Shortcuts: Cutting the fat out of salad

Mary Ann Kauchak/Columnist
Published: May 21, 2008

Spring is an ideal time to plan salad suppers. Entrée salads are perfect for potlucks and picnics as well.

I seek out recipes that avoid mayonnaise, which spoils easily in warm weather. One that caught my eye in a recent publication shocked me when I read the nutrition information listed at the end of the recipe. A 1 ½-cup serving weighed in at 420 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 1200 milligrams of sodium!

Disappointed that this layered pizza salad would not make my top 10 list, I set out to "skinny it down." Off to the supermarket I trotted with pencil and paper in hand. I made some interesting discoveries, trekking up and down the aisles, reading boxes, cans, and wrappers.

Switching from regular pepperoni to turkey pepperoni, I saved 70 calories per serving, dropped the total fat 9 grams but raised the sodium 150 grams. (Cutting fat generally increases sodium or sugar levels; it's all about the "taste factor.") Substituting whole-wheat pasta for plain elevated the fiber content. Using reduced fat cheese cut calories and fat but once again slightly increased the sodium content. I cut additional salt by using black olives instead of stuffed green ones.

Finally, replacing regular salad dressing with a fat-free version was a no brainer. To suit my own taste, I replaced chopped green pepper with button mushrooms. McCormick's Salad Supreme ™ seasoning blends Romano cheese with herbs for the perfect accent.

Picture your favorite pizza in a salad bowl and create! Adding extra veggies will raise the fiber content and thus increase the nutritional value.

I opted to toss the salad and let it marinate in the refrigerator for one hour instead of layering the ingredients to insure maximum flavor. (Footnote: Leftovers were even tastier after marinating several days!)

MAK'S PIZZA SALAD

1 (16-ounce) box whole wheat rotini or bow-tie pasta

1 medium red pepper, diced

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

2 (4-ounce) cans button mushrooms, drained

½ (6-ounce) package sliced turkey pepperoni

8 ounce reduced fat Italian Blend ™ shredded cheese

4 green onions with tops, sliced thin

1 cup whole, pitted medium black olives

3 tablespoon McCormick's Salad Supreme™ seasoning

1 cup fat-free Zesty Italian ™ dressing

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Rinse in cold water; drain. In large serving bowl, combine cooled and drained pasta with next seven ingredients. Toss to mix. Pour dressing over mixture, sprinkle on salad seasoning and Parmesan. Toss to coat and chill for 1 hour. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Mary Ann Kauchak lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Ye Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe in Occoquan. Send questions or comments in care of this paper at P.O.Box 2470, Woodbridge, VA, 22195.