Thinking outside the bowl
Redefine salad to create possibilities for tasty entrées, side dishes
In 2008 after my diagnosis of diabetes I thought that I had figured out that the best way to keep my carbohydrate count down and not to be hungry was to eat lots and lots and lots of salad. Two months into this regime my eyes started turning back in their sockets at the vaguest thought of a salad.
Even as a chef, I had not started thinking creatively about salad. Sure, I made a different dressing for each meal (or used bottled lowcarbohydrate dressing when appropriate), I added things to the salad to make it a little different, but I did not look at salads the same way I looked at protein.
I must have a zillion recipes for chicken, fish, meat, pork and even eggs, but salads were more of an aside to a meal, something used to fill in the blanks. No wonder I was bored!
Now I do have a zillion recipes for salads as a meal and as a side dish. I just had to adjust my thinking a little. Eating out for people with diabetes can be a chore. It is great that so many restaurants now offer a salad bar option. The trick is to think about how much fun that was when you are at home.
Now salads can have a starring role at my table. Let me share just a few with you.
AVOCADO SALAD: Guacamole has always been a game day tradition. It even works OK as a dip for vegetables if you are avoiding chips. This salad has more flavor and texture and is meant to be eaten with a fork. I never feel cheated with this on the party table.
CALIFORNIA ITALIAN SALAD: Similar to the avocado salad but using artichoke hearts instead. Rumor has it that artichokes are just terrific for us. The change in dressing is to use a red wine vinegar in place of the lemon. The artichokes seem to like the sharper vinegar. Here too I like to add some cheese for protein. My favorite is shards of Granna Padano, but feta works really well and is easier to find.
CAULIFLOWER SALAD(S): Cauliflower started off as JUST a substitute for potato. But I soon discovered that the taste and texture turned this into a better dish than plain old boring potato salad. I have two versions, the standard mayonnaise and an Alsatian (German/French) version
using vinegar, oil and bacon.
SPINACH SALAD: This old war horse of a dinner salad takes on new life with the additions of toasted walnuts, bacon bits, eggs and canned tuna. Sprinkle the spinach with grated parmesan cheese and use a low-carb dressing like Caesar to spark up the flavor. There is something so hearty about this salad I do it as a meal even on the coldest days of winter.
VEGETABLE SALAD: Who says a salad needs greens (lettuce or spinach)? Not me! I prepare a salad of broccoli, snow or snap peas, carrot, celery, tomato and radish. Radish is one of those really overlooked veggies. It is crisp and has a little kick. There are tons of textures and flavors. Pick your favorite dressing (mine is Ariston Balsamic vinaigrette or a sherry wine and lemon), and chow down.
VEGETABLE AND COTTAGE CHEESE: I realized that the old standby of fruit salad and cottage cheese was now not a good choice for me. Using a BIG assortment of low-carbohydrate highfiber veggies made it work for me. If you have never done this kind of salad before, try it. You will be amazed how good it is and moreover, how creative you get to be.
Chef Ward Alper retired to Albuquerque after being a professional chef in Boston and New York City. He blogs as “The Decadent Diabetic: Taking Back My Life and Table,” thedecadentdiabetic.com.