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By Root 850 0

could she get you some freshly ground black pepper before she leaves? You can use jarred roasted red peppers or one red bell pepper you roast yourself.

8 ounces shell-shaped brown rice pasta

1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups arugula

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

½ cup chopped roasted red pepper

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped in half

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe Sun-dried Tomato-Walnut Dressing (recipe follows)

First, cook the pasta al dente in salted water according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water, then place in the fridge to cool completely.

Once the pasta has cooled, toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Keep chilled until ready to eat.

TIP

If it works out for your personal food plan for the day, throw ½ cup of toasted walnut halves into the mix.

Sun-dried Tomato-Walnut Dressing

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(ABOUT 3

TABLESPOONS):

Calories: 40

Calories from fat: 20

Total fat: 2.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 4 g

Fiber: <1 g

Sugars: 3 g

Protein: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 360 mg

Vitamin A: 0%

Vitamin C: 2%

Calcium: 0%

Iron: 2%

I love the zesty flavor of sun-dried tomatoes but don’t love that they are usually packed in lots of oil. This dressing depends on walnuts instead of oil, and loose sun-dried tomatoes that are only packed in, well, air!

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (bought in dried form, not packed

in oil)

3 tablespoons walnuts

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

¾ cup water

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon salt

A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

First, rehydrate the tomatoes. Place them in a bowl and submerge in warm water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts. Preheat a small, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Toss in the walnuts and toast them, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. They should be varying shades oftoasty brown, and smell walnutty. Transfer immediately to a food processor.

Pulse the walnuts and fennel seeds to chop finely. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the marjoram, and puree until relatively smooth. Add the marjoram and pulse a few times to get it integrated. Keep the dressing refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days until ready to use.

Strawberry-Spinach Salad

MAKES 4 SERVINGS • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 160

Calories from fat: 40

Total fat: 4.5 g

Saturated fat: 1 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 26 g

Fiber: 4 g

Sugars: 10 g

Protein: 8 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 590 mg

Vitamin A: 150%

Vitamin C: 140%

Calcium: 15%

Iron: 30%

This is a simple and classic combination: sweet strawberries and earthy spinach, tied together by balsamic vinaigrette. It’s the perfect summer salad! I love a little crunch in this salad, so the sunflower sprouts make a nice addition. You can also opt to add a tablespoon of toasted almonds to your serving, if you like. A package of baby spinach makes this super convenient, but the weight of the bags vary, so if yours is only 12 or 14 ounces, don’t sweat it!

1 pound baby spinach leaves, washed well

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced thinly

1 recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette (page 17)

2 cups sunflower sprouts

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, and dressing. Toss together using tongs until well coated. Place on plates and top with sprouts. That’s all she wrote.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing

MAKES 8 SERVINGS • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(ABOUT ¼ CUP)

Calories: 35

Calories from fat: 10

Total fat: 1.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 6 g

Fiber: 1 g

Sugars: 3 g

Protein: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 105 mg

Vitamin A: 140%

Vitamin C: 8%

Calcium: 0%

Iron: 0%

This is a great go-to dressing for