Even tiny pastas provide big energy

Today’s Detroit Free Press Life section features an article singing the praises of tiny pastas like orzo, couscous and ditalini. Food writer Susan Selasky encourages

Even with tiny pastas, look for whole grain versions.

readers to ditch bigger shapes in an effort to “downsize” for potluck salads. Great idea.

We love how pasta can add energy-producing carbohydrates to summer salads, and agree that using smaller pastas will allow the vegetable ingredient flavors to shine through whole providing an even better balance between grains and greens. It’s a welcome summertime no-brainer.

Although more difficult to find, some smaller pastas come in a whole wheat variety, which is always top choice for a plant strong diet, in part for the fiber they provide. Try whole wheat Israeli couscous, whole grain orzo, or whole wheat orecchiette. We love how smaller pastas sometimes have a telltale “-ette” suffix to indicate their petite nature.

Not everyone loves the grainy flavor or texture of whole wheat pasta, so be prepared to test a few brands to see what works for you. Here’s an interesting article that weighs the specifics of pasta ingredients and talks about recent advances in pasta technology. When making traditional pasta dishes, one tip is to slightly overcook your pasta past the al dente stage, then adjust the proportion of a chunky vegetable-rich sauce so that you have more sauce (and vegetables!) and less pasta.

Selasky offers an orzo and broccoli salad recipe, which is a great start. But because of the hefty 1/3 cup of olive oil, each serving is 46% fat. We think we can do better than that, so here is our healthier version of her recipe. Enjoy!

Healthier Summer Orzo and Broccoli Salad

Serves 8

• 4 ounces whole wheat orzo (make extra to put in a soup this weekend)
• 1 large head broccoli, cut in to tiny florets (5-6 cups) (cut extra for your NESB)
• ½ cup green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup sliced black or green olives
• 1 large carrot, sliced thin or grated
• 1 cup corn, sliced from the cob
• 1 t dried leaf oregano
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ground black pepper and salt to taste

Dressing:

2 heaping T hummus
2 T balsamic vinegar or vinegar of choice
1/2 – 1 t mustard of choice

1. Cook orzo according to package directions.
2. During the final two or three minutes, add broccoli to blanche. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and retain broccoli’s green color.
3. Combine orzo and broccoli, onions, olives, carrot, corn, oregano, garlic and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
5. Pour dressing over ingredients and toss. You may not need all of this dressing or you may need more, so adjust to your own personal taste. Refrigerate one hour. Add salt to taste.

Bonus: We can never have too many salad dressing recipes, so check out this long list, courtesy of Healthy Girl’s Kitchen.

Break the bottle habit: a healthier alternative for your salad

Your fresh green salad, loaded with a wonderful variety of vegetables, is teeming with micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. It even has appropriate

Keep it fresh and healthy by finding an alternative to bottled salad dressings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

amounts of protein and fat. In short, your salad has everything you need for optimal health.

That bottle of salad dressing you are about to pour simply pales by comparison. It’s loaded with preservatives, fat and other unmentionables, so ditch the commercial salad dressing and give your salad something much more worthy.

While you might just reach for some extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, we’re learning that added oils (even so-called “healthy oils”) aren’t all that healthy after all. So break free. Dress your salad with something your body will enjoy.

Getting completely naked sometimes feels really good. But if you feel like you need a little something or its just not “perfect,” try fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice and a tiny sprinkle of sea salt. Or layer your salad with fresh fruits (even bananas!) to add a sweet creaminess to your greens. Here are some other plant-strong salad toppers, plus a recipe for a great all-purpose condiment that you are probably no stranger to.

• Very thinly sliced avocado (moderate amounts of fat are much better when still in the plant or fruit it comes from)
• Brown rice, lentils, quinoa, or beans
• Oil-free hummus thinned with a little water
• Roasted beats or olives
• Leftover roasted root vegetables
• Orange slices and cooked, shelled edamame (soybeans)
• Fruit vinaigrette made with raspberries, strawberries or blueberries plus apple juice, your favorite vinegar, onions, salt and pepper blended until smooth
• Jarred salsa (watch out for sodium)
• Apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard

Or try this fresh salsa recipe we have adapted from Food Network and enjoy liberally. Your salad will thank you.

Fresh Garden Salsa

Ingredients – combine all in a bowl and let sit or refrigerate for an hour or so to blend the flavors. If you can’t wait that long, don’t worry. It’s not harmful to eat it right away.

• 6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 seeded and minced jalapenos,
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste
• Fresh scallions, cilantro or parsley, to taste

What’s your favorite salad dressing? What tips do you have for ditching the bottle and getting fresh?