A Bowl of Lettuce Saved My Life!

[roro]

Originally posted by sweet_suzy53
I love salads! I am lucky in that area.Will eat most anything on them except mushrooms. would like to know how RORO makes her spinach salad dressing. is it a secret? or will you share??

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/cgi-bi...31&recipe=roro's%20Spinach%20salad%20with%20hot%20bacon%20dressi ng&category=Salads%20and%20Dressings

just do a search on "roro" in the recipe room to get all my recipes

[roro]

I just had the most awesome salad!!
(not for induction)

spring mix
chopped pecans
chopped half apple

raspberry vinegarette dressing:
hazelnut oil (about 1/2 cup)
water (about 3/4 cup)
balsamic vinegar (about 3 tbsp)
powdered stevia (2 tsp)
basil (1/2 tsp)
oregano (1/2 tsp)
strawberry extract ( 1/2 tsp) didnt have raspberry
few drops liquid splenda
1 tsp xanthan
Blend well

YUM!!!

Just went out and got a few bags of salad...am quite happy!!!

[dewdrop_mealine]

Hi Neil! Glad you joined us. I wouldn't know what to do w/o bagged salads greens.

So many dressings out there to choose from. I'm going to keep roro's recipe but frankly am probably too lazy to make my own. I do like bottled raspberry dressing but they have carbs and making my own is an excellent way to have it my way. I would like the spinach salad dressing recipe. Come on sister - give!

I know I have a problem with Splenda but I need to buy some stevia and try it.

We are having a blizzard out this way. We don't even usually have snow. I'm housebound. (No work! It's like school when we had snow days!) I doubt that our LC store is open!

TG that even major grocery stores carry our basic needs.

Stayin' Alive!
just the Dew

[GumDrop]

mmmm....salad...I love salads!

I feel like the salad Bubba Gump: taco salad, egg salad on salad, lime shrimp on salad, tuna salad on salad, avocado & tomato salad, mmmmmm....

[AdAstra]

I like to buy "salad in a bag" from the grocery store and have the whole thing for lunch at work. All I add is some protein: sliced meat, cooked chicken, etc. Sometimes I add 1 oz of seeds or nuts. My favorite one is Santa Fe Ceasar. If it includes croutons or other carby crunchies, I just leave them out.

[Rich_Hahn]

Reaing this thread made me hungry.

I made an awesome salad.

Yummy in my Tummy!

Rich

[emily1965]

I literally wasted hundreds of dollars on low fat salad dressings over the years. I would buy bottle after bottle and use it one time (most of the time not even be able to choke down the one salad). Plus there were all the salad fixings that would go bad because I couldn't hack the dressing.

Now my very favorite salad is mixed greens topped with thiny sliced steak, warm crumbled bacon, chopped red onion and a great blue cheese dressing (sometimes with extra blue cheese crumbles sprinkled on).


Or....

bacon and blue cheese with baby spinach and hot bacon dressing.

Hot bacon dressing....

Fry bacon and pour off all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease. Add a tablespoon of diced onion. Pour 2 tablespoons salad vinegar into the hot bacon grease.

I usually toss the spinach, bacon and blue cheese crumbles right into the pan and toss a couple of times to coat, but not long enough to wilt.

[roro]

hmmmm dont know why the link didnt work, heres the spinach salad one:

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/cgi-bi...nd%20Dressings

[dewdrop_mealine]

Now I want spinach salad for breakfast!

I don't have xanthan. I was wonderfing how I could thicken things. Now I'll have learn that trick.

Even when I have time to fix a meal I just crave salads. Isn't that just wonderful. It used to be Twinkies!

just the Dew

[bakergirl74]

I am so a salad person.

I love bagged salad. Such a variety. I normally mix one or two bags of different lettuces with a bag of fresh spinach leaves, and that will feed DH and I for about 3 days.

I put the pouch tuna on salad, all different flavors, almonds, cheese, bacon, mushrooms, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, peppers, etc... Different meats. And Full Fat dressing, man that is the best.

Salad, for lunch almost every day, and salad for dinner. Man the produce industry has to love us!!

Cari

[dewdrop_mealine]

I was just reading back thru this thread. I haven't sung the praises of a salad in years . . . well not here anyway. Any other salad freaks out there with their ears on? I am always looking for new salad ideas. Those 30 carbs a day can go a long way in salads. I like breakfast salads.

Please - please tell me your favs! dew

Originally Posted by dewdrop_mealine

How did lettuce save my life? A salad is a sandwich without the bread. The Earl of Sandwich was apparently someone who could tolerate carbs. I am diabetic and can't. I promise myself one large salad a day, but frequently have two. I eat two meals a day away from home and a salad, packed, is just the thing. I don't even have to refrigerate them unless it's the heat of summer.

I had always been disgusted by a bowl of lettuce. Now I can't believe the variety and wonderful taste combinations that are possible.

Salad lovers unite! Join me in my salute to the salad bowl.

Hope by now you have a big smile.

just the Dew

[FitnessWanabee]

The problem with almost all full fat dressings is they contain canola and/or soybean oils. My reading on those oils is that they promote CHD.

[LeahGraceG]

I adore an arugula salad with pine nuts, sliced steak, hardboiled eggs, and avocado.

Or -- ooh! -- arugula salad with seared tuna, avocado, and a lemon vinaigrette. SO GOOD.

[lori121]

I wish I liked salads better than I do. I've have very few that I like...

I haven't read the replys yet, so I'll go back through & see if I can get any ideals..

My favorite now is an anti-pasta salad.

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by teachmid

Good thread.

I'm not much of a salad eater, but all these suggestions sound really good. When I eat salad for lunch I seem to get hungrier sooner. Maybe I need to add more protein.

Gail

I like to pile mine with roasted chicken. I always eat a big handful of meat on my salad. Love the organic spring mix from Costco, colored bell peppers, lots of red onion and cherry toms. My fav dressing right now is Netrition's Worlds Best Miso Salad Dressing in Caesar. OMG, to die! http://www.netrition.com/galeos_miso_dressing.html

[goddesslynne]

I just had a delicious salad for brunch: green cabbage, mushrooms, salmon, salsa and spicy ranch dressing!! One of my best yet!!

[wifey]

I love salad so hard! These are my favorites:
Romaine
Feta
Grape Tomatoes
Artichoke hearts
Olives
Grilled Salmon
OR
Romaine
Crab meat
Salad Shrimp
Chicken
Feta
Hard Boiled eggs
and topped with homemade ranch

[lovelifemama]

hey all!
i too love my salads! was hoping you would share your favorite dressings with me, especially homemade ones. i love some bottled newman's own varieties and marie's chunky blue cheese, but i know the bottled stuff is definitely not the healthiest.
anyone have their own oils/ sour cream, etc.dressing recipes? i'v gotten a few from reading through the thread. share yours: bottled or homemade!

thanks so much,
llm

[DiamondDeb]

Originally Posted by FitnessWanabee

The problem with almost all full fat dressings is they contain canola and/or soybean oils. My reading on those oils is that they promote CHD.

That is why we want to make our own dressings.

[alex57]

llm.... one of my favorite dressings. I never liked ready made bottled stuff.

Creamy Tarragon Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. fresh lemon juice
2 T. tarragon vinegar,
or 2 T. white wine vinegar + 1/2 teas. dried tarragon, crumbled
1/4 teas. paprika
1/8 teas. pepper
1/2 cup oil (I use rice bran oil)
3 T. sour cream

Whisk all together except sour cream. When blended whisk in sour cream.
Cover and chill well. Whisk again before using.

This is a little tangy, which I like. I have always made this with tarragon vinegar so don't know how the other mix tastes. The rice bran oil sets up some when chilled so you may want to remove it from the refrigerator briefly before using. I usually don't think about it and it does whisk up nicely, just a little thicker.

[SouthernCJ]

Another salad lover, marking my place!!

Originally Posted by lulu1125

My favorite "I can't believe this is a diet lunch" lunch is romaine and maybe some spring mix topped with 4 ounces of shaved roast beef with 1 quarter cup blue cheese and half an avocado cubed with Kraft Roma blue cheese dressing! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! My second favorite is same lettuce topped with half cup cubed chicken with quarted cup of crumbled bacon, half an avocado cubed with a dressing made with sesame oil. Oh - we have it so rough on this WOE - LOL.

OMG that first one. Sounds. Incredible.

[LinearChaos]

I can't get enough romaine lettuce! Topped with just about anything: cucumbers, tomatos, peppers, olives, cheese, bacon, meats, nuts, seeds, sprouts, avacado, eggs, and of course full fat dressing!

[baindegael]

Originally Posted by lovelifemama

hey all!
i too love my salads! was hoping you would share your favorite dressings with me, especially homemade ones. i love some bottled newman's own varieties and marie's chunky blue cheese, but i know the bottled stuff is definitely not the healthiest.
anyone have their own oils/ sour cream, etc.dressing recipes? i'v gotten a few from reading through the thread. share yours: bottled or homemade!

thanks so much,
llm

I make my own greek.

3 TBSP Olive Oil
3 TBSP Vineagar
3 TBSP Water
Fresh cut oregano to taste
feta frumbles
1 clove garlic
pepper
1/2 packet sweetener
3 kalamata olives, diced super small
red pepper flakes, to taste

shake it up!

[TaDa!]

Originally Posted by dewdrop_mealine

I was just reading back thru this thread. I haven't sung the praises of a salad in years . . . well not here anyway. Any other salad freaks out there with their ears on? I am always looking for new salad ideas. Those 30 carbs a day can go a long way in salads. I like breakfast salads.

lol Dewdrop!!!!!! I looooove salads, but when you posted this in the winter of 2004, I am sure I was out of salad mode!!! We tend to do salads all summer .. and then transition to warmer food all winter .. looks like I ignore salad posts in winter My loss!!!!!!

Great thread!!!!!



Pauline

[flatferenghi]

creamy Caesar dressing (Newman's-almost all fat-2 T), and 1/2 oz walnuts. That will make any salad more than merely tolerable. I am a WW member, learning portion control. I like to think I am having my proverbial cake and eating it too. There really IS no forbidden food on WW as long as u are honest about journaling it. However, they do push the low fat ad nauseam. They know I am doing ATKINS, and they are fine with that. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[lovelifemama]

alex57 and bain, thanks for the creamy tarragon and greek dressings. can't wait to try them!

FF, i love newman's creamy ceasar too.

keep the favorite dressings and dressing recipes coming please!
peace,
llm

[dewdrop_mealine]

I haven't heard any salad suggestions in awhile so I thought I'd bump this topic and see if someone has some yummy ideas.

~ dew

[Vilya]

As a relative newbie, I love it when the vets bump these old threads. Thanks to this, I now know about hot bacon dressing!! OMG! Will be trying that ASAP.

My salads are extremely basic, since I really don't like very many vegetables. I usually just have Romaine with whatever dressing. Sometimes I get wild and add a handful of baby spinach.

I need to start making my own dressings. Didn't realize until just a few weeks ago that most store-bought dressings were soy or canola-based. No, thanks!

One of my FAVORITE meals is the salad bar at Central Market (local health food store). I get Romaine, spinach, some grilled salmon bits, and a boiled egg. Slather with their homemade Caesar dressing, which is to die for. It's got anchovies in it, like real Caesar should! YUM.

[parrotchic]

Love salads of every kind and home made salad dressings. Never did like the taste of store stuff. When I mix up my salads I put them in Ball jars and then seal them with the Food Saver Jar sealer. Keeps mt salads fresh much longer than in bags.