June 01, 2005

It is that time of year with fresh vegetables in abundance. Why not make use of them and create a wonderfully colorful salad? Fresh raw vegetables are even better for you than cooked vegetables because they have more nutrients – many nutrients are lost during cooking. Try this low fat salad that makes a great presentation for a nightly dinner at home or even that weekend picnic.

Vegetable Marinade Salad

• 3 medium summer (yellow) squash (slice thicker at ¼ inch)
• 1 medium sweet red pepper
• 1 medium yellow pepper
• 1 medium orange pepper
• 1 medium green pepper
• 1 small red onion (separate into rings after thinly slicing)
• 1 can (about 15 ounces) whole baby corn (rinsed and drained) or ¾ cup of thawed frozen corn
• 1 medium carrot (sliced thinly)
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine squash, peppers, onion, corn, and carrot in a large bowl. In a container (good for shaking) with a tight lid, combine the other ingredients and shake vigorously. Next pour over the vegetable mixture and toss making sure to coat well. Then refrigerate covered for 2 hours (or until chilled through). One ¾ cup serving has 89 calories, 3grams of fat, and no cholesterol.