Here’s a fresh take on a traditional chef’s salad, which is anything but light fare when it heaped with meats and cheeses. This version keeps the satisfaction factor with lean turkey breast and reduced-fat Swiss cheese – and adds plenty of colorful vegetables to the mix. Preparation time is 10 minutes active. Makes 2 servings, about 4 cups each.
Ingredients
6 cups mixed greens
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup dressing, such as Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
10 cherry tomatoes
4 slices turkey breast, cut up (3 ounces)
2 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, cut up (2 ounces)
Directions
Toss greens, carrots, onion and dressing in a large bowl until coated. Divide between 2 plates. Arrange tomatoes, turkey and cheese on top of the salad.
Per serving: 180 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 6 g fiber; 757 mg sodium; 956 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (290 percent daily value); Vitamin C (70 percent dv); Folate (55 percent dv); Calcium (40 percent dv)
Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing
Cottage cheese blended in a food processor to a creamy texture, while not traditional in Ranch dressing, delivers richness with minimal calories and fat. Can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Preparation time is 10 minutes active. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Ingredients
1 small shallot, peeled
3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons buttermilk powder (find it in the baking section or with powdered milk in the grocery store)
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while processor is running. Scape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 19 calories, 1 g fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 125 mg sodium, 10 mg potassium.
Excerpted from The EatingWell Diet, 2007 by EatingWell, Inc., reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Countryman Press/W.W. Norton & Company., Inc.
