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Food

Salad dressings loaded with flavor, not fat

By By JIM ROMANOFF
Published May 2, 2007

Take your salad dressing on the side? Never!

At least not when you make your own healthy versions.

The trouble with traditional dressings is that they are an easy way to turn a healthy salad into a calorie-dense, fat-laden disaster.

Of course, there are some decent commercial low-fat dressings, but more often than not they are loaded with sugar and sodium.

The key to making delicious healthy dressings at home is to reduce the oils and other fats and bump up the ingredients that contribute texture and flavor.

The oil in dressings serves several functions, including providing a "cling factor, so your acidic and other flavorings don't end up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl, " says Food Network personality Alton Brown.

He also notes that the oil softens and balances the acids.

But classic vinaigrettes often use a 3- or 4-to-1 ratio of fat to acid (often oil and vinegar). That can yield at least 10 grams of fat per tablespoon. And who uses just one tablespoon?

Brown says the oil generally can be reduced by as much as 40 percent if the other ingredients are not too acidic.

For example, this honey-lemon tea dressing uses much less oil than traditional recipes, and relies on strongly brewed black tea to stretch the volume and provide a mellow flavor that balances the acidity of the lemon juice. It also uses Dijon mustard as an emulsifier to make up for the reduced oil. And mustard is thick enough to bind the other ingredients.

When choosing oils, think about flavors. Extra-virgin olive oil is almost always an excellent choice, but so are nut oils, such as almond and hazelnut. They contribute complex, yet subtle flavors that can really complement a salad. Olive and nut oils also are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats.

In creamy dressings, the emulsifier often is sour cream or mayonnaise (and sometimes oil, too). This is an easy fix.

Nonfat yogurt, reduced-fat sour cream and reduced-fat mayonnaise make good substitutes. All have good flavor and produce dressings that hold together and coat vegetables well.

This orange-poppy seed dressing relies on nonfat buttermilk and reduced-fat sour cream for its silky texture.

. salad dressings

Honey-Lemon Tea Dressing

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons strong black tea

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, tea, mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Nutritional information per tablespoon: 49 calories, 5g total fat (1g saturated), 0g protein, 3g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 118mg sodium.

. salad dressings

Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons orange juice

- In a small dry skillet, toast poppy seeds over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.

- Add the buttermilk, sour cream, honey and orange juice. Whisk until smooth.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Nutritional information per tablespoon: 21 calories, 1g total fat (0g saturated), 1g protein, 2g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 13mg sodium.

[Last modified May 3, 2007, 13:39:00]