‘Lo, a Salad for the Ages
I really, really love things like egg salad and potato salad and so on. However, they tend to be horrendously bad for you, loaded with fat and mayo and empty calories of all kinds. I used to dig chicken salad, back when that was on my possible options menu, but again, not so hot for you. I sought… a salad with character, with staying power.. a salad.. for sandwiches.
Normal tofu is too soft– Even when you freeze and thaw it to make it spongier, cutting it into tiny peices or shredding it would yield results that are too mushy. I needed something stronger. Gluten? Eh. Commercial ficken? Expensive. Tempeh? Maybe, but a bit crumbly. What to do! Aha… Dry. Spiced. Tofu.
This amazing substance is just making its way around, I think. Now available in Trader Joe’s, and easily found in Asian markets, its super-compressed tofu, packed in clear vaccuum-packed plastic, with very little moisture to speak of. This tofu doesn’t take life lying down. It has personality. It has pizzaz. It’s perfect.
10 ounces dry spiced tofu, shredded on a box grater
5 stalks celery, include some of the sweet center ones, with some leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 medium carrot, shredded
1 1/2 cups 1% fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Basically… Throw it all in a bowl and toss it around. Refrigerate for a bit. Enjoy.
The dijon mustard gives it a bit of a kick that mellows with refrigeration. It’s excellent on toast, and even better on toast with cheese melted over it. This may.. well, negate the healthiness of this salad.. but it is fantastic. Hey, look! Here are some estimated nutrition facts! /noshes cheese.
<sub> Per Serving (8 servings total) Calories 76. Calories from Fat 23. Total Fat 2.6g (DV 4%). Saturated Fat 0.8g (DV 4%). Cholesterol 3mg (DV 1%). Sodium 227mg (DV 9%). Total Carbohydrates 4.9g (DV 2%). Dietary Fiber 1.0g (DV 4%). Sugars 1.4g. Protein 9.1g. Vitamin A 41% • Vitamin C 6%. Calcium 10% • Iron 5%</sub>
I will take a photo of my salad tomorrow, (provided there is any left..), and post it.
d42's got knobs. 