Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love that it feels like summer and I get to make this salad again! I didn't used to like pairing fruit with my greens and realize others out there might feel the same. How glad I am that I kept tasting them at church functions, restaurants, and dinners with friends because I sure love it now! This is the one I make most often:

spinach

strawberries, sliced thin

sweet yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

pecan halves, I like to roast them with sugar first

I've added grilled chicken to this salad before too for a light, main-dish, summer supper. Yum.

Dressing:

½ Cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp raspberry vinegar (last time I used a pomegranate balsamic vinegar which was very good too)

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

¾ tsp poppy seeds, optional

 

In blender, puree ½ cup strawberries till smooth. Add sugar and vinegar; blend well. Blend in yogurt. Stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate until serving time. 

Chicken Lemon Pasta with Green Beans

I modified my earlier post with the pancetta and broccoli to use what I had on hand. This was pretty tasty. So pardon the repeat (sort of) and lack of picture (I forgot!).

2 thin chicken breast pieces
1/2 bag frozen green beans
Thin spaghetti
5 cloves garlic
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 T. finely grated lemon peel
2 t. fresh lemon juice
pinch of dried thyme leaves
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper chicken. Heat olive oil in medium pan and saute chicken until cooked through but not dry. Remove and let stand on cutting board. Transfer to paper towels.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted (VERY salted) water until firm. Add green beans and cook until green beans are heated through. Drain pasta. Add garlic to oil in pan (you might need some more oil). Saute until light golden brown. Add butter, lemon peel and juice and thyme leaves to pan. Add pasta and toss to coat. Add sliced chicken and cheese; toss to blend. Season with pepper and serve.