COOKING WITH SUZI

by Suzi Castle

Salads make great warm-weather meals. But watch out for high-fat salad dressings and ingredients. They can turn a healthy dish into a fat- and cholesterol-laden, high-calorie disaster. Instead, choose low-fat and fat-free ingredients such as fat-free cheeses, cooked chicken and turkey breast and lean ham. Your local deli can supply many of the ingredients, a great time-saver for the cook. Some supermarkets even have the ready-made fruit, gourmet lettuce, and vegetable salad mixtures. Add your own low-fat or fat-free dressing! For a quick, delicious low-fat warm-weather meal, try this:

Spa Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

¾ cup fat-free Italian salad dressing

1-1/2 teaspoons Original Blend Mrs. Dash seasoning mix

10 ounces dry tricolored rotelle pasta, cooked according to package direction

8 ounces cooked chicken or turkey breast, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ cup each: chopped celery and sliced green onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup broccoli florets or fresh Chinese pea pods (or use ½ cup of each)

Cherry tomatoes and lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Mix mayonnaise with salad dressing and Mrs. Dash. Mix gently with cooked pasta, chicken, carrot, celery, green onion, mushrooms, broccoli and/or pea pods. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Yield: 6 servings. Per serving: 289 calories (15% from fat); 13.4g protein; 4.8g fat (0.77g saturated fat); 44g carbohydrates; 421mg sodium; 25mg cholesterol; 3.54g fiber. Exchanges: 1 lean meat, 3 bread.

Suzi Castle's "Deliciously Healthy Favorite Foods Cookbook" is available now in (or can be ordered at) most bookstores or by calling 1-800-444-2524. For an autographed copy, please send a check or money order to Health Cookbooks, RR 4 Box 208, Porterville, CA 93257 ($14.95 + $3.95 S&H).