The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (13 page)

Iceberg Lettuce Wedge with Russian Dressing

Poor iceberg lettuce… it doesn’t get any respect. It has been shunned for prettier boutique greens and also because people think it doesn’t have any health benefits. This is not true, for iceberg is more filling than more delicate lettuces, and it is also a good source of potassium. It is sturdy enough to stand up to thick salad dressings, as you can see here, in this steakhouse-style side dish.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

½ head iceberg lettuce, cut in half lengthwise to make 2 wedges

½ cup halved grape tomatoes

½ medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

½ small sweet onion, cut into thin half-moons

1 recipe Russian Dressing (
here
)

For each serving, put an iceberg wedge on a serving plate and surround with the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Top each wedge with the dressing and serve.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 194 calories, 4 g protein, 22 mg carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 3 g fiber, 12 mg cholesterol, 318 mg sodium, 444 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 vegetables, 2 fats.

Kale, Pear, and Bulgur Salad

Kale is not a tender green, but when it is massaged with lemon juice, it softens enough to be served as a salad. Kale’s natural bitterness is mellowed here with sweet pears, and crunchy walnuts do their part to make this a very interesting and tasty salad. Add roasted salmon to turn this into a main course.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

½ cup bulgur

1¾ cups boiling water

8 ounces curly kale

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 ripe pears, such as Anjou or Comice, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup walnut pieces, toasted (see “Toasting Nuts,”
here
) and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the bulgur in a medium heatproof bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand until the bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain in a wire sieve. Press the excess liquid from the bulgur. Set aside.

Pull off and discard the thick stems from the kale. Taking a few pieces at a time, stack the kale and coarsely slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and agitate to loosen any grit. Lift the kale out of the water, leaving any dirt behind in the water. Dry the kale in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle the kale with the lemon juice and salt. Using your hands, rub the kale until softened, about 2 minutes. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and add to the kale with the pears and walnuts. Drizzle with the oil and toss. Season with the pepper. Serve at once or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 295 calories, 8 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 8 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 278 mg sodium, 516 mg potassium. Food groups: ¼ whole grain, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, ½ nuts, 1 fat.

Potato Salad with Asparagus and Peas

Potatoes are a good match for many ingredients, and there is no reason your potato salad shouldn’t feature other vegetables to keep it from being too starchy. Yogurt perks up the standard dressing.

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

3 large red-skinned potatoes (1½ pounds), scrubbed but unpeeled

8 ounces asparagus, woody stems discarded, cut into 1-inch lengths

2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar

3 celery ribs, thinly sliced

½ cup thawed frozen peas

2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Set the lid ajar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander; keep the water boiling. Rinse the potatoes under cold running water. Transfer to a chopping board and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in the colander, rinse under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.

Cut each potato in half and then into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle the warm potatoes with the vinegar. Add the asparagus, celery, peas, scallions, and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Pour over the potato mixture and mix gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. Serve chilled.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 75 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 2 g fiber, 1 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium, 426 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 starchy vegetable.

Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

This hearty salad is especially good when made with green (also called Puy) lentils, which are more attractive than common brown lentils, but they both work well. Just be careful not to overcook them. If you make the salad more than a few hours ahead, it will probably need reseasoning with vinegar before serving.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

1 cup green (Puy) or brown lentils

2 tablespoons sherry or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin

1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, oregano, or parsley

4 ounces (1 cup) crumbled goat cheese

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook (just like pasta) until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain in a wire sieve, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil.

Add the lentils, bell pepper, celery, carrot, and basil and toss well. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.) Sprinkle with the goat cheese and serve chilled or at room temperature.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 170 calories, 9 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 11 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 21 mg sodium, 428 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 beans, 1 vegetable, 1 dairy, 1 fat.

Weeknight Tossed Green Salad

To help you calculate calories and other nutritional information in a big salad, here is one with the basic ingredients—greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a handful of nuts. Salad greens come in convenient premeasured bags (although they do need to be rinsed before using), or you can substitute 6 loosely packed cups of your favorite lettuces. Remember that colorful greens have the most nutrients. Add any of your favorite salad dressings in this book for low-fat options.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 (5-ounce bag) mixed salad greens

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced

½ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds or sliced natural almonds

American-Style French Dressing, Lemon Vinaigrette, Mustard Vinaigrette, Creamy Ranch Dressing, or Russian Dressing (
here
)

Toss the salad greens, tomatoes, and cucumber together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the seeds. Drizzle with the dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving without dressing) 89 calories, 4 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 389 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 vegetables, ½ nuts.

Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I’m giving the recipe for this delicious, naturally sweet salad without any protein so it can be served as a side salad for dinner. However, with the addition of some goat cheese or sliced chicken breast, it is easily transformed into a main-course salad.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin

2 tablespoons water

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

7½ cups (6 ounces) baby spinach

½ cup toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped hazelnuts (see “Toasting Nuts,”
here
)

4 ounces (1 cup) crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Coarsely chop ¼ cup of the strawberries and transfer to a blender. Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.

In the blender, puree the chopped strawberries, vinegar, oil, water, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the poppy seeds and pulse once or twice just to combine.

Toss the baby spinach and strawberry dressing in a large bowl. Add the hazelnuts and reserved sliced strawberries and toss again. Sprinkle with the goat cheese, if using. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving with optional goat cheese) 211 calories, 4 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 5 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 291 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, ½ nuts, 1 fat, 1 dairy.

Salad Dressings

Salad dressings can be the downfall of many a well-intentioned diet plan. Here is a collection of homemade reduced-fat, low-calorie dressings that I guarantee are better than any commercial brand in a bottle. All of these dressings can be refrigerated in a covered container for at least 3 days. Whisk them well before serving.

American-Style French Dressing

If you like thick, red “French” dressing, this one’s for you. (There really isn’t anything French about it, so how it got its name is a mystery.) It is best served over sturdy greens such as romaine lettuce.

MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP

¼ cup no-salt-added tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed through a press

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, shallot, water, vinegar, garlic, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 2 tablespoons) 90 calories, 0 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 24 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 fat.