and we might send candy, but, at least, it's only one day.

My annual resolution is to stop making resolutions. Just like rules, they are made to be broken. Personally, I couldn't stick to a resolution if it was gorilla-glued to me. I don't make plans because plans just fall through. If it's someone's birthday we decide that day what we're doing. If a plan is made, invariably something will happen and the plan will have to change. So, no resolutions; no plans.

However, eating right is always a good idea. I'm not a fan of the philosophy that eating right will make you live longer, but, we all know eating right will make your body feel better. My body feels better when I'm eating fruits, vegetables, protein and a few whole grains. It feels crappy when I add french fries, pizza and pop (soda). Therefore, it only makes sense that I will eat what makes my body feel and run better. If I live longer because of eating better, will I even know? None of us knows how long we have. Two weeks ago I was at an eye doctor appointment when I felt like I was having a heart attack. I was rushed to the emergency room, hooked up, chewed some aspirin (yuck), given an IV and left to relax. Relax? I don't think so. It turned out that my heart wasn't damaged, but I started wondering about my lifetime of not eating much red meat, eating vegetables, fruits, protein and mostly whole grains. There isn't heart disease in my family, but this was quite a scare. Did I live because of my eating habits? Who knows?

Stay away from alcohol, the human body isn't made to run on alcohol. Instead, drink milk, juices or water. You will feel better. I've never understood why people spend money on alcohol. Don't they wake up sick? They spend money to make themselves sick. Just weird. Avoid foods which are high in fat...just avoid them, as in eat them once in a while, just not all the time. Avoid huge quantities of red meat. You know that restaurant in Texas that gives you a 5 pound roast and trimmings then gives you an hour to eat it and if you eat it all, it's free? Don't do that. Instead of eating the 5 pound roast, go for a 5 mile walk.

Shrimp & Pasta Salad

1/2 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained (enriched or whole wheat)
1 small can whole shrimp
1/2 grated carrot
1 sweet pickle, chopped finely (or relish)
1/2 onion, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp celery seed
1 tsp salt
1 cup lowfat or light mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients. Toss together. Serve chilled.

Cauliflower Beet Salad

1 medium size cauliflower
2 raw beets
1/4 tsp dry horseradish
1 tsp onion juice
romaine lettuce
lowfat or light mayonnaise

Put the cauliflower and beets through a food grinder. Add horseradish and onion juice. Moisten with mayonaiise and serve on romaine leaves.

Lettuce & Tomato Salad

2 cups shredded lettuce
4 Tbsp light cream cheese
1 hard boiled egg
4 ripe tomatoes
4 walnut meats

Place the lettuce on salad plate. Cut tomatoes in eights and arrange to resemble petals of a flower. Place a tablespoon of cream cheese in the center of each with a walnut on top. Crumble the egg and sprinkle over the centers. Serve immediately with your favorite low fat or light dressing.

Bell Pepper and Carrot Salad

4 carrots
1/2 onion
1 green pepper, seeds removed
2 sticks celery
2 tomatoes
Spinach leaves for garnish
light or low fat mayonnaise

Put carrots, onion and green pepper through the food chopper. Add finely chopped celery and tomatoes. Mix thoroughly with mayonnaise and serve on spinach leaves.

Stuffed Green Peppers

green peppers, one for each serving
4 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch chopped green onions
2 tsp vegetable broth powder
2 tsps olive oil
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

Hollow out as many peppers as you have people to serve. For 4 servings, mix the tomatoes, green onions, cottage cheese, olive oil and broth powder. Stuff the pepper cases with this mixture and place in beds of endive or lettuce. Garnish with ripe olives or grated carrots.

Fruit Salad Bowl

2 bananas
1 cup pineapple
1 cup strawberries
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 avocado
choice portion of two melons
2 oranges or 1/2 grapefruit

Arrange fruit on each plate. Add a few drops of lemon juice just before serving.