SALAD January 1, 2003 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Did the holidays leave behind a few extra pounds? If so, I'm guessing this is a gift you don't want to keep. Well, of course, you can't return pounds to the store along with that unidentifiable crocheted object, but you can get rid of them.

Now you may be thinking that a month of rabbit food salads will do the trick. Salads can be part of a weight reduction plan, but lots of other foods and a little exercise also fit the plan. Meanwhile, salads can be just plain ole good eating, not punishment.

But making a good salad takes skill. As Oscar Wilde said, "To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist--the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's vinegar."

For a successful salad, start with color. Pretty colors add not only eye appeal to salads but good nutrition. Gloria Stables of the National Cancer Institute advises consumers to: "Sample the spectrum. The more reds, oranges, greens, yellows, and blues you see on the plate, the more health-promoting properties you are getting from your fruit and vegetable sources." A colorful salad is a great way to enjoy healthy food.

Don't let your choice of dressing ruin the salad. Top a salad with a blah dressing and the salad goes to WASTE on your plate. Smother your salad with a high-calorie dressing, and it goes to WAIST on you. Try the following suggestions to add taste without excess calories to your salads.

Dry salad greens thoroughly. Dressing slides off damp salad greens and puddles in the bottom of the bowl. You can get more flavor with less dressing throughout the salad if greens are thoroughly dried after washing. An easy way to dry greens is to use a salad spinner. Pack greens into the spinner lightly to avoid overcrowding and bruising them. After spinning, pat off any remaining moisture with paper towels. If you don't have a salad spinner, dry salad greens with paper towels.

"Salad in a bag" is another option for making salads. These products are usually labeled "ready-to-eat." However, some studies have found high bacterial counts in these products. Thus, it is advised to rinse bagged produce. The basket of the salad spinner works great for rinsing bagged salad greens; then spin them dry.

Wash salad greens shortly before using. Store unwashed greens in the crisper section of the refrigerator in a plastic bag poked with holes. Do not store greens next to fruits such as bananas and apples. These fruits give off ethylene gas as they ripen. This gas causes brown spots on greens and shortens their storage time.

If you need to wash greens earlier in the day - as when you're preparing for a party - line the salad bowl with paper towels. Then add washed and dried greens, seal bowl with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. Or you can refrigerate washed greens in the salad spinner.

Use oils with flavor when dressing salads. Canola oil is very popular now, and it is a "heart-healthy" fat. However, canola oil is tasteless.

For salads, think olive oil. It, too, is heart healthy. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids that help lower "bad" cholesterol while maintaining "good" cholesterol. Plus olive oil is full of flavor. For the most flavor, go with "extra virgin" olive oil. It costs a little more than pure (virgin) olive oil but has more flavor. Avoid "light" olive oil. It is lighter in color, fragrance, and taste -- but not in calories as you might assume.

I keep both extra virgin and pure olive oil on hand. I use the less expensive or pure oil for cooking, since the heat of cooking breaks down the flavor of extra virgin oil making the added expense a waste. I reserve my more expensive extra virgin oil for salad dressings, marinades, and pesto.

Avoid adding more salad dressing than needed. Cookbook author Pam Anderson advises using about 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of vinegar for each 1 1/2 cup portion of salad. In the classic tossed salad, typically you first apply the oil to the salad mixture and toss till each leaf is coated. Then apply the vinegar and toss again. With this technique, the oil coats the greens protecting them from the wilting action of the acidic vinegar.

You may choose to combine the oil and vinegar into a vinaigrette dressing for the salad. If so, try Ms. Anderson's proportion of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to 1/2 cup of oil.

Experiment with vinegars. The classic French vinaigrette is 3 - 4 parts oil to 1 part acid (typically red wine vinegar). Seasoning such as salt, pepper, garlic, and mustard are often added.

You may be able to use less oil and more of the acid ingredient (whether applying individually or mixed in a dressing) if you use a mild acid. Good choices include rice vinegar; white wine vinegar; fruit vinegar such as blueberry or raspberry; and lemon, lime, or orange juice.

You can, of course, buy bottled vinaigrettes instead of making your own. You will, however, have more control over fat and salt if you make your own dressing. But in this busy world, it would probably be a smart investment of time to find some bottled salad dressings (especially low-fat ones) you like.

If making your own dressing, thoroughly mix the oil and vinegar. One way to do this is to combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake. This is a good job for the kids. It keeps them busy as you work on the rest of the meal. And it just might encourage them to actually try that green salad.

Sample dressing on a salad leaf. For truest taste, try a bit of your dressing on a salad leaf, not a spoon, advises chef Deborah Madison. For a vinaigrette dressing, add more oil if it's too tart. For more "kick," add more acid.

Dress greens immediately before serving. For the best taste and texture, add dressing to your salad just before serving.

Check out the following recipes and get started on salad. I branched out from just tossed salad, but it's my column. I figure I get to take some literary license on occasion.

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

Yields 5 servings.

Recipe from the National Cancer Institute.

This is a good recipe from an ex-Extension foods agent. When you're cooking rice for dinner, cook some extra and make up this salad for the next day.

Bring rice, water, bay leaves, and salt to a boil. Stir and cover; reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes or till water is absorbed. Remove bay leaves. Mix remaining ingredients - except nuts - into cooked rice; chill. Stir in nuts just before serving.

Here's a good use for leftover roasted chicken or turkey. But if you've got turkey left from Christmas, it's too old.

In large bowl, combine 3/4 cup cornbread stuffing mix, chicken, corn, bell pepper, onion, pimento, and salad dressing. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. To serve, top salad with remaining 1/4 cup stuffing mix.

Yields 4 servings.

Recipe from the North Carolina Poultry Federation.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 5/22/03