Guilt Free Dijon and Chive Dressing

plate with salad greens and sausage

 

I’ve been watching calorie intake lately – and my daily allotment is way less than I have been used to – pretty much my whole life.  It’s a good thing for sure – but let’s be clear…sometimes it’s not easy!  So, I have to maximize the calories I have.  I’ve been integrating lots of salads into my diet – again, good change.  But it can get pretty dull.  I also discovered that most salad dressings can take an ordinary, pretty low calorie meal into a whopper (not literally) when you factor in the oil (even good oils).  I needed to have a zesty dressing without the oil.  And thus – this recipe was born.

BUT.  Who wants just a recipe for salad dressing?  I mean – that’s pretty dull too.  And how would I display it?  In a mason jar on the counter?  Yawn.  So, I thought I’d also share a few meal ideas as well.

Pictured above is an arugula salad dressed with my Dijon Chive Dressing and roasted hot Italian sausages.  It’s super easy and quick – and a good bang for your buck, calorie-wise.  This serving was about 400 calories (360 coming from the sausages).  If there was oil in the dressing, we’d be over 500.

Roasting sausage in the oven is my new go-to method.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place sausages on a sheet pan.  (Line it with parchment for easy clean up!).  Roast for 25 minutes.  Done.

If sausages aren’t your thing – you could do chicken.  Same method.  Preheat oven to 375 this time.  Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into chunks.  Place on a sheet pan, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Then toss with your favorite spices…I do 1 tbs of Tajin, 1 tsp of garlic powder and onion powder.  Ensure each piece is coated with spices.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Done.

Finally, what about the pictured salad with two sunny side up eggs placed on top?  Super good.

This is totally guilt-free dressing because it contains no oil.  But you won’t miss it – as the mustard will create the emulsion.  I use powdered garlic and onion just because I wanted it very creamy and no bits in it.  But you could certainly use fresh garlic (grate it though so it’s super fine) and for the onion – use a shallot – it’s a bit milder.  But dice it very fine.  Oh and the sugar?  Well, that just rounds out the sharpness of the vinegar and spices.  It won’t make it sweet.

 

Directions

Yield:  About ½ cup
Time:  5 Minutes Preparation

¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbs chopped chives
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp Tajin
½ tsp sugar

Method:

Place all ingredients in a vessel with a close-fitting top.  Think small Tupperware container, small mason jar or even a recycled chic ice cream container (ever have Talenti?  Oh, I miss Talenti). Then, shake, shake, shake.  It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

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A great day for me is preparing great meals for friends and family. I enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and also updating classics that I've enjoyed for years. I love to travel and try lots of new cuisines - and wouldn't be anything without the love of my family!

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