The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (10 page)

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 221 calories, 25 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 1 g fiber, 79 mg cholesterol, 244 mg sodium, 541 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, ½ fruit.

NOTE:
Total with optional salt is 490 mg sodium per serving.

Variation

Thai Curried Chicken Salad:
Omit the pepper and the salt. Add 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (or more to taste) to the mayonnaise mixture. Stir in ⅓ cup coarsely chopped roasted and unsalted cashews.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 333 calories, 28 mg protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 2 g fiber, 79 mg cholesterol, 226 mg sodium, 708 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, 1 nuts.

Some Fat, Not No Fat

Remember that you need a moderate amount of fat in your diet for health and to make the meals more satisfying, tasty, and filling. Salad dressings using olive and canola oil are a good way to include heart-healthy fats in your meals. That doesn’t give you a free ticket to eat unlimited amounts of fat. If your salad is dressed, you may need to balance the meal with other components that are lower in fat, such as fish or skinless poultry.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Asian flavors abound in this filling, multihued salad. Cilantro haters (you know who you are) can substitute mint. If you wish, top each serving with 1 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts for an additional 53 calories, 2 g protein, 5 g fat, 1 mg sodium, and 60 mg potassium.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

2 cups packed, shredded Napa cabbage

8 ounces Basic Roast Chicken Breast 101 or Classic Poached Chicken (
here
or
here
), cut into ½-inch dice (1½ cups)

1 large carrot, shredded on the large holes of a box grater

½ medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for sprinkling

Asian Ginger Dressing (
here
)

In a medium bowl, mix well the Napa cabbage, chicken, carrot, bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Stir in the dressing. Divide the salad between two bowls, sprinkle with additional cilantro, and serve chilled.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 335 calories, 26 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 4 g fiber, 68 mg cholesterol, 760 mg sodium, 966 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, 2 vegetables, 3 fats.

Tarragon Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds

This salad is a variation on the Waldorf salad theme, with juicy grapes standing in for the traditional apples. It is worth planting tarragon in a window box or garden to have it on hand for recipes like this one, as dried tarragon isn’t half as good as fresh.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

Pinch of kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces Basic Roast Chicken Breast 101 or Classic Poached Chicken (
here
or
here
), cut into ½-inch dice (1½ cups)

1 cup halved red or green seedless grapes

2 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (see “Toasting Nuts,”
here
)

2 cups (2 ounces) mixed salad greens

Lemon wedges, for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, grapes, celery, and almonds and mix well.

Divide the salad greens between two salad bowls. Top each with half of the chicken mixture. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges for squeezing the juice over the salad.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 352 calories, 29 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 3 g fiber, 74 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 877 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, 1 vegetable, ½ fruit, ½ nuts, 2 fats.

Chipotle Chicken Chili Taco Salad

The smoky flavor of chipotle adds character to this versatile chili. It is much more than a salad topping: It can become a filling for soft tacos (roll it up into warm flour or corn tortillas) or be served on its own over brown rice or macaroni as a “bowl of red.” You can embellish this with a tablespoon or two of salsa, if you wish. For a spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon of the canned adobo sauce from the chipotle.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Baked Tortilla Chips

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into eighths to make 24 wedges

Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained

⅓
cup water

1 canned chipotle chili in adobo, minced

1 (15-ounce) can 50 percent reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and torn into bite-sized pieces

6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream, for serving

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

To make the tortilla chips: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Spread the tortilla strips on the baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

To make the salad: Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano, cumin, and salt. Add the tomatoes, water, and chipotle and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer until the chicken is tender and opaque throughout, about 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the black beans. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Divide the lettuce among six serving bowls and top with chili. Add 4 tortilla chips to each bowl, top with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm with the lime wedges.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 263 calories, 20 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 8 g fiber, 63 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 446 mg potassium. Food groups: 2½ ounces meat, ½ beans, ½ whole grain, 1 vegetable.

Chipotles

Canned chipotle chilies are smoked jalapeños packed in a spicy chili sauce called adobo. Leftover chipotles and sauce can be transferred from the can to a small airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 months. Or, to freeze them, place each chipotle on a waxed paper–lined baking sheet and spoon some of the adobo over each chili. Freeze until solid. Remove each chili with its sauce from the baking sheet and store in a zippered plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Cobb Salad

The Brown Derby in Hollywood made the Cobb salad famous. Invented by the restaurant’s owner, it has deceived many diners who order it thinking it is light fare. Even though this is a high-fat meal, it has 19 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. You could cut the fat content (and calories) by eliminating the blue cheese.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

5 cups (4 ounces) mixed salad greens

8 ounces cooked chicken breast, such as Basic Roast Chicken Breast 101 (
here
), thinly sliced across the grain

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

1 cup Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme and Garlic (
here
)

12 grape tomatoes

6 tablespoons Mustard Vinaigrette (
here
)

2 tablespoons crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese

Divide the salad greens between two deep salad bowls. Top each with half of the chicken, avocado, mushrooms, and tomatoes, arranging each ingredient in its own section of the bowl.

Drizzle each salad with 3 tablespoons Mustard Vinaigrette and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of blue cheese. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 438 calories, 23 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 33 g fat, 8 g fiber, 45 mg cholesterol, 994 mg sodium, 1,534 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 vegetables, 3 ounces meat, 1 dairy, 3 fats.

Autumn Turkey Salad with Apples and Dried Cranberries

Leftover holiday turkey can be turned into this variation on the Waldorf salad theme, which is almost endlessly versatile. Use any seeds or nuts you fancy (pumpkin seeds or pecans would also be great) or raisins or dried sweet cherries instead of dried cranberries. Don’t bother to peel the apples; the skin is good for you and adds color to the salad. This makes a very good sandwich filling, too.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

¼ cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces cooked turkey breast, such as Roast Turkey Breast with Root Vegetables, Lemon, and Garlic Cloves (
here
), cut into ½-inch dice (2 cups)

2 sweet apples, such as Gala or Fuji, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds

5 cups (4 ounces) mixed salad greens

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey, apples, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds and mix well. (The salad may be stored refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 day.)

Divide the greens among four salad bowls. Top each with equal amounts of the salad and serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 233 calories, 20 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 4 g fiber, 47 mg cholesterol, 215 mg sodium, 440 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat, 1 vegetable, 1½ fruits, ½ nuts.

Salmon
Salade Niçoise

Salade Niçoise
is a terrific main-course salad, but it can be improved by replacing the usual canned tuna with fresh salmon. (Of course, in a pinch you could use 2 drained cans of low-sodium tuna.)

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths (see note)

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (8 ounces), scrubbed, unpeeled, and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds