[July 06, 2009] Three simple summer salads Tweet Jul 06, 2009 (Newsday - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- LIME-CILANTRO GAZPACHO WITH AVOCADO SALSA \ cup diced onion, divided 1/3 cup cilantro, divided 1 garlic clove 1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, core and stem removed 1 cucumber, peeled 1 red bell pepper, quartered 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lime juice \ teaspoon Tabasco sauce } teaspoon salt, divided \ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of onion and 2 tablespoons of cilantro in a small bowl. 2. Place the remaining onion, cilantro and the garlic in food processor and run the machine until the garlic is finely minced. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and Tabasco and process until smooth. Add { teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, taste and adjust as needed. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. 3. Meanwhile, add the remaining \ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lime juice and avocado to the reserved onion and cilantro. Toss and top each serving of the gazpacho with one-fourth of the avocado salsa. Makes 4 servings. Nutritional analysis per serving: 105 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 6 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 446 mg sodium ___ TUNA, CHICKPEA AND PARSLEY SALAD 2 (6-ounce) cans solid-white tuna, drained 1 (10-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed { cup parsley, chopped 1 (7-ounce) bottled roasted red pepper, drained, rinsed and diced 2 tablespoons drained capers 1 medium shallot, chopped (about \ cup) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar { teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard \ teaspoon each salt and pepper (or more to taste) \ cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 cups mixed field greens 1. Combine tuna, chickpeas, parsley, red pepper and capers in a bowl. 2. In another bowl, combine shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper; slowly whisk in oil. Toss 1tablespoon of the dressing with the greens; toss the rest with the tuna mixture. 3. To serve, divide greens among four plates and top with the tuna mixture. Makes 4servings. Nutritional analysis per serving: 371 calories, 31 g protein, 5g fiber, 17 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 1,005 mg sodium ___ SMOKE AND FIRE TEX-MEX SALAD 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder \ teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper { cup cilantro, chopped { cup light sour cream 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lime juice 6 cups shredded Romaine lettuce 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (}-ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed { cup chopped scallion 1 avocado, cut into 1/3-inch dice 3 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch dice 10 ounces (2 cups) cooked chicken breast Combine cumin, chili powder, chipotle, cilantro, sour cream, olive oil and lime juice. Add lettuce, beans, corn, scallions, avocado, tomato and chicken. Toss thoroughly. Makes 4 servings. Nutritional analysis per serving: 468 calories, 33 g protein, 11 g fiber, 23 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 596 mg sodium ___ TIP: Start your meal with a bowl of low calorie, high fiber gazpacho and research shows you are likely to consume fewer calories for dinner. ___ (c) 2009, Newsday. Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/ Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]