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Appetizer Salad

Maintain the Magic: Quick & Easy Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

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Can you feel it in the November air? That buzzing, palpable excitement as the holidays draw near? With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, mealtime preparations are ramping up. But all too often, overwhelming obligations in the kitchen replace holiday delight with dread. This year, maintain the magic and minimize stress by prioritizing convenience and health. The following quick, easy and nutritious recipes will help you fully embrace the joy of the season.

A Palatable Warmup

 

Most guests arrive at holiday meals completely famished. Relieve their hanger with a low-maintenance, high-flavor appetizer: soup. This seasonal recipe for Roasted Carrot and Apple Soup combines Libby’s® Sliced Carrots and apples for a palate-pleasing warmup. Make the soup well in advance and freeze until the day of. Then, thaw it on the stove and keep at a low simmer until the crowds are ready to chow.

A Colorful Interlude


 

Balance out heavy side dishes with a fresh salad. This Colorful Chopped Salad, made with Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, Organic Garbanzo Beans and Cut Green Beans, is rich in color, flavor and nutrients. It also doubles as a next-day meal: just add protein from leftover ham, turkey, or chicken.

 A Fibrous Feature   


 

Turkey isn’t the only star in town: a tasty vegetable dish can easily steal the dinnertime spotlight. Veggies are a fiber-filled, low-calorie food option great for healthy weight maintenance and satiety. These Ginger Candied Vegetables—featuring Libby’s® Whole Baby Carrots, Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Sweet Peas— provide gut-friendly fiber and an array of nutrients. The best part? Preparation requires just one pot and five minutes of your time. Now that’s pure holiday magic.

Summer Salads for Every Occasion

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‘Tis the season for light, fresh meals full of flavorful veggies. We all have our go-to salads we make over and over again, but here’s some inspiration to pull you out of your salad rut to create delicious combinations the whole family will enjoy.

Super Food Salad

Dinner salads are a smart way to work in a variety of nutritious ingredients into one meal. Start with a leafy green such as romaine lettuce or spinach, add a colorful assortment of your favorite veggies and top it off with a protein source like hardboiled eggs, grilled chicken, beans, or canned fish.  For added flavor, incorporate fresh herbs such as dill, basil and parsley.  Beware of creamy dressings that can negate the healthy properties of your salad and instead opt for vinaigrette which is easy to make with a few staple pantry ingredients. We like this Salmon & Dill Green Bean salad as a complete meal in a bowl.

Salad for Picky Eaters

While it may seem that salads and kids don’t mix, sometimes picky eaters may be sensitive to particular textures or temperatures.  Mellowing out the intense textures in a salad could help.  For instance, if raw carrots are too rough or crunchy, try using Libby’s® Sliced Carrots and Sliced Beets over a bed of soft spring mix.  Our Beet & Carrot Salad is a great salad to start with.

Appetizer Salad for Backyard Barbecues

Complement your grilled burgers or chicken skewers with a tangy Easy Three Bean Salad instead of a high-calorie potato or macaroni salad.  This versatile salad can be served as a topping with tortilla chips or French bread, a top a bed of lettuce or simply on its own.

Salads in a Snap

With a well-stocked pantry, you can create a fantastic salad in minutes. Keep on hand canned veggies like Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Libby’s® Sweet Peas plus nuts, seeds, beans, canned fish and dried cranberries. In the fridge, store bagged lettuce and, if you have time, precooked quinoa and precut veggies. With all the ingredients right at your fingertips, a healthy, yummy salad is easy to throw together!