this one. You don’t want to live a life without peanuts! (Unless you’re allergic, of course, but if you are, you probably aren’t reading this.)
Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 5 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)
PER SERVING
(ABOUT ¼ CUP):
Calories: 70
Calories from fat: 40
Total fat: 4.5 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 7 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 540 mg
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 10%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 4%
P eanut and lime loooove each other, and who am I to keep them apart? Sriracha brings the heat and ties the flavors together and turns you into a fire-breathing dragon! Half the peanuts are blended into the dressing, and the other half of them are left choppy. This extends the peanutty flavor and adds some texture, without having to add a bunch more fat and calories.
¼ cup roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup water
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more if you like it hot
Pulse 2 tablespoons of the peanuts and all of the shallot in the food processor, just to chop everything up. Add the lime juice, water, agave, soy sauce, and Sriracha, and blend until very smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides a few times. Now add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanuts and pulse for a bit. These shouldn’t be blended smooth, just chopped up small. The dressing will be fairly thin. Adjust the seasonings to your liking. Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to use, up to 5 days.
Warm Mushroom Salad with Cranberries
SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 20 MINUTES
PER SERVING
(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 150
Calories from fat: 45
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 25 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 12 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 350 mg
Vitamin A: 160%
Vitamin C: 80%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 20%
I nspired by one of my favorite restaurants, New York City’s Candle Café, this recipe will really give you that accomplished gourmet feeling with hardly any work at all. Earthy mushrooms are gently sautéed, then placed atop delicately flavored mâche greens, tossed in a creamy horseradish dressing, and studded with sweet, dried cranberries. Simple ingredients that deliver flavors that can only be described as exquisite , if you’re the type to use the word exquisite . This would be an excellent Thanksgiving salad and doesn’t taste at all low fat, so don’t be afraid to serve it to a crowd. It would also be great to serve on a soup-and-salad kind of night.
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick (see note)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces mâche greens
½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 recipe Creamy Horseradish Dressing (recipe follows)
INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT
Mâche greens can be hard to find if your supermarket doesn’t happen to have a well-stocked gourmet-type yuppie produce aisle. Mâche is also known as “lamb’s lettuce.” I’ve never actually seen it labeled that, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s so cute. If you can’t find it, a combination of arugula and green leaf lettuces tastes fantastic, too. Also, just so you don’t embarrass yourself in the produce aisle, it’s pronounced “mash.”
Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in oil for about 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme, and a splash of water. Cover the pan to make some of the moisture release from the mushrooms, about 3 minutes. Remove the cover and saute for about 5 more minutes, flipping often, until the mushrooms are tender.
TIP
Prepare the dressing first, and don’t bother washing the pan after sautéing for that recipe. Instead, immediate begin sautéeing the mushrooms for the salad