Here is a recipe that uses imitation crab meat to provide a low fat and high protein salad. The hearts of palm and fresh green beans add texture, crunch, and lots of vitamins, and fresh herbs and olives flavor the salad without adding sugar or fat. Use a non fat organic mayonnaise, or better yet, make your own. Parsley is a herb that is easy to grow in a kitchen garden, or even in a clay pot on your kitchen window. You can find hearts of palm in the canned goods or ethnic food aisle in your supermarket; as with all canned vegetables and beans be sure to rinse and drain them well to wash off the salt and get rid of any excess sodium.
Ingredients:
6 red potatoes, not peeled
1/2 pound green beans
1 cup imitation shredded crab meat
1 cup nonfat mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups mixed greens in bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup sliced canned hearts of palm
10 grape tomatoes, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
12 black olives, sliced
Method:
Use a medium sized saucepan to boil the potatoes until tender but firm – this should take between 8 – 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool the potatoes completely, then cut into thin slices. Meanwhile, place your beans in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 tbsp of water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. Check them as microwave temperatures vary, and then pop them in for another couple of minutes if they aren’t ready. You want them to be crisp yet tender. Drain the water, cool for about 10 minutes on the counter, and then chill the green beans in the fridge.
Use a small bowl to mix the crab meat, mayonnaise, parsley, lemon peel and lemon juice. Place the lettuce leaves on six large plates, and spoon crab meat mixture over each plate. Add potato slices, chilled green beans, hearts of palms, sliced grape tomatoes, sliced eggs and olives on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!