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By Root 830 0

secret weapon in many of the recipes. Nuts have several benefits that oils lack. From a health angle, nuts are a whole food, containing fiber, omega-3s, nutrients, and protein. They also bring big flavor to the dressing, especially if they’re toasted first, as in the Romesco Dressing (page 47). And to top it all off (literally!) pureeing nuts give dressings excellent texture: smooth and creamy, with plenty of body. Nuts emulsify the dressing naturally, without needing to add any sugars, chemicals, or eggs. The amount of oil you’d need to accomplish all this wouldn’t make it one step into a low-fat cookbook before getting bounced out by security.

Speaking of emulsifying, all that means is that you’re mixing liquids of varying viscosity, so that they combine without separating. I’m sure you’ve seen how easily ingredients in dressings separate, but they just need a unifier to bring them together. Nuts are one means, mustard is another, but I often use miso as well. In addition to thickening and emulsifying, miso brings a backdrop of deep, savory flavor to dressings. I like to keep a variety of misos on hand, but I’m kind of an ingredient hoarder. For everyone else, just keep a small tub of a mild white miso that you can use for anything and ignore my specifications for a particular kind. What do I know, anyway?

There is one recipe here that calls for silken tofu. That isn’t for everyone—in fact, only recently has it become for me—but when cool and creamy is your calling, a shelf-stable vacuum pack of silken tofu is a pretty handy tool.

I use different vinegars for the dressings, because vinegars are a relatively inexpensive way to bring flavors and nuance to your dressings. Dressings need acidity, but I try not to overdo it. Add small amounts at a time to get a dressing to your “Mmmm” place. Just remember, with vinegars it takes about a second to go from “Mmmm” to “Ewwww.” So practice restraint when straying from the recipes and experimenting with vinegars, but definitely do experiment and find a vinegar that you love. I dig white balsamic, but maybe champagne vinegar is your calling? Play around and see.

And as I say throughout the book, this is a low-fat collection, not a no-fat collection. I use such ingredients as peanuts and tahini because not only do they add a world of flavor, but a little fat actually helps you to absorb the nutrients in your food. So, I repeat, don’t be fat-phobic with your salads!

But Where Do You Get Your Protein? Although even greens contain small amounts of protein, it usually takes something more to help us feel full and energized. Many of these salads already contain protein-rich ingredients such as beans, quinoa, nuts, and tofu. But whether you want to make up your own combo or add protein to one of the salads in this chapter, there are lots of great ways to bulk up your bowl.

Whether it’s from a can of beans I opened and rinsed, or from dried beans I simmered myself, I always keep handfuls of cooked legumes at the ready in small containers in my fridge. Some of my favorite salad beans are chickpea, kidney, and cannellini—all sturdy beans that hold their shape when they’re tossed around. Switch it up and keep things interesting.

I sometimes just cube some tofu and throw it into my salad, but I’m hard-core like that; the rest of the world might not be able to handle it. If you’re like the rest of the world, you can try thinly sliced grilled or baked tofu in your salads. Keep leftovers stored in airtight zippered plastic bags; they taste great cold. Same goes for tempeh.

Quinoa is my favorite salad grain. Because it cooks up and cools down so fast, it’s as convenient as can be, and I try to keep some cooked quinoa hanging around atall times. I also love the texture of quinoa in salads; it’s got a slight chewiness that makes it fun to munch away on, and it also extends the flavors of the dressing, being so small and absorbent. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a complete protein!

TIP

To cool quinoa quickly, place cooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and toss it for a