2     cups Farfalle (bow tie) pasta
4    cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2    Tbsp olive oil
1/2    cup pine nuts
1/2    cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency dried tart cherries
Salt

Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain water, leaving 1/8 inch of water in bottom of pan.  Return to heat, add the spinach leaves and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and add the olive oil, dried cherries and pine nuts.  Salt to taste.

Serve as a light lunch or perfect as a side dish.  For added flavor and appearance, drizzle with FruitFast Mixed Berry Liquid Fruit Supplement.

A super simple side dish to any entrée. Purchase packaged grated carrots to cut prep time.

1 /4 cup Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 small package grated carrots or 4 large carrots, grated
1 /4 cup chopped walnuts
1 /8 tsp salt

Soak the dried cherries in hot water for 20 minutes to plump; drain. In a bowl, combine, vinegar, oil, lemon juice and salt, whisk. In a medium bowl, combine raw carrots, walnuts, cherries and vinegar and oil dressing. Toss to coat.

Yield: 4 servings

This fruit salad takes little time to prepare and is super delicious. The citrus sauce is very light and does not overwhelm the flavor of the other fruit. Serve as a side dish; or as a perfect ending to any meal. I paired it with a hearty Chicken and Vegetable stew. Both are low fat and low calorie for a healthy winter lunch or dinner.

DRIED BERRY FRUIT SALAD WITH BRANDY CITRUS SAUCE

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 medium apple (your choice), washed and chopped
1 medium pear, washed and chopped
1 /4 cup toasted pecans, chopped * (you can substitute walnuts or almonds)
1 /4 cup Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries
2 Tbsp Brownwood Acres Dried Wild Blueberries (optional

Brandy Citrus Sauce:
1 tangerine
2 Tbsp brandy
1 Tbsp honey

Place fruit, dried fruit, and nuts in a salad bowl and toss gently to combine. Set aside.
Peel tangerine and over a bowl, remove seeds. Take each section and cut into thirds, allowing the juice to catch in the bowl. In a small non-stick sauce pan, combine tangerine pieces, juice, brandy and honey.
Heat mixture over medium-low heat until the honey is dissolved; stirring constantly. This takes only a minute or two. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes. Stir mixture into the fruit salad.

*Nuts are rich in antioxidants, but also calorie rich. Toasting nuts brings out the flavor and allows you to use less in your recipes. To toast, place nuts in a dry non-stick skillet and cook on medium-high heat until brown. Stir or shake while cooking. Watch very carefully as they can easily burn.
Yield: 5 (1 cup servings).

WINTER CHICKEN STEW

Ingredients:
2 cups sliced carrots (about 3 large)
1 cup sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
1 /2 cup sliced green onions
1 /2 cup diced onions
1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) cut into 1 inch pieces.
3 cups chicken broth (approx. 2—14.5 oz cans)
2 cups water, plus 1 /8 cup
3 /4 cups uncooked pearled barley
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
In a stock pot, over medium heat, sauté onions in the 1 /8 cup water. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with parsley sprigs.
You can also make this stew in a slow cooker. Place ingredients i(except parsley) in a slow cooker; cover and cook on low heat 8 to 9 hours.
Yield: Approx six (1-1 /2 cup) servings

This is a favorite holiday salad and pairs well with turkey.

1     can whole cranberry sauce
1     3 /4 cups water
2     3 oz packages cherry jello
2     cups red seedless grapes, halved
2     cups celery, finely chopped
1     large can crushed pineapple, undrained
1-2  cups FruitFast Dried Tart Cherries

Boil water and add jello to dissolve.  Add cranberry sauce. Stir to break up. Let cool. Add grapes, celery, pineapple and cherries. Pour into mold and refrigerate. Makes about 2 quarts.

A great way to use up some of that leftover turkey or chicken!  This salad is always a hit—makes a great main dish for a brunch.
4       Cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
3       stalks celery, chopped
1       bunch green onion, chopped
3 /4   Cups light mayonnaise
1 /2   tsp Dijon mustard
2       tsp sugar
1 /8   tsp tarragon
1       drop almond extract
3 /4   Cups FruitFast Balaton Dried Tart Cherries

Mix ingredients, making sure chicken is covered. Chill at least two hours before serving.  Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Here is an easy salad to whip together when having company. The salad looks good as well as tastes delicious. I found the recipe for the salad dressing in the October, 2006 Bon Appetit Special Anniversary Issue.

2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Ground white pepper

Whisk together vinegar and Dijon mustard in a small bowl, then whisk in honey. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and white pepper. Can be made three days ahead. Use at room temperature.

For the salad, combine a mixture of greens. I used romaine and baby spinach. Or use spring greens, about 9 cups. Place salad mixture, 1 /2 cup dried tart cherries, tomatoes, and approx 8 oz. crumbled goat or sheep cheese in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss.

This salad can be made 2 hours ahead of time. Let stand at room temperature.

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil

6 cups chicken broth
16 oz. orzo

2 cups red grape tomatoes halved or Roma tomatoes cubed
1 1/2 cups goat cheese cubed or crumbled (can substitute with Feta)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cups dried cherries
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans)

Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and olive oil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan bring to boil the 6 cups of chicken broth. Add orzo,
reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, but a little al
dente. Transfer to a large serving bowl and toss until cool. Add tomatoes,
cheese, remaining ingredients. Toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

The combination of ingredients in this green salad makes it disappear by the end of any meal — guaranteed to become a favorite.

Salad

1/4 cup almonds (sliced or slivered)
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
1/2 head of lettuce, greens torn-up
1/4 bunch romaine, torn-up
2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 green onions (w/tops) thinly sliced (2 tbsp)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup FruitFast Dried Cherries

cook almonds and sugar over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Spread on ungreased cookie sheet immediately. Cool and break apart. Store at room temperature. Place lettuce and romaine in plastic bag; add celery and onions. Pour dressing into bag; add oranges. Close bag tightly and shake well. Add almonds and dried cherries.

Sweet – Sour Dressing

Mix the following and shake in covered jar:

1/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil or combination
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid
1 Tbsp parsley (fresh or dried)
1/2 tsp salt

Everyone is ready for picnics and summer parties. This recipe is an old staple that can be made ahead and served cold. FruitFast dried fruits are easily obtained by going to Brownwoodacres.com, or calling toll free 877-591-3101.

4-5 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 medium onion diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup dried cherries
2 cups diced apple
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 /4 cup low-fat milk
2/3 cup Light Mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vinegar
Salad greens

In a small bowl whisk together milk, mayo, salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stir in liquid mixture, mix well. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, arrange salad greens on a plate and spoon chicken salad mixture on top.

At this time of year everyone is gearing up for the Holidays. We are fortunate to once again spend this special time of year with relatives. As I said in my intro, we were in the military for 24 years, nine of which were spent overseas and the rest hundreds of miles from family. As a result, inviting newly-found friends and co-workers over for gatherings helped us to start new holiday traditions. We now incorporate a little of where we have been and those we have met in our seasonal festivities.

A friend I met when we were stationed in Germany would bring salads to our get-togethers. Joy made the most fabulous salads. She would add lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Her salads were packed with strawberries, tomatoes, green onions, green peppers, celery, walnuts and whatever else she could think of to add. The salads were always very crisp, crunchy and ever so delicious—a total meal in itself. A most interesting choice Joy made was to include bananas! The thought of adding bananas to a tossed salad never crossed my mind—but I loved it! Now when I make a salad, I think of Joy and toss a banana in for good measure. It always makes me smile as I remember her signature laugh and the times we spent together.

Traverse City has a “local salad favorite” that includes cherries. Many restaurants incorporate dried cherries along with pecans and sometimes mandarin oranges topped off with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It is a favorite of mine when dining out. I include dried cherries anytime I can when making a salad for my family. I love all the health benefits they add. Sometimes I use walnuts instead of pecans, but cherries are a staple. No matter what kind of salad you like, add a few dried cherries (available at FruitFast) and try our take on the raspberry vinaigrette dressing listed below. P.S. Don’t forget Joy’s banana.

Mixed Berry Liquid Vinaigrette:

For (approx) 1 cup of salad dressing combine:

10 Tbsp olive oil (or walnut oil)
8 tsp FruitFast Mixed Berry liquid, or FruitFast Cherryflex or Pom Liquid
10 tsp. red wine vinegar (for a little zippier dressing add a little more
red wine vinegar, 1 tsp at a time.)

Whisk well, or put in a shaker bottle and shake vigorously.

The FruitFast liquid is very dense so will sink to the bottom; thorough mixing is necessary.