Tahini Broccoli Slaw

My quest for the perfect slaw recipe seems to be never ending. This is the 6^th of 9 slaw recipes in this book that I’ve tried so far, and each one is slightly different spin. The “Tahini Broccoli Slaw”, page 75, introduced me to packaged broccoli slaw. I’ve seen it in the grocery store for years, but never bought any until now. I’m a broccoli fan, and I actually enjoy the munching on the raw stems, so I felt confident I would like this salad. The tahini based dressing makes it rather rich, and I found a little went a long way. The salad ingredients consist of premixed broccoli saw (which includes a small amount of shredded carrots and red cabbage) and green onions. The dressing is tahini, miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce. The topping is roasted sesame seeds.

As Robin Robertson often does with these recipes, she used one of the ingredients in several of its forms, in this case, sesame. There was the tahini (sesame seed paste), sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Although I normally eschew oil in my cooking, I do make an exception for sesame oil and use it on occasion as a condiment. This recipe called for 1 tablespoon, I cut that down to 1 teaspoon. I also thought ¼ cup of sesame seeds would be too much, so I used just 2 tablespoons. These adjustments still yielded a very rich and creamy mixture.

My quest continues!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• You can leave sesame oil out completely if you want, or cut it way back and still enjoy the strong flavor.

Tarragon-Chive Vinaigrette

Finding healthy salad dressings that also taste good used to be challenging. I discovered that the reason I liked salads so much was due to the flavorful but often unhealthy, high fat, or dairy laden dressings I used. I made it a mission to find ways to make salad dressing at home that would satisfy both my taste buds and my health criteria. As I’ve mentioned in previous salad dressing posts, finding the secret of guar gum powder has allowed me to explore many oil based dressing recipes by simply replacing the oil called for with an equal amount of water, then adding a pinch of guar gum at the end to thicken it up. That’s how I approached the “Tarragon-Chive Vinaigrette”, page 100. The recipe called for ½ cup of olive oil, which I replaced with ½ cup of water. When the dressing ingredients were all mixed together, I added ¼ teaspoon of guar gum and shook vigorously to incorporate, and it thickened up perfectly.

The dressing itself is a flavorful twist on a basic vinaigrette. Tarragon vinegar, plus dried or fresh tarragon, provide a lovely herbal base with a subtle anise flavor, and if you have fresh chives it makes all the difference, adding just a touch of peppery spice. I used it on green salad, but the recipe notes also suggest it would be good drizzled over roasted or steamed asparagus.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Instead of using ½ of oil (which adds 108 grams of fat, and 955 calories), use ½ cup of water, and thicken with ¼ - ½ teaspoon of guar gum, as described above.

Roasted Potato Salad with Chickpeas & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Whenever I see the words “roasted vegetables” I think “oil”. I’ve tried several times to roast a variety of vegetables, using a variety of methods, but without oil, I have been unable to obtain vegetables that come out with that nice crispy outside and a creamy center. Some things can’t be precisely duplicated when you omit oil, but if you are okay with an alternative approach, there is no reason you can’t have an equally satisfactory outcome. For this recipe, “Roasted Potato Salad with Chickpeas & Sun-Dried Tomatoes”, page 69, I opted to precook the potatoes in my Instant Pot. I love the texture of potatoes that have been cooked whole, waiting to peel and dice after they have been cooked and completely cooled. The resulting texture is a very creamy, yet firm, and perfect for salads. That is what I did for this recipe.

The next challenge in this recipe was making the dressing, which includes 3 tablespoons of oil, half of the total dressing (three tablespoons of white wine vinegar makes up the rest). I mixed up a concoction of 1/3 cup light veggie broth, 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon of guar gum to thicken it up. This worked out perfectly!

The final challenge was finding sun-dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil. I like a brand called California Sun-Dry, a pouch of julienne cut oil free sun-dried tomatoes. They are soft, moist, and ready to eat right out of the pouch. I can’t always find these when I need them, so when I do find them, I get a couple of extra packages to save for later.

Once all these adjustments were in place, I was ready to compose the salad: diced cooked potatoes, diced shallot (or red onion), cooked chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced green olives, parsley, and the dressing, all tossed together into a delicious salad, hearty enough to stand in as an entrée.    

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Instead of roasting the potatoes in oil, cook the potatoes whole, and when completely cool, peel and dice.
• For the dressing, substitute the 3 tablespoons of oil with 1/3 cup of light veggie broth, mix with the vinegar, and add ¼ teaspoon of guar gum to thicken.
• Use oil-free sun-dried tomatoes.

Creamy Curry Pasta & Vegetable Salad

“Creamy Curry Pasta & Vegetable Salad”, page 93, is a very pleasing combination of pasta, steamed and raw vegetables, and a very flavorful curry dressing. I am very fond of using bow tie pasta for salads, and since I had some on hand, that’s what I ended up using. Many recipes, including this one, give instructions for adding a vegetable to the pasta pot during the last few minutes of cooking, I suppose to combine steps, and eliminate the need to cook both things separately. Problem is, for me at least, I’m not that good at accurately judging when the pasta is going to be done, and I end up adding the vegetables (in this case, cauliflower) either too early, or too late. For that reason, I just take the extra step, and time, to cook the pasta separately, set it aside, and cook the vegetables on their own. The raw veggies in this salad include red bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro.

I changed the dressing up quite a bit. As written, it was calling for 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil (along with lemon juice, curry powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne). While I could have substituted an oil free Italian dressing for this, or even just used water and thickened the dressing with guar gum, I opted to take a detour and make a different kind of  creamy dressing. I ended up using 1/3 cup each of plain unflavored yogurt, and homemade oil free mayo (see review here), leaving all the seasonings the same. Finally, the salad is topped with roasted cashews, adding a wonderful texture and flavor-layer. I was more than pleased with the outcome, in fact, I had to stop myself from polishing off the entire salad in one sitting!

This makes a very satisfying main dish salad, or in smaller portions, a tasty side dish. I’m certain it would be very nicely received at a picnic or potluck as well.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Omit the 1/3 cup of oil. Instead, substitute an equal amount of bottled oil free Italian dressing, or 1/3 cup water and thicken with ¼ teaspoon of guar gum.
• Instead of oil, salad dressing, or water, try the substitution of mayo and yogurt as described above.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Pinto Beans & Corn

“Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Pinto Beans”, page 88, is made for those summer days when hot and heavy food just doesn’t sound appealing. Happily quinoa is a relatively quick cooking grain so stove time is minimal. I’ve been using my Instant Pot to cook whole grains, which puts out very little heat, also a definite advantage on hot days. Once you have cooked quinoa on hand, the salad goes together in a snap. The rest of the ingredients include corn, pinto beans, celery, chile pepper, cilantro, and garlic. The dressing, as written, consists of lemon juice, sugar and olive oil. I replaced all of that with the juice of one lime which provided the right amount of liquid to moisten the salad, and a nice bright flavor that wasn’t too tart. On a whim, I added sliced black olives, providing complimentary flavor and texture.  

Quinoa has become an increasingly popular whole grain recently, and I have to admit, I haven’t been quick to embrace it. But I did discover that it really does improve the flavor if you rinse the grain thoroughly before cooking, and I’ve also started adding a teaspoon of lemon pepper and a pinch of garlic powder to the cooking liquid for additional flavor. Also helpful is cutting back just a tad on the amount of cooking liquid so the grain doesn’t stick together. These three adjustments have made a big difference, and I am actually starting to appreciate it more and more.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

Replace the dressing ingredients with the juice of one lime, or try using a bottled oil free Italian style dressing

Spicy Southwestern-Style Coleslaw

There are nine coleslaw recipes in this book, and the “Spicy Southwestern-Style Coleslaw”, page 76, is the 5^th one I’ve tried. Coleslaw dressings usually fall into two categories: creamy (mayonnaise based), or tart (vinegar based). The dressing in this recipe calls for two tablespoons of vinegar, and ¼ cup olive oil, so  not quite creamy, and not quite tart. In this case, it’s hard to just completely omit the oil, as it makes up 2/3 of the dressing volume. My solution was to use ¼ cup water and 1/8 teaspoon of guar gum to thicken it up. Along with the southwestern spices (cumin, chili powder, and cayenne), this made a very delicious dressing for the salad, which consisted of both red and green cabbage, red bell pepper, and parsley (or cilantro, which seems more authentic for this dish).  

This salad is pretty to look at, tastes delightful, and gives you a super dose of those important cruciferous vegetables!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

For the dressing, replace the oil with water and add 1/8 teaspoon guar gum to thicken.

Creamy Tahini Dressing

A good salad dressing can elevate ordinary greens and vegetables to star status and make any meal special. Since eliminating store-bought oil-laden salad dressings from my diet, I’ve discovered a whole new world of possibilities. I admit to being a bit of a salad dressing addict, and there are times I enjoy the dressing more than what it actually dresses. I have a couple favorite go-to recipes, my version of house dressings, but I love trying new recipes and expanding my repertoire. 

The “Creamy Tahini Dressing” (page 102) could easily become part of my regular rotation. The combination of tahini and lemon juice is so satisfying, and the basis of this dressing. Additional ingredients include soy sauce and parsley, salt and cayenne, and if following the recipe, sesame oil. With the tahini already providing the sesame flavor, as well as a bit of natural oil, I didn’t see any reason to add additional sesame oil. For a more intense sesame flavor, a few drops of sesame oil would do the trick, but I don’t think an entire tablespoon would be necessary. The tahini also provides enough body to keep this dressing thick, so no additional oil is necessary.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Omit the sesame oil. 

Arugula & Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing

 The “Arugula & Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing” (page 50) is a bright and delicious blend of greens and fruit, dressed with a tangy mustard dressing, as the name suggests. Very quickly assembled, this salad makes a great starter to any meal, and is open to variation – different greens, different varieties of apples, mixing up the choice of fresh herbs.

The dressing calls for a lot of olive oil, 1/3 cup to be exact, which packs 630 calories and 71 grams of fat. Not to worry, though! It is easy to make this dressing fat free, without sacrificing any of the flavor. The secret is guar gum (see guar gum here). An emulsifier and thickener, a little goes a long way, and if you can find it in bulk, likely ½ cup will last you all year. In this recipe, I substituted 1/3 cup water for the oil, mixed it with the rest of the dressing ingredients (white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and parsley), and added just ¼ teaspoon of guar gum. Mix thoroughly, then let it sit for about 15-30 minutes, and the dressing will thicken up perfectly! I liked this dressing so much, I plan to make it in the future for other salads as well.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Use water instead of oil when making the dressing, adding ¼ teaspoon of guar gum to emulsify and thicken. 

Macaroni Salad

One of the really great things about switching to a plant based diet has been exploring the plethora of new recipes, foods, approaches, flavors, tastes, and textures. I’ve always been very experimental when it comes to food and my vegan adventure has been one of great joy and discovery. But, there are some dishes so dear to me that the thought of altering them too far from my concept of the original recipe just doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve been able to veganize just about all my favorites over the years, but sometimes just making that tiny change is as much as I want to do, because I want to keep the dish as intact as possible. Such is the case with macaroni salad. I am rather attached to my veganized version of this childhood favorite, and when I looked at the recipe for this “Macaroni Salad” (page 92), I wasn’t sure how I would react to it. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I finally took the plunge.

This is really a very simple recipe, and I must admit, I was more than pleased with the outcome. Since I had penne pasta available, I used that instead of elbow macaroni, which I think was probably equally as good. However, if you are a purist, you will likely want to keep with the elbow variety. Cooked pasta is combined with celery, red bell pepper, pickle relish, and red onion. The dressing consists of vegan mayonnaise (homemade or store bought), Dijon mustard, soy milk, cider vinegar (which might be the secret ingredient, it really gave the salad a nice little tang), and a bit of sugar and salt. The fat content in this recipe can add up fast if using a commercial mayonnaise, even of a vegan variety, so this is the area that needed to be addressed. Making vegan mayonnaise from silken tofu (see my review of this book's recipe here) drastically reduces the calories, and there are oil free brands on the market as well, though not nearly as tasty. 

I had no trouble bonding with this new version of Macaroni Salad and will definitely make it again!

Fast facts

¾ cup commercial vegan mayonnaise = 504 calories, 48 grams of fat (12 of which are saturated fat)

¾ cup commercial brand silken tofu (which can be used to make homemade vegan mayonnaise) = 168 calories, 7 grams of fat (0 gram of saturated fat)

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Use a whole grain pasta of your choice.
• Use an oil free mayonnaise, either purchased or homemade. 

White Bean & Broccoli Salad with Parsley-Walnut Pesto

If you happen to have leftover broccoli and potatoes in your refrigerator, the “White Beans & Broccoli Salad with Parsley-Walnut Pesto ” (page 81) can be prepared in no time at all, since the longest part of this recipe is the time it takes to steam these vegetables. (This of course assumes you will be using canned beans – it’s a whole other story if you plan to cook the beans from scratch!) The rest of the salad consists of white beans, kalamata olives, and walnuts, tossed with a parsley-walnut based pesto. The pesto portion of the recipe calls for ½ cup of oil, but as with all my pesto, I substitute the oil with an equal amount of light flavored veggie broth, such as the Frontier brand powdered broth. With nuts already in the mix, there is ample richness and I find I don’t miss the oil at all. Essential, earthy food showcased with a rich and flavorful sauce, this is a filling and satisfying salad that can be the centerpiece of any meal.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Substitute the oil in the pesto with an equal amount of light vegetable broth. 

Cherry Berry Watermelon Salad

“Cherry Berry Watermelon Salad” (page 98) is not only delicious to eat, it’s beautiful to look at. Bright and colorful, this salad consists of watermelon, cherries, and blueberries tossed with a simple dressing of fresh orange and lime juice, vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of sugar (which I consider optional – the fruit provides all the sweet you could possibly want!). This is as delicious for breakfast as it is dessert, and would make an excellent addition to any meal.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

No changes necessary!

Cranberry-Carrot Salad with Citrus-Walnut Vinaigrette

“Cranberry-Carrot Salad with Citrus-Walnut Vinaigrette” (page 64) is a delicious and lighter take on the traditional carrot-raisin salad that is usually dressed with mayonnaise. The dressing as written in this version is composed of fresh lemon juice, walnut oil, sugar, salt, and pepper, which is tossed with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. I completely left the walnut oil out, and didn’t feel like anything was missing. The salad is plenty moist, and the lemon juice and seasonings provided just the right flavor to offset the sweetness provided from the cranberries and carrots. Buying packaged shredded carrots will save you a lot of time and effort, and this salad can be prepared in a snap if you have these on hand. Leftovers hold up well! 

 

 Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Omit the walnut oil; no substitutions needed.