If you’re interested in bettering the food you eat but are not sure how to go about it, these recipes are for you. With bold taste and simplicity, start your change with these yummy delights.

Seasonal Sensation

Summer’s not over yet with this cool and refreshing salad. The sugared pecans that are used as a garnish can even be served as a snack.

Pecan Mandarin Orange Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoonshoney
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 heads red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
• 15 ounces can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cup chopped celery

Preparation

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, honey, dry mustard, celery salt, paprika and olive oil in a small jar with a screw-on top. Shake until well combined. For the pecans, combine them and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute and stir until the sugar is melted and the pecans are completely covered. Take off the heat and put on parchment paper, making sure they aren’t clumped together. Cool completely. When you’re ready to serve, combine the lettuce, oranges, sugared pecans and celery. Drizzle with the salad dressing, toss and serve.

Slimming and Savory

This dish can make you feel like your back home with the warmth from this healthy comfort food. Not only is this dish bursting with flavor, but it makes enough for plenty of leftovers. So invite some friends over or save it for lunch for the next couple days — we promise you’ll love it.

Baked Vegetable Pasta with Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 box of whole wheat rigatoni noodles
• ½ bag of fresh spinach
• ¼ cup of roasted red peppers from a jar
• 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 5 oz. of asiago cheese
• ¾ cup of olive oil
• 5 oz. of parmesan
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 5 links of turkey sausage

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a large pot of water with salt. Before putting in the pasta, pour in ¼ cup of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking to each other. Cook the pasta for eight to 10 minutes so it’s a little chewy but not fully cooked. While the noodles are cooking, put the rest of the oil into a frying pan on medium heat. Let it heat for one to two minutes before putting in the red onions. Cook for three to five minutes until they start to become clear. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Now that the onions and garlic are cooking, dump in the can of tomatoes and cannellini beans. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and mix until smooth. Cook for another five minutes. Once noodles have cooked, drain and mix in spinach, and transfer mixture to the large pot. Cut up the sausage links lengthwise and then in halves. With the ingredients in the frying pan, drop the sausage pieces into the large pot. Mix in the asiago cheese and half the parmesan cheese. Take the contents out of the pot and put into a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and golden brown. Cool for five minutes and serve.

Something Sweet!

Who thought apples could be eaten for dessert in a healthier way than apple pie? With this recipe you can still enjoy the warm cinnamon-apple taste from a traditional pie, but with far fewer calories!

Easy Baked Apples

Ingredients

• 2  Granny Smith Apples
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or 2 packets of Splenda
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter — optional
• 2 tablespoons raisins
  

Preparation

Core the apples, making sure to get the entire core and seeds out. Melt the butter and mix together with cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins. Put the combination into the cored out section of the apple. Heat on a microwave safe dish in the microwave for 2 to 2 ½ minutes.