Rae Udy

RECIPES: Greek Salad in Pita Pockets, Tropical Rice Lettuce Cups, Seven Layer Salad

By Rae Udy

As the weather heats up in Texas its time to for salad suppers. Low in calories and fat but still hearty enough to fill you up, these main dish salads will help keep your summer light.
Greek Salad is served in pita pockets to create a substantial salad sandwich. These simple to make sandwiches provide 11 grams of protein and 3 grams of dietary fiber for each sandwich. Fresh herbs add great taste to this salad supper.
Tropical Rice Lettuce Cups are fancy enough to serve guests but are inexpensive to make and nutritious. Fiber-rich brown rice combines with mandarin oranges and pineapple to create a sweet salad supper.
Seven Layer Salad is a display in itself. So pretty you may not want to eat it. Low-fat yogurt and spices add flavor but no fat to this low-calorie delight. Look for MorningStar soy bacon in the freezer section in most grocery stores near the frozen waffles.
The following salad recipes are perfect when the sun gets too hot for cooking and the produce is so fresh.

GREEN SALAD IN PITA POCKETS
3 large tomatoes, sliced ¼ (one-quarter) inch thick
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
20 pitted black olives, sliced
¼ (one-quarter) pound Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 whole wheat pita breads, halved and opened into pockets
1 cup dark green salad greens
Layer tomato slices and cucumbers onto a shallow plate. Add sliced olives, crumbled cheese and chopped oregano. Sprinkle oil and vinegar over all ingredients and allow to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to blend flavors. Open pita halves and fill with tomato mixture and salad greens. Yields four servings.

TROPICAL RICE LETTUCE CUPS
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
½ (one-half) cup water
1 eight-ounce can mandarin oranges in juice, drained and syrup reserved
1 eight-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, drained and syrup reserved
1 teaspoon butter or soy butter
½ (one-half) teaspoon each: salt, ground ginger and cinnamon
¼ (one-quarter) cup honey or maple syrup
6 lettuce cups
Bring water and reserved juices to boil in a three-quart saucepan. (Use enough water and juices to equal one cup liquid.) Add rice, butter and salt. Return to boil and stir once. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer undisturbed for 10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Add oranges, pineapple, spices and honey and stir well. Chill two hours or more. Serve in lettuce cups to six.

SEVEN LAYER SALAD
¾ (three-quarter) cup fat-free yogurt
¼ (one-quarter) cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
½ (one-half) teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups cabbage (about half a head), shredded
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups carrots, grated
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small cauliflowers
¼ (one-quarter) cup Morningstar soy bacon (approximately 6 slices), cooked and crumbled
1 large tomato, chopped

Combine yogurt, parsley, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, garlic and sugar in a small bowl and mix well for salad dressing. Set aside. In glass bowl, layer cabbage and broccoli. Spread one-half of the prepared dressing over layered vegetables. Continue to layer carrot, celery and cauliflower. Spread remaining dressing over cauliflower and refrigerate at least two hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, sprinkle with bacon and tomato. Yields eight servings.