Farmhouse Salad

Makes 2 servings

2 tomatoes
1 seedless cucumber
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon capers
¹/₂ cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
3 cups French bread chunks 

Cut tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper into bite-size pieces. Place in large bowl. Stir in green onions, basil, capers, and salad dressing and toss gently. Add bread chunks and mix again.

Per serving (1/2 of recipe)

• Calories: 227
• Fat: 2.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
• Calories from Fat: 9.5%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 7.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 46.8 g
• Sugar: 13.2 g
• Fiber: 5.6 g
• Sodium: 973 mg
• Calcium: 98 mg
• Iron: 2.8 mg
• Vitamin C: 131.6 mg
• Beta Carotene: 852 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.2 mg

Source: Mary McDougall of the McDougall Program www.drmcdougall.com

Hoppin' John Salad

I made this last night and my husband loved it! The lemon juice mixed with the green onions makes such a wonderful flavor!

Makes about 10 1/2-cup servings


2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, or 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained
1 ¹/₂ cups cooked brown rice
¹/₂ cup finely sliced green onions
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tomato, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
¹/₄ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
¹/₄ teaspoon salt
1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed


Combine black-eyed peas, rice, green onions, celery, tomato, and parsley in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, and garlic and pour over the salad. Toss gently. Chill 1 to 2 hours if time permits.
Per 1/2-cup serving

• Calories: 91
• Fat: 1.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 18.5%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 3.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
• Sugar: 1.3 g
• Fiber: 3.6 g
• Sodium: 68 mg
• Calcium: 20 mg
• Iron: 1.2 mg
• Vitamin C: 5.4 mg
• Beta Carotene: 137 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.4 mg

Source: Turn Off the Fat Genes by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond M.S., R.D.

Couscous Confetti Salad

I've made this salad before and the display of colors is beautiful! The golden raisins add the perfect sweetness.

Makes about 8 1-cup servings

Couscous is pasta from northern Africa that cooks almost instantly and makes a beautiful and flavorful salad. Whole-wheat couscous is sold in natural food stores and some supermarkets.

1 ¹/₂ cups dry whole-wheat couscous
2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 green onions, finely chopped, including tops
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 - 2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
¹/₂ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
¹/₂ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots
1 juice of 1 lemon
¹/₄ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons salt

In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add green onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins or apricots.

In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Per 1-cup serving

• Calories: 194
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 9.8%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 5.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
• Sugar: 10 g
• Fiber: 4.2 g
• Sodium: 283 mg
• Calcium: 33 mg
• Iron: 1.1 mg
• Vitamin C: 40.9 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1157 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.7 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This salad is rich in lycopene, a powerful carotenoid that has proven its importance in prostate cancer prevention and survival. Serve it with fresh bread or as a starter with light pasta dishes.

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Directions Makes 6 servings 4 tomatoes, quartered and sliced 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Arrange the tomatoes and cucumber in a shallow bowl. Scatter the basil leaves on top, add the balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with the vinegar and pepper. Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad is best served at room temperature shortly after it has been made. Nutrition Information Per serving (1/6 recipe): 20 calories 0.2 g fat 0 g saturated fat 10.4% calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 4.3 g carbohydrate 1.3 g fiber 2.5 g sugar 1 g protein 5 mg sodium 11.8 mg vitamin C 487 mcg beta-carotene 0.5 mg vitamin E 17 mg calcium 2110.9 mcg lycopene Recipe from The Cancer Survivor's Guide