Produce pundits jump for joy

Amongst the quagmire of information we're constantly being inundated with, here is one of the best darn health advisories yet:

Eat more green vegetables.

Yes, I know, I go on and on about the virtues of veggies, but with good reason. If we all ate more of them, we'd be a lot better off in the health department.

Granted health doesn't sell like sex or being buff, but I think if the 5 to10 a day campaign people really wanted Canadians to pound back the fruits and veggies they'd hire a scantily clad Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie feeding each other kale. Instead, our poster boy is more likely to be PM Stephen Harper in a Speedo eating a big bowl of over-cooked brussels sprouts.

Unfortunately, marketing Brad and Angelina as the 2008 Fruit and Veggie Couple of the Year is a tad expensive and I'm sure the Swiss Chard Farmers of Canada don't have that kind of cash.

So, in good Canadian low-key fashion, how about I give you an amazing recipe for a killer salad dressing and you go from there. Start off slow with romaine, baby greens, and spinach, and then eventually you get to play with the big boys dabbling in broccoli, asparagus and kale. You'll go from salad dressings to stir frying in no time. It's all about baby steps.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

Makes: ¼ cup (60 mL)

Use 1 tbsp. (15 mL) per serving

I created this for a dinner theatre fundraiser at my church. Everyone loved the recipe so much they were coming into the kitchen to write down the recipe. The only problem was the version that was posted on the wall served ninety-two, oh well; hopefully they were good in math.

• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed*
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) canola oil
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) honey
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) Dijon mustard

Whisk together in a small bowl. Serve or store in fridge for up to 2 days.

Each 1 tbsp. (15 mL) serving contains
50 Calories, 3.5 g Total fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 15 mg Sodium, 7 g CHO, 0 g Fiber,  0 g Protein

* Yes, it's the type that you buy in the frozen food section. Remove the lid, scoop out what you need for the salad dressing and then either carefully put it back in the freezer, it will still be frozen, or make the rest into orange juice.

Recipe from: Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health and don't forget the chocolate! (Whitecap, Mairlyn Smith P.H.Ec. & Liz Pearson R.D)