Salad–Hold the Lettuce!

You’ve been living a lie. You do not need to put lettuce of any type in your salad! Try this chopped salad for a refreshing change of pace!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 red, orange or yellow pepper
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 7-8 Campari Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, dill, mint or basil

There isn’t much to making a salad. The ingredients are chopped and tossed together. The only way you can go wrong in making a salad is if you chose the wrong ingredients or you over dress the salad!

Let’s chat briefly about my ingredient selection:

1. The peppers–I never buy green peppers. They bore me. Red, yellow, orange peppers–they are sweeter and add some great color to your salad.

2. Tomatoes–I go with Campari tomatoes. These are those tomatoes that are small in size–larger than a cherry tomato, but no larger than say a golf ball. These tomatoes are sweet, and perfect for a salad.

3. Fresh herbs–I’ve discussed how well fresh herbs go in salads in a previous post. They brighten the flavor of your salad and add freshness. Use an herb you love, and you will also love your salad.

4. Lime or lemon–I use citrus in place of salad dressing. For those who can’t give up salad dressing, depending on the type you use, you may want to skip the lime. Lime would go well with a vinaigrette or an Italian dressing, but would likely clash with any creamy salad dressing.   

Keep this recipe handy. There will come a day where you have no lettuce in the fridge, but you want to make a salad! And lets not forget that as the spring and summer rolls around, you’ll likely want some light and refreshing good food!

Coleslaw in Five

Are you a fan of coleslaw, but you’ve never made it at home? Well, my friend, you are missing out big time! Homemade coleslaw is easier than you think and more delicious than you could imagine.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons pinot grigio vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups green and/or red cabbage thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• Juice from 1/4 lime

Okay, let me say a few words about the ingredient list:

1. Mayo and Sour cream–I’ve started buying light versions of both, because once they are all mixed together with the other ingredients, I can hardly tell that they are light versions. I may have mentioned this before, but the more I blog, the more weight I gain, and at some point I have to be conscious of what I eat!

2. The cabbage and carrots–I’ve been lazy lately, and will often times buy the preshredded, bagged cabbage from the super markets. I’m sure it isn’t cost effective, but if you use it, this recipe takes all of 5 minutes to whip together.

3. Red vs green cabbage–I like to use a mix of both because it looks more appealing, but be warned that eventually the red cabbage will bleed and your whole coleslaw may turn pink! So, if you’re using red, don’t make this more than a few hours in advance unless, you don’t mind pink coleslaw!

Well then, now that I’m done with my disclaimers, all you have to do is mix all the ingredients together, let the coleslaw chill in the fridge and enjoy this tangy, creamy, refreshing good food!

…want to know how I use my leftover coleslaw…take a look at that steak taco!

The Secret to Salad

Yes. Yes there is a secret to salad. A few secrets, actually. These secrets will allow you to add big flavor to your salad without all the extra calories. I will share these secrets with you, because as my blog has expanded, so has my waistline and I need to remember that good food doesn’t have to be heavy, but can be light and refreshing!

Without any further delay, here are the secrets:

1. Salt and Pepper–you need to add these two important spices to your salad. It might sound odd to you, but just try it. Have you ever wondered why we add salt and pepper to every other savory dish and not salad? Well wonder no more. Just do it. Fresh ground is my first choice. I use Himalayan Pink Salt–because I like the way pink salt looks!

2. Fresh Leafy Herbs–choose one you like, or one you have on hand, chop it and toss it right into the salad. A few of my favorite additions would be basil, parsley or dill. Don’t add rough or woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) those won’t work. The great thing about the herbs is they will pack in a ton of flavor without the calories.

3. Garlic–one minced or pressed clove of garlic will add a ton of flavor to your salad, but don’t over do it, otherwise it will be way too strong and your breath will make everyone run!

4. Lemon or Lime–again flavor without calories. I go with whichever I have on hand. Add a generous amount and once it’s mixed in with the herbs, salt and pepper, and garlic, most guests would be convinced that you already dressed the salad, and won’t even add salad dressing to it.

5. Last tip–for those not too concerned about calories–some fresh cheese is always a nice addition (feta, parmesan, and even cheddar), but for me, when trying to keep the calories down–I just stick to the first 4 items.

There you have it! A light refreshing salad–pair it with some grilled fish or chicken, and you have a satisfying, low calorie meal that is certainly considered good food!