Side Salads

Alright, fess up, how many vegetables do you actually eat a day? You are supposed to get from 6-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. A serving is roughly the size of your fist. I will absolutely admit it. As much as I feel I try to add multiple vegetables to every meal, even breakfast, I still need vitamins to supplement my lack.

One easy solution is side salads and appetizers to help fill you up before you overeat a rich meal. I love salads, LOVE them, and they are primarily made up of mostly fruits and vegetables. The problem? Everyone else's salad tastes better. I love to eat salads when I go out to eat, but making them at home is not the same. Maybe it's the dressing?

Here are a few side salad recipes I have found to be quite rewarding and easy to make. I mostly enjoy salads with baby spinach and romaine, but I have recently found that I like endive and a wide variety of romaine lettuces. Use what you like. Iceberg lettuce is useful for some recipes, but it does not score very high in nutrition for a vegetable. Stick to greens that are, well, green!

Tomato and "Mozzarella" salad

fresh basil leaves, Julianne cut

2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

sliced cheese e.g. white American, provolone or other low-fat white cheese

hearts of romaine, finely chopped (optional)

balsamic vinaigrette, low-fat (not fat free)

Half the cheese slices into triangles. I have also seen a version using goat cheese slices but my favorite is white American. Trader Joes actually sells mozzarella slices made with goat's milk. It's actually delicious. Do not use fresh mozzarella if you want to avoid expensive and fatty cheeses.

Heirloom tomatoes make this dish because of their beautiful color and few seeds. Layer tomato slices and cheese triangles, alternately, over a bed of finely chopped hearts of romaine. I normally just serve the tomato and cheese slices, but I tried a version over lettuce, and it was very satisfying. Top layers with basil and vinaigrette. Fat free dressings are made with water and very dissatisfying. Low fat varieties still offers some heart-healthy olive oil and filling fats while still cutting calories.

Mediterranean salad

romaine lettuce, chopped

cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pita picket, torn into tiny pieces

feta cheese crumbles, flavored or plain

chickapeas (optional)

Mediterranean dressing e.g. balsamic vinaigrette or black olive with feta

On a medium cooking sheet, layer pieces of pita. Spray with oil and bake on 400 for 5 minutes or until crisp. These light "crutons" give this side salad a little crunch. I like to use the mini pita pockets sold at TJs because the pita is thinner. The black olive with feta dressing is offered by Kraft, and it is one of my absolute favorites. Be sparing, but a little goes a long way on taste.

Baked goat cheese salad

12 oz. goat cheese e.g. plain, lemon citrus, or herbed

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs or Panko

dried fruit e.g. cranberries, currants or raisins

spring greens or baby spinach (stemmed)

sliced almonds

sweet vinaigrette e.g. pomegranate, poppyseed, raspberry (full fat)

The first time I tried this recipe I accidentally bought a citrus-flavored goat cheese log, but it is by far my favorite version. I would not use a peppercorn variety on this dish though. Make sure cheese is cold and cut log into half-inch rounds. Drench rounds in egg and bread crumbs and layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray rounds with oil and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Layer greens with dried fruit (I prefer cran-raisins) and almonds. Top each salad with two or three cheese rounds and serve with a side of dressing. I do not recommend low-fat sweet dressings because of the artificial sugars and colors. Buy organic to avoid artificial ingredients. Or dress your salad with simple olive oil and vinegar.

Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

It's tomato season! My poor CSA is suffering from the heat of a Raleigh summer, but we have gotten to enjoy some of his tomatoes already.

This is delicious pizza recipe with few ingredients but so much taste and a little bit goes a long way to satisfy. I have added spinach for nutrition and color as well as a little more cheese just to get everything to stick together. This recipe comes from a Cooking Light recipe that featured tomatoes.

Trader Joes sells great premade pizza dough for only $1. I have learned to use their whole wheat option more often, but nothing beats the taste and texture of their white flour dough. They used to carry an herb and garlic edition, but I have not seen that option for some time now and doubt they carry it anymore. I have learned to add my own herbs to the pizza to make up for it's absence.

Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

pizza dough, make your own or buy Trader Joe's variety

cornmeal

Italian herbs, optional

1/2 cup shredded white cheese, such as fontina or mozzarella

1 cup Gorgonzola cheese

2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced and seeded if necessary

2 tbsp fresh basil

one handful baby spinach, finely chopped

garlic pepper

Let the pizza dough sit for at least 20 minutes or until it is room temperature and begins to slightly rise. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Don't knead too much or the crust gets hard. Roll out your dough on a floured surface. My pizzas are always shaped in crazy designs so don't try so hard to make a perfect circle. As long as the crust is the same thickness throughout then it will all taste the same. Spread some cornmeal on your baking sheet or pizza stone and transfer your dough to your cooking surface. Do NOT use cornmeal as your dry ingredient when rolling out your dough. I don't know the chemistry of it but your dough will become tight and contract and you'll never get it rolled out.

Fork dough several times to avoid air bubbles. Lightly spray oil e.g. PAM or brush olive oil onto the crust with a pastry brush. Add herbs of your choice e.g. oregano, rosemary. I would say definitely go with fresh herbs for this pizza since you don't want to overwhelm your tastes buds with concentrated flavor. Fresh herbs are lighter in their flavor.

Sprinkle gorg cheese over crust. Top cheese with finely chopped spinach. You want to cover your pizza sufficiently because the spinach will wilt when cooked. Top spinach with slices of tomato. Heirloom tomatoes are so tasty because they have more tender "meat" in them then genetically-modified tomatoes. As a result, you also have fewer seeds. You want to seed your tomato if it is juicy so you get a sun-dried taste. Top tomato slices with white cheese - just enough to keep toppings from piling off the pizza. I used TJ's low-fat mozzarella but if you are making this dish for company I highly recommend fontina or fontiago. Top with basil and garlic pepper.

Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is crispy and cheese is melted. Turn to broil for a minute or two (don't leave the kitchen) to brown the top cheese, if desired. This is an addictive and beautiful pizza for guests or summer evenings on the porch. It is also classy enough to eat with wine. I suggest a Viognier - crisp white wine that is dryer than Pinot Grigio but cleaner than Chardonnay.

Southern Tomato Pie

Sorry to those of you who are getting a repeat of this recipe. I meant to post this at a later date i.e. today.

This is the only Paula Deen recipe I have ever made, but it is a big hit. To be honest, I've never had a bite of it myself, but I constantly bring it to pot luck dinners and it is a big talk among guests, so I trust their judgment. Just be sure to bring more than - one pie feeds about six people.

I am not going to even try to play this off as a healthy, vegetarian side dish. However, there are some things you can do to cut back on the amount of calories you add to this party favor.

Tomato Pie

2-3 large tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 refrigerated pie shell, such as Pillsbury
1 cup grated white cheese
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup lite mayonnaise, such as Kraft Olive Oil or Smart Balance (NOT Miracle Whip)
coarse salt and pepper

I highly recommend buying your tomatoes at your local farmer's market or getting them from your garden. This recipe does not do well with tough, white tomatoes. You do want to seed your tomatoes, although I didn't skin them as the recipe recommends. Cut off about one inch of the bottom of your tomato and take a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. If you are using several tomatoes-on-the-vine or Romas you can just squeeze and work the seeds out with your hand.

Roll out your pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan. I have used the frozen pie dish for this recipe, but it doesn't work as well. Stab dough with a fork and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

When choosing mayonnaise, do not assume that low fat means "just as acceptable". I will promote Kraft products all day, but you cannot cook with Miracle Whip. I'm not even sure what it is. Duke's makes a great mayonnaise, but I cannot justify the calories. You can make your own from Martha or a lite recipe, but I haven't tried that yet. As soon as we get our chickens and have more eggs than we know what to do with I will let you know how the mayonnaise turns out. The best reduced-fat mayonnaise I have cooked with is Kraft's Mayo with Olive Oil with half the fat and calories but all the 'body' of full-fat mayo.

When choosing your cheese, you can have a lot of power over cutting back calories. Nurtrition Action found that low-fat Cobot and low-fat Sorrento are the best low-fat cheese that still include nutrition. For this recipe I used 75% less-fat Cobot white cheddar and Sorrento low-fat mild cheddar. Paula Deen's recipe calls for mozzarella, which Sorrento makes in low-fat as well. Amounts will vary, apparently. In my kitchen laboratory 8 oz is one cup. But when you buy the shredded cheese packages, 8 oz is two cups. I start with one cup mayonnaise and mix cheese until well blended, no more than 16 oz total. Season with coarse salt and pepper and let sit.

Layer slices of tomato into the bottom of the baked pie crust. After each layer spread basil leaves and green onions over tomato before adding another layer. I could only put two full layers into the pie dish before it started to get too full, but you may have a lot more room if you are using smaller tomatoes. If you feel your basil is not being spread enough across the pie, use some dried basil. I forgot the green onions the last time I made this, which didn't seem to make a difference in taste. I love onions, but if you are without don't feel the need to make an extra trip to the market to buy them.

Cover your sliced tomatoes with the mayo-cheese spread. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn oven to broil and keep an eye on your pie until the cheese starts to brown, within 3 minutes. Do not eat this pie alone; you must have company to help you.

Homemade Ravioli

This was a Martha Stewart "Quick Ravioli" recipe that is not so quick. It is faster than making the pasta sheets yourself but not a 30 minute meal either. This recipe is still somewhat time-consuming, but worth the effort. It makes dozens so it is perfect for a nice dinner for hosting a small group or a special occasion for a significant other. It also works great for leftover won tons or egg roll wrappers that you struggle to use before they go dry.

My mother and I have since revamped Martha's recipe to include more goody fillings and some variations on sauces. A friend reminded me of these raviolis when I realized I don't have a big variety of vegetables in my recipes, especially broccoli. When it occurred to me that my ravioli recipe is vegetarian, I was so excited to post it.

Homemade Ravioli

1/2 pint of ricotta cheese

Italian herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, etc)

1 pint mushrooms, preferably baby bellos

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 head broccoli, steamed

garlic salt/pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 pack of egg roll sheets (available in the vegetarian section)

2 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

Steam broccoli by snipping broccoli florets from the stem and laying them in a single layer in a steam basket over a shallow pot of boiling water. Cover and check on after 5 minutes. When broccoli is bright green and tender it is done. If you do not have a steam basket you can put broccoli in a Ziplock bag with some water (1 inch) and microwave for one minute. This is not preferred since cooking plastic can put toxins in your food, but there are great alternatives that are now on the market.

Preheat oven 400 degrees and toast walnuts until fragrant, no more than 10 minutes. Sauté mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat. Season with garlic salt and pepper. I love garlic but if you think fresh, minced and garlic seasoning are too much, just use coarse salt and pepper to season. Chop broccoli florets and mushrooms and add to 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. Mix well, adding Italian seasoning or fresh Italian herbs, if available. If you want to use some grated parm to add a little more taste, do a few tablespoons in the ricotta mix.

Martha uses won ton wrappers for her ravioli, which I did for the longest time, but find that they are much more time-consuming. I take one egg roll wrapper and cut in half with a pizza cutter, or any straight cutter, and fill one side of the half-wrapper with one tablespoon mix. I wet a square around the mix and fold over. The won ton wrappers are not square and are more likely to break when boiling. Do not use more than 1 tbsp of the mix or the ravioli will bust from the moisture of the ricotta. Since this is the most time-consuming part of the meal you will allow plenty of time for the wrappers to stick together before you boil them.

Start a pot of boiling water and add a bullion cube. The chicken adds the most flavor but if you are a strict vegetarian the vegetable bullion also adds flavor. Boil no more than three raviolis at at time or they will get too crowded or you might lose them. Time the raviolis for 2-3 minutes. It will not take long for them to boil and over boiling will cause them to break. These are very delicate raviolis so be careful and don't get frustrated. Pile the raviolis on top of one another on a rimmed plate to keep them moist while you boil the rest. Do not put down a paper towel because they will stick.

Serve raviolis with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, toasted walnuts and julienne-cut basil or some more parm if you prefer. For a lighter sauce use 1/4 cup pasta water with 1-2 tbsp of pesto.

What's in Season? Asparagus

Okay, I have a cholesterol/blood pressure check this week, so I need to be ultra-conscious of saturated fats this week. To celebrate my new William Sonoma "it costs what?" gourmet pizza cutter, we are making pizza his week.

Let me preface by saying I do not like asparagus. It was one of those vegetables on the ultimate vegetable list that I was hoping would be at the bottom. However, it is packed full of folate and other vitamins I don't regularly get in my every day diet. So when I learned that asparagus was in season right now, I figured I needed to find a recipe I like with the little pegs. I was inspired by this photo.

Yes, another pizza, but I did go out on a limb and use the whole wheat dough that is sold at Trader Joes. I tried this kind several months ago and hated it, but I figured if we are going all vegetarian, then there is no sense in adding white flour to the recipe. Since I hardly leave a crust on my pizza and I have wall to wall toppings, it was not so bad as I remember. This pizza is so packed with flavor, you really can go with the whole wheat without effort.

When I buy basil, I get it in huge bunches that I can hardly use in one setting before it goes bad. You have one of two options here: make your own pesto or freeze for a later use. At first I thought there is no way frozen and revived herbs are going to taste good, but Martha has a tip for freezing herbs with oil in ice cub trays. This works great for the same tiny trays you use for freezing tomato paste. I used two cubes and sautéed with garlic until melted before adding vegetables. Groceries have also started to sell tubes of herbs for easy storage. Can be expensive though.

Colorful Asparagus Pizza

1 serving whole wheat pizza dough (homemade or Trader Joe variety)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 ice cubes of frozen basil or fresh or tube basil
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1.5 inch stems starting from the top (don't use think end of stalk)
1/2 - 1 pint grape tomatoes (yes grape, not cherry), cut in half
1/2 - 1 pint mushrooms (I used baby bellos but whatever you prefer will work)
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
handful baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Italian seasoning
Asiago/Parm cheese blend (Trader Joes has the best but Sargento has great-tasting low-fat Italian cheese blend too) Nutrition Action has some good cheese recommendations.

Heat your pizza stone, if using, in the oven at 450 degrees. Normally I will just turn on the oven and shove the stone in while the oven preheats so you don't lose any cooking time. Roll out your dough into a thin crust. Dust cooking sheet with corn meal to keep dough from sticking. Put dough on hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Stab with a fork several times to let air bubbles out and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Saute basil oil cubes with garlic until melted and brown. First add asparagus and saute until bright green. Add grape tomatoes and cook until soft. I chose grape tomatoes for this recipe for two reasons (1) tomatoes are not in season and the grapes were the only ones available at TJs and (2) the grapes are less juicy and keep their shape better when soft or baked. Add mushrooms when vegetables are about done. Stir in vinaigrette. The dressing should have enough salt for the vegetables, but you might want to add some black pepper.

When the crust is slightly cooled, spread the ricotta edge to edge. I like using ricotta for pizza because vegetables need some "stick" to the pizza and it makes for a lighter taste. You can use tomato sauce if you like. You can add the Italian seasoning to the ricotta or top the pizza with it. Top ricotta with fresh spinach and vegetables. I used a slotted spoon for the vegetables to avoid too much of the dressing from getting on the pizza. Top with asiago cheese blend.


Bake for 15-20 minutes or until you get the desired browning. I tried to take photos while I made my dish to give some direction. I look like a messier cook than I really am. But this pizza was a perfect color and texture. I thought it would feed us for days but it goes fast. Enjoy!

Grilled Portobellos with Summer Couscous

Hopefully you all had as wonderful a week as we did. The spring warmth and sunny skies can only mean one thing: it's grillin' time! Grilling is a wonderful and tasty way to cut down on oils used for cooking. However, new studies have shown that overcooking food has damaging health effects, so be cautious (look in Nutrition Action archives under September 2009).

Nutrition Action (look for July/August 2009) features some recipes in their journal. There are very few recipes I have tried from this journal because, frankly, they are too healthy. I wish I was one of those people who only ate the fruits and vegetables needed to get through the day, but I LOVE food; I love to cook food, read about food, try different foods, etc. For this reason, I need food that tastes and sometimes no oil, steamed vegies with a side of quinoa does not do it for me.

Quinoa has been all the craze lately because of its grain consistency and overwhelming nutritional value in iron. Unfortunately, due to a bad experience in my home, we have not caught onto the hype. Yes, quinoa is good for you, but the texture is too close to contemporary couscous and cooking it was a disaster. Not to say you won't have a wonderful experience with quinoa, but for this recipe I have substituted Israeli couscous. The consistency is closer to rice or orzo.

Grilled Portobellos with Summer Couscous

4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crush or 4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c balsamic vinaigrette
2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium if you have it)
4 portobello caps
2 red bell peppers, ribs removed and sliced (green bells are cheaper but I think red are better for this recipe)
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 box prepared Israeli couscous (about 2 cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch basil, julienne cut
2 oz feta cheese crumbles (seasoned for plain)

Make marinade: whisk 3 tbsp oil, garlic, vinaigrette, and soy sauce. Season with fresh pepper (the soy sauce makes up for the salt, don't add in addition). Using a pastry brush, saturate mushrooms, peppers and onions with marinade. If you don't have a pastry brush, add marinade and vegetables in a plastic bag and soak for a few minutes. Marinades help keep grilled foods from overcooking.

Set grill to medium (or whatever you call 'medium' on your charcoal grill). The vegetables will grill much better in a grill basket. Continue to baste vegetables with marinade until soft and slightly charred, about 5-10 minutes.

Toss prepared Isreali couscous with 1 tbsp oil, tomatoes, basil and feta. Season with fresh ground salt and pepper. You can add other vegetables to this side dish as well. I added some leftover zucchini that I slightly sauted. Also try cucumber, mushrooms or minced shallot. Serve couscous side with vegetables.

This is one of those recipes that you make when it's a warm night and you don't want a heavy meal OR you want to gorge into some dessert but not take on too much guilt for it. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

Add-ons to Martha Stewart's Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

This is just about word-for-word what I do for this recipe as well. Some tips: do not overcook the gnocchi; otherwise it will taste like mashed potatoes. I use Trader Joes fresh gnocchi (in the pasta aisle) mostly because I can't find frozen and fresh is so much faster.

I do not like grape tomatoes as much as I like cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are more tender and mix better in this dish. To add a bit more flavor and a thicker sauce, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste after the vegetables are sauted. You don't particularly add a lot more calories with paste but you double the flavor. But watch out for tomato paste with added salt; you may not need to season your vegetables if your paste has salt already.

Tomato paste is one of those staple items that are terrible to store. I use one inch cube sized ice cube trays to store and freeze leftover tomato paste after I've opened the can. Some groceries will sell a tube of paste for easier storage, but you normally pay more for that luxury. The ice cube trays give me the amount that I need (about one tbsp) and an easy way to store leftovers. I have been floored by how many times I use tomato paste now that I know it is readily available.

This is one of those times I will highly recommend fresh basil over dried. Fresh herbs are hard to come by unless you have your own garden (which you should!). I am perfectly okay with substituting dried for fresh, but this is not one of those occasions. Fresh basil adds depth and texture to this dish that cannot be substituted. Julienne cut the basil: layer several leaves of basil and roll into a cigarette-style tube. Thinly slice basil to get lovely ribbons. If you have one, use a plastic knife to avoid browning the basil leaves.

Another healthy tip is to top your dishes. Stirring two tablespoons of parm is hardly going to add taste to your dish, but if you dress your meal with a garnish of parm you get more taste without adding too much cheese. I did include the butter in this meal, but I used Brummel and Brown, which is a yogurt-based butter with fewer calories and no hydrogenated oil.

Another "no substitute" rule for this meal is fresh lemon juice. I used the bottled kind for years, but fresh lemon juice is so much better, especially for summertime dishes that emphasize light and citrus flavors. One reason I was skeptical about buying fresh lemons is lack of use. I would use one tablespoon from half a lemon and throw out the rest. BUT lemons are a fantastic cleaning agent. I use lemons to clean my counter tops and cutting boards instead of cleaning agents; it keeps your food cleaner. Lemons clean and make the kitchen smell so clean. I buy them in bags now.