If you haven’t yet had Applegate organic and natural meats, you’re in for a treat. The quality is superb, and Applegate franks are our app-solute favorites.

Another product on our “special indulgences” list is Applegate’s Natural Sunday Bacon: packed with old fashioned country bacon flavor but without added nitrites or chemical preservatives.

Made from select cuts of antibiotic-free pork and seasoned with natural ingredients like sea salt, Applegate bacon is smoked for hours over hardwood.

And now, there’s an even healthier version of Applegate’s Natural Sunday Bacon: Reduced Sunday Bacon, which delivers the same great taste with 25% less sodium.

New, delicious and 25% lower in sodium. Photo courtesy Applegate.com.

Then, whip up some BLTs or make this tasty salad:

RECIPE: BLT SALAD WITH AVOCADO & BUTTERMILK DRESSING

This pretty composed salad is like an avocado BLT without the toast. Homemade buttermilk dressing is a creamy treat.

The recipe serves 4 to 6.

An avocado “BLT” salad. Photo courtesy
Applegate.com.

Ingredients

Dressing Ingredients

 
Salad Ingredients

1. COOK the bacon until crisp, according to package instructions. Remove from heat, drain briefly on paper towels, then chop into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

2. PREPARE dressing. Place the buttermilk, olive oil, chives, vinegar and mustard in a large jar; seal tightly and shake well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and shake again to combine.

3. ASSEMBLE salad: Arrange the lettuce, avocado, tomatoes and bacon on a large serving platter or individual plates. Shake the dressing well and spoon some over the salad, saving some for people to add more if they like. Garnish the salad with the remaining chopped chives.
Find more recipes at Applegate.com.

  

You don’t want a bland chicken, so dig out
the spices and season away! Photo courtesy Butterball.

Of course, there are many options between those two extremes: numerous different ways to season a chicken, drawing from just about every cultural influence. It can be as simple as trussing the bird, then sprinkling or basting with your favorite flavors. Or, you can be as imaginative as you like. Here are some suggestions that leave out the sugar, so you can enjoy a broiled, grilled or roasted chicken as the lower-calorie protein it is.

Here are tips from Chef Johnny Gnall, starting with a…

 
MAKE YOUR OWN SPICE RUB

If you want to use a spice rub but don’t have one on hand, it’s easy—and far more economical—to create your own out of the spices you have in your pantry. You can use a simple ratio of two parts salt to one part each of any other spice(s). Johnny’s favorite is two parts salt to one part each of chipotle chili powder, coriander, cumin and light brown sugar.

WE’RE NOT ANTI BARBECUE SAUCE, by the way. Find our favorite barbecue sauces and rubs in our Rubs, Marinades, Sauces & Glazes Section.
 

HOW MANY PARTS OF THE CHICKEN CAN YOU NAME?

Check out our Chicken Glossary, which covers the different parts of chicken, the history of chicken and much more.

Chef Mark Dowling of LearntoCook.com has tutorials, recipes and tips to teach the basics to home cooks and families, including how to tailor each flavor of fruit spread to specific recipes and occasions. Here are some of his suggestions:

Jelly

Jelly combines fruit juice, sugar, pectin (a thickening agent) and acid into a clear spread that will hold its shape, even out of the jar. Jelly has a translucent color.

Jam

Jam is a thicker mixture than jelly and is made with chopped or crushed fruit, as well as pectin and sugar. Despite the soft chunks of fruit, jam will spread easily.

Pair jam with bread, toast and scones. Either bake jam into your favorite scone or muffin recipe by adding a 1/2 cup of jam, or serve it on top with clotted cream.

Marmalade is most often a citrus spread that uses the peel and pulp of the fruit; sugar is added but marmalade does not contain pectin. It is cooked for a long time, and when finished, displays the different parts and textures in a clear suspension.

Pair marmalade with salads and proteins. Vinaigrettes sweetened with a bit of marmalade are delicious atop side salads of bitter greens, such as arugula and kale. Marmalade is also excellent in a marinade or to glaze chicken.

Fruit Butter

Fruit butter is made by slow-cooking a mix of fruit and sugar until it is opaque, smooth and spreadable, with rich fruit flavor.

Pair fruit butter with your favorite cheese. Enjoy fruit butter on top of tangy brie cheese, wrapped and baked in puff pastry or on crostini with creamy goat cheese.

SMUCKER’S NATURAL FRUIT SPREADS

The famed maker of preserves has launched a new line of fruit spreads, called Smucker’s Natural. We enjoyed all four flavors: Concord Grape, Orange Marmalade, Red Raspberry and Strawberry.

And as now have four open jars in the fridge, we’re going to implement Chef Dowling’s suggestions, above.

 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF JELLY & JAM IN OUR GLOSSARY.
  

Think outside the lettuce box to other crisp salads that are fun, nutritious and provide variety. Today, how about a broccoli salad.

It’s very easy to make broccoli salad, with all the ready-to-eat broccoli available at the market. From florets to broccoli slaw, it’s been washed and are ready to go. (Of course, you can purchase an entire head and cut it up yourself). All you need to do is add some favorite ingredients.

Serve broccoli salad at lunch, as a dinner side salad or for healthful snacking. You can use the recipe below, from Love Beets, as a template, or let your creative juices flow.

This recipe serves four. The prep time is just 5 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients

 
Ingredients For Dressing

Preparation

1. MAKE the dressing by whisking together the oil and lemon juice. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Set aside.

2. STEAM or boil the broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender but with a little bite (we microwave it in a dish with a lid for 2 minutes). While the broccoli is cooking…

3. TOAST the seeds over medium heat in a small frying pan. Toasting releases the full flavors of the seeds, so don’t skip this step! Add soy sauce and cook over a medium heat, tossing regularly to completely coat, for about 3 minutes until the seeds are crisp and golden. Take care not to burn them or they will taste bitter.

4. ARRANGE the cooked broccoli and beet wedges on a plate, drizzle the dressing over the beets and broccoli, then sprinkle with the toasted seeds and chives. Add optional cheese. Serve immediately.

The all natural Veggie Muffins line is made of 1/3 fresh vegetables. Each muffin is shrink-wrapped for easy portability. Just let the frozen muffins defrost naturally or heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds; you’ll have an extremely moist treat that’s right-sized (not super-sized) at 120 calories per muffin (3 Weight Watchers points).

The recipe contains eggs, but is dairy free, gluten free, nut free and soy free. The line is certified kosher by Star-K.

Pair Veggie Muffins with coffee or tea for quick breakfast, tuck in with your lunch or for a healthful snack. You can keep them in the office freezer—although you’ll have to disguise them so co-workers don’t polish them off.

While the muffins don’t have as much veggie content as the larger-portion souffles, each muffin is made from 1/3 fresh vegetables and comprises not quite one daily serving of vegetables. But hey, they’re muffins!

The yummy muffins are available at select Costco locations and other retailers. Check the store locator for the store nearest you.

The four-pack will retail for around $4.99, and the Costco 14-pack is a bargain at $9.99.

Garden Lites calls itself “the delicious vegetable company.” We agree.

For more information, visit GardenLites.com.