Here is a family-sized and kid-friendly salad recipe that incorporates pasta, fruit, and yogurt. It tastes best when made the day before and refrigerated, but keep the salad dressing separate and toss it together just before serving. As with many of my salad recipes, substitutions and variations abound – try different fruits to see what your family likes best. Just remember that you should have at least four full cups of fruit in total.
1 1/2 cups whole grain fusilli or other short pasta
1 14 ounce (398 ml) can of pineapple tidbits, drained
1 10 ounce (284 ml) can of mandarin orange segments, drained
1 cup of washed, halved and seeded red or green grapes
1/2 cup diced red apples (do NOT peel them)
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (thick, creamy yogurt is best)
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate that has been thawed
1 banana, sliced
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it is al dente, or firm. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain once again. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add the drained pineapple, oranges, grapes and apples. In a separate small bowl, stir together the yogurt and orange juice concentrate. If you are serving the salad within the next five hours, pour the dressing over the pasta mixture, toss gently and stir. Add the banana as garnish just before serving. This recipe makes 6 cups of salad. If you don’t have Greek yogurt,you can make a thicker yogurt by simply placing 1 cup of regular yogurt in a paper-towel lined (or use a coffee filter) strainer or sieve. Place the sieve in a bowl, cover the whole thing in saran wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. When you check it in the morning there should be liquid in the bowl, leaving thick yogurt (it will be a cottage-cheese like consistency)in the sieve.
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a good recipe for a summer buffet or barbecue. It goes well with cold grilled chicken, ham, or kabobs.