Healthy Salads: This Indulgent Salad Is Loaded With Lobster, Not Calories

At just 290 calories, this simple but decadent recipe for lobster and corn salad with tarragon vinaigrette is as light as it is tasty.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fresh corn kernels (2 ears)
1 pound cooked lobster meat, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Instructions:
1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients (through tarragon) in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil in a slow, thin stream, and add salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Gently combine corn and lobster in a serving bowl. Add vinaigrette and chives, and toss gently before serving. (Serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutrition:
Calories 290; Fat 17g (sat 4g, mono 11g, poly 2g); Cholesterol 87mg; Protein 24g; Carbohydrate 11g; Sugars 2g; Fiber 1g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 588mg; Calcium 74mg

By Laraine Perri

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

Healthy Salads: Try This Protein-Packed Greek Salad

Just worked out? Replenish electrolytes and pump up muscle with this Greek salad with grilled chicken recipe. Bonus: The salty olives and feta help you rehydrate faster.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes
Stand: 5 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and quartered (about 6–8 tomatoes)
1/2 large seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided
4 cups torn romaine lettuce

Instructions:
1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

2. Heat a grill pan to high. Lightly coat chicken with olive oil spray, and season with remaining salt and pepper; cook over high heat 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

3. In a serving bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, and half the mint with vinaigrette. Slice chicken into 1⁄2-inch strips, add to salad, and toss gently. Place 1 cup romaine on each of 4 plates, top with chicken mixture and remaining mint. (Serving size: 1 1/4 cup salad and 3 ounces chicken)

Nutrition:
Calories 312; Fat 20g (sat 6g, mono 12g, poly 2g); Cholesterol 66mg; Protein 22g; Carbohydrate 11g; Sugars 7g; Fiber 2g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 568mg; Calcium 141mg

By Laraine Perri

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

Healthy Salads: Light Tapas Make It Easy to Keep It Low-Cal

This recipe for tapas with garlic shrimp and baby greens is a real crowd-pleaser.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
Tapas spread
4 ounces thinly sliced serrano ham
4 ounces Manchego cheese, sliced into thin triangles
1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red peppers, sliced
1 cup assorted marinated olives
1 cup Marcona almonds
1 baguette or other good crusty bread

Salad
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 cups baby salad greens

Shrimp
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/3 cup fino sherry (or dry white wine)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions:
1. For tapas spread: Arrange all tapas ingredients on a large platter.

2. For salad: Whisk together vinegar, honey, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, and add salt and pepper; set aside. (Dress greens before serving.)

3. For shrimp: Toss the shrimp with 3⁄4 teaspoon salt; set aside for 10 minutes. Warm the olive oil in a large pan, and gently sauté garlic over medium-low heat for 3 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to color.

Add shrimp, remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, and smoked paprika; cook over medium heat, turning the shrimp occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until just cooked through.

Remove shrimp from pan with a slotted spoon.

Add sherry to pan, raise heat to high, and reduce liquid (about 2–3 minutes).

Add lemon juice, return shrimp to pan, and toss gently; sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. (Serving size: 3⁄4 cup salad, 2–3 shrimp, and assorted tapas)

Nutrition:
Calories 484; Fat 27g (sat 5g, mono 16g, poly 3g); Cholesterol 71mg; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 40g; Sugars 2g; Fiber 3g; Iron 5mg; Sodium 1317mg; Calcium 186mg

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

Healthy Salads: Detoxifying Cabbage, Ginger Lend Crunch to This Low-Cal Salad

By Laraine Perri
From Health magazine

Detox never tasted so good. This recipe for red cabbage and apple salad with ginger vinaigrette delights for just 215 calories.

Prep: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups packed shredded red cabbage
2 cups packed shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water
1/4 cup toasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

Instructions:
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.

2. Toss cabbages together in a large serving bowl. Toss apple slices with lemon juice to keep from browning.

3. Add apple, raisins, and half the sunflower seeds to cabbage. Toss with the dressing. Garnish servings with remaining seeds. (Serving size: 1 1/4 cups salad)

Nutrition:
Calories 215; Fat 15g (sat 2g, mono 8g, poly 4g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 20g; Sugars 13g; Fiber 3g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 119mg; Calcium 50mg
Next: Light Tapas Make It Easy to Keep It Low-Cal
Back to “Healthy Salads” Intro

By Laraine Perri

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

Healthy Salads for Every Occasion

Need replenishment after a workout? Crave a decadent dinner for one? These fresh new salads really deliver. (Please search each topics below)

• Red Cabbage and Apple Salad With Ginger Vinaigrette


• Tapas With Garlic Shrimp and Baby Greens


• Greek Salad With Grilled Chicken


• Lobster and Corn Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette


• Caprese Tower

By Laraine Perri

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

Surprising New Uses for Beer

By Susan Hall
From Health magazine

Health helper
The grains used to make beer contain silicon, which boosts bone density, says Katherine Tucker, PhD, a senior scientist at Tufts University. Dark beer also contains antioxidants that reduce your risk of heart disease. Enjoy up to one glass a day.

Sole soother
The yeast in beer softens weary, callused feet. Try this treatment from Milk + Honey Spa in Austin, Texas. Pour 1 bottle of lager into a tub of warm water, and soak 10 minutes. Massage 1 cup Epsom salt and the juice of 1 lime onto feet and legs. Rinse and relax.

Cook’s companion
When braising meats, try adding 1 inch of brown ale (such as Newcastle) to the pan. Beer tenderizes the meat and adds great flavor, says Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Health’s senior food and nutrition editor.

Garden aid
Slugs eating your veggies? Set a beer trap, says Felder Rushing, author of Passalong Plants. Fill a container with beer, cut a small hole in the lid, and bury it in your garden; lid should be flush with the ground. Slugs, drawn to the hops, will fall in.
(PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO)

Last Updated: March 16, 2009
Filed Under: Natural Remedies

Eat Chinese, Weigh Less

From Health magazine

Worried that Chinese food is bad for your diet? No need to be, says Lorraine Clissold, author of Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories. She points to recent research showing that the Chinese consume 30 percent more calories than people in other countries and yet weigh 20 percent less. The secret? They choose nutrient-packed fare over foods full of sugar and fat. Here, a few more Chinese eating secrets:

Worship veggies
In China, vegetables are as prized as meat. Order more veggie dishes, and ask to have your meat served on vegetables instead of rice or noodles.

Use the “rule of five”
Pack your plate with five tastes—sweet, sour, pungent, salty, and bitter—not just one. The Chinese believe that helps control weight.

Think yin and yang
Yin foods (which are often steamed) provide a cooling effect. Yang foods (often grilled) warm you. The balance is thought to prevent weight gain.

Drink (hot) tea
Enjoy it at body temperature (warm but not superhot) to aid in fat digestion. But avoid iced tea; it can lead to obesity and lethargy.

Related Links: (Please search)
Low-Calorie Restaurant Meals Busted
America’s Healthiest Restaurants: How We Ranked Them
Lose Weight on Fast Food (Really!)

Last Updated: February 26, 2009
Filed Under: Dining Out

Refreshing Red Wines You Can Serve Chilled

What makes some reds chill well while others don’t? The secret is in tannin, a component from the grapes’ skins that gives red wines their gripping, tongue-drying texture. Chilling amplifies the effect and can make red wine seem bitter. But some softer tannic wines (ones with a less intense and lower amount of tannins) actually benefit from chilling, because it pumps up their fruitiness and makes them even more refreshing. There’s nothing on the label to tell you whether a wine is suitable for chilling; you just need to know what varietals to look for. Here are the best.

For pork, poultry, salmon, and other light meals:
A subtle, earthy, elegant option is Pinot Noir. Firesteed 2006 () from Oregon takes on a snappy cranberry-cherry flavor when chilled.

For spicier grilled fare such as barbecue or sausage:
French Beaujolais-Villages such as Georges Dubœuf () or Louis Jadot () are grapey and juicy.

For steaks and burgers:
Chill a California Zinfandel like the dark berry–flavored Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley ().

Andrea Robinson is a master sommelier and author of Great Wine Made Simple.

Related Links:(Please Search)
Red Wine Compound Helps Heart, May Slow Aging
Great New Find: Buzz-Free Wine Soda
Is Alcohol Actually Good for You? What’s Right and Wrong With Drinking

Last Updated: February 26, 2009
Filed Under: Shop Smarter

The Best Makeup for Summer

By Jolene Edgar
From Health magazine 

Lose your base
Streamline your routine—and cosmetics case—by trading your usual lotion, base, and sunscreen for a single tube of tinted moisturizer. Pick one rich in SPF and antioxidants, which do damage control, such as Murad Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 15 Sheer Tint ().

Discover mineral powder
Should you need a smidgen more coverage than a tinted moisturizer offers, dust a loose mineral powder like Almay Pure Blends Mineral Makeup (.49) over your T-zone. “It can help veil imperfections without turning greasy in the heat,” says Nick Barose, celebrity makeup artist for Clarins.

Tame shine
Pressed powders are too heavy during warm-weather months, says Alison Raffaele, founder and creative director of Alison Raffaele Cosmetics. Start the day with a thin layer of mattifying gel like OC Eight ().

Get a subtle flush
Switch from a powder blush to one of the latest streak-proof gels or mousses. These formulas are easy to apply with fingertips and offer a just-right wash of color. “They’re sheer, and they let the skin show through, which creates a delicate flush,” Raffaele says. Benefit Posietint () is one of our favorites because the pretty poppy hue can be used on lips, too.

Summerize your eye shadow
Swap powder eye shadows, which crinkle and fade in the heat, for wet-to-dry formulas that “go on sheer and don’t budge all day,” Barose says. Universally flattering gold and bronze hues are as easy to wear as browns and beiges but offer a warmer, more modern sheen. We love Becca Eye Tint (shown in Gilt, ).

Or, skip shadow altogether
Ditch your black mascara for one of the new, splashy aquamarine or seafoam shades, which are far less glaring than their ultraelectric predecessors. Our pick: Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara (shown in Wonder Mint, .50).

Go glossy
Retire precision lip pencils and satin-finish bullets, and opt for see-through multitasking glosses and balms instead. Infused with moisturizers and sunscreen, fruit-inspired shades look tasteful on all skin tones. Try Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster SPF 15 Lip Gloss (shown in Brightening Cherry, ).

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Makeup