Chopped Ham & Apple Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing

Although this recipe is gluten free, it is not dairy free. To make it dairy free find dairy free alternatives at your local health food store.

From EatingWell: January/February 2014

Bottom of Form

This healthy main-course chopped salad recipe pairs bitter escarole and radicchio with sweet apple, smoky ham and crunchy pecans. But the pairing possibilities are limitless—you can also use cooked chicken and tangerines instead of ham and apples or bell pepper in place of the radishes. 

Makes: 4 servings, 3 cups each

Serving Size: 3 cups

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups chopped escarole or curly endive
• 5 cups chopped radicchio or Belgian endive
• 1 large sweet, crisp apple, such as Pink Lady, cubed
• 1 cup sliced radishes
• 3/4 cup sliced smoked ham steak (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (see Tip)

 

 

Preparation

1. Whisk yogurt, Parmesan, mayonnaise, vinegar, tarragon, pepper and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add escarole (or endive), radicchio (or endive), apple, radishes, ham and pecans to the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 2 days.

• For the best flavor, toast chopped nuts or seeds. Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts or seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 257 calories; 15 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono);22 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 9 g total sugars; 13 g protein; 6 g fiber; 722 mg sodium; 681 mg potassium.

 

Pork chops and escarole

Ingredients:



Marinade:

½ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
5 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoon low-carb Hoisin sauce*
1½ tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons water



Pork chops and escarole:

4 (8-ounce) center-cut pork chops
28 escarole leaves


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the canola oil, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, Hoisin sauce, tamari and water. Reserve one-third of the mixture. Using the rest of the mixture, coat each pork chop and marinate in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish in the refrigerator for 2–4 hours, turning the chops once.

2. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Also preheat the oven to 375ºF.

3. When the grill is ready, remove the chops from the marinade and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a baking pan and bake another 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, transfer the mixture used to marinate the pork to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the water and then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

1. Coat the escarole leaves with the reserved marinade and place them on the grill for 1 minute. Remove and place on a serving plate.

2. Place the pork chops on top of the escarole, drizzle with the warm marinade, adding any marinade not used for the escarole, and serve.