Searching For The Well-Dressed Salad

Oscar Wilde was once quoted with this analogy -”To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist –– the problem is to know exactly how much oil one must put with one’s vinegar.”

There are many “tricks to the trade” when it comes to making a good salad, – the more dark greens, reds, oranges, and yellows you use, the healthier it is.

A colorful, nutritious salad is a perfect way to go, but your choice of salad dressing, however, can make or break the taste, and will wreak havoc on “healthy.”

I read something recently that makes a lot of sense – “Top a salad with a tasteless dressing and your salad goes to WASTE on the plate. Drench salads with a high-calorie dressing and they go to WAIST on YOU!”

For great taste while keeping track of fat and calories, here are a few suggestions and recipes for success.

Dry Greens Thoroughly: Dressing slides off damp salad greens and collects at the bottom. You’ll get more flavor with less dressing if salad greens are washed and thoroughly dried.

If you need to wash salad greens, the easiest way to dry them is in a salad spinner. After spinning, pat off remaining moisture with clean paper towels. If you don’t have a spinner, dry greens thoroughly with clean paper towels.

Avoid Adding More Salad Dressing Than You Need: Believe it or not, nutrition experts tell us that each serving of salad greens should have only about one tablespoon of dressing on it.

Experiment with Vinegars and Bottled Vinaigrettes: A classic French vinaigrette is typically three to four parts oil (usually olive oil) and one part acid (frequently red wine vinegar). Seasonings include salt, pepper, and often Dijon mustard and/or garlic. You may be able to use less oil and more acid ingredient if you use one of the following in your dressing: rice vinegar; white wine vinegar; raspberry, blueberry or other fruit vinegar; champagne vinegar; lemon, lime or orange juice. Start experimenting by beginning with two parts oil to one part vinegar or citrus juice.

Once you make your own dressings, it may be hard to return to purchased salad dressing. You have more control over the fat, salt and other ingredients, as well as the taste, in homemade dressings. But, it may be worthwhile to find some bottled salad dressings, especially reduced-fat ones, that you enjoy.

Don’t rush -add dressings to salad greens immediately before serving for best quality and taste.

Citrus Salad
6 cups torn mixed salad greens
3 oranges or 2 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned, and seeded
1 ½ cups peeled jicama cut into thin strips
1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/3 cup Citrus Vinaigrette ( see below)

In a large salad bowl combine torn mixed greens, orange or grapefruit sections, jicama, and onion rings. Drizzle with the vinaigrette; toss. Serve at once.

Citrus Vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar, combine 1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed; 1 Tbsp. vinegar; 1 Tbsp. olive oil; 1 Tbsp. water; and a dash of pepper. Shake well to mix. Cover and chill for up to 1 week. Before using, let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes, then shake well. Makes 1/3 cup

 

Spinach Mix
5 cups (packed) spinach leaves, washed and dried well
½ red onion, sliced thin
½ red pepper, sliced
1 whole cucumber, sliced
2 oranges, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup of bottled “lite” vinaigrette dressing

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.

 

Cool Turkey Salad
2 cups cubed Granny Smith apples
1 cup halved grapes
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup cooked turkey, cubed
½ cup low-calorie cucumber ranch salad dressing

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; stir gently to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving.

Source for this week’s ideas: National Cancer Institute 5 A Day Program.

To obtain your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” visit one of the stores in the Boone Drug chain, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, The Offices of High Country Media (Boone and Banner Elk) and The Avery Journal in Newland. See or call Gail Polson in Crossnore at (828) 733-0373; or call Sherrie at (828) 264-6761. For mail orders, send check or money order for $15 per book, plus $3 for S/H, to The Norris Co., PO Box 3285, Boone NC 28607.