Friday, March 26, 2021

Orange Fruity Salad Dressing

Salad, Dressing, Healthy, Food, Green

This is a wonderful creamy (oil-free) citrus dressing. It's light and tasty and I use it as a salad dressing for my salads and as a topping for vegetables such as steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus, or steamed cauliflower. 

Why oil-free? 
As I mentioned in a previous post, I am following the suggestions for diet in Dr, McDougall's book called, The Starch Solution. I find it a very satisfying way of eating because it allows me to enjoy substantial portions of potatoes, rice, beans, salads, vegetables, fruit etc. and still lose weight.

The only, thing I can't have on the plant-based diet is oil, animal protein, processed foods, and alcohol. - actually animal protein, processed foods, and alcohol are not great for health for a multitude of reasons. Our industries for raising meat, fish, and chicken depend on hormones, chemicals, and preserves to produce the quantity of animal protein to feed our demanding population for fast food burgers, fried chicken joints, etc. And our waterways are polluted producing fish that is highly toxic with mercury.

For me, I'm already vegan- so truthfully the only thing I missed in the beginning was the wine. 

I do enjoy having a glass or two of wine when I dine out on the weekends. but I'm getting over it.

I'm learning lots of interesting ways to make sauces, sautee, and cook without oil. Again, I am not giving up fat (I eat avocado, nuts, olives, and seeds)

Salad Cream, Mayo, Pomelo, Fruits, Nuts

I've been following the McDougall diet for 4 weeks and I feel terrific, have lost 9 pounds, my cravings for sweets and junk food is gone, and I've learned to fill my wine glass with seltzer and chat away with friends and enjoy myself. 

The bonus is that when I get home, since I have not indulged in wine, I am clear minded enough to get work done on the computer. When I drink wine, I feel tired and usually go straight to bed. 

I learned about this diet from Chef AJ who is Whole Food Plant-Based Chef - I follow her and get her very informative newsletters. 

Not long ago, she sponsored a summit on weight loss. One of her guests was on the summit was "Plantiful Kiki" who has many Youtube videos explaining how she lost 70 pounds a few years ago following this healthy diet and what she eats in a day. Look her up!!

When I saw what she eats in a day, I was impressed, curious, and ready to try it..My motivation to change my diet came from my recent blood lab reports. My cholesterol was high (232) and my blood sugar (112). I have to say that I was shocked because I was already on a vegan diet and thought I was eating healthy. 

What I discovered from Dr. McDougall's book is that for optimal health, I need to follow a whole foods  plant based diet - meaning no junk food, convenience package food, or alcohol. In other words, I need to eat real food that contains fiber, protein, nutrients, etc and hasn't been processed away to be an excite-o-toxin (food that excites your taste buds and keeps you addicted).  

What I eat in a day
Breakfast- 
1 cup of broccoli - first 
1 cup of cooked steel cut oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseed, 2 walnuts chopped, cinnamon, and 1/2 banana sliced on top. 

Lunch 
Large salad with an oil-free dressing (recipe below),
 2 cups of vegetables with oil-free dressing, 
large baked potato or baked sweet potato fries(air fryer) - or 1 cup of rice.

Snack: homemade oil-free hummus with celery and carrot sticks 


Dinner: 
Tossed salad with oil-free dressing and a tablespoon of raisins mixed in the salad
2 cups of asparagus or cauliflower with a homemade dressing 
Large bowl of bean chili (meat free) 

Snack: Bowl of berries (blueberries and raspberries) 

Recipe: 
Salad Dressing: 
1 navel orange - peel removed and full orange(cut up) put into the blender- 
1/2 cup of cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1/2 cup of artichoke hearts packed in water (not oil) 
1/4 cup of mint leaves
1/4 cup of water (or enough to form a liquid consistency

Directions
Blend all the ingredients and use over salad a carrot salad. 

11 comments:

  1. I like the idea of blending artichokes in the dressing. So creamy!

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  2. I would find it difficult to give up the oil. The dressing looks good. I am making the apricot salad tomorrow.

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  3. The dressing would be great on salads I enjoy. I gave up wne in January because I was drinking too much of it. Then I started having a glass here and there and it's much better now. Just taking a break helped me immensely.

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  4. Artichokes make things taste sweet (my experience and well-documented elsewhere). So adding them to salad dressing is an interesting idea!

    be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  5. Love the idea of the oil-free dressing. I've heard of the starch solution, but haven't totally investigated it. Awesome that it is working for you.

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  6. Wow! This was an eye-opening post! I really eat very little processed food and only eat meat because my husband likes to cook with it. I eat a pretty low-fat diet, too, and saute with water or tiny amounts of oil most of the time, so I was with you until you mentioned giving up alcohol! haha But seriously, your experience makes me think about giving up my craft cocktails, at least for a while, to see if it makes a difference in my energy levels.
    (Oops, I think my comment got lost when I hit the track pad the wrong way. If this is a duplicate, I'm sorry! Please feel free to remove one!)

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  7. Your steel cut oats breakfast caught my eye! I am trying to eat more steel cut oats for breakfast.

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  8. What a unique sounding dressing. I have never made salad dressing that included oranges. Yours is the second that I’ve seen this week. I have got to try that. It sounds so wonderfully refreshing.

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  9. Great idea of artichokes in the dressing!...I like the creamy consistency!......Abrazotes, Marcela

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  10. What an interesting dressing. I love that it's not made with oil. When you say "blend," I'm assuming you mean in a blender.

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  11. i am curious as to how you get enough protein? this sounds like a very stringent diet. i admire your toughness!

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