Category: Salad

5 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

8 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked rotini (corkscrew pasta)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/2 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta to pan; cook 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine pasta mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients; toss well.

CALORIES 250 ; FAT 6.9g (sat 1.2g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.2g); CHOLESTEROL 252mg; CALCIUM 74mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17g; SODIUM 667mg; PROTEIN 30.3g; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 5.1mg

6 points

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Tofu:
1 (12-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 5 (1-inch-thick) slices
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 garlic clove, grated
Cooking spray
Salad:
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
5 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 ounce large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced

1. To prepare tofu, place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Top with a cutting board; place a heavy skillet on top of cutting board. Let stand 45 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Cut each tofu slice into 10 cubes; arrange in a single layer in a shallow dish.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Pour sugar mixture over tofu in dish, and turn to coat. Let stand for 25 minutes. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Cool completely.

4. To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add barley to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Add 5 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Drain; cool completely. Place barley in a large bowl.

5. Cook green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge green beans into ice water. Drain well; pat dry. Add beans to barley.

6. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush tops of mushrooms with 2 teaspoons oil. Add mushrooms to pan, oiled side down. Cook 5 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool slightly; slice mushrooms thinly. Add tofu, mushrooms, and green onions to barley mixture.

7. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, agave nectar or honey, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over barley mixture in bowl; stir well to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

CALORIES 304 ; FAT 9.7g (sat 1.5g,mono 3.2g,poly 4.7g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 123mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.4g; SODIUM 628mg; PROTEIN 13.1g; FIBER 9.6g; IRON 4.1mg

4 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
10 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or 2 tablespoons water plus 1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
8 cups baby spinach (about 6 ounces)
1 3/4 cups chopped green onions

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes or until chicken is just done, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan.

2. Add mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to pan; stir-fry 6 minutes or until mushrooms brown and most of liquid evaporates. Add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; add soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar. Cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove pan from heat; stir in spinach and onions.

CALORIES 205 ; FAT 8.4g (sat 1.5g,mono 3.6g,poly 2.8g); CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.4g; SODIUM 629mg; PROTEIN 19.3g; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 2.9mg

7 points

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/4 cups)

8 ounces small yellow Finnish potatoes or small red potatoes
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups assorted tear-drop cherry tomatoes (pear-shaped), halved
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups arugula, trimmed
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 ounces goat cheese, sliced

1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 11 minutes or until tender. Drain and chill. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and bell pepper in a large bowl.

2. Combine shallots and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle over corn mixture; toss well. Add arugula; toss. Sprinkle with basil; top evenly with goat cheese.

CALORIES 337 ; FAT 16.5g (sat 4.7g,mono 8.9g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 131mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.2g; SODIUM 376mg; PROTEIN 10g; FIBER 6.8g; IRON 2.2mg

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: about 2 3/4 cups)
5 points

8 ounces firm tofu, cubed
6 cups torn or chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 ounces skirt steak, trimmed, cut into 3 equal pieces, and cut across grain into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

2. Combine lettuce and next 4 ingredients (through onion) in a large bowl. Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (through serrano) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle half of the dressing over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanut oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add tofu and beef; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until tofu and meat are lightly browned, stirring once or twice. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining dressing to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tofu mixture to lettuce mixture; toss to combine.

CALORIES 214 ; FAT 13.1g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 4.5g); CHOLESTEROL 17mg; CALCIUM 105mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.8g; SODIUM 527mg; PROTEIN 15g; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 2.9mg

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Don’t bother getting yellow tomatoes – they blend in with the peaches.  Don’t combine the basil with the dressing.  This gets very liquidy very quickly.  Serve right away – consider serving in a collander.

1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
3 ripe peaches, pitted and each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
1/2 pound heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
1/2 pound heirloom cherry or pear tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup small basil leaves or torn basil

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over peach mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

CALORIES 75 ; FAT 3.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.3g); CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.9g; SODIUM 230mg; PROTEIN 2.1g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 0.4mg

Click link for recipe.

Click link for recipe.

Click link for recipe.

Click link for recipe.