Internet Chili & John's salad

Internet Chili is what we call Lisa Fain's Seven Chile Chili, which is by far the best chili recipe I've ever made. It's great, but definitely not diet food. Of course it's great—it's a bowl full of spicy meat. No beans, no tomatoes, just beef and peppers. The recipe says it serves 8 (about 500 calories per serving), but I usually can't even finish half of a half serving. Here's a terrible picture of this fantastic chili (served with avocado, lime, cilantro, sour cream, and my favorite tortilla chips):


There's also some salad there. I love salad. Unfortunately, salad is a sneaky jerk of a food that seems like it would always be a low-calorie choice, but often isn't. John came up with this recipe for a light vinaigrette that can dress enough greens and vegetables for 2 huge salads. Easy on the salt; the fish sauce (which I know sounds like an odd choice, but adds rich, non-fishy flavor) is pretty salty.

John's Salad Dressing

1.5 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar (or another vinegar you like)
3/4 T mild fish sauce
2 T lemon juice
1 t Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Black pepper & salt to taste

Put all that in a jar and shake it up. I like to cut up all my non-lettuce salad vegetables and pour the dressing over them in the salad bowl to let them soak in it for a while before I toss it all with lettuces.

Serves 2
About 110 calories per serving

Fig & Bacon Salad with Parmesan

I ate this for dinner the other night, along with half a baked potato topped with a parsley-kind-of-chimichurri-sauce.

Salad:
Big, big handful baby greens or cut-up lettuce
2 figs, fresh or dried, cut into quarters
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Parmesan shavings

Dressing:
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
Dab of Dijon mustard
Juice of a quarter lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the dressing ingredients and toss with the lettuce. Top with the figs, bacon, and Parmesan.

1 serving
320 calories

Chicken & Vegetable Salad

This is good as-is, or served over a bed of greens or cous cous. If cherry or grape tomatoes are in season, they would be a nice addition.

Salad:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1.5 c lightly steamed green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 can quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
1 bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into small pieces
1 smallish-medium zucchini, cut into rounds

Dressing:
4 T olive oil
4 T red wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1 small bunch fresh basil, chopped
Leaves from a few sprigs fresh oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all of that up.

4 servings
270 calories per serving

Poached Egg & Lardon Salad

I make this for weekend breakfast or brunch a lot. It's also a nice light lunch or dinner, especially if you serve it with a little bread or small pasta dish. (In the photo, I've served it with a small amount of fried potatoes, a tomato, and some apple slices.)

Dressing:
1 T olive oil
2 t red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
Juice of a quarter or half a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Salad:
2 big handfuls mixed greens
2 eggs
3 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and broken into pieces; or, cut into dice, cook, and drain

Set a nonstick skillet with about an inch to an inch and a half of water—and a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar—over heat to boil.

While it's coming to a boil, mix dressing ingredients well in a jar or small cup. Place the greens in a mixing bowl, add dressing, and toss. It's very important not to overdress the salad, since the runny yolk of the egg will also dress it, so keep in mind that you may not need all the dressing.

Divide the greens between 2 plates and top with bacon pieces.

By this time, the water should be boiling. If you don't know how to poach an egg, here's an easy method: crack each egg into a small bowl or cup and tip into the water. Cover and remove from heat. After 10 minutes, the eggs should be perfectly poached. (Me, I just lower the water to a simmer, tip the eggs in, and keep an eye on 'em.) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the water off before topping each salad with an egg. Add a little salt & pepper to the egg if you like.

Serves 2
250 calories per serving

Kale with Salmon

2 c shredded lacinato (dinosaur) kale
1 t olive oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
3 oz smoked salmon, flaked
Lemon wedges

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add kale and a tablespoon or 2 of water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not completely cooked (3 to 5 minutes). Remove cover; add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook just until water is evaporated, another minute or so.

Transfer to plate, arrange salmon on top, and serve with lemon wedges.

1 serving
160 calories per serving

Chicken Cabbage Salad

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 c shredded cabbage
Half a jar of spicy pickled vegetables
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
4 T fish sauce
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
4 T red wine or white vinegar
2 seeded jalapeños, chopped
1 T sesame oil
1 t soy sauce

Combine everything but the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients well; pour over vegetables and toss well.

Serves 4
175 calories per serving

Sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic would all be nice additions.

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

Chicken Salad with Rice and Fruit

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2/3 c cooked brown rice, cooled
2 c fruit, cut up
¼ c fresh chopped herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon, or a combination)
Juice of 1 lemon, well-reamed
1 T balsamic vinegar
Black pepper (plenty)
Salt (just a pinch)

3 c arugula or watercress

I should really come up with snazzier recipe names.

Combine all ingredients (except greens) in a medium bowl, gently.

Divide greens between 2 plates and top each with half the chicken and rice mixture.

2 servings
200 calories per serving

I used raspberries, a nectarine, and a plum this time. Other berries, apricots, apples, pears, etc. would all work well.

A little thinly sliced red onion or scallions would be good in this.

If you think it needs more zing, try some red pepper flakes. Crumbled blue, feta, or goat cheese, parmesan shavings, or toasted chopped nuts would all be great in this salad, but will add a significant amount of calories. At 200 to start, though, you can certainly afford to add a few.

Kale Salad

2 cups fresh shredded lacinato (dinosaur) kale
1 T olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 T red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Pine nuts
Parmesan shavings
Lemon

Combine all ingredients (except pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon) in a bowl, gently. Divide between 2 plates. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts and parmesan shavings. Give each a little squeeze of lemon juice.

2 servings
85 calories per serving

Cucumber radish salad

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
About 8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
1/4 c red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients well. Let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before eating. Thinly sliced red onion or minced garlic would also be nice in this very refreshing salad.

Serves 2 (big servings)
30 calories

Brussels sprouts & apple salad

1 lb tiny Brussels sprouts
1 medium-to-large apple (Fuji, Pink Lady, etc.)

2 T good mustard (Dijon, stoneground, etc)
1 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon, well reamed

Salt & pepper to taste (lots)

Make this recipe only if you can get first-of-the-season, small, teeny-tiny, tender Brussels sprouts. Older ones will be too tough. You could also make this with very finely shredded green, red, or Napa cabbage.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a bowl, combine all ingredients except the sprouts and apple. Shake or mix until well combined.

Trim stem ends of sprouts and slice very thinly; place in large bowl. Quarter apple lengthwise and cut out the core; slice each quarter very thinly, crosswise, and transfer to the bowl. If you have a food processor with a thin slicing blade, you can use it to speed the process.

Mix or shake the dressing thoroughly again. Pour over shredded sprouts and apple and gently toss until evenly coated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Put the bowl in the fridge and let it sit for an hour or two to let the salt and acid tenderize the sprouts a bit.

4 servings
85 calories per serving

This salad would also be great with shaved fennel in place of the sprouts, or with a firm pear instead of the apple. To make a light meal out of it, add some shaved parmesan or aged gouda and some toasted nuts (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or pinenuts). Cheese and/or nuts will add significantly to the calorie count. Finely sliced scallions or sweet onions would not be amiss here, either.