Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix (10 page)
Read Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix Online
Authors: Kate Gosselin
SERVES 1
H
ere it is! The Kate salad recipe that is my main staple. People have asked for it many times so I’ve finally written it down. I make these organic salads individually for myself, and often for guests, too. Once I’ve made a “Kate Salad” for a friend, they ask for it again and again. Often, I reuse plastic take-out containers and make a few salads at a time. That way, I have a complete healthy fast meal waiting in the fridge anytime, no matter how crazy my day has become. To change it up a bit, I often add snow peas, fresh broccoli florets, a half cup of low-fat cottage cheese, and sometimes I'll use a half cup of salsa instead of dressing.
Handful of mixed baby greens
or
thinly sliced romaine lettuce
6 slices cucumber
½ medium tomato, chopped
3 ounces grilled chicken breast, sliced
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 tablespoons low-fat feta cheese crumbles
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped smoked/salted almonds
(use food processor)
2 tablespoons
Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
On a large dinner plate, layer the salad in the listed order. Drizzle with the dressing on top.
MAKES 1 WRAP
T
his delicious wrap is fantastic as a healthy lunch or dinner alternative to my K8 Salad. I eat it with healthy baked veggie chips and a piece of fruit for a quick, complete, and satisfying meal. Expand the ingredients to make a wrap for yourself and one for each of your guests.
2 tablespoons tabbouleh salad,
or
2 tablespoons hummus
(any flavor)
1 whole-grain wrap
(I use a low carb, 80- to 90-calorie whole wheat wrap)
4 to 5 fresh spinach leaves
1 (6-inch) slice of cucumber
(sliced lengthwise, about ⅛ -inch thick)
1 slice roasted red pepper, marinated
(buy them in a jar at your grocery store)
3 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
4 fresh snow peas, lined down center of wrap
2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, optional
½ to 1 teaspoon flavored feta cheese
(I use tomato basil–yum!)
Spread the tabbouleh salad or the hummus evenly over the entire wrap. Line the snow peas down the center of wrap and then layer the ingredients in the following order: spinach, cucumber, roasted pepper, tomatoes, basil, and a sprinkle of feta cheese on top. Roll up and enjoy!
Optional:
You can also add roasted chicken, if desired.
SERVES 8 TO 10
I
have refined this easy and very flavorful salad over the years and find myself craving it. It’s a great way to use up summer vegetables, and it’s refreshingly cool in the summertime when it’s so hot outside. You can use this sauce as a grilling marinade, or you can substitute the zucchini for snow peas, peppers, asparagus, broccoli or a combination of any of these.
3 medium zucchini
1 small sweet
or
Vidalia onion
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Slice the zucchini into thin rounds. Slice the onion into very thin rings. In a shallow dish, place the zucchini rounds in a single layer. Add the onion rings on top.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Whisk all of the ingredients together very well, for at least one minute. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan on the stove top over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil until the liquid reduces to about a cup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Once cooled, pour over the zucchini and onions. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum 3 to 4 hours; overnight if possible. Serve cold.
SERVES 10 TO 12
D
uring the long hot “dog days” of summer, we turn to balanced, healthy pasta salads to give us nutrition without having to heat up the kitchen—or even the grill. This one is truly so delicious, I’ve been known to make it two days in a row!
1 pound corkscrew pasta, cooked
2 packets Italian dressing mix
(you can also use 1 to 2 cups of Best Balsamic Vinaigrette on page 101)
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
1½ cups quartered cherry tomatoes
2 medium cucumbers, sliced and quartered
1 to 1½ cups very finely chopped fresh broccoli
½ cup finely chopped roasted marinated red peppers
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons feta cheese crumbles
(I like tomato basil flavored)
Drain the cooked pasta, rinse, and allow it to cool in a large bowl. Meanwhile, prepare the salad dressing according to instructions and set aside.
Toss all of the vegetables together with the pasta. Add half of the dressing and the feta cheese crumbles and toss together well.
Refrigerate the pasta salad for 2 hours and then serve. You can add dressing, as desired, to coat before serving.
Variation:
To make a complete summer meal, add the following:
2 (4-ounce) cans white albacore tuna, flaked
3 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
SERVES 4 TO 6
T
his salad complements my
hummus
and
pita
beautifully. Before I made my own hummus, we used to order it, along with a version of this Mediterranean-type salad, from a local restaurant. I have to say, we all love my version of this fresh salad better! You can make and serve this salad anytime though … not just with hummus. Add cucumbers and fresh broccoli to change it up.
2 small onions, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Serve with hummus and pita bread.
