Skating Uphill Recipes

Hilton Head Island Bread Salad
This is a hearty, fresh and filling salad that can be a meal in itself or a side for a small main course like grilled steak, fish or chicken. There are many bread salad recipes out there, but I like to call this one Hilton Head Island Bread Salad because I can buy fresh ingredients seasonally at one of the great, local farmers' markets. Here are two versions of the bread salad. Which one suits you?

My daughter-in-law, who is 5 feet tall, weighs 90 pounds, and eats like a horse gave me the original recipe so I will share hers first, but I have
created a "light" version, which I recommend (shown right).

Ingredients:
1 French-style crusty loaf bread
Ω cup Olive oil
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
2 Fresh ripe tomatoes
3 Celery stalks
2 Tbsp Fresh green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp Butter

Using as many slices as you need, based on how many you are serving (two-slices per person), toast the slices of bread in the toaster, then cube into bite-sized pieces.

Pour Ω cup olive oil in a bowl with two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and two tablespoons chopped cilantro. Toss until the bread is well coated. Leave the bread in the bowl while you chop two fresh ripe tomatoes, three celery stalks, and two tablespoons of fresh green onion (use the whole onion, green and white).

In a medium sized frying pan, melt two tablespoons of butter and pour in bread mixture sautÈing until the bread is heated through and crusty. Immediately add to the tomatoes, celery and onion, cilantro, and parsley and serve.

Judith's Lightened Up HHI Bread Salad
Ingredients:
1 French-style crusty loaf bread
Pam Olive oil spray
2 Tbsp lite Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
2 Fresh ripe tomatoes
3 Celery stalks
2 Tbsp Fresh green onions, slice
3-5 stalks Fresh asparagus, optional
2 Tbsp Butter

Toast the bread and cube and place in a bowl, just like above. Chop the tomato, cilantro, parsley, celery, and onion the same way and put it in the bowl you will use to serve. Also, if fresh asparagus is available, I like to add several spears finely chopped. Spray the bread cubes with Pam olive oil and sprinkle with Lite Parmesan Cheese. Toss until everything is coated. Spray Pam olive oil into a sautÈ pan and quickly sautÈ the bread cubes until crusty. Be sure to watch carefully because it can burn quickly. Feel free to spray again with Pam, if need be. Combine all ingredients and serve at once.

To your own taste, add anything else you think will compliment the flavors. I always add a couple of shakes of garlic salt, fresh ground pepper, and a little basil. I used dried if fresh isn't available. Just before you serve, try adding a little Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing to make it a bit more moist.

Also, since you have the bread out, cube some more and store it in a plastic bag in the fridge for croutons for another salad or for soup. Mmmm, This is so good!

Anytime Smoothie
Juice Smoothie
This is not only an anytime smoothie, the smoothie idea itself is also endlessly versatile. I list suggested ingredients, but in fact this is so easy to modify to your personal taste, that it is the perfect drink, snack, or even meal substitute. This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:
8 ounces of Lite cranberry juice (5 calories)
1 (6 oz.) container of fat free yogurt (60 calories)
A handful of berries-blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
 (30 calories)
Ω banana (45 calories)
5 ice cubes (0 calories)

Put everything in the blender and swirl to the consistency you like.

Milk-based Smoothie
Some people like milk-based or milkshake like smoothies and this is, again, one you can use as a base and substitute or add anything you like.

Ingredients:
4 ounces fat-free milk, soymilk, almond milk or any "meal in a shake" type of liquid. (I really like the Kellogg's Breakfast Shake, as it is one of the few that has some fiber.)
4 ounces of water
Ω cup of any fat-free frozen yogurt or reduced calorie ice cream
1 whole banana
1 (6 oz.) yogurt. (I really like Dannon Activia yogurt, but any type will do.)

Put everything in the blender and swirl to the consistency you like.

Please experiment with both of these recipes. That is the beauty of a Smoothie-it's easy to make it your own, and that is the secret to any healthy living program. The more you can personalize, the more likely you are to stick with it!