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Green Bean Salad

Salad Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch crushed red pepper

Salad Ingredients
3 cups green beans, fresh & tender
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red onion, diced
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a jar or small bowl and set aside.

Place 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the beans; cover and steam for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the beans and add them to the serving bowl. Set aside to cool.
Prepare and add the remaining ingredients to the beans (garlic, onion, parsley and diced tomatoes).

Combine the dressing ingredients and pour them over the vegetables. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe may be served chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

1 serving: 9 g. total fat; 2 g. protein; 9 g. total carbs; 3 g. dietary fiber
120 calories

Food Exchanges: 1-1/2 vegetable; 2 fat

Apple/Cherry Salad

Cherries and apples are temperate, low glycemic fruits that everyone can enjoy. This salad also provides a hearty serving of essential fatty acids in the walnuts and their oil. You can enjoy this little salad and feel virtuous at the same time!

1 tablespoon mayonnaise, sugar free if possible*
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or 1 packet Splenda)

2 large apples (about 3 cups diced)
¼ cup dried cherries, no sugar added
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup freshly grated (or dried) unsweetened coconut

In a cup or a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, walnut oil, white wine vinegar and sweetener, beating the mixture together with a fork or small whisk. If using dried coconut, rather than fresh, add the coconut at this time so that it can absorb moisture from the dressing. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to use it.
Peel, core, and dice the apples. Place them in a medium bowl. Add the dried cherries, nuts, and coconut. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss them together to coat the fruit. Place in a pretty serving dish and refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

1 serving:
9 g. fat; 12 g. total carb; 2 g. fiber; 1 g. protein

Exchanges
½ lean meat; ½ fruit; 1½ fat

Asparagus Pepper Salad
Be sure to prepare this special low glycemic side dish well ahead of time to give the flavor time to develop! If you prefer your asparagus cooked, this recipe makes a delicious stir-fry.

1 large bunch fresh asparagus (about 4 cups after preparation)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
dash of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 yellow or red bell pepper

Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, dry mustard, and pepper in a medium bowl (or in your serving bowl). Set aside.

Prepare the asparagus by rinsing under cool water. Snap off the woody stems and lay the spears on a paper towel to dry.

Rinse the bell pepper under cool water. Pat dry. Remove the stem end and scrape out the seeds and membrane from the inside. Thinly slice the pepper; then, add to the bowl with the olive oil mixture.

Snap or slice the asparagus spears into 2 - 3 inch lengths and add them to the peppers and olive oil mixture.

Allow the salad to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Serves 8.

1 serving :
10 g.total fat, 2 g. protein, 4 g. total carbs, 2 g. dietary fiber
108 calories

Avocado Grapefruit Salad
This salad is its most refreshing when the avocadoes and grapefruit are chilled. This salad can be prepared ahead of time, then the salad can be assembled just before serving.

Salad Ingredients
1 cup grapefruit sections (about 2 large grapefruit - red grapefruit looks especially pretty)
2 avocadoes
3 cups field greens or baby spinach

Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated onion
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Peel and section the grapefruit, reserving the juice. Cut the avocadoes in half; strike the seed with a sharp knife and twist to remove the seed; then peel and slice lengthwise. Place the avocadoes in the reserved grapefruit juice and toss gently to coat the avocado slices. Set aside in the refrigerator.

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, onion, vinegar, tarragon and cayenne. When adding the tarragon leaves, crush them between your fingers while adding to release the flavor of the oils. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. If you refrigerate it, leave it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving, so that the oil will be liquified.

Just before serving, assemble the salad. Fill the bottom of individual plates or a large platter with the greens. Arrange the grapefruit sections and avocado slices on top. Drizzle with 1 - 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.

Serves 6.

1 serving salad ingredients:
10 grams total fat; 9 grams total carbs; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams protein
25 calories