Salad Recipes

Creamy Salad Dressing

8 Servings
This delicious and easy soy-based dressing can stand head to head with everyone's favorite - ranch dressing. Look for silken tofu in shelf-stable cardboard containers. It has a different texture than regular tofu and is good for dressings and desserts. This dressing is good on a tossed green salad (remember to pick dark green salad greens), but equally at home on a baked potato or as a dip for raw vegetables. Add a bit of fragrant bleu cheese if you like.

Ingredients:
6 ounces silken tofu (or soft tofu, drained)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 33 calories, 3 g total fat (0 g sat), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 0 g fiber, 134 mg sodium


Tuna, Asparagus and Feta Salad

1 Serving

This delicious salad provides about 3 portions of vegetables - a generous start on the daily recommendation of 5-7.

Ingredients:
2 cups romaine lettuce torn into pieces
1 Roma tomato, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup steamed asparagus pieces
1/2 can (3 ounces) white albacore tuna, drained
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Mix the romaine, tomato and asparagus. Add the tuna and feta cheese. Sprinkle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the balsamic vinegar and toss again.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
307 calories
16 g total fat (6 g sat)
62 mg cholesterol
16 g carbohydrate
32 g protein
4 g fiber
807 mg sodium

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Turkish Spinach Salad

4 Servings

This garlicky salad is a nice way to eat spinach and a great way to get a nutritional boost. Use the best extra-virgin olive oil you can afford. Serve it with lentil soup for a simple, delicious supper.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, stems removed
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Dry the spinach, tear it into large pieces, and combine it with the tomatoes and scallions in a bowl.

2. Combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, and thyme, adding salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
118 calories
8 g total fat (1 g sat)
1 mg cholesterol
10 g carbohydrate
5 g protein
4 g fiber
150 mg sodium

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Salad Nicoise

2 servings
This is an elegant but simple whole meal salad. The addition of greens is our own touch. This is a "composed" salad - one in which the components are arranged artfully on the plate. If you don't want to take the time, it tastes just as good if all the ingredients are tossed together.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups looseleaf lettuce, torn into pieces
1 cup string beans, steamed until just tender
1 ripe red tomato, cut into wedges
1 hard cooked egg, cut in 4 wedges
1 7-oz can albacore tuna, drained

Instructions:
Mix together the olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, add half the dressing to the lettuce and toss to coat. Divide between two salad plates. Arrange the green beans, tomato, egg and tuna on the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
271 calories
12 g total fat (2 g sat)
144 mg cholesterol
16 g carbohydrate
29 g protein
5 g fiber
514 mg sodium

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Red Pepper Vinagrette

8 Servings
This salad dressing is nothing like your basic vinaigrette formula - but you'll soon want to use it nearly every day. The classic vinaigrette is made with 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. As you can see, this version has no oil in it at all, making it extremely low in calories. But don't worry - it's very high in flavor. Once you've tried this I'm sure it'll become your basic everyday staple for salad. And you can never eat too much salad!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
Pinches of rosemary and thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 of a roasted red bell pepper

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend to mix thoroughly.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
8 calories
0 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
2 g carbohydrate
0 g protein
0 g fiber
50 mg sodium

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Marinated Tomato and Sardine Salad

1 Serving
This low-carb salad is particularly good when plump, garden-fresh tomatoes are in season. Serve it at room temperature for best flavor. We're providing the nutritional information for the salad using 1/2 can of water-packed sardines. Feel free to use a whole can for one serving if you're less concerned with calories than with healthy eating. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are surprisingly low in sodium and saturated fat.

Ingredients:
1 large ripe tomato (preferably organic)
1/2 can sardines (water-packed)
1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

Instructions:
You can use the tomato as is (unpeeled and with seeds) but the salad is better if you peel the tomato after plunging it briefly in boiling water, and then remove the seeds. This reduces the water in the finished salad. Cut the tomato pulp into large chunks.

Mix together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic) and stir in the chopped basil leaves. Add the drained sardines and the tomato chunks.

Serve at room temperature, on a bed of salad greens or spinach.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
219 calories
12 g total fat (3 g sat)
28 mg cholesterol
21 g carbohydrate
13 g protein
9 g fiber
94 mg sodium

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Robust Beet Salad

8 servings
Beets are a colorful source of anthocyanins, the purple pigments also found in blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage. They are powerful antioxidants and may help protect against cancer and heart disease. This dish brings to mind pickled beets with a grown-up slant. It keeps well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
3 pounds beets
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice or cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (Japanese horseradish)
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut off the beet tops about an inch above the beet. In a large pot cover the beets with three inches of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil over medium heat until tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Drain the beets under cool running water. Slip off their skins. Trim off stems and root ends and slice the beets thinly.

3. Combine the sliced beets in a bowl with the other ingredients, add salt to taste, and chill. Stir several times. This salad will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
122 calories
2 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
25 g carbohydrate
3 g protein
5 g fiber
250 mg sodium

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Sardine Salsa Frittata

1 servings
This hearty omelet or frittata is a great way to pack a full serving of omega-3's into a breakfast. If you use the new organic and omega-3 enriched eggs, you'll be adding even more heart- healthy fat to your meal. If a full can of sardines seems like a lot to you, use half a can for each scramble or omelet. You can also substitute egg whites for the whole eggs if you're concerned with cholesterol.

Start to finish: 10minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves (preferably organic)
2 eggs
1 can sardines (water packed, well drained)
1 tbsp salsa

Instructions:
Mash the drained sardines well with the salsa. Fold into the beaten eggs with the spinach leaves. Cook on a non-stick pan sprayed with cooking spray, turning as needed until the eggs are set. Don't worry if the omelet breaks up. Or for a more elegant appearance, once the bottom of the frittata has set, pop the frying pan into a hot oven to set the top.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
329 calories
21 g total fat (7 g sat)
429 mg cholesterol
5 g carbohydrate
30 g protein
1 g fiber
343 mg sodium

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