Wookiee Hut Cuisine presents:
 Luscious (Diet) Dinner Salads
by SuSu, Bunchbox, MaceVindaloo



When the girls of Hogwart's learned of the multi-school Yule Ball, they were not only excited about attracting the young men of Durmstang, but were dismayed that they'd have to compete against the lovely young ladies of Beauxbatons for their own men. Most were determined to look as lithe as they could, and dieted aggressively. They even banded together: Slytherin girls would sit with Gryffindor girls to compare notes and progress. Such was the power of competition, and it took the beautiful girls of Beauxbatons to bring the girls of Hogwart's together!

Many of the women turned to Hermione and other Muggle-borns who were used to artificial sweeteners, which would not add calories to food. These flavors turned out to be really important, since many dieting foods seemed to be bland, cutting down as they did in fat, the carrier of many flavors.

Hermione showed them how to make delicious dressings for luscious, juicy vegetable-heavy salads that make up a full meal. When oil is required for the dressing, she specified a low-saturated fat oil like olive oil. She emphasized every ingredient in the dressing was important for flavor and enjoyment, and the girls of Howart's were happy to learn as much as they could from her — even those who deigned to not like her under normal situations!

In fact, these salads are so luscious and delicious that they could be your whole meal. What a luxury to eat as much as you wanted of these tasty and juicy salads!
Asian-style Sesame Orange Salad
 This salad actually owes its provenance to Cho Chang, who was dieting earnestly because she had her eye on the Hufflepuff seeker, Cedric Diggory. He was tall and willowy himself, and she imagined that he'd want a girl with a similar, complementary silhouette. True, there is fat in the oils, but Hermione convinced her that replacing the sugar was as simpler way to reduce calories than to lose the tastiness of this sweet and sour salad.
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar substitute (such as Splenda or Equal)
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or olive oil (or a mix)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 large head romaine or leaf lettuce
  • 1 cucumber, cut into chunks
  • 3 clementines, sectioned and white threads and pitch removed
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix together the vinegar, sugar substitute, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Shake well.

Chop or tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces if using leaf lettuce. Toss with the cucumber and orange sections. Ross with the dressing, and top with sesame seeds.

If desired, leftover grilled meat or fish could be added to this salad before tossing with the dressing.

Serve immediately, makes 4 to 6 servings.

Back to the Menu: Luscious (Diet) Dinner Salads

Apple and Celery Salad with Basalmic Vinaigrette
 Hermione has American cousins who used to serve something called a Waldorf Salad, which contains apples, walnuts, celery, in a dressing of mayonnaise. It was much better tasting than it sounded, but Hermione had long ago given up the mayonnaise, knowing it wasn't the way to keep her slender figure or her clear skin! This French/Italian style vinaigrette was much more flavorful and more healthy-seeming. Appearing to be healthy is an important aspect of a diet, too — the better to bask in virtue and good health!
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar substitute
  • 2 crisp apples (like Gala or Fuji), chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, sliced
  • 1 head of lettuce, cleaned, dried, torn into bit-sized pieces
In a jar fitted with a tight-fitting lid, mix together the vinegars, olive oil, mustard, salt, and sugar substitute. Shake to blend well. The dressing will take on a creamy appearance.

Place the apples, celery, and lettuce in a large bowl, and toss with the salad. Serve immediately.

If desired, leftover grilled meat or fish could be added to this salad before tossing with the dressing.

Serves 4 to 6.

Back to the Menu: Luscious (Diet) Dinner Salads

Watermelon Basil Feta Salad
If Hermione had seen this salad before she'd eaten it, she might not have tried it. It looks so alien and exotic! But she had tried it with a neighbor who swore it was a great combination, unexpected and juicy. It was dark in the neighbor's garden, so she barely could see what was on her plate. But she tried it and was astonished at the salty, sweet, peppery flavors — so much so that she ate her portion and asked for more. When she finally saw it in the light of day, she declared she never would have believed something so beautifully non-food-looking would be so luscious and filling. Perfect for a diet!
  • 8 to 10 cups watermelon, cubed
  • 1 to 2 cups feta, crumbled or cubed
  • 1 bunch basil or shiso, chiffonade
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • olive oil, to taste
Using a large platter, tumble the watermelon on the plate so that it's mostly flat on the surface. Sprinkle over with feta and basil (or shiso). If preferred, the watermelon and feta can be cut into slabs instead and interlayered. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and olive oil — or not. Try it without any dressing.

Serves 6 to 8.

Back to the Menu: Luscious (Diet) Dinner Salads

Bold Greek-style Salad


This salad is more grown-up, in that it has more bitterish flavors than sweet. But it's not a high-falutin' salad — it's aggressive and bold, and eating it will be a bit of a workout, and leave you satisfied. Hermione fancied it was something the Bulgarian Quidditch team might eat before a match: something substantial but light. She wasn't sure why she thought about that team, but there it is ...
  • 2 heads romaine, chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, cut into wedges or cubes
  • 1 large green pepper, cut into slices or cubes
  • 1 small sweet onion, sliced thinly
  • canned dolmas (rice-stuffed grape leaves)
  • 1 to 2 cups feta, cubed or crumbled
  • 1 to 2 cups black olives, unpitted
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
Using a large platter, tumble the romaine on the plate so that it's mostly flat on the surface. Sprinkle over with tomatoes, peppers, feta, and onions, in layers. Arrange dolmas around the perimeter of the plate. Top with olives.

Serve the vinegar, olive oil, oreganao, salt, and pepper at the table to dress each portion as desired. If preferred, mix the dressing ingredients together in a jar fitted with a lid. Shake together well and either toss with the salad, or serve on the side. Alternatively, the salad may be served as-is, or with a fat-free Ranch dressing.

Serves 4 to 6.

Back to the Menu: Luscious (Diet) Dinner Salads
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